Category: Speeches

  • Victoria Prentis – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Victoria Prentis – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Victoria Prentis on 2016-05-05.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the Electoral Commission’s 2013 recommendation that political parties that receive and spend less than £500 annually should be exempt from submitting a full statement of accounts.

    John Penrose

    The Electoral Commission published a report “a regulatory review of the UK’s party and electoral finance laws” in June 2013 that made 50 recommendations. The report’s first recommendation proposed changes to the reporting requirements for parties that receive and spend less than £500 annually. Such a change would require primary legislation. The Government recognises that there is a balance to be struck between reducing the burden on smaller parties and maintaining transparency of the funding of all parties which contest elections in the UK.

  • Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2016-06-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether his Department plans to recruit more trade specialists as a result of the outcome of the referendum on the UK’s membership of the EU.

    Mr Hugo Swire

    As The Prime Minister, the Rt Hon. Member for Witney (Mr Cameron), told the House on 27 June, the Cabinet has agreed the creation of a new EU Unit in Whitehall, which will bring together officials and policy expertise from across the Cabinet Office, Treasury, Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.

    It will report to the whole of the Cabinet on delivering the outcome of the referendum, advising on transitional issues and exploring options for our future relationship with Europe and the rest of the world from outside the EU.

    The Prime Minister has also said that it is important for us to secure the best and brightest from the private sector, whether they are lawyers, financial experts or trade experts.

  • Lord Hunt of Kings Heath – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Lord Hunt of Kings Heath – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath on 2016-09-14.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the sufficiency of accident and emergency capacity in East Lancashire.

    Baroness Chisholm of Owlpen

    No such assessments have been made. The provision of accident and emergency (A&E) services at the Royal Blackburn Hospital is a matter for the local National Health Service. The NHS in East Lancashire has established an A&E delivery board to oversee system performance and the effective delivery of urgent and emergency care locally.

    Ministers consult weekly with NHS Improvement and the Care Quality Commission about A&E performance.

  • Lord Ouseley – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Lord Ouseley – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Ouseley on 2015-11-18.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Prior of Brampton on 12 November (HL3373), what they intend to do to prevent discriminatory treatment of BME mental health patients, and what assessment they have made of the implications of discriminatory treatment for patients in mental health wards.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    We are aware that people from black and minority ethnic (BME) groups often report poorer experiences of mental health services and there is some evidence of people from BME groups experiencing ethnic discrimination in how services are delivered by not ensuring equitable access or meeting diverse cultural needs.

    The Human Rights Act 1998 and the Equality Act 2010 make it clear that people should not be discriminated against on the grounds of race or mental impairment. People with mental impairments are included within the groups of people with Protected Characteristics within the Equality Act 2010.

    The Mental Health Act 1983 Code of Practice makes it clear that decisions relating to people detained under the Act should be lawful and in accordance with the requirements of the Human Rights Act 1998 and the Equality Act 2010.

    The Department established the Mental Health Equalities Working Group (EWG) in 2013 to advise on equality and human rights issues, including BME issues.

    The Joint Commissioning Panel published guidance in 2014, Guidance for commissioners of mental health services for people from black and minority ethnic communities, which set out 10 key messages for commissioners to improve services. A copy of the guidance is attached.

    The Coalition Government published Closing the Gap: priorities for essential change in mental health in 2014, which included a specific action to tackle inequalities around access to mental health services and we continue to work to achieving that action. A copy of this document is attached.

    The Department commissioned the Mental Health Providers’ Forum and the Race Equality Foundation to gather and review evidence of effective mental health services for BME groups, which was published this year. The report, Better practice in mental health for black and minority ethnic communities, found that organisations that were successful in providing mental health services that meet the needs of BME groups had developed local community-based approaches to service delivery which addressed cultural and linguistic differences and sought to actively engage hard to reach groups. A copy of this report is attached.

    NHS England is also working with a number of BME groups and community leaders to raise awareness, reduce barriers and improve the uptake of Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) to all sections of the community. We are also working with the National Health Service and commissioners to disseminate guidance and good practice of what good mental health services for BME communities look like.

