Category: Speeches

  • Paul Blomfield – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Paul Blomfield – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Blomfield on 2015-10-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she plans to reduce the Gangmasters Licensing Authority’s Grant-In-Aid budget over the next 12 months.

    Karen Bradley

    Future levels of Government funding for all public bodies will be considered as part of the next Spending Review. We are committed to resourcing the Gangmasters Licensing Authority (the GLA) to ensure it delivers on its purpose of protecting vulnerable and exploited workers.

  • Baroness Byford – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Baroness Byford – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Byford on 2015-11-25.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government when the public rights of way elements of the Deregulation Act 2015, including guidance, will be implemented.

    Lord Gardiner of Kimble

    The primary legislation needed to implement the Stakeholder Working Group rights of way reforms package was enacted in the Deregulation Act 2015. We are consulting with the Stakeholder Working Group and other interested parties on the various sets of regulations and guidance needed to complete the reform package. It is planned that all the legislation and guidance will be commenced on the same date. We are on schedule to meet our target of implementation in spring 2016.

  • – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by on 2016-01-12.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Prior of Brampton on 6 January (HL4779), what generally” means in that answer

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    The general position in England is that clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) arrange health services for persons for whom they are responsible. Broadly speaking CCGs arrange secondary care, which would include abortion services.

    A CCG could commission services, including abortion services, for persons ordinarily resident in Northern Ireland who are nevertheless registered (on a temporary or permanent basis) with a general practitioner who is a member of that CCG, if such services would improve the physical or mental health or treatment of illness of that person. This would be a matter for the CCG to decide however and they are free to exercise their discretion in that regard. There is no duty on a CCG to arrange health services for a person usually resident in NI (or Wales or Scotland) unless that person is present in the CCG’s area and needs ambulance services or accident and emergency services.

  • Richard Burden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Richard Burden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2016-02-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has (a) received and (b) made on the demolition of structures in the South Hebron Hills on 2 February 2016.

    Mr David Lidington

    We have not received any representations on this issue. An official from our Embassy in Tel Aviv raised our concerns about the demolition of structures in the South Hebron Hills with the Israeli Office for the Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories on 3 February.

  • – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

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

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the minimum amount of special educational needs teaching required to fulfil the Teacher Standards of having a clear understanding of the needs of all pupils

    Lord Nash

    The Teachers’ Standards set a clear baseline of expectations for the professional practice and conduct of teachers and define the minimum level of practice expected of teachers in England.

    Head teachers and other appraisers should use their professional judgement to assess teachers to a level that is consistent with what should reasonably be expected of a teacher given their role and level of experience and the specific demands of the setting in which they are working.

  • 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 2016-03-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 22 March 2016 to Question 31496, how many appeals were (a) withdrawn and (b) adjourned at the First-Tier Tribunal (Social Security and Child Support) due to his Department not sending a representative in (i) 2012-13, (ii) 2013-14 and (iii) 2014-15.

    Justin Tomlinson

    I refer the Rt. Hon. Member to the Answer given by the Minister for Justice, my Rt.Hon. Friend, Shailesh Vara, Question UIN 32293

    “

  • Mark Field – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Mark Field – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Field on 2016-04-29.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the National Crime Agency’s National Referral Mechanism Statistics – End of year summary 2015, how many of the 1104 victims of trafficking identified in 2015 in the Metropolitan Police Force area were identified in each London borough.

    Karen Bradley

    Of the 1,104 potential victims referred to the National Referral Mechanism (NRM) in 2015 that presented in the Metropolitan Police Force area, 68 were EU nationals. The countries of origin of these EU nationals were: Bulgaria, Czech Republic, France, Latvia, Lithuania, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia and the UK. Information on the region of origin and location of recruitment of potential victims is not available.

    All 1,104 potential victims who presented in the Metropolitan Police Force Area in 2015 were referred to the NRM by a first responder organisation. A breakdown of referrals is available from published NRM statistics on the National Crime Agency website and can be found here: www.nationalcrimeagency.gov.uk/publications/national-referral-mechanism-statistics. Breakdowns of data about the London boroughs where potential victims presented are not available.

    The Salvation Army and its subcontractors provide support in different locations within England and Wales for adult potential victims given a positive reasonable grounds decision. Following a reflection and recovery period, victims are assisted to move on within the UK or voluntarily return to their home country. The Home Office does not hold data on what happens to individuals once they leave the service.

  • Karl McCartney – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Scotland Office

    Karl McCartney – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Scotland Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Karl McCartney on 2016-06-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what change there was in the amount the EU Commission proposed to make available in structural funds to Scotland for the period 2014 to 2020 from the period 2007 to 2013; and what steps his Department took to limit such change; and what estimate he has made of the level of such funding for Scotland after 2020.

    David Mundell

    I refer the hon Member to the information provided at HM Treasury analysis: the long-term economic impact of EU membership and the alternatives (paragraphs 1.113 – 1.126). This is available at:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/517415/treasury_analysis_economic_impact_of_eu_membership_web.pdf.

    “

  • Jo Stevens – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Jo Stevens – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jo Stevens on 2016-09-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many external hospital appointments for prisoners were cancelled or postponed in each prison in the last 12 months due to a lack of staff to escort prisoners.

    Nicola Blackwood

    The information is not held in the format requested.

  • Christopher Chope – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Christopher Chope – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Christopher Chope on 2015-10-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if she will make finances available from her Department’s budget to fund payments owed by the Zimbabwean government for former employees of the Southern Rhodesian government until such time as the Zimbabwean government is able to meet its legal commitment to those employees.

    Grant Shapps

    The government sympathise with the plight of those former public servants who are entitled to a Zimbabwe government pension. For years there have been problems with late payment or non-payment of pensions, and the benefits have been severely eroded. Officials from the FCO, and the British Embassy in Harare last raised Pensions with the Zimbabwean government in September.

    As acknowledged by the OSPA, the responsibility for payment of these pensions rests squarely with the Zimbabwean government. The UK does not have any legal obligation or responsibility for the pensions of Zimbabwe former public service workers. This is because since 1923, the former Southern Rhodesia’s civil and public servants have been appointed on local terms.

    Zimbabwe public service pensioners do not qualify for the payment of overseas pensions.