Category: Speeches

  • Angela Smith – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Angela Smith – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Angela Smith on 2015-11-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many dogs in Wales have been placed on the register of exempt dogs under section 4A and section 4B procedures under the Dangerous Dogs (Amendment) Act 1997 in each year since 1997; and if she will make a statement.

    George Eustice

    The number of dogs in Wales that have been placed on the Index of Exempted Dogs under Section 4A and Section 4b of the Dangerous Dogs (Amendment) Act 1997 in each complete year since 1997 is in the table below. There were no recorded entries in Wales for the period 1997 – 2003.

    Year

    Number of Dogs

    2004

    1

    2005

    1

    2006

    0

    2007

    2

    2008

    7

    2009

    7

    2010

    9

    2011

    17

    2012

    33

    2013

    41

    2014

    35
  • John Mann – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    John Mann – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Mann on 2015-12-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, which countries have not received a visit by a UK Minister since 2000.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    This information is not readily available and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

    Ministers regularly make visits overseas in pursuit of UK interests.

  • Earl Attlee – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Earl Attlee – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Earl Attlee on 2016-01-21.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have the power or ability to refer Operation Midland to the Independent Police Complaints Commission.

    Lord Bates

    The Home Office is unable to refer matters to the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) and cannot comment on individual cases which are a matter for individual forces.

    Schedule 3 to the Police Reform Act 2002 places a duty on the appropriate authority to refer a matter to the IPCC under certain prescribed circumstances. The appropriate authority would usually be the chief constable or, where the complaint or conduct matter relates to a chief officer, the local policing body for the force in question.

    The appropriate authority may also refer a complaint to the IPCC if it considers it appropriate to do so because of the gravity of the subject-matter or there are any exceptional circumstances involved. Where the appropriate authority is the chief constable and a case is not referred, the local policing body for the force may refer the matter to the Commission on the same grounds. The IPCC can, at any time, require the appropriate authority to refer a matter to it for consideration.

    As part of the measures to strengthen the powers of the IPCC in the forthcoming Policing and Crime Bill, the IPCC will in future have the power to investigate allegations of police misconduct, death or serious injury and complaints against the police without first awaiting or requiring a referral from a force.

  • Lord Campbell of Pittenweem – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Lord Campbell of Pittenweem – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Campbell of Pittenweem on 2016-02-10.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what infrastructure preparations have been made for the integration of female soldiers into close combat units in the Army; and what is their estimate of the cost of any such preparations to date.

    Earl Howe

    Women are currently excluded from serving in ground close combat roles in the Infantry and Royal Armoured Corps, the Royal Marines and the Royal Air Force Regiment. The Prime Minister stated on 20 December 2015 that he would like to see all roles in the Armed Forces opened up to women in 2016. Further physiological research currently under way will inform a final decision in mid-2016.

    The review "Women in Ground Close Combat" has identified the principle of full integration as a vital element in generating cohesion in combat troops. The subsequent infrastructure work required is being considered as part of ongoing implementation planning, in the event that the exclusion is lifted. Early estimates from the 2014 research paper suggest that a fully integrated solution at the Army’s Infantry Training Centre at Catterick could cost up to £1.6 million. Once a final decision is taken, the Department will be able to identify and cost a fully integrated long-term solution as required.

  • Lord Berkeley – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Lord Berkeley – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Berkeley on 2016-03-07.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 3 March (HL6235), what assessment they have made of whether a procurement process where there are only two genuine bidders complies with the EU rules and procedures for public contracts, which state that a minimum of three bids are required, and whether they have sought from the EU a derogation from that rule.

    Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

    Rail franchising competitions are governed by Regulation 1370/2007 and not the Public Contracts Regulations 2015. Therefore, although the Department fully applies the EU treaty principles of transparency, equal treatment and non-discrimination, it is not obliged to follow the processes and procedures set out in the Public Contracts Regulations 2015.

    Where a competition is to be held, Regulation 1370/2007 requires a fair competitive procedure, but does not stipulate the minimum number of bidders that is required to evidence this.

  • Louise Haigh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Louise Haigh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Louise Haigh on 2016-04-13.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps he has taken to implement the recommendations of the National Audit Office investigation into the acceptance of gifts and hospitality by government officials (HC 797, 2015-16).

    Matthew Hancock

    The Government is currently considering the conclusions put forward by the NAO in its recent report on Gifts and Hospitality.

  • Gareth Thomas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Gareth Thomas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gareth Thomas on 2016-05-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what progress he has made on bringing Crossrail 2 through Harrow and Wealdstone station; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    The proposed route of Crossrail 2 connects south-west to north-east London via 23 miles of new tunnels between Wimbledon and Tottenham Hale. There are no plans to bring Crossrail 2 through Harrow and Wealdstone station.

  • The Earl of Sandwich – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The Earl of Sandwich – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by The Earl of Sandwich on 2016-07-07.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they plan to take to assist the government of Afghanistan in preventing any illegal trade in lapis lazuli and other minerals.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    The UK supports the Afghan Ministry of Mines and Petroleum (MoMP) including through strengthening the Ministry’s capacity to detect and report illegal activity such as the illegal trade in Lapis Lazuli and other minerals.

    However, because most of this illegal activity occurs in insecure areas where there is little or no government control, the UK is supporting Afghanistan’s long term security and stability; including through providing additional troops to assist the Afghan Forces boost security in the country, and providing £178m aid per year to 2017 to support Afghanistan’s economic growth and development.

  • Lord Moonie – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Lord Moonie – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Moonie on 2016-10-03.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of their decision to buy Apache AH-64E helicopters through a foreign military sale with the United States government, how many UK companies are part of the AH-64E global supply chain; and by value, what proportion of the total cost of an AH-64E their goods and services represent.

    Earl Howe

    The UK’s Apache AH-64E helicopters are being bought from the US Government through their Foreign Military Sales (FMS) programme. As such, the UK Government does not have a direct contractual relationship with the Apache AH-64E supply chain. It is understood, however, that at least five UK companies have been successful in securing sub-contracts from Boeing, the helicopter manufacturer and lead system integrator, on the Apache programme. Together, these contracts represent about 5 per cent by value of Boeing’s contribution to the global Apache programme.

  • Jim Shannon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Jim Shannon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2015-11-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps the Government plans to take other than airstrikes to respond to the threat posed by ISIS.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    As the Prime Minister, my right hon. Friend the Member for Witney (David Cameron) said last week, the UK has a full spectrum approach to defeating ISIL – covering military power, counter-terrorism expertise and defeating its poisonous narrative.

    The UK is playing a leading role in the Global Coalition of 65 members, through which we are squeezing ISIL’s finances and the flow of fighters, challenging its ideology and stabilising liberated areas.

    The UK leads the effort to undermine ISIL’s narrative, co-chairing the Coalitions’ Strategic Communications Working Group and hosting the Coalition Communications Cell.