Category: Speeches

  • Nicola Blackwood – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Nicola Blackwood – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicola Blackwood on 2015-11-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much of his Department’s funding allocated in the Spending Review 2015 will be for research and development expenditure up to 2020.

    Justin Tomlinson

    Spending Review 2015 set out settlements for departments and showed how the government will deliver on its priorities, eliminate the deficit, and deliver security and opportunity for working people.

    Final decisions on internal departmental funding allocations for future years, including for research and development, have not yet been made.

  • Dan Jarvis – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Dan Jarvis – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dan Jarvis on 2016-01-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will deploy the RAF to provide humanitarian support to the people of Syria through the use of air drops.

    Penny Mordaunt

    The UN, the Red Cross Movement and Non-Governmental Organisation partners have the mandate and expertise to deliver an appropriate response to the humanitarian crisis in Syria. Any UK response would work to the same principles by which the UN operates. We would not use air drops when there is ground access particularly in the circumstances of western Syria, where there are no assurances about the safety of delivering humanitarian assistance by air. Nor would the UK undermine humanitarian agencies by providing duplicate aid through air drops, in the absence of full coordination with all agencies on the ground.

  • Patrick Grady – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Patrick Grady – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Patrick Grady on 2016-01-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what plans the Government has to contribute to the funding agreed at the Paris Climate Conference in December 2015 to assist developing countries in adapting to the effects of climate change.

    Mr Nick Hurd

    The Government will provide £5.8 billion over the next five years to support developing countries in tackling climate change through the UK International Climate Fund, including at least £1.76 billion in 2020, ensuring that the UK plays its part in achieving the goal of mobilising $100 billion of climate finance a year by 2020. We plan to spend 50% of our climate finance on adaptation and 50% on mitigation.

  • Gregory Campbell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Gregory Campbell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gregory Campbell on 2016-02-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what further assistance his Department plans to give the devolved legislatures for providing access to higher speed broadband services.

    Mr Edward Vaizey

    Superfast broadband is available to nearly 90 per cent of homes and businesses in the UK, and we are on track to reach 95% by the end of 2017, as set out in our manifesto All of the BDUK superfast broadband contracts with BT contain a claw-back mechanism so that as take-up rises above a set level of 20%, further funding is reinvested in extending coverage, which all the nations will benefit from, including Northern Ireland.

    In November, the Prime Minister announced the Government’s intention to implement a new broadband Universal Service Obligation (USO) and our ambition is to set this at 10 Mbps. This will give people the legal right to request an affordable broadband connection from a designated provider, up to a reasonable cost threshold, no matter where they live.

    We are also piloting a range of alternative technology approaches to help us understand the options for extending superfast broadband further. We are also encouraging commercial suppliers to meet their commitments to provide further coverage who are themselves investing in new technology to extend coverage.

  • Tulip Siddiq – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Tulip Siddiq – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tulip Siddiq on 2016-03-22.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 2 March 2016 to Question 27886, if he will publish a list of the planning appeals which were recovered in the last 12 months.

    Brandon Lewis

    Attached is a table which shows all planning appeals which have been recovered in the last 12 months.

  • Andrew Gwynne – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Andrew Gwynne – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Gwynne on 2016-04-21.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will meet the hon. Member for Denton and Reddish to discuss the use of pupil premium funding by Audenshaw School Academy Trust.

    Edward Timpson

    I understand that the Hon. Member for Denton and Reddish has met the Regional Schools Commissioner, Vicky Beer, to discuss his concerns about Audenshaw School Academy Trust. I can assure him that she is fully aware of the issues and is holding the trust to account for underperformance.

  • Gareth Thomas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Gareth Thomas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gareth Thomas on 2016-06-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many carrier liability charges were issued to commercial transport firms, airlines, ferry companies and other operators for transporting illegal immigrants into the UK in total by (a) port and (b) firm in each of the last seven years.

    James Brokenshire

    Penalties are issued for inadequately documented arrivals and it would not be known at that stage whether the passenger was an illegal immigrant.

  • Tom Blenkinsop – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Tom Blenkinsop – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Blenkinsop on 2016-09-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what information his Department holds on the number of health and safety incidents which have taken place in the mining industry when employees were working on shift patterns of more than (a) eight, (b) 10 and (c) 12 hours.

    Penny Mordaunt

    The Health and Safety Executive does not hold such information.

  • Gareth Thomas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Gareth Thomas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gareth Thomas on 2016-10-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, when the future high streets forum has met in the last two years; and if he will make a statement.

    Andrew Percy

    The Future High Street Forum was set up to provide joint business and government leadership to better enable our high streets and town centres to adapt and compete in the face of changing consumer and social trends. It advises the government in the formation and delivery of policies to support high streets and town centres and comprises a wide range of organisations that are involved in the high street.

    The Forum’s Executive Board has met 6 times in the past two years, including three times in 2016 so far.

  • Gareth Thomas – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Gareth Thomas – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gareth Thomas on 2015-10-29.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make representations to his European counterparts encouraging them to oppose Lithuanian government plans to erect a convention centre in the Jewish cemetery in Piramont, Vilnius; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr David Lidington

    The Government is aware of plans announced by the Lithuanian Government to renovate the Soviet-era Vilnius Palace of Concerts and Sports, located in the Šnipiškės Jewish cemetery. The existing building on the site has been left derelict for some time. The Chairperson of the Jewish Community in Lithuania has been clear in her public support for the renovation, stressing that the current site is run-down and at risk otherwise of further deterioration. It is the Governement’s understanding that there will be no significant structural changes and that only the interior will be renovated for use as a centre for conferences and cultural events. The surrounding area will be maintained as a memorial park. The Lithuanian Prime Minister has said that all Jewish cemeteries in Lithuania would be memorialised and marked by the end of 2017. We welcome his commitment to working alongside the Jewish Community of Lithuania and the international Jewish community on this renovation. The Lithuanian government has also said it will discuss the renovation with the Israeli government.