Category: Speeches

  • Cat Smith – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Cat Smith – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Cat Smith on 2015-11-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what support is being provided to refugees currently on the island of Lesbos.

    Mr Desmond Swayne

    The UK has so far provided around £4.5 million to partners working in Greece, many of which are active on Lesbos. This includes supporting the Red Cross for assistance and emergency first aid to refugees and migrants arriving on the beaches. We are also providing assistance to the IOM and UNHCR who are delivering essential coordination, reception and registration support, as well as direct physical assistance.

    It is right that the vast majority of our support goes to the region, our support is helping to build long term stability and resilience to help refugees build a life in neighbouring countries and prevent them falling prey to people smugglers and traffickers. For this reason, the UK has been at the forefront of the response to the crisis in Syria and the region. The UK has pledged over £1.1 billion to date, our largest ever humanitarian response to a single crisis. We are the second largest bilateral donor after the US and have done more than any other European country.

  • Tulip Siddiq – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Tulip Siddiq – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tulip Siddiq on 2015-12-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how many funded learners there were enrolled on English for speakers of other languages further education courses in institutions in (a) Hampstead and Kilburn constituency and (b) London in each of the last five years.

    Nick Boles

    Information on ESOL participation by region and constituency from 2005/06 to 2013/14 is published as a supplementary table (first link) to a Statistical First Release (second link).

    https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/fe-data-library-skills-for-life

    https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/learner-participation-outcomes-and-level-of-highest-qualification-held

    “

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

    Baroness Redfern – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

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

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to increase awareness of different cancers and their symptoms through media sources, specifically radio, television, and internet advertising; and to encourage people with possible symptoms or concerns to visit their GP.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    Public Health England (PHE) runs Be Clear on Cancer campaigns which are designed to raise the public’s awareness of specific cancer symptoms and encourage people with those symptoms to go to the doctor and diagnose cancer at an earlier stage.

    Be Clear on Cancer campaigns are tested at a local and regional level and are subject to a comprehensive evaluation process, the results of which are assessed thoroughly before a decision is taken on whether to run campaigns nationally throughout England.

    The campaigns run across a range of the media. Television advertising is commonly used as it is shown to be the best way to reach the target audience of people over the age of 50. Radio, press and outdoor advertising are used as supplementary channels, where appropriate for the audience. PHE has recently begun to advertise online, with a particular focus on social media such as Facebook, as audiences are increasingly using these services.

    PHE works closely with the Department and NHS England to ensure that healthcare professionals are also targeted with campaign information to encourage earlier diagnoses and referrals.

    To date, there have been national campaigns on Lung, Bowel, Bladder and Kidney, Oesophago-gastric cancers and Breast Cancer in older women. The next Be Clear on Cancer campaign will be “Blood in Pee” as a symptom of bladder and kidney cancers.

  • Andrew Gwynne – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Andrew Gwynne – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Gwynne on 2016-02-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if he will bring forward proposals to require private landlords to fit carbon monoxide alarms in any property that contains a fuel-burning appliance.

    Brandon Lewis

    Since 1 October 2015, landlords have been required to install carbon monoxide alarms in any room used as living accommodation which contains a solid-fuel burning appliance.

    We regulated for rooms with these appliances as they are responsible for a disproportionate number of carbon monoxide deaths and injuries compared to other combustion appliances.

    The Government therefore has no current plans to regulate further. These regulations are still very new and need time to bed in. A full review will be conducted in October 2017.

  • Lord Maginnis of Drumglass – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Lord Maginnis of Drumglass – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Maginnis of Drumglass on 2016-03-07.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of whether President Anastasiades’ approach to President el-Sisi on the basis of strategic military co-operation, to President Putin on similar issues, and to Israel on oil exploration, while claiming commitment to bilateral negotiations with Turkish Cypriots are a contravention of that procedure.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    It is for the Republic of Cyprus to decide on its external relations. Given the threats facing the Eastern Mediterranean, the need for improved co-operation across the whole region remains crucial. A Cyprus settlement would provide an important boost for regional stability. The UK commends President Anastasides and Mr Akinci for their positive leadership in the Cyprus settlement talks. As the Foreign Secretary, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond), made clear during his visits to Cyprus last year, the UK will continue to do whatever we can to support the efforts of both communities, and their leaders, to seize the historic opportunity that exists to reunite Cyprus.

