Category: Speeches

  • Philip Davies – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Philip Davies – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Philip Davies on 2016-05-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many and what proportion of arrests for each offence of people of each ethnic group resulted in (a) no further action, (b) an out of court disposal and (c) a charge in the last year for which information is available.

    Mike Penning

    The Home Office does not hold data centrally on the outcomes of arrests. The Home Office collect and publish data on the number of arrests broken down by offence group and ethnicity, however, the outcome of these arrests is not held centrally.

    The number of arrests, broken down by ethnicity, can be found in the statistical publication, Police Powers and Procedures: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/police-powers-and-procedures-england-and-wales-year-ending-31-march-2015

  • Ronnie Cowan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Ronnie Cowan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ronnie Cowan on 2016-06-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what plans he has to provide specialist local NHS services to treat gambling addiction.

    Alistair Burt

    The Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust provides the only specialised national problem gambling clinic. However, specialised addiction services, which mainly deal with substance misuse, do tend to accept people with gambling problems referred to them. People can also access addiction services in primary care and secondary care, which may provide support for problem gambling.

    People may also access psychological therapies through the Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) programme. Although problem gambling is not listed amongst the provisional diagnosis categories that IAPT treats, IAPT practitioners would be able to treat common mental health disorders such as depression and anxiety, which may be present in people with gambling addiction problems.

    Data is not collected centrally on the number of specialist National Health Service professionals which provide support and treatment for gambling addiction.

    Data is not collected on the funding of services to treat people with gambling problems. Funding to provide NHS mental health services is allocated to clinical commissioning groups which are best placed to commission local health services based on the needs of their local populations. Local authorities are responsible for commissioning local alcohol and drug treatment services which may also refer people to gambling support services where they identify people with gambling issues.

  • Lord Dubs – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Lord Dubs – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

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

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many child refugees have been transferred to the UK because they had an existing family connection in the UK from (1) France, (2) Greece, and (3) Italy, in (a) 2015, and (b) 2016 to date.

    Baroness Williams of Trafford

    Our records currently indicate that in 2016 the Government has transferred just under 100 unaccompanied refugee children to the UK under the Dublin Regulation, the majority of which are from France. This is provisional management information that is subject to change. It has not been assured to the standard of Official Statistics.

    In 2015, around 20 unaccompanied refugee children in Europe were accepted for transfer to the UK.

  • The Earl of Listowel – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The Earl of Listowel – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by The Earl of Listowel on 2016-10-20.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they plan to take to continue to improve quality of early education for two-, three- and four-year olds, including increasing graduate leadership.

    Lord Nash

    The Government wants all children to have access to quality early education, as this makes a difference to their outcomes in later life. That is why we have taken the following steps to support the quality of early years provision:

    The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) helps early years providers to prepare young children for school and improve their life chances by requiring them to deliver high-quality provision. The 2015-16 EYFS Profile results show that the proportion of children achieving a good level of development continues to increase – 69% in 2016 compared to 52% in 2013.

    We work closely with Ofsted to ensure a robust regulatory and inspection framework to drive continuous improvement in quality. The sector has responded positively and the latest statistics show that 86% of early years providers were rated “good” or “outstanding” as of 31 March 2016.

    The quality of the workforce continues to improve, with 87% of staff in full day care settings now qualified to level 3. The Department is also developing a workforce strategy that will aim to remove barriers to attracting, retaining and developing staff.

    The Government recognises that graduates play an important role in improving quality in the early years, and that is why in 2013 we introduced the early years initial teacher training programme which leads to the award of Early Years Teacher Status. We have made a significant investment in this programme by providing funding for course fees and bursaries to eligible trainees, and also funding for employers to support trainees. As such, the number of graduates in the workforce continues to rise, and between 2008 and 2013 the proportion of full day care staff with a degree or higher increased from 5% to 13%.

