Category: Speeches

  • Gareth Thomas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Gareth Thomas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gareth Thomas on 2016-01-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, whether the Ross Fund will include funding to tackle HIV/AIDS; and if she will make a statement.

    Mr Nick Hurd

    Whilst the Ross Fund is not directly focused on HIV and AIDS, the UK continues to invest in research on HIV and AIDS. This includes research into understanding the structural drivers that can increase HIV (including gender inequality, stigma and limited livelihood opportunities), HIV prevention technologies (such as microbicides and vaccines) and studies to identify cost-effective ways to deliver HIV services.

    The Ross Fund will target infectious diseases including malaria, diseases with epidemic potential, neglected tropical diseases which affect over a billion people globally, and antimicrobial resistance which poses a substantial and growing threat to global health. The goal of the Ross fund is to develop, test and deliver a range of new products (including vaccines, drugs and diagnostics) to help combat these diseases in developing countries.

  • Chris Stephens – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Chris Stephens – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Stephens on 2016-01-29.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what plans his Department has assessed for changing the status of HM Revenue and Customs Digital Technology Services to enable it to become profit-making.

    Mr David Gauke

    The company was set up as a not-for-profit and there are no plans to change its status to a profit-making entity.

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

    Andrew Percy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Percy on 2016-02-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he has taken to support the British Heart Foundations’ Wear It Beat It campaign.

    Jane Ellison

    We congratulate the British Heart Foundation (BHF) on its Wear It Beat It campaign, which aims to raise funds for research into heart disease.

    Heart disease is a vital area of research. The Department’s National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) funds a wide range of research relating to these conditions, spending £49 million on cardiovascular disease research in 2014/15. The NIHR works in partnership with the BHF and other medical research charities.

  • Carol Monaghan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Carol Monaghan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Carol Monaghan on 2016-03-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions she has had with her French counterpart on French authorities’ use of tear gas in the refugee camp in Calais.

    James Brokenshire

    The UK Government is in regular contact with French counterparts on the migrant situation in Calais.

    Steps taken by French authorities to clear sections of the migrant camp in Calais are consistent with the shared strategy to encourage those in need of protection to claim asylum in France and to return those not in need to their home country. The French Government, with support from the UK, has made huge efforts to provide decent accommodation in France for all those that need it, including for women and children.

  • Baroness Rawlings – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Baroness Rawlings – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Rawlings on 2016-04-25.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Neville-Rolfe on 21 April (HL7637), whether the new settlement for the UK in the EU negotiated by the Prime Minister included a provision for the British Art Collection in the European Parliament to be repatriated in the event that the UK votes to leave the EU.

    Baroness Neville-Rolfe

    It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.

  • Baroness Hooper – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Baroness Hooper – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Hooper on 2016-06-06.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assistance they have given to the government of Colombia to help it develop its national business and human rights action plan, and whether further assistance will be given to aid its implementation.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    We supported Colombia in the development of their National Action Plan (NAP) to implement the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. The NAP, which is the first of its kind outside of Europe, was launched in December. It allows Colombia to meet its existing human rights obligations and increase business awareness.

    The Minister of State for Trade and Investment, my noble Friend, the Lord Price of Sturminster Newton, launched a campaign for British businesses to support peace, primarily through the respect for human rights, during his visit to Colombia last month. Twenty of the largest British companies operating in Colombia subsequently agreed to align themselves to the Colombian National Action Plan for business and human rights.

  • Jonathan Ashworth – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union

    Jonathan Ashworth – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jonathan Ashworth on 2016-07-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, how many officials from (a) the Foreign Office and (b) HM Treasury have (i) moved and (ii) are planning to move to work in his Department.

    Mr David Jones

    The new Department for Exiting the European Union will be made up of staff from various departments across Government, including from the UK’s Permanent Representation to the EU. The department has already started drawing together expertise from a wide range of departments where there is specific relevant knowledge. The overall size and scope of the new department, including staffing and budget, are now being considered – the department now has over 180 staff.

  • Christopher Chope – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Christopher Chope – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Christopher Chope on 2016-10-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 21 July 2016 to Question 42843, whether all necessary checks were completed on the departure of the ferry Barfleur from Cherbourg to Poole.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    Any checks on the Barfleur when it departs from Cherbourg is the responsibility of the French authorities. We reaffirm that 100% of necessary checks were completed on the Barfleur on arrival into Poole on the 23rd June.

  • Lord Kennedy of Southwark – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Lord Kennedy of Southwark – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Kennedy of Southwark on 2015-11-10.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many people owned their own home in each year from 1997 until the last year for which records are available.

    Baroness Williams of Trafford

    The numbers of owner occupier households in England, estimated from DCLG’s English Housing Survey, are provided in the table below


    Number (000s) of owner occupied households, 1997 to 2013-14: England

    1997

    13,629

    1998

    13,817

    1999

    14,091

    2000

    14,340

    2001

    14,359

    2002

    14,559

    2003

    14,701

    2004

    14,678

    2005

    14,791

    2006

    14,791

    2007

    14,733

    2008

    14,628

    2008-09

    14,621

    2009-10

    14,525

    2010-11

    14,450

    2011-12

    14,388

    2012-13

    14,337

    2013-14

    14,319

    Source: English Housing Survey https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/469214/2013-14_Section_1_Households_tables_and_figures_FINAL.xlsx

  • Lilian Greenwood – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Lilian Greenwood – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lilian Greenwood on 2016-01-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Written Statement of 9 December 2015 HDVS 369 on rail franchising, when he expects to publish the new franchise agreements for the Northern and TransPennine Express franchise awards.

    Andrew Jones

    The draft franchise agreements are already published by the Department:

    TransPennine Express (TPE): https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/417830/franchise-agreement.pdf

    Northern: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/417807/northern-franchise-agreement.pdf

    and the final agreements will be published after the agreed redactions have taken place.

    “