  • Nic Dakin – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Nic Dakin – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nic Dakin on 2016-04-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to paragraph 3.35 of Educational excellence everywhere, Cm 9230, what powers she has to require local authority maintained schools to provide details of everyone involved in governance for a new database; and when she plans to bring forward legislative proposals to bar unsuitable individuals from being governors of maintained schools.

    Edward Timpson

    The Education Act 2002 gives the Secretary of State the power to give guidance to maintained schools governing bodies about their constitution. She also has a number of other information gathering powers in legislation. We expect to use this combination to make provision for the database by 1 September 2016. We also intend to bring forward legislation on barring unsuitable individuals from being governors of maintained schools at the earliest opportunity.

  • 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 2016-05-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate his Department has made of the number of passengers travelling on the West Coast Main Line in each year for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

    Claire Perry

    There are no published statistics on the annual number of passengers travelling on the West Coast Main Line.

    Statistics for the train operators serving the West Coast Main Line stations are available on the Office of Rail and Road data portal at the following link: http://dataportal.orr.gov.uk/browsereports/12.

    “

  • Rachel Reeves – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Rachel Reeves – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rachel Reeves on 2016-07-06.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment his Department has made of the potential effect of a reduction of corporation tax to (a) 15 (b) 14 and (c) 10 per cent by (i) UK region and (ii sector.

    Mr David Gauke

    The corporation tax reductions since 2010 have been designed to increase the competitiveness of the UK business tax system and to support investment and jobs in the UK. Their positive effect has been evidenced by strong growth in GDP, employment, and business investment since 2010. The Chancellor has now set out his ambition to reduce the corporation tax rate further, to 15 percent or below, to reinforce this strategy and send a clear message that the UK is open for business.

    Further breakdowns of the corporation tax paying population can be found in HMRC’s annual analyses of receipts:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/524565/Corporation_Tax_Statistics_May_2016.pdf

  • Lord Bruce of Bennachie – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Lord Bruce of Bennachie – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Bruce of Bennachie on 2016-09-15.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they have taken to secure the return of the passport of British citizen Gabriella Ratcliffe which is currently being held by the government of Iran.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    We have been providing consular support to the family of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe since we were notified of her arrest and remain in regular contact with them. We remain ready to facilitate Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe’s daughter’s return to the UK if requested.

  • Tania Mathias – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Tania Mathias – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tania Mathias on 2015-11-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to reduce the number of night flights to and from Heathrow Airport.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    Along with Gatwick and Stansted, the Government sets night flight restrictions at Heathrow, using its powers under s.78 of the Civil Aviation Act 1982.

    These restrictions limit the number of flights between the hours of 23.30 and 06.00 that can take place during a particular season – there are two seasons per annum, winter and summer, which coincide with the use of Greenwich Mean Time and British Summer Time. Heathrow is limited to 5,800 flights a year during these hours, which translates in to an average of 16 flights per night. Due to a voluntary agreement which prevents scheduled movements before 04.30, most of these flights are from aircraft arriving between the hours of 04.30 and 06.00. It should be noted that these restrictions do not preclude additional aircraft from operating at Heathrow during the night period in the case of emergencies or severe disruption.

    As well as limiting the number of movements allowed within an airline season, these restrictions place requirements on the aircraft that can operate during the night period, and place seasonal limits on the amount of noise energy that can be emitted at Heathrow. Aircraft are certified by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) according to the noise they produce and the higher the band an aircraft is certified as the higher quota amount it uses with each movement. The Government has also prohibited the noisiest types of aircraft from using the airport during the night. QC/4 aircraft are not allowed to be scheduled during the night quota period (2330 to 0600), and the highest rated QC/8 and QC/16 aircraft are prevented from operating at all during the entire night period (2300 to 0700).

    The Government will begin consulting next year on a new nights flight regime which will take effect from October 2017.