  • Gregory Campbell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Gregory Campbell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gregory Campbell on 2015-11-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will hold discussions with the government of the Irish Republic on the number of refugees likely to be settled in the Irish Republic who would be eligible to subsequently move to the UK.

    James Brokenshire

    There are no plans to hold discussions with the government of the Irish Republic on the number of refugees who would be eligible to subsequently move to the UK. Those recognised as refugees in the Republic of Ireland require a visa under the Immigration Rules to enter the UK.

  • Caroline Lucas – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Caroline Lucas – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2015-12-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what information she holds on the number of countries calling for a commitment to limit global temperature increase to 1.5 degrees; what the Government’s policy is on limiting the long-term global temperature increase to 1.5 degrees; and if she will make a statement.

    Andrea Leadsom

    A number of countries are calling for a commitment to limit global temperature increase to 1.5 degrees, most notably through a new group called the Climate Vulnerables Forum. The Government supports the ‘below 2 degrees’ objective, and recognises the need to keep the temperature rise as low as possible below 2C, including the possibility of staying below 1.5 degrees. We are pushing for the highest possible mitigation ambition in the new agreement.

  • Harry Harpham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Harry Harpham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Harry Harpham on 2016-01-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what steps the Government is taking to phase out the use of coal-fired power stations by 2025.

    Andrea Leadsom

    We will launch a consultation shortly on proposals to close all unabated coal-fired power stations. Our consultation will set out proposals to close coal by 2025, and restrict its use from 2023. If we were to take this step, we would be one of the first developed countries to deliver on a commitment to take coal off the system.

  • Richard Burden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Richard Burden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2016-02-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 11 January 2016 to Question 21012, what further estimate he has made of the (a) number of and (b) cost of repairs identified to date to the (i) strategic road network and (ii) local road network.

    Andrew Jones

    Two sections of road on the strategic road network have been damaged by the recent flooding. The river bank was washed out on both sides at Warwick Bridge on the A69 near Carlisle. This will be repaired, as agreed with the Environment Agency (EA), using gabion baskets at an estimated cost of £60,000.

    A 1.5 mile section of the westbound dual carriageway on the A66 in Cumbria is currently closed following the storms. The provisional cost estimate for reopening this section of the network is between £3m and £5m dependent on the findings of a recent geotechnical survey.

    The rest of the strategic road network in the North West region has now been returned to a fully serviceable condition. The cost of clearing the affected network in the North West region is estimated at £275,000.

    The Department for Transport is continuing to collate a comprehensive list of damage caused to the local highway network following the recent storms encountered in some areas of the country.

  • Dawn Butler – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Dawn Butler – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dawn Butler on 2016-02-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will undertake an urgent and comprehensive review into British arms export licences to Saudi Arabia.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    The UK Government is satisfied that export licences for Saudi Arabia are compliant with the UK’s export licencing criteria. The Government takes its arms export responsibilities very seriously and operates one of the most robust arms export control regimes in the world. The Government routinely keeps factors relevant to the licensing of arms exports under active review, and Ministers are consulted in the event of any significant changes in the circumstances relating to UK-licensed exports to ensure that licences comply with the Consolidated EU and National Arms Export Licensing Criteria. Since the outset of the conflict in Yemen the Government has kept all extant licences and new licensing to Saudi Arabia under continuous review, and has exercised special caution and vigilance in granting new licences for exports to Saudi Arabia, handling each on a case-by-case basis. The conflict in Yemen is being monitored closely, and that monitoring is taken into account as part of the careful risk assessment for exports to Saudi Arabia.

  • Rehman Chishti – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Rehman Chishti – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rehman Chishti on 2016-03-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to encourage greater diplomatic co-operation between Afghanistan and Pakistan.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    The relationship between Afghanistan and Pakistan is crucial for the security and prosperity of both countries. The Foreign Secretary, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Runneymede and Weybridge, visited Afghanistan and Pakistan last month and urged their leaders to work closely together, including on the reconciliation process.