Category: Speeches

  • Gill Furniss – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Gill Furniss – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gill Furniss on 2016-07-13.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he is taking to limit the level of overdraft charges for people in financial difficulties.

    Simon Kirby

    It is important that overdraft charges are fair and that customers can access clear information about overdrafts.

    The Competition and Markets Authority’s investigation into retail banking is considering the issue of overdrafts. The Government stands ready to take action after the CMA publishes its report.

    And we have already taken steps to support customers in financial difficulty. For example, truly fee-free basic bank accounts have been available since January 2016.

  • Catherine West – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Catherine West – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Catherine West on 2016-10-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to his counterpart in the Falkland Islands on improving LGBT rights.

    Sir Alan Duncan

    The British Government works closely with the Overseas Territories (OTs) on LGBT rights to ensure that all OTs meet their international human rights obligations in this area.

    In September, the UK Solicitor General chaired a human rights session at the annual conference of OT Attorneys General where LGBT equality was discussed extensively.

    The Solicitor General will co-chair a session in November with the Minister for the Overseas Territories, my noble Friend, the Rt Hon Baroness Anelay of St Johns, on human rights at the Joint Ministerial Council.

    We expect all Overseas Territory Governments to comply with their evolving international obligations in the field of human rights. Legislating in this area is for OT Governments.

  • Lord Hylton – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Lord Hylton – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hylton on 2015-11-17.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will ensure that contract staff in all government departments receive the Living Wage at the appropriate rate.

    Lord Bridges of Headley

    Every employer in the country will pay the National Living Wage, including all Government contractors, from April 2016.

  • Seema Malhotra – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Seema Malhotra – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Seema Malhotra on 2015-12-15.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will publish a full list of each enterprise zone and the original date of its announcement.

    Greg Hands

    I set out in the table below the full list of Enterprise Zones together with the original date of announcement:

    Enterprise Zone

    Date of announcement
    • Mersey Waters
    • Black Country
    • Nottingham, Nottinghamshire Derby and Derbyshire
    • Bristol Temple Quarter EZ
    • London Royal Docks
    • Manchester Airport City
    • Leeds City Region
    • Sheffield City Region
    • North East EZ
    • Birmingham City EZ
    • Tees Valley

    23rd March 2011

    • Newquay Aerohub
    • Sci-Tech Daresbury
    • Solent Enterprise Zone
    • MIRA Technology Park
    • Hereford
    • Discovery Park
    • Harlow
    • Science Vale UK
    • Northampton Waterside
    • Alconbury Enterprise Campus
    • Great Yarmouth and Lowestoft

    17th August 2011
    • Humber
    • Lancashire

    29th November 2011
    • Plymouth

    20th August 2015
    • Blackpool Airport

    12th November 2015

    New EZs

    • Ceramics Valley
    • Dorset Green
    • Carlisle Kingsmoor
    • M62 Corridor EZ
    • Greater Manchester Life Science
    • Luton Airport
    • York Central
    • Hillhouse Chemicals and Energy
    • Cheshire and Warrington EZ
    • New Anglia EZ
    • EZ Newhaven
    • Aylesbury Vale
    • Cambridge Compass
    • Didcot Growth Accelerator
    • Enterprise M3
    • Enviro-Tech Enterprise Zone
    • Heart of the South West Enterprise Zone
    • North East Round 2 EZ
    • Aerohub (extension)
    • Infinity Park Derby (extension)
    • Humber EZ (extension)
    • Tees Valley EZ (extension)
    • Bristol Temple Quarter and Bath and Somer Valley (extension)
    • North Kent Innovation Zone (extension)
    • Great Yarmouth and Lowestoft EZ (extension)
    • Birmingham Enterprise Zone Curzon St (extension)

    25th November 2015
  • Steve McCabe – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Steve McCabe – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2016-01-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answers of 23 November 2015 to Questions 16300 and 16301, what proportion of cases with a current liability the 110 non-compliant cases that have been closed as part of the CSA case closure programme represent.

    Priti Patel

    The 110 non-complaint cases represent 0.02% of the cases with a current liability as at the quarter ending September 2015.

    Notes

    1. The percentage figure is rounded to 2 decimal places.
    2. Cases include those paying via Collection Service and Maintenance Direct.
    3. The non-compliant case figure was at October 2015.
    4. The percentage figure is of the number of cases with a current liability as at September 2015 (574,400).

