Category: Speeches

  • Baroness Helic – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Baroness Helic – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Helic on 2015-11-18.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to ensure women’s participation in future peace negotiations in Syria by supporting women’s groups in Syria.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    The second meeting of the International Syria Support Group in Vienna on 14 November agreed an outline timetable for Syrian peace negotiations, leading to transitional governance, a new constitution and elections within eighteen months. The International Syria Support Group will now meet on a regular basis, in parallel with Syrian-led discussions facilitated by UN Special Envoy for Syria, Staffan De Mistura, to take forward this process.

    Ministers and senior officials have made regular representations to the UN Special Envoy and other UN officials to impress upon them the importance of the inclusion of Syrian women’s groups in the peace process. We continue to encourage the moderate Syrian opposition to be gender-inclusive and were pleased that a senior female activist accompanied the Syrian National Coalition President, Khaled Khoja, on his official visit to the UK earlier this month. Our programmes of support to grass roots peace-building initiatives and civil society groups inside Syria support this objective, and are designed to ensure that Syrian women’s voices are heard and that they are represented in political negotiations.

  • Andy Slaughter – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Andy Slaughter – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andy Slaughter on 2015-12-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what estimate his Department has made of the number of people whom the Social Action, Responsibility and Heroism Act 2015 has encouraged and enabled to play a more active role in civil society.

    Dominic Raab

    The Act only came into force on 13 April 2015. As is normal practice, a formal assessment of its impact may be carried out after three to five years.

  • Paula Sherriff – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Paula Sherriff – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paula Sherriff on 2016-01-21.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the unallocated financial reserves level was of Kirklees Council in the most recent local authority data outtrun held by his Department.

    Mr Marcus Jones

    The most recent local authority data outturn held by the Department for Communities and Local Government show the position as at 31 March 2015; Kirklees Council reported unallocated reserves of £38.0 million (this excludes other reserve balances for schools, public health and other earmarked reserves).

    The usual measure of reserves used is non-ringfenced revenue reserves, which comprises the sum of unallocated and other earmarked reserves: in Kirklees case £114.2 million.

    Full details can be found on the Department’s webpage at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/local-authority-revenue-expenditure-and-financing-england-2014-to-2015-individual-local-authority-data-outturn

    “

  • Andrew Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Andrew Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Smith on 2016-02-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 10 February 2016 to Question 25312, whether he has been consulted about proposals for a US drone operation centre at RAF Lakenheath; and whether he has received a Host Nation Notification from the US in respect of RAF Lakenheath in the last year.

    Penny Mordaunt

    No. The Ministry of Defence received a Host Nation Notification from the US in respect of RAF Lakenheath on 7 January 2015, relating to US F-35 basing.

  • Jim McMahon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Jim McMahon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim McMahon on 2016-03-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 17 February 2016 to Question 26660, on housing: construction, if he will place in the Library any value for money review and impact assessment carried out on the decision made by the previous Government.

    Brandon Lewis

    An overview of all published evaluations of Housing Market Renewal, both pre- and post-cessation, are included in a briefing note that is already in the Library of the House, and which can be accessed online at:

    http://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/SN05953/SN05953.pdf

    “

  • Andrew Rosindell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Andrew Rosindell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2016-04-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will delay the start date for the introduction of standardised packaging on tobacco products in light of the post-implementation review of the measure in Australia.

    Jane Ellison

    I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 11 April 2016 to Question 32266.

    “

  • Jonathan Ashworth – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Jonathan Ashworth – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jonathan Ashworth on 2016-05-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, with reference to the press release, PM holds major summit as part of global drive to expose, punish and drive out corruption, published on 12 May 2016, what the timetable is for the (a) formulation and (b) implementation of the Government’s plans to require foreign companies that own property in the UK to declare their real owners.

    Anna Soubry

    At the International Anti-Corruption Summit in London on 12 May, my Rt hon Friend the Prime Minister announced that we will require foreign companies that own or purchase UK properties or bid on UK Government procurement contracts to provide details of their beneficial owners to a public central register. This will be the first register of its kind in the world.

    The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills will consult with experts to develop the policy throughout the year and consult formally on the detail of the policy in due course. Implementation of the new register requirements is expected to require both primary and secondary legislation, which we intend to introduce when Parliamentary time allows.

  • Kevin Barron – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Kevin Barron – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kevin Barron on 2016-07-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the (a) extent of the implementation of the Making Every Contact Count initiative by clinical commissioning groups and local authorities and (b) adequacy of training provided to staff to equip them to provide consistent self-care messages during consultations; and if he will make a statement.

    Alistair Burt

    Public Health England, Health Education England (HEE) and NHS England are collaborating with local authorities and National Health Service partners to support local uptake of the Making Every Contact Count (MECC) approach building on the many examples of implementation such as from Warwickshire, Medway and Wigan. Activities to support the commissioning, development and delivery of effective local training have been undertaken.

    To support MECC uptake by clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) and local authorities a provider requirement now exists within the NHS Standard Contract; and NHS England’s person-centred care Commissioning for Quality and Innovation for CCGs includes workforce skills that support the local MECC offer. The national MECC advisory group is linking with HEE’s national workforce programme and NHS England’s New Models of Care and Self-Care teams to support and equip the workforce with person centred skills to support and enable self-care and behaviour change. HEE has regional events to support MECC implementation activity across the Sustainable Transformation Plan footprints.

  • Tim Loughton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Tim Loughton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tim Loughton on 2016-09-15.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the surplus/deficit in the National Insurance Fund is.

    Jane Ellison

    There are two separate National Insurance Funds (NIF) one for Great Britain and a significantly smaller Northern Ireland Fund.

    The balance on the GB NIF as at 31 March 2015 was £20.9bn and the Northern Ireland NIF was £0.5bn. These balance can be found in the accounts which were published on 29 October 2015, available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-insurance-fund-accounts.

    The NIF accounts for the year ending 31 March 2016 are currently in the process of being audited prior to publication.

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

    Lord Blencathra – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

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

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have received about the funding provided by the Department of Health to Action on Smoking and Health in the last five years.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    All grants awarded to Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) in the last five years have been awarded under Section 64 powers. There are a range of different circumstances under which it would not be appropriate or represent best value for money to run a competed scheme. The grants awarded to ASH have been assessed as most appropriate for the non-competed route.

    The assessment of any grant application for funding from ASH is undertaken by members of the Tobacco Control policy team. Following this assessment, the Grants Hub makes a decision regarding whether or not to approve the application. These policy assessments contain policy advice to Ministers and so are not made public. Approvals are required from Ministers and from HM Treasury or are subject to a Departmental approval process that has been agreed with HM Treasury.

    To identify relevant representations the Department has received would result in disproportionate cost.