Category: Speeches

  • Ian Blackford – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Ian Blackford – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Blackford on 2015-11-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department conducted an economic impact assessment of the proposed byelaw changes for the waters between the mainland of Scotland and the Island of Raasay.

    Mark Lancaster

    The views submitted by members of the public and other local stakeholders as part of the public consultation on the proposed changes will be used to inform if the Ministry of Defence is justified in producing an economic impact as this is not required as part of the review process.

    Full and proper consultation on the proposed new byelaws with local fishing communities and stakeholders is part of the current byelaws review process. The review was preceded by initial discussions between QinetiQ and local fishing communities over the summer. While the byelaw review has been extended to the end of November 2015, there is no plan to suspend the on-going public consultation phase of the byelaw review.

  • Diana Johnson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Diana Johnson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Diana Johnson on 2015-12-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 17 December 2015 to Question 19916 on Temporary Exclusion Orders, when she expects that report to be published.

    Mr John Hayes

    No date has been set yet for the report to be published. The report on disruptive and investigatory powers, covering their use in 2014, was published on 4 November.

  • Patrick Grady – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Patrick Grady – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Patrick Grady on 2016-01-27.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the merits of making public the rules for country-by-country reporting of tax and profits by multinational companies.

    Mr David Gauke

    The UK supports efforts to improve tax transparency. The UK initiated the international work on country-by-country reporting during its G8 Presidency in 2013, calling on the OECD to develop a template for country-by-country (CbC) reporting as part of the BEPS project.

    The UK was the first out of 44 to commit to implement the OECD model for CbC reporting with legislation in Finance Act 2015.

    We understand that the Commission is also undertaking an analysis of the various tax transparency requirements for multinationals as part of its public consultation, and we look forward to the outcomes of this work.

    The Government recognises the case for publishing country-by-country reports on a multilateral basis.

  • John Mann – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    John Mann – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Mann on 2016-02-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the deliverable five-year housing allocation is for each local authority in (a) Derbyshire, (b) South Yorkshire and (c) Nottinghamshire.

    Brandon Lewis

    We do not collate information centrally on the number of sites that are available for residential development. Local planning authorities are required to identify and update annually a supply of specific deliverable sites sufficient to provide five years worth of housing against their housing requirements.

  • Peter Kyle – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Peter Kyle – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Peter Kyle on 2016-03-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what the role of (a) the Institute of Apprenticeships, (b) the Skills Funding Agency and (c) Ofqual is in relation to the independent assessment of Apprenticeship Trailblazers.

    Nick Boles

    The Institute for Apprenticeships (IfA) will be fully operational from April 2017 and will be responsible for the scrutiny and approval of expressions of interest, apprenticeship standards and assessment plans submitted by employer groups. As in the current system, employers will continue to come together to design new apprenticeship standards, should they choose. The IfA will be responsible for maintaining a public database of apprenticeship standards and may publish information on potential gaps.

    The IfA will also have a role in quality assuring the delivery of apprentice end-point assessments where employer groups have been unable to propose employer-led arrangements.

    It will work closely with the Skills Funding Agency (SFA) and Ofqual. The SFA registers of training providers and assessment organisations will continue to vet the appropriateness of organisations involved in the delivery of apprenticeships. Ofqual will continue to quality assure any qualifications, where included in apprenticeships.

  • Baroness McIntosh of Pickering – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Baroness McIntosh of Pickering – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness McIntosh of Pickering on 2016-04-19.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what was the average financial penalty issued for a breach of the Highway Code in each of the last three years.

    Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

    Enforcement of cycling offences and collection of data on such offences is a matter for the Ministry of Justice and Home Office.

    Based on information provided to the Department for Transport, the number of defendants proceeded against at Magistrates’ courts and found guilty and sentenced for some cycling (non- motoring) offences in England and Wales from 2012 to 2014 (latest available) can be viewed in the attached table. This includes the average fine given at all courts for the specific offences listed in the table.

    The Home Office collects data on the number of fixed penalty notices issued for motoring offences only and these data are published by the Home Office in the annual ‘Police Powers and Procedures’ publication. Data on fixed penalty notices issued to cyclists are not held centrally.

    We are not able to provide an overall average financial penalty figure for all cycling offences. Many of these cycling offences are recorded under a miscellaneous offence grouping. The information required to split this miscellaneous grouping at offence level is held in individual court files, which can only be inspected at disproportionate cost.

  • Andrew Gwynne – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Andrew Gwynne – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Gwynne on 2016-05-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what compliance procedures the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency has to ensure that its pharmacovigilance functions do not conflict with the relationships it builds with private companies when seeking business from such companies.

    George Freeman

    The requirements for the pharmacovigilance functions of the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) are set out in European legislation through Directive 2010/84/EU and Regulation (EU) No 1235/2010 and in the Human Medicines Regulations 2012. MHRA is required to carry out independent audits of these pharmacovigilance functions and report to the European Commission every two years. This is in addition to routine reporting to the Commission on Human Medicines.

    The requirements on private companies in the pharmaceutical industry that hold Marketing Authorisations for medicinal products are also set out in the same legislation and the MHRA carry out inspections to ensure these companies are compliant with the requirements. The MHRA has contact with pharmaceutical companies in its day to day business as necessary to fulfil the requirements of its pharmacovigilance functions.

  • Jim Shannon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Jim Shannon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-07-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what research her Department has conducted or assessed on the effect of wood-burning stoves on air pollution.

    Dr Thérèse Coffey

    Defra has commissioned its independent Air Quality Expert Group (AQEG) to assess the potential air quality impacts of biomass combustion, including from domestic wood burning stoves. The report reviews the current evidence base and provides recommendations for further assessment. The report will be published in due course.

    Air quality is monitored and assessed on an ongoing basis. The National Atmospheric Emissions Inventory is updated annually and compiles data on total UK air pollutant emissions from a broad range of sources. This includes estimates of emissions from domestic combustion.

    Defra undertakes air quality modelling to assess the impact emissions have on concentrations of air pollutants in the UK. This is carried out on an annual basis.

    Defra also commissioned research aimed at testing different measurement techniques on stoves to inform analysis on the impacts of the Eco-design Directive, which will provide new Particulate Matter emission limits for domestic stoves and boilers. This research will be published in due course.

  • Julie Elliott – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union

    Julie Elliott – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Julie Elliott on 2016-10-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, whether he has had any discussions with officials from the automotive industry on levels of future investment in the UK.

    Mr David Jones

    Ministers across the Government are engaging with multiple sectors as we shape our negotiating strategy. Our automotive sector is very successful and we are determined to protect its interests.

  • Lord Hylton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Lord Hylton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hylton on 2016-10-10.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they have taken to establish an enhanced Modern Slavery Helpline following the Home Secretary’s announcement on 9 December 2015.

    Baroness Williams of Trafford

    In December 2015, the Government welcomed an announcement by Google and Polaris that they intend to establish an enhanced modern slavery helpline in the UK. Partnerships between business and civil society are vital if we are to eradicate modern slavery, and this project has the potential to make it easier for people to report suspected cases of modern slavery.

    Over the past two years, the Government’s modern slavery reforms have resulted in record high numbers of victim referrals and of prosecutions and convictions for slavery-related offences. But there is more to do and projects such as this will help to ensure that even more victims are helped and even more slave- drivers are brought to justice.