Category: Speeches

  • Kerry McCarthy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Kerry McCarthy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kerry McCarthy on 2016-10-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, which animal welfare groups her Department consulted on the new Code of Practice for the use of snares for fox control in England.

    Dr Thérèse Coffey

    The Government has sought to improve the welfare of snared animals through the commission of snare use research and by working with stakeholders to produce improved best practice guidance and increase its observance by users.

    Evidence obtained from the research helped to identify possible improvements to the code of best practice as well as to snare design. Defra worked with animal welfare groups such as OneKind, the League Against Cruel Sports and the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, as well as snare user groups to develop an improved guidance for the use of snares in England and Wales.

    This improved guidance, which was supported by both sides of the debate, was then used as the basis for Welsh Government designed and owned guidance for Wales and snare user group designed and owned guidance for England.

    By taking ownership of this guidance and showing leadership in this area, the snare user groups should be more successful in promoting good practice with their members and changing their behaviour than the Government would on its own.

  • Bridget Phillipson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Bridget Phillipson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Bridget Phillipson on 2015-11-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what steps his Department is taking to improve the retention of students who have the potential to succeed in higher education but face financial difficulties.

    Joseph Johnson

    Continuation rates for students in publicly-funded institutions are at a record high, with 94.3% of young full-time first degree entrants to higher education in English HEIs in 2012/13 continuing after their first year and, 90.0% of full-time first degree starters of all ages in English HEIs in 2012/13 were expected to receive an award or transfer. Improvements in these areas have come at a time of considerable expansion in student numbers and increasing diversity in the backgrounds of students.

    Institutions wishing to charge higher fees must agree access agreements with the independent Director of Fair Access. In these, institutions set out what more they will do to attract students from disadvantaged backgrounds and help them to complete their studies and progress to post-graduate study or employment. In 2016/17, institutions expect to spend £425m on financial support through their access agreements.

    The Higher Education Green Paper set out further steps to encourage universities to improve retention rates, including for students from disadvantaged and under-represented groups, through a Teaching Excellence Framework.

  • Lord Hunt of Chesterton – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Lord Hunt of Chesterton – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hunt of Chesterton on 2015-12-08.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will consider distributing hand-held devices to households in flood-prone areas to allow them to transmit information, and to receive real-time news, about local water levels.

    Lord Gardiner of Kimble

    There are currently no plans to consider such devices. However, we do already urge households to take care and be prepared by checking their flood risk, signing up to free flood warnings and keeping an eye on the latest flood updates, which are available on the Environment Agency website and Twitter. These are readily accessible from personal mobile phones with internet access. People can also call our 24-hour Floodline for updates.

  • Jessica Morden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Jessica Morden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jessica Morden on 2016-01-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what options were considered during the decision-making process of privatisation of the Green Investment Bank.

    Anna Soubry

    The Government considered a number of options for the Green Investment Bank’s (GIB) future but none were deemed to be as effective in meeting the Government’s objectives as the current proposals of moving GIB into majority private ownership.

    These alternative options were set out in our policy paper of 18 November 2015.

  • Tom Pursglove – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Wales Office

    Tom Pursglove – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Wales Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Pursglove on 2016-02-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what assessment he has made of the future of the steel industry in Wales.

    Stephen Crabb

    My thoughts are with the workers and communities affected by the perfect storm currently facing the UK steel industry. We are doing everything we can to put the industry onto a sustainable footing and provide a level playing field.

    Earlier this month, my Rt Hon Friend the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills and I visited Tata at Port Talbot to meet with management and the unions, as part of our continued engagement with the industry.

  • Lord West of Spithead – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Lord West of Spithead – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord West of Spithead on 2016-03-02.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the Cross Government Working Group on Drones has conducted an assessment of the risks posed (1) by terrorists using drones, and (2) by drones to aircraft.

    Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

    The Department for Transport (DfT) is currently working with the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) to develop consistent, EU-wide safety rules for drones.

