Category: Speeches

  • Tom Brake – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Tom Brake – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Brake on 2016-05-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential consequences for native Tibetans of the planned railway expansion from China into Tibet.

    Mr Hugo Swire

    The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has not made an assessment of the expansion of China’s railway network in the Tibet Autonomous Region of China. We collect information about developments in Tibet from a wide range of reports, such as those made by the Chinese authorities and by Non-Governmental Organisations.

  • Rob Marris – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Rob Marris – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rob Marris on 2016-06-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what representation there will be on the board of the Institute for Apprenticeships from (a) business, (b) charities and (c) trades unions.

    Nick Boles

    The Chair and Board members will be appointed in accordance with the public appointments process. It is expected that the members of the Institute’s board will be comprised primarily of persons with a background as employers and business leaders. This is to ensure that employers continue to drive apprenticeship quality. Applications to join the Institute’s board are also open to representatives of other organisations, including the trade unions.

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

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

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Ahmed on 2016-09-05.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they have taken to ensure that any civil or military co-operation between the UK and the government of India does not contribute to human rights abuses in Kashmir.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    We are committed to working with India to deliver prosperity and security for our nations. This includes growing trade links, supporting economic reform, deepening our cooperation on security and counter terrorism, encouraging student exchange and strengthening bilateral links. We ensure that such cooperation supports the UK’s values and is consistent with our domestic and international human rights obligations.

  • Lord Rennard – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Lord Rennard – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Rennard on 2016-10-21.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the statement by Baroness Chisholm of Owlpen on 20 October (HL Deb, col 2484–90), whether the Pharmacy Integration Fund is still planned to rise to a total of £300 million by 2020–21, and whether the planned expenditure of £42 million over two years means that previously planned support is being cut back.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    In 2016/17, it was planned that £20 million would be available for the Pharmacy Integration Fund (PhIF), rising by £20 million per year to a total of £100 million per year by 2020/21, so that over the course of 5 years, £300 million would be distributed through the Fund.

    The establishment of the Fund and associated work programme for 2016/17 is dependent on the overall financial pressures for NHS England, set out in the Five Year Forward View, and the priorities identified through the recently published National Health Service planning guidance.

    This means through the business planning process, funding of £42 million has now been secured for 2016/17 and 2017/18.

    There will be further business planning within NHS England for 2018 onwards which will determine the future provision within the Fund. However, the PhIF is a key priority for NHS England and is aligned with the Five Year Forward View priorities.

  • Helen Jones – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Helen Jones – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Helen Jones on 2015-11-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps he is taking to increase the availability of superfast broadband in (a) Warrington North constituency, (b) Culcheth and (c) Burtonwood.

    Mr Edward Vaizey

    Warrington, Culcheth and Burtonwood are covered by the Connecting Cheshire project. Over 62,000 homes and businesses in Cheshire have been upgraded to superfast broadband as a result of the project and we expect coverage to reach over 95 per cent in Cheshire by the end of 2017. It is estimated that the Warrington North constituency will have 98 per cent of premises able to connect to superfast by the end of the programme. Data is not collected below this scale.

  • Paul Scully – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Paul Scully – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Scully on 2015-12-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, when the Government will inform local authorities of the increased funding that will be available for housing Syrian refugees.

    Richard Harrington

    The first 12 months of a refugee’s resettlement costs are funded by Government using the Overseas Development Aid budget.

    In November 2015 the Government announced around £129 million to assist with local authority costs over years 2-5 for those local authorities who are resettlling refugees under the Syrian Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Scheme. This is unringfenced funding and it will be for local authorities to decide how to use the funding to support the refugees they resettle.

  • Madeleine Moon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Madeleine Moon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Madeleine Moon on 2016-01-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the 2010 contract for £15 million with BAE Systems for the replacement of propulsion systems in the eight Hunt-class mine countermeasures vessels is still to be completed by October 2016; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    To date, work to replace the propulsion system on four of the Hunt Class mine countermeasures vessels has been completed with the fifth due for completion later this year. Due to changes applied to the ships upkeep programme combined with the need to address emerging engineering issues, work on the remaining three vessels is now scheduled for completion by late 2019.

  • Gavin Shuker – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Gavin Shuker – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gavin Shuker on 2016-02-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what information her Department holds on whether the National Police Chiefs’ Council consulted academics in producing its revised prostitution strategy.

    Karen Bradley

    Within the structure of the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC), chief officers are elected by their peers and take the lead on specific issues from a national operational perspective. It is for the national leads to establish working groups to support them in their role. The Home Office is in regular dialogue with on the NPCC Lead for Prostitution’s office, and as such discussed and commented on the current revision of the strategy.

    Prostitution is a complex issue, which can impact on individuals and communities in many different ways, and we are therefore clear that local areas and police forces are in the best position to identify and respond to issues around prostitution in their area. Police forces are assisted in doing so by the National Policing Lead’s refreshed Policing Sex Work Strategy, which stresses the priority of the public protection duty that the police services have in relation to the safety of those involved in prostitution.

  • Gavin Newlands – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Gavin Newlands – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gavin Newlands on 2016-02-29.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment he has made of the potential effect on Scottish sport of changes to the funding of BBC Alba.

    Mr Edward Vaizey

    It is a matter for MG Alba how it distributes funding across it services. The previous government provided two one-off grants to MG ALBA, which we understand was put into developing the drama series Bannan.

  • Grant Shapps – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Grant Shapps – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Grant Shapps on 2016-03-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps the Government is taking to ensure all frontline NHS staff are trained in suicide prevention; and whether such training will be compulsory.

    Ben Gummer

    It is the responsibility of the professional regulators to set the standards and outcomes for education and training and approve training curricula to ensure newly qualified healthcare professionals are equipped with the knowledge, skills and attitudes to provide high quality patient care. It is the responsibility of employers to ensure staff receive appropriate training to deliver high quality healthcare. This includes training in suicide prevention. There are no plans to make it compulsory.