Category: Speeches

  • Caroline Lucas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union

    Caroline Lucas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2016-10-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what assessment he has made of the potential effect on (a) opportunity for students and (b) universities in general of not having access to the (i) Erasmus and (ii) Interreg programmes after the UK leaves the EU.

    Mr Robin Walker

    We have been clear that we want to create an environment in which the UK as a whole can continue to be a world leader in research, science and the tertiary education sector more broadly. The government has already announced that UK researchers can still apply for Horizon 2020 funding projects while the UK is a member of the EU and the Treasury will underwrite the payment of such awards, even when specific projects continue beyond the UK’s departure from the EU. The Treasury will also guarantee funding for European Territorial Cooperation projects signed before we leave the EU and which continue after we have left, where they provide strong value for money and are in line with domestic strategic priorities. Horizon 2020 funding supports collaboration between EU Member States or Associated countries.

    Leaving the EU means we will want to take our own decisions about how to deliver the policy objectives previously targeted by EU funding. We will consult with stakeholders to review all EU funding schemes in the round, to ensure that any ongoing funding commitments best serve the UK‘s national interest, while ensuring appropriate investor certainty.

    The UK remains a member of the EU until our withdrawal is completed. There is no change to those currently participating in, or about to start, programmes such as Erasmus+ exchanges. Erasmus+ is open to a number of countries across Europe and beyond. We are not going to provide a running commentary on every twist and turn of the negotiations, but we will work hard to get the best deal for Britain, its universities, and the wider research sector.

  • Hilary Benn – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Hilary Benn – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Hilary Benn on 2015-11-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what his Department’s counter-extremism budget was for (a) 2010-11, (b) 2011-12, (c) 2012-13, (d) 2013-14 and (e) 2014-15; and how much has been budgeted for (i) 2015-16 and (ii) future financial years.

    Mr Philip Hammond

    Counter-extremism is an integral part of the FCO’s counter-terrorism work. It is also a core element of activities funded through the cross-Whitehall Conflict Security and Stabilisation Fund. Disaggregating FCO-specific spend on counter-extremism activities from wider counter-terrorism work would incur disproportionate cost.

    Future counter-terrorism and counter-extremism spending is subject to the outcome of the Spending Review and SDSR.

  • Julian Knight – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Julian Knight – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Julian Knight on 2015-12-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what protections she plans to put in place for landlords who, unwittingly and after carrying out reasonable checks, allow an illegal immigrant to rent their property.

    James Brokenshire

    The Immigration Act 2014 prohibits landlords from leasing property to persons who are disqualified from renting by reason of their immigration status. Right to rent checks are simple to conduct and comprise of an examination of documents from a range prescribed in law as acceptable for the purposes of establishing a right to rent. Landlords are not expected to be immigration or forgery experts and the Act provides defences in law for the landlord who may have accepted a falsified document in good faith and having acted reasonably.

  • Tulip Siddiq – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Tulip Siddiq – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tulip Siddiq on 2016-01-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his Answer of 18 December 2015 to Question 19717, which were the 28 communities in Syria supported by the Conflict, Stability and Security Fund.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    The Conflict Stability And Security Fund is supporting communities in opposition held areas located in the north west and south west of Syria. A specific list of these communities is not published for reasons of security (it could put civilians in those areas at risk). More information on the work being taken forward can be found at http://www.project-tamkeen.org/category/news-from-the-programme/

  • Chi Onwurah – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Chi Onwurah – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chi Onwurah on 2016-02-05.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, when the Public Sector Transparency Board last met.

    Matthew Hancock

    The Public Sector Transparency Board has been replaced with the Data Steering Group.

  • Royston Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Royston Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Royston Smith on 2016-03-02.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps the Government plans to take to celebrate HM the Queen’s 90th birthday.

    John Penrose

    Representatives of the Government will be attending a number of events to celebrate Her Majesty the Queen’s 90th birthday including a National Service of Thanksgiving at St Paul’s Cathedral and The Queen’s Birthday Parade on Horseguards Parade.

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

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

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by The Earl of Clancarty on 2016-03-23.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many individuals took Art and Design GCSE in each year since 2011 in England, Wales and Northern Ireland combined, and what percentage of the total number of GCSEs this constitutes.

    Lord Nash

    The Department for Education produces statistics on England only.

    The table below shows the total number of pupils attempting Art and Design and the percentage this represents of all pupils attempting GCSEs at the end of key stage 4 for the years requested. This information is published in the “Revised GCSE and equivalent results in England: 2014 to 2015” Statistical First Release available on GOV.UK.

    2010/11

    2011/12

    2012/13

    2013/14

    2014/15

    Number of pupils attempting Art and Design

    155,724

    151,601

    156,482

    164,648

    170,783

    Pupils[1] attempting GCSE[2] Art and Design as a percentage of all pupils attempting GCSEs

    25.4

    25.0

    25.3

    27.1

    28.5

    [1] Pupils at the end of key stage 4.

    [2] GCSE only.

  • 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 2016-05-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many members of staff in (a) his Department and (b) the Maritime and Coastguard Agency have been seconded from the private sector to work on the implementation of the recommendations of the (i) Maritime Growth Study and (ii) UK Ship Register Advisory Panel.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    No members of staff have been seconded from the private sector to work on the implementation of these recommendations at this stage. Both the Department and the MCA engage closely and regularly with industry partners.

  • Andy Slaughter – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Andy Slaughter – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andy Slaughter on 2016-06-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the Answer of 10 December 2015 to Question 18873, what proportion of his Department’s staff were agency workers covering (a) operational uniformed staff and (b) clerical agency staff in each year since 2010.

    Mr Sam Gyimah

    We only use temporary staff to fill business-critical posts and essential frontline services, where they can offer a fast, flexible and efficient way of providing skills not currently available in-house.

    The proportion of the department’s staff agency workers either covering operational uniformed staff of clerical agency staff is displayed in the following table. Data prior to 2011/12 is not available.

    Year-end date

    Proportion of Operational Uniformed Staff

    Proportion of Clerical agency staff

    31/03/2012

    1.92%

    0.58%

    31/03/2013

    2.03%

    0.76%

    31/03/2014

    3.17%

    1.14%

    31/03/2015

    4.61%

    1.61%
  • Lord Ouseley – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Lord Ouseley – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

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

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many youth centres have been closed since 2010 and what assessment they have made of the impact of those closures on young people.

    Baroness Chisholm of Owlpen

    It is the responsibility of local authorities to decide how to allocate funding for youth services, according to local need. Individual local authorities would be best placed to advise on any changes there have been to the number of youth centres in their local area.