  • The Earl of Clancarty – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The Earl of Clancarty – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by The Earl of Clancarty on 2016-02-11.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what response they have made to the destruction and damage to cultural heritage sites in Yemen by the Saudi Arabian-led intervention, including the destruction of the Old City of Sana’a, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    We remain concerned about any damage to cultural property in Yemen and are aware of reports of alleged damage by actors in the conflict. Yemen and many members of the Saudi-led coalition are parties to the 1954 Hague Convention on the Protection of Cultural Property in the event of Armed Conflict and to the 1972 World Heritage Convention. We have raised our concerns regarding protection of cultural property with both the Government of Yemen and the Saudi Arabian government.

  • Margaret Ritchie – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Margaret Ritchie – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Margaret Ritchie on 2016-03-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what progress her Department has made on developing a futures market for dairy in the UK; and when she expects to implement that futures market.

    George Eustice

    Last November we embarked on a detailed analysis of the scope for better dairy price risk management, including dairy futures, in order to support stability and resilience in the dairy sector.

    The initial evidence base concluded that futures markets offered the best potential basis for progress and it was agreed to undertake further detailed work in this area. We are now exploring the level of appetite within the industry alongside some of the key barriers which have hampered the development of futures trading in the past.

    We expect to complete our analysis by the end of April. If this work leads to a genuine and practical prospect for progress, we will then move on to work with financial market and industry partners to deliver the best option for the UK dairy market.

  • Roger Godsiff – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Roger Godsiff – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Roger Godsiff on 2016-04-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many Chagossian families have not received any compensation from the public purse.

    James Duddridge

    The UK Government has paid out around £21m at current prices. This comprises two sums. An initial figure of £650,000 which the UK Government paid in 1973 to the Government of Mauritius towards the resettlement of those removed from the British Indian Ocean Territory since 1965. This was disbursed with accrued interest in 1977 and 1978 to 595 families. Furthermore, in 1982 the UK Government paid over a further £4m pursuant to an agreement with the Government of Mauritius which had established the Ilois Trust Fund Board to distribute the money for the benefit of the Chagossians. The government of Mauritius had also contributed some land to the Trust Fund and the government of India contributed £1m to it. At least 1,344 Chagossians received compensation through the Trust Fund, which was largely paid out between 1982 and 1984, with a final disbursement in 1987. The Government does not hold information about those it has not compensated.

  • Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead on 2016-05-18.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government why Ethiopia was not classified as a priority country in the FCO’s recent report on human rights and democracy, in the light of the government of Ethiopia’s response to the Oromo protests.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    Any list of priorities has to be limited. Our concept of Human Rights Priority Countries is not intended to an exhaustive list of trouble spots. Nor is it a homogenous group. We have chosen to focus on 30 countries where we judge the UK can make a real difference on human rights over the duration of this Parliament. Our concerns are not limited to those countries; our interests are global. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s Annual Report on Human Rights and Democracy highlights specific human rights issues, which we are keen to work on with other countries to address. We have consistently expressed our concern at the human rights situation in Ethiopia, and have made representations specifically in response to the Oromo protests.

    We remain deeply concerned about the handling of demonstrations in Oromia and the reported deaths of a number of protestors, and have repeatedly made representations to the Ethiopian government over the ongoing situation in that region. The Secretary of State for International Development, the Rt Hon. Member for Putney (Justine Greening), raised our concerns with Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn on 21 January. The Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my Hon. Friend the Member for Rochford and Southend East (James Duddridge), raised our concerns with the Ethiopian Foreign Minister, Dr Tedros, at the African Union Summit in Addis Ababa on 27 January. Our Ambassador to Ethiopia also raised the issue with Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn on 26 April. We will continue to monitor the situation closely and raise our concerns with the Ethiopian government, including on the use of force. We will continue to work with our partners, including the US, in urging the Ethiopian government to use restraint in their handling of the protests in Oromia.

  • Andrew Gwynne – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Andrew Gwynne – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Gwynne on 2016-07-12.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many deaths were recorded for which (a) malnutrition was listed as the underlying cause of death and (b) malnutrition or effects of hunger were mentioned on the death certificate in each of the last 10 years in each (i) English region, (ii) parliamentary constituency and (iii) age group.

    Chris Skidmore

    The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.