Category: Speeches

  • Julian Lewis – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Julian Lewis – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Julian Lewis on 2016-09-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what (a) policy his Department follows and (b) advice his Department gives to staff travelling to malarial regions regarding the use of Lariam as an anti-malarial drug; and what records his Department holds on the number of times (i) Lariam and (ii) alternative anti-malarial drugs have been prescribed to staff in his Department in the last three years.

    Sir Alan Duncan

    The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) follows guidance from the UK Advisory Committee on Malaria Prevention (ACMP). The FCO provides medical advice to staff travelling to malarial regions on a case-by-case basis, taking into account factors such as the age of the officer concerned, location and duration of stay. This might in some instances result in an officer being advised to take mefloquine (larium), but no officer is forced to do so. Any staff with concerns are encouraged to discuss with the FCO Healthline or their Regional Medical Advisor, as well as with their local clinic of healthcare provider. The FCO does not hold records on the numbers of staff prescribed mefloquine (larium) and alternative anti-malarial drugs.

  • Lilian Greenwood – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Lilian Greenwood – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lilian Greenwood on 2015-11-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 6 July 2015 to Question 4759, if he will update the benefit-cost ratio for Great Western electrification given in that Answer to reflect the revised cost estimate for that electrification project confirmed in oral evidence by Mark Carne of the Committee of Public Accounts, on Network Rail: planning and delivery of 2014-19 rail investment programme, HC473, Q1, on 21 October 2015.

    Claire Perry

    The Department and Network Rail are updating business cases as part of the Hendy Review Process. Network Rail is continuing to examine the deliverability and potential scheduling of Great Western works following which the benefit cost ratio for the programme will be updated.

  • Nicola Blackwood – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Nicola Blackwood – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicola Blackwood on 2015-11-26.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much of his Department’s funding allocated in the Spending Review 2015 will be for research and development expenditure up to 2020.

    Harriett Baldwin

    Spending Review 2015 set out settlements for departments and showed how the government will deliver on its priorities, eliminate the deficit, and deliver security and opportunity for working people.

    Final decisions on internal departmental funding allocations for future years, including for research and development, have not yet been made.

  • Lord West of Spithead – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Lord West of Spithead – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord West of Spithead on 2015-12-10.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether embarked carrier air squadrons will follow the all of one company” rule and operate under the same harmony rules.”

    Earl Howe

    When necessary to deliver the carrier strike programme, embarked jointly manned F-35B air squadrons will operate to the same harmony guidelines.

    Deck qualifications will not be affected by harmony rules.

  • Ruth Cadbury – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Ruth Cadbury – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ruth Cadbury on 2016-01-21.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she has taken to ensure that registration on the Worker Registration Scheme between 2009 and 2011 has no bearing on any subsequent application to naturalise as a British citizen.

    James Brokenshire

    The requirements for naturalisation are set out in the British Nationality Act 1981. There is no power in law to naturalise a person who does not meet the statutory requirements.

    There are no specific provisions in place for those who were required to register on the Worker Registration Scheme between 2009 and 2011 but failed to do so.

  • Henry Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Henry Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Henry Smith on 2016-02-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what her Department’s policy is on the installation of mandatory, independently-monitored CCTV in slaughterhouses and abattoirs.

    George Eustice

    I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the Rt. Hon. Member for Knowsley, George Howarth, on 24 June 2015, PQs UIN 2944 and 2945.

  • Keith Vaz – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Keith Vaz – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Keith Vaz on 2016-03-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many contracts the Home Office holds with Motorola Solutions.

    Mike Penning

    The Home Office holds three contracts with Motorola Solutions. These are:

    (a) The Public Safety Radio Communications Service (PSRCS) Framework Arrangement for the provision of the Airwave service to the police services of Eng-land, Scotland and Wales.

    (b) Contract ST03 10/641/9 for the provision of telecommunications services to the Immigration and Nationality Directorate.

    (c) Emergency Services Network (ESN) — Lot 2 User Services; one of the contracts that will replace the current Airwave contract.

    The cost to the public purse of the Home Office contract with Airwave in Financial Year 2015-16 is forecast to be £283 million comprising £230 million paid centrally by the Home Office and £53 million paid locally by police forces to Airwave. By way of comparison, under the newly procured Emergency Services Network, the policing share of costs is expected to be less than half of the current Airwave costs.

    Airwave Solutions Ltd provides mobile telecommunications services for emer-gency services. The Home Office Airwave contracts only relate to police forces, and immigration and nationality functions within the Home Office. The Home Office is not party to the contracts which many other organisations in the public sector have entered into with Airwave.

    The acquisition of Airwave by Motorola Solutions means all three Emergency Services contracts now end on 31st December 2019. This provides continuity of service for the transition to the Emergency Services Network.

  • Maria Caulfield – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Maria Caulfield – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Maria Caulfield on 2016-04-13.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what plans he has to reform the valuation of business rates.

    Greg Hands

    The Budget confirmed that the government will aim to deliver more frequent revaluations. A discussion paper setting out options to deliver this was published last month and can be found on gov.uk. I would encourage those who may be effected to make their views known.

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

    Lord Scriven – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Scriven on 2016-05-19.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action has been taken, by whom, and when, to ensure that Network Rail deals with the slippage of the start date of the South Yorkshire Tram Train service.

    Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

    The Department for Transport and South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive, the joint funders of the tram train pilot project, have been advised that Network Rail has initiated a review of the current programme of works needed to adapt their infrastructure to operate the tram train vehicles between Meadowhall South and Rotherham Parkgate.

    The Department understands that Network Rail has encountered significant issues with the approval of new bespoke electrification equipment needed to operate the tram train vehicles. The joint funders are clearly disappointed by this further delay.

  • Baroness Hollins – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Baroness Hollins – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Hollins on 2016-07-13.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what estimate they have made, or are planning to make, of the cost to the health service of poverty-related ill health.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    The Department has not made, and is not planning to make, an estimate of the cost to the health service of poverty related ill health. However, in 2008 the Department commissioned Professor Michael Marmot of University College London to chair an independent strategic review of health inequalities in England from 2010. The Review, Fair Society, Healthy Lives, estimated that, in 2010, direct NHS healthcare costs in England associated with treating the consequences of inequality amounted to £5.5 billion per year for treating acute illness, mental illness and prescriptions. This estimate does not cover all health service activity, including primary care costs.

    The review also estimated the wider costs of health inequalities, with £31-33 billion worth of productivity losses resulting from inequalities in illness, and between £20-32 billion in lost taxes and higher welfare payments. A copy of the review has been placed in the Library.