    The Department and the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) work with a wide range of industry partners across the aviation sector, (including manufacturers, airports, and airlines), to ensure our understanding of potential hazards to aircraft remains up-to-date and mitigations effective.

    This collaboration is also considering the need for other potential drone policies, such as geo-fencing. There are a number of drone models already sold in the UK with types of this technology installed and we are assessing the potential for solutions that could restrict drone operations around airports and other key infrastructure.

    We are also in contact with other governments about the potential costs and benefits of registration systems, and, in particular, whether this improves the transparency of ownership.

    The Cross Government Working Group has undertaken analysis of the use of drones for criminal purposes, including the potential use of drones for terrorist purposes, and the impacts of their negligent use near sensitive locations, such as airports. This work is kept under review and is being used to inform research and testing to improve mitigation techniques and strategies.

    Guidance on tackling the risks of criminal drone use has been provided to constabularies across the UK.

    Education of drone users is vital. The DfT is working with the CAA on raising awareness of responsible drone use. This includes the CAA’s ‘Drone Code’ safety awareness campaign and the issuing of safety leaflets at the point of sale.

  • Liz Saville Roberts – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Liz Saville Roberts – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Liz Saville Roberts on 2016-04-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will publish the minutes of the negotiations on the 1990 Dublin Convention which took place between 1987 and 1990.

    James Brokenshire

    The Government has no immediate plans to publish the minutes of the negotiations on the 1990 Dublin Convention which took place between 1987 and 1990. Any surviving papers relating to negotiations will be contained in files relating to the Convention and these will be considered for selection and transfer to The National Archives in line with the 1958 Public Records Act as amended by subsequent legislation.

  • Stephen Timms – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Stephen Timms – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2016-05-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what opportunities his Department offers to trainee soldiers aged under 18 to resit GCSEs as part of their elective personal development.

    Mark Lancaster

    Army junior entry training provides for educational opportunities up to the equivalent of AS level. The Army is ensuring that it remains aligned with ongoing changes in the state education sector and balancing these with the career development needs of its people and capability development requirements. All junior soldiers undertake a substantial education programme irrespective of their previous attainment and will progress in their functional skills, to be prepared better for employment whilst in service and beyond. In addition to its comprehensive provision of functional skills education, the Army is looking at the future provision of GCSE mathematics and English re-takes for those junior soldiers who narrowly miss the new Level 4 standard (currently A-C on the existing qualifications and credits framework), as well as other options to fulfil the academic potential of those already at the national GCSE standard.

    Opportunities to resit full GCSE qualifications while in standard entry initial training for under 18s are limited as the programme is intensive. However, within their training programme individuals do undertake functional skills, a programme of learning in English, mathematics and information and communication technology at either Levels 1 or 2 as appropriate.

    Following training, elective personal development opportunities are actively encouraged by the Army, including academic qualifications such as GCSEs, for which employer funding is available through the standard and enhanced learning credits schemes.

  • Michael Tomlinson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Michael Tomlinson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Michael Tomlinson on 2016-06-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what national targets for housebuilding are expected to be reflected in Local Plans.

    Brandon Lewis

    This Government does not set national housing targets. The National Planning Policy Framework is clear that Local Plans should meet the full, objectively assessed needs for housing in the housing market area, as far as is consistent with the policies set out in the Framework. As part of this, local authorities should identify, and update annually, a supply of specific deliverable sites sufficient to provide five years of housing against their housing requirements. Local authorities also have a duty to cooperate on strategic planning priorities such as providing the homes that are needed.

  • Karl Turner – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Karl Turner – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Karl Turner on 2016-09-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what progress his Department has made on the electrification of the Hull to Selby rail line; and what his provisional timeline is for those works to be completed.

    Paul Maynard

    The government is currently considering the case for electrification of the line between Selby and Hull in light of the intention by Hull First Trains to invest in a new bi-mode fleet. The government will announce its decision in due course.