Category: Speeches

  • Paul Blomfield – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Paul Blomfield – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Blomfield on 2015-12-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what plans she has for her Department’s Future Fit Programme in each year between 2015-16 and 2019-20.

    Mr Nick Hurd

    The Future Fit initiative (2013-15) was an internal process to shape DFID’s response to climate change and resource scarcity in its development investments. Building on the lessons learnt through Future Fit, as set out in the new ODA strategy for the 2015 Spending Review DFID will have a greater focus on climate-smart development – particularly through investments in infrastructure, agriculture, cities, water and sanitation and health.

    Through the International Climate Fund to date, the UK has helped over 15 million people cope with the effects of climate change and given 2.6 million people access to clean energy. The Prime Minister recently announced that over the next five years the UK’s climate funding will increase by at least 50%.

  • 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 2016-01-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, for what reasons the Government has not given financial and other support to British Airways’ Green Sky project; and what assessment his Department has made of the effect of the potential cancellation of that project on the aviation industry’s sustainable aviation agenda.

    Andrew Jones

    The Government recognises the strategic importance of supporting sustainable aviation fuels in order to reduce carbon emissions in the aviation sector, and drive the development of an advanced biofuels industry in the UK. Waste-derived fuels, such as those that the GreenSky project aim to produce, hold real potential for UK growth and jobs, as well as for our energy security and balance of payments.

    The GreenSky project was eligible to enter the Department’s recent Advanced Biofuel Demonstration Competition which has provided £25m of financial support to help develop sustainable biofuels. The competition attracted a wide range of strong proposals and following a thorough assessment process the GreenSky bid was unsuccessful.

    I have met with British Airways to discuss the GreenSky project. We will continue regular contact as British Airways pursue this excellent initiative to develop waste-derived jet fuel.

    The Transport Energy Taskforce, made up of a broad range of expert stakeholders, including British Airways, made recommendations last year, including making aviation biofuels eligible for rewards under the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation. We intend to include proposals on this in a public consultation this year.

  • Lord Alton of Liverpool – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Lord Alton of Liverpool – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool on 2016-02-01.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Prior of Brampton on 27 January (HL5039), whether they are now able to say whether a stated aim of the recently approved application by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority to perform genome editing in human embryos by means of CRISPR-Cas9 was, and remains, to better understand why miscarriages occur in some pregnancies; and if not, whether the description of that research that will be made public will disclose the specific assay the researchers concerned had proposed using to determine whether embryos subjected to gene editing might be either able or unable to implant in a womb.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) publishes on its website the inspection report relating to a licence renewal application and the minutes of the Licence Committee’s decision. It does not publish other information associated with a licence application.

    The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990 (as amended) permits the genetic modification of embryos in research, subject to an HFEA licence. As the regulator, the HFEA’s responsibility is to apply the test in the legislation, namely that the research is necessary or desirable for any of the purposes specified in the Act and that the use of embryos is necessary. The Licence Committee has added a condition to the licence that no research using genome editing may take place until it has received approval from an NHS Research Ethics Committee.

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

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

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hylton on 2016-02-25.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they are making representations to the government of Israel about the case of Mohammed Al-Qeeq; and in particular what representations they have made in the light of the reports of force-feeding and drips being inserted against his will.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    We understand that Mr Al Qeeq has now ended his hunger strike. We have been following the case closely and officials from our Embassy in Tel Aviv have spoken to Amnesty International about Mr Al Qeeq. Our Consulate General in Jerusalem has received regular updates on the condition of Mr Al Qeeq from Palestinian officials and organisations. We remain concerned about Israel’s extensive use of administrative detention. Administrative detention should, according to international law, be used only when security makes it absolutely necessary rather than as routine practice, and as a preventative rather than a punitive measure. Officials from our Embassy in Tel Aviv have raised the matter of Mr Al Qeeq’s condition with Israeli authorities.

  • Kevin Brennan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Kevin Brennan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kevin Brennan on 2016-03-21.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the cost of retail crime was to businesses in each year for which data is available.

    Karen Bradley

    The Home Office does not hold the information requested.

    The Home Office runs an annual Commercial Victimisation Survey (CVS) which asks business premises in different sectors about their experience of various crime types, including fraud, in the latest year.

