Category: Speeches

  • Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

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

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many motorists were fined as a result of motorway average speed cameras in each year since 1985 for which figures are available; and how much was collected in fines in each such year.

    Andrew Jones

    Highways England does not hold information on how many motorists were fined as a result of motorway average speed cameras, nor how much were collected in fines, as they are not an enforcement agency. Enforcement is undertaken by the respective police forces.

  • Lord Boateng – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Lord Boateng – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

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

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact on the economies of the Caribbean and British Overseas Territories of the result of the referendum on the UK’s membership of the EU.

    Earl of Courtown

    We are already engaged with the Overseas Territories to capture the full range of interests they have in the EU, including the potential economic impact of any change in their relations with the EU. We will fully involve the devolved administrations, Gibraltar, the Crown Dependencies, the other UK Overseas Territories and all other regional centres of power, in accordance with their various constitutional relationships with the UK, to ensure that all of their interests are taken properly into account. In the meantime, the UK remains a member of the EU, and the full range of rights and obligations afforded under the Treaties still apply.

  • Baroness Humphreys – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

    Baroness Humphreys – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Humphreys on 2016-10-03.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many people living in communities of 150 residents or more in the UK have no access to mains gas.

    Baroness Neville-Rolfe

    Estimates for communities and residents are not available. However, published estimates for the number of households in Great Britain not connected to the gas network are available at Lower Super Output Area level in the attached.

  • Andrew Rosindell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Andrew Rosindell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2015-11-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent progress has been made on establishing marine protection zones in British Overseas Territories; and whether each such zone will require the consent of that Territory’s national assembly prior to its creation.

    James Duddridge

    Overseas Territory Governments are constitutionally responsible for the management of their marine resources, therefore any additional marine protection will have to be agreed, and implemented, by the Territory. In addition to the existing Marine Protected Area designations around South Georgia & the South Sandwich Islands, the British Indian Ocean Territory and the British Antarctic Territory, we intend to designate the world’s largest contiguous no-take marine protection area around Pitcairn, and are working with Ascension Island to close at least 50 percent of their waters to fishing activities. For other Territories we are at an early stage of scoping whether further marine protection measures are desirable and scientifically justified.

  • John Mann – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    John Mann – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

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

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, which 10 countries will receive the greatest amount of UK overseas aid in 2016.

    Justine Greening

    The Department is currently undertaking a Bilateral Aid Review, which will determine the countries to which we will provide bilateral assistance over the Spending Review period, and the levels of that assistance.

  • Baroness Gale – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Baroness Gale – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Gale on 2016-01-21.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many (1) prosecutions, and (2) convictions, there have been in Wales under section 53A of the Sexual Offences Act 2003 in each year since 2010, and what penalty was imposed in each case.

    Lord Faulks

    There were no prosecutions brought under section 53A of the Sexual Offences Act 2003, in Wales, from 2010 to 2014 (the latest available).

    Data on court proceedings for calendar year 2015 is planned for publication in May 2016.

  • Lord Maginnis of Drumglass – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Lord Maginnis of Drumglass – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Maginnis of Drumglass on 2016-02-10.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what stage they have reached in their consideration of amending legislation in order to ensure that convicted murderers who persist in refusing to reveal the location of bodies of victims are prevented from being released on parole; and when they expect to introduce legislation to that effect.

    Lord Faulks

    I can sympathise with the anguish caused to the families of victims where the whereabouts of their loved one is unknown and the offender wilfully fails to co-operate. Such behaviour is already taken into account by the court when sentencing the offender, and by the independent Parole Board when assessing an offender’s eligibility for possible release. The Prisons Minister has written to the Parole Board asking it to consider reviewing its guidelines on this issue.

  • Lord Falconer of Thoroton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Lord Falconer of Thoroton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Falconer of Thoroton on 2016-03-07.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether relatives of British nationals murdered abroad are entitled to financial compensation from them, and if so, how much compensation they have paid since 2010.

    Lord Faulks

    The Government provides two compensation schemes for victims of crime, the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme (the Scheme) 2012 and the Victims of Overseas Terrorism Compensation Scheme (VOTCS) 2012. Both schemes are administered by the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA).

    The Scheme is designed to compensate blameless victims of violent crime where the incident took place in Great Britain or a “relevant place” as outlined in Annex C of the scheme. Close relatives of a British citizen may also be eligible for compensation under the scheme. Under the Scheme compensation is only available to those who can demonstrate they are ordinarily resident in the UK at the time of the incident or have another defined connection to the UK.

    In fatal cases, compensation may be awarded to qualifying relatives who also satisfy the Scheme’s residency criteria. The meaning of qualifying relative is outlined in paragraph 59 of the Scheme. The CICA does not keep information on the nationality of the deceased in fatal applications, so we cannot identify the amount of compensation paid.

    Compensation for relatives of British nationals murdered abroad is not available under the two schemes provided by the Government. UK residents injured as a result of a crime of violence in another country within the European Union (EU) or outside the EU may be able to apply for compensation from that country. The CICA can assist with applications to other EU countries.

    The VOTCS was introduced to compensate victims of terrorism injured in incidents outside the UK on or after 27 November 2012. A person may be eligible for an award under VOTCS if they sustain a qualifying injury, which is directly attributable to their being a direct victim of a designated terrorist act. Close relatives bereaved as a result of a designated act may also be eligible for an award. The VOTCS applies to the whole of the United Kingdom.

    Claims under the VOTCS can be made by those who have a clear and sufficient connection to the UK, as evidenced by their residence and citizenship. British, European Union, European Economic Area and Swiss citizens who have been resident in the UK for three years immediately before the designated act may be eligible for an award. Data on the value of awards made under VOTCS from 2013 to 2016 are set in the table below.

    Year

    Amount of awards

    2013

    £206,607

    2014

    £11,200

    2015

    £309,541

    2016

    £11,000

    Total

    £538,348
  • Nicholas Soames – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Nicholas Soames – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicholas Soames on 2016-04-13.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will bring forward legislative proposals to introduce tax on fast food containers.

    Mr David Gauke

    The Chancellor keeps all taxes under review. However, there are no plans to introduce a tax specifically on fast food containers.

  • Stephen Timms – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Stephen Timms – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2016-05-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the Answer of 9 May 2016 to Question 36333, on employment schemes, how much was spent on each of the programmes referred to in that Answer in the most recent financial year for which data is available.

    Priti Patel

    The most recent actual spend data available is for the financial year 2014-15, a breakdown of spend on the Employment Programmes listed in the answer to Question 36333 can be found in the attached table.