Category: Speeches

  • Dan Jarvis – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Dan Jarvis – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dan Jarvis on 2016-01-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what information his Department holds on whether there has been an application to the Criminal Cases Review Commission in respect of the case of Sergeant Blackman.

    Mark Lancaster

    The Department was notified by Sergeant Blackman’s legal team that an application to the Criminal Cases Review Commission was submitted in late 2015. The Department will continue to co-operate fully with Sergeant Blackman’s lawyers and will respond expeditiously to any enquiries the Commission may raise with it. This has included the release of the classified documents referred to during the Westminster Hall debate on 16 September 2015.

  • David Hanson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    David Hanson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Hanson on 2016-02-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the average hourly earnings of (a) female, (b) male, (c) full-time and (d) part-time employees of his Department were in each of the last five years.

    Brandon Lewis

    The information requested is already in the public domain. The Office for National Statistics publishes average salary information for each Civil Service Department by gender, and by working pattern. These figures are published as an annual salary.

    The Civil Service statistics can be found at:

    http://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/publicsectorpersonnel/datasets/civilservicestatistics

  • Tom Brake – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Tom Brake – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Brake on 2016-03-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether any temporal or other limitations have been placed on his authorisation of the use by the US of RAF Lakenheath as a base for carrying out airstrikes in Libya.

    Michael Fallon

    My authorisation for the US to use UK bases to launch the airstrike against a Daesh training camp in Libya on 19 February 2016 was granted for that specific operation and for a limited period of time.

  • The Lord Archbishop of Canterbury – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The Lord Archbishop of Canterbury – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by The Lord Archbishop of Canterbury on 2016-04-11.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to support the President of Tanzania, Benjamin Mkapa, in his efforts to mediate in Burundi.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    The UK strongly supports the East African Community-led dialogue; it is crucial to finding a sustainable political solution in Burundi. We welcome their decision to appoint the former President of Tanzania, Benjamin Mkapa, as Facilitator of the Burundi Dialogue.

    Our High Commissioner in Dar es Salaam met Mr Mkapa on 11 April. Mr Mkapa appears keen to engage and share analysis on the best way forward. We understand that he met with a Burundi government delegation on 13 April, following initial consultations with the Presidents of Burundi, Rwanda, and Uganda. The Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my Hon. Friend the Member for Rochford and Southend East (James Duddridge), intends to meet with Mr Mkapa when he visits Europe in May.

    We are also considering, in consultation with like-minded partners and Mr Mkapa, how best we can support the dialogue process both financially and politically, including through the Article 96 process and UN Security Council.

  • Alex Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Alex Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alex Cunningham on 2016-05-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, with reference to the Answer of 14 April 2016 to Question 33418, what progress her Department has made on options for taking account of process emissions in a tiering system for the allocation of free allowances under Phase IV of the EU Emissions Trading System; and what those options are.

    Andrea Leadsom

    The Government supports reform to strengthen the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS) while continuing to support the competitiveness of British businesses in the transition to a low-carbon economy. We recognise the barriers to decarbonisation in certain sectors due to high proportions of emissions from chemical processes. Negotiations to reform the EU ETS are still in the early stages, with discussions ongoing on possible tiered free allocation to industrial sectors. We will continue to work closely with UK industry to consider ways to account for the issue of process emissions in the next phase of the EU ETS starting in 2021.

  • Anna Turley – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Anna Turley – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Anna Turley on 2016-07-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many people were diagnosed with cancer as a result of exposure to acetaldehyde in the (a) North East and (b) UK in the latest period for which figures are available.

    Jane Ellison

    Information concerning the number of people diagnosed with cancer as a result of exposure to acetaldehyde is not available.

  • Baroness Altmann – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Baroness Altmann – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Altmann on 2016-09-13.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many (1) women, and (2) men, are working but do not receive any credit towards their National Insurance state pension each year, due to being in one or more jobs that pay less than the lower earnings limit.

    Lord Freud

    DWP analysis suggests that at any one time around 10,000 men and 40,000 women have multiple jobs below the lower earnings limit (LEL) with combined earnings above it, but are not receiving any qualifying years towards the State Pension on those earnings.