    In order to keep the length of the survey, and hence the burden on respondents, to a minimum, businesses are only asked about the cost of the latest incident of each crime type experienced in the year. Therefore, it is not possible to provide an aggregate cost of fraud or overall crime to businesses in the retail sector.

  • Lord Rowe-Beddoe – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Lord Rowe-Beddoe – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Rowe-Beddoe on 2016-04-26.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their estimate of costs incurred by them in connection with the recent visit of the President of the United States.

    Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

    It is long established Government policy not to comment upon matters of personal protective security and their associated costs. Disclosure of such information could compromise the integrity of those arrangements and affect the security of the individuals concerned.

  • 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 2016-06-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he has made of the amount spent by his Department on audio-visual systems intended for buses in the last three years; and if he will make a statement.

    Andrew Jones

    The Department has not funded audio/visual equipment on buses, but we understand the importance of accessible on-board information to many passengers, including those who are visually impaired, and have supported initiatives to develop innovative and low-cost approaches for delivering it.

    For instance, we worked with the Transport Systems Catapult on the All Aboard Competition, resulting in the development of a prototype vibrating wristband which alerts users to upcoming stops.

    Many bus operators have already embraced audible and visual next stop announcements, and I encourage the wider industry to consider the potential benefit for all of its customers.

  • Nick Clegg – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Trade

    Nick Clegg – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Trade

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nick Clegg on 2016-09-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, how much his Department has spent to date on legal advice relating to Britain’s exit from the EU from (a) the Government Legal Department and (b) external legal firms; and how much he plans to spend on such advice over the next 12 months.

    Mark Garnier

    DIT already has a strong and capable in-house legal team and has not needed to spend on external legal advice. In the next two years we will be developing our in-house team to build the expertise needed to deliver the best outcomes for the UK and position the UK as a global leader in free trade. We have also received many offers of pro bono support from the UK’s outstanding legal profession.

  • Justin Madders – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Justin Madders – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Justin Madders on 2016-10-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions Ministers of his Department have had with Ministers of the Department for Justice on the investigation of stillbirths and neonatal deaths.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    No recent meetings have been held with colleagues at the Ministry of Justice to discuss this subject.

    By law coroners can only investigate deaths of a baby when they have lived independently of their mother. Coroners have no role in investigating stillbirths, and there are no plans to change this. If there is doubt as to whether a baby was stillborn or lived independently of their mother the loss should be reported to the coroner to consider whether an investigation should be carried out.

    We are providing £500,000 of funding, via the Healthcare Quality Improvement Partnership, for the development of a new system – the Standardised Perinatal Mortality Review Tool – which once complete will be used across the National Health Service to enable maternity services to review and learn from every stillbirth and neonatal death. We have also asked the new independent Healthcare Safety Investigation Branch, established in April 2016, to consider a particular focus on maternity services in its first year.

    On 17 October my Rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health announced a comprehensive package of measures designed dramatically to improve the safety of maternity care in the NHS, with a particular focus on learning and supporting the NHS to become the world’s largest learning organisation. The announcement introduced the commitment to consult on a new voluntary alternative to litigation for families affected by severe birth injury (Rapid Resolution and Redress (RRR)).

    RRR will provide an independent and thorough investigation of all instances of severe avoidable birth injury (around 500 cases per year), and for eligible cases the option to join an alternative system of compensation that offers support and regular payments without the need to bring a claim through the courts. We will be consulting to ensure the policy design best meets the needs of families.

  • Jim Cunningham – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Jim Cunningham – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2015-11-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 3 November 2015 to Question 14012, what estimate her Department has made of the number of signatories to the Waste and Resources Action Programme.

    Rory Stewart

    The Waste and Resources Action Programme manages four voluntary agreements which support collaborative action to increase resource efficiency and reduce waste. The number of signatories to each agreement is currently as follows:

    Courtauld Commitment 3

    • 53 signatories including leading retailers, brands and manufacturers in the food sector.

    Electrical and Electronic Equipment Sustainability Action Plan

    • 69 signatories.

    Hospitality and Food Service Agreement

    • 115 signatories.

    Sustainable Clothing Action Plan

    • 45 signatories.