  • Louise Haigh – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Louise Haigh – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Louise Haigh on 2015-12-09.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what recent assessment has been made of people’s attitudes towards public bodies using and sharing their data with other parts of the public sector as part of digitally transformed public services; and what plans the Government has to build trust and assurance among people on the Government’s use of their data as part of those public services.

    Matthew Hancock

    The Government is committed to improving the way in which data is used and shared between public bodies for the benefit of the citizen, including the use of digital technology to transform public services in a way that is efficient, cost-effective and safe. The Government Digital Service will continue to support public bodies in making the most appropriate use of data and in ensuring that robust safeguards are in place to protect the privacy of individuals. We will continue to encourage public bodies to make non-sensitive administrative and aggregate data available as Open Data, as part of our ongoing commitment to transparency. We have also developed a draft ethical framework(which can be accessed at: https://data.blog.gov.uk/2015/12/08/data-science-ethics/) for how the Government uses data and we are embarking on a public dialogue which will understand and explore public opinion on the opportunities presented by data science

    “

  • Caroline Lucas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Caroline Lucas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2016-01-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how much G4S was paid for (a) bedding, (b) children’s birthdays, (c) Christmas allowances, (d) children’s sports and PE costs, (e) educational materials, (f) electricity, (g) staff uniforms, (h) staff training materials and (i) stationery at Medway Secure Training Centre for Young People in each year since 2009.

    Andrew Selous

    The Youth Justice Board does not hold this information.

  • 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 2016-02-08.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the Final Resolution of the 12th International Conference on the European Union, Turkey, the Middle East and the Kurds, held at the European Parliament in January.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    While we do not agree with all points made in the Final Resolution of the 12th International Conference on the EU, Turkey, the Middle East and the Kurds, held at the European Parliament in January, we too call for the Kurdistan Workers’ Party to cease its attacks and share the participants’ desire to see a return to the peace process.

  • Emma Reynolds – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Emma Reynolds – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Emma Reynolds on 2016-03-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what assessment his Department has made of the (a) level of tariffs which UK businesses would operate in the event of the UK leaving the EU and negotiating a free trade deal with the EU equivalent to the Comprehensive Economic and Trade agreement between the EU and Canada and (b) costs of customs checks and rules of origin requirements for UK businesses in the event of the UK leaving the EU; and what the annual value to the UK economy is of the EU’s trade agreements with third parties.

    Anna Soubry

    At the February European Council, the Government negotiated a new settlement, giving the United Kingdom a special status in a reformed European Union. The Government’s position, as set out by the Prime Minister to the House on 22 February, is that the UK will be stronger, safer and better off remaining in a reformed EU.

    The document “Alternatives to membership: possible models for the United Kingdom, outside the European Union”, published on 2 March, looks at the potential models for the UK’s relationship with the European Union, including negotiated bilateral agreements, such as the recent EU-Canada Free Trade Agreement. It concludes that such an agreement would bring significantly less advantageous terms for UK trade than those we currently enjoy, with particular issues for UK services losing access to the Single Market.

    The estimated value to the UK of EU FTA negotiations that have already been concluded is around £ 2.5 billion.

  • The Lord Bishop of Coventry – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The Lord Bishop of Coventry – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by The Lord Bishop of Coventry on 2016-04-12.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assistance, if any, they have provided to the government of Iraq to document and investigate reports of missing persons.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    We have funded a project to support the victims of Daesh’s persecution and help them pursue justice. We will continue to look at all options to ensure accountability for human rights abuses and violations committed in Iraq. We have not provided any direct support to the Government of Iraq in relation to investigating reports of missing persons.

  • Alex Chalk – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Alex Chalk – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alex Chalk on 2016-05-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what progress the Government has made on its target to plant 11 million trees by 2020.

    Rory Stewart

    The Forestry Commission publishes progress against the 11 million trees target quarterly. The latest report shows that over 640,000 trees have been planted towards meeting the 11 million target in 2015. This reflects the fact that we are at the opening stage of a new grant scheme. We are confident that more trees will be planted in the next phases of the scheme.