    DWP analysis estimates that of the women with multiple jobs below the LEL but total earnings above it, around 30% are getting a childcare credit for their State Pension. Others in this group may also be receiving credits through another route or be paying voluntary national insurance contributions.

  • Alex Cunningham – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Alex Cunningham – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alex Cunningham on 2015-11-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what assistance his Department plans to give to local authorities to ensure that they are able to provide new affordable housing to people on low incomes.

    Brandon Lewis

    More council housing has been built since 2010 than in the previous 13 years. 2014 saw the highest number of council housing starts for 23 years.

    Almost £222 million of extra borrowing headroom has been allocated to 36 councils in England to support over 3,000 new affordable homes in 2015/16 and 2016/17.

    The 2011-15 Affordable Homes Programme exceeded expectations – delivering 186,000 new affordable homes -16,000 more than the target. In addition, this Government is committed to delivering a further 275,000 new affordable homes by 2020. Through the 2015-18 Affordable Homes programme, we have already allocated around £1.4 billion to support this delivery

    The Government is committed to helping hard working people across the country to own their own home. We believe that shared ownership has an important role to play in helping those who aspire to home ownership but may be otherwise unable to afford it.

    We launched a one-off £36 million funding package in August to pave the way for the first wave of Starter Homes on brownfield sites that would otherwise not be built on to help more young people into discounted home ownership. Of this, up to £10million will be made available to councils in England. 200,000 Starter Homes will be built by 2020/21.

    Right to buy additions are due within 3 years of sales: 3,694 new Right to Buy addition starts and acquisitions were delivered against 3,054 additional homes sold in the first year of the scheme. Receipts from the sale of Right to Buy homes will continue to help authorities to build new additional properties.

  • Tulip Siddiq – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Tulip Siddiq – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tulip Siddiq on 2015-12-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what refurbishments have been carried out by (a) his Department and (b) each of his Department’s non-departmental public bodies since May 2010; what the cost of such refurbishments was; what further such refurbishments are planned; and what the estimated cost is of such planned refurbishments.

    Jane Ellison

    Theattached tables provide the cost of refurbishments carried out by the Department and its arm’s length bodiessince May 2010, together with planned refurbishments and their estimated cost. Costs are in £’000.

    Exact financial plans for next year are yet to be determined following the Spending Review.

  • Daniel Zeichner – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Daniel Zeichner – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Daniel Zeichner on 2016-01-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will take steps to (a) include understanding of the signs for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in teacher training and (b) encourage earlier identification, assessment and positive intervention in relation to that disorder.

    Edward Timpson

    All initial teacher training (ITT) programmes must ensurethat trainees can meet the Teachers’ Standards[1] at the appropriate level.This requires trainees to have a clear understanding of the needs of all pupils, including those with special educational needs (SEN). The standards also require teachers to be able to adapt their teaching to the needs of all pupils, and to have an understanding of the factors that can inhibit learning and how to overcome such barriers. No trainee can be recommended for qualified teacher status (QTS) until they have satisfied the standards in full.

    Schools are responsible for determining how best their staff can meet the needs of children with SEN and disabilities within their approaches to school improvement, professional development, and performance.

    Following Sir Andrew Carter’s review of the quality of ITT last year, the Government commissioned an independent working group to develop a framework of core ITT content. The group is made up of expert representatives from the sector, including SEN specialists. This will support those who deliver ITT, as well as applicants and trainees, to have a better understanding of the essential elements of good ITT core content, based on the existing Teachers’ Standards. We have also asked the behaviour expert Tom Bennett to develop core content for ITT on effective behaviour management. Both groups are expected to report to Ministers in spring 2016.

    The 0-25 years Special Educational Needs and Disability Code of Practice, which came into force in September 2014, and was updated in May 2015, emphasises the importance of schools identifying the underlying causes of behaviour issues, whether or not these require special educational provision. The Code details principles which support a set of aims, including the early identification of children and young people’s needs and early intervention to support them. Schools can determine when to assess; this decision is based on knowledge of their pupils, working closely with other agencies, and working with pupils’ families.

    The importance of early assessment is also emphasised in other statutory guidance, including guidance on exclusion, with headteachers being expected to consider the use of multi-agency assessment for pupils who demonstrate persistent disruptive behaviour.

    [1] Published on GOV.UK: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/teachers-standards

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