Category: Speeches

  • Gregory Campbell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Gregory Campbell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gregory Campbell on 2016-01-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the outcome was of the recruitment campaign organised by the Reserve Forces and Cadet Association of Northern Ireland in Summer 2015.

    Mr Julian Brazier

    The Reserve Forces’ and Cadets’ Association for Northern Ireland (RFCA NI) is responsible for an ongoing campaign to recruit adult instructors for the Air Training Corps and Army Cadet Force in Northern Ireland. This is a highly effective campaign which has resulted in full staffing. Further details of the activities of RFCA NI can be found at the following address: http://www.reservesandcadetsni.org.uk/

    The Ministry of Defence is responsible for recruitment into the Reserve Forces. For information on the numbers of Reserve personnel stationed in Northern Ireland I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 20 October 2015 to Question 11478 to the hon. Member for East Antrim (Mr Wilson).

    http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-question/Commons/2015-10-12/11478/

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  • Tim Loughton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Tim Loughton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tim Loughton on 2016-02-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what estimate he has made of the value of Channel 4.

    Mr Edward Vaizey

    The Government wants to ensure Channel 4 has a strong and secure future, and is looking at a broad range of options, including those put forward by channel 4. This work is ongoing.

  • Lilian Greenwood – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Lilian Greenwood – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lilian Greenwood on 2016-02-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to HS2 Ltd’s Information Paper, G3: Construction Commissioner, published on 16 December 2015, what annual salary he expects to pay to the HS2 Construction Commissioner; to what body the Construction Commissioner will report; what steps he will take to safeguard the Commissioner’s independence from his Department and HS2 Ltd; for what reasons the Commissioner will not be able to consider claims for losses of over £10,000; and what the exemption from the role of matters considered by Parliament in approving the project is planned cover.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    The HS2 Construction Commissioner will report to a steering group that will be entirely independent of HS2 Ltd and the Department for Transport. The independent steering group will be responsible for agreeing the Commissioner’s terms of reference. It is envisaged that the steering group will include members who represent community interests and the construction industry. The Construction Commissioner and independent steering group will be appointed in time for when HS2 construction begins.

    The salary of the HS2 Construction Commissioner is expected to be £575 per day, based on working eight days per month, and is in line with other comparable roles. This will be subject to review by the independent steering group.

    The Commissioner will be responsible for investigating complaints relating to the construction of HS2 Phase One that cannot be resolved through HS2 Ltd’s corporate complaints procedure. In addition, it is anticipated that one of the roles of the HS2 Construction Commissioner will be to act as an arbitrator for the HS2 Small Claims Scheme in the event that a dispute cannot be resolved through the normal process. The Small Claims Scheme is expected to have an initial maximum claim value of £10,000. This figure is provisional, based on other infrastructure projects, and will be subject to review by the steering group.

    Further information regarding the HS2 Small Claims Scheme is available in HS2 Information Paper C10, which can be accessed via the following weblink:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/high-speed-rail-london-west-midlands-bill

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

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

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by The Lord Bishop of Southwark on 2016-03-22.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to support efforts to demine areas liberated from Daesh in Iraq.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    The Government of Iraq is committed to stabilising areas which have been liberated from Daesh. This includes providing security, including through demining efforts, to enable civilians to return. The UK, along with our partners in the Global Coalition, is supporting the Government of Iraq to do this. This includes providing £2.5 million to the UN Development Programme’s stabilisation fund for Iraq, and £225,000 to the UN Mine Action Service to establish a unit to assess the problem and coordinate donor support.

  • Nicholas Soames – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Nicholas Soames – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicholas Soames on 2016-04-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what estimate he has made of the scale of Russian military presence in the Arctic.

    Penny Mordaunt

    Russia has a significant military presence in the Arctic, comprising land bases and airfields, together with both surface and sub-surface maritime forces, including strategic missile submarines. In recent times we have observed an increase in personnel and the re-development of military infrastructure in the region. Linked to this has been an increase in the number and scale of exercises by the Russian Armed Forces. A new Arctic Command has been developed to oversee this increased footprint and operational tempo. Together with allies, we will continue to monitor Russian activity in the region.

  • Zac Goldsmith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Zac Goldsmith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Zac Goldsmith on 2016-06-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that Royal Navy assets on global maritime patrol are used to maximum effect in combatting illegal, unregulated and unreported fishing.

    Penny Mordaunt

    The Ministry of Defence supports the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs in combatting illegal, unregulated and unreported fishing through a support agreement between the Marine Management Organisation (MMO) and the Royal Navy (RN), whereby naval assets conduct fishery protection activities. The RN and MMO work closely to maximise the effectiveness of these fishery protection activities within the Exclusive Economic Zone of the UK.

    RN and Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) vessels also conduct maritime security operations at all times while at sea, this includes monitoring and reporting maritime activity to relevant UK authorities. Reporting of fishing and other maritime activity to local UK authorities in Overseas Territories and the relevant authorities of other nations is routinely undertaken whenever a RN or RFA vessel is operating in the vicinity of UK Overseas Territories.

  • Holly Lynch – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Holly Lynch – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Holly Lynch on 2016-09-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what support his Department is providing to those NHS trusts that are consolidating and transferring planned care services to neighbouring providers.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    The redesign and delivery of front-line health services is a matter for the local National Health Service – clinically led by front-line NHS organisations and clinicians who are closest to the needs of communities and therefore best placed to make decisions in the interests of their patients.

    All such decisions are locally led and delivered.

  • Tulip Siddiq – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Tulip Siddiq – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tulip Siddiq on 2016-10-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether his Department plans to take steps to reverse the decline in the number of Motability users.

    Penny Mordaunt

    The Department does not restrict what claimants can spend their mobility allowance on. Whilst the Department has a role in determining who is eligible for the Motability scheme, it is claimants’ own choice whether or not to join. Therefore the Department does not have a target for the number of people using the scheme.

    The Department is responsible for the civilian disability benefits that passport to Motability, Personal Independence Payment (PIP) and Disability Living Allowance (DLA). However, there are more people with a Motability vehicle now than there were when PIP was first introduced; the last major change to such benefits.

  • Graham Jones – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Graham Jones – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Graham Jones on 2015-11-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what recent discussions she has had with the cavity wall insulation industry about minimum EPC standards in the private rented sector.

    Andrea Leadsom

    The Energy Efficiency (Private Rented Property)(England and Wales) Regulations 2015 were made in March this year following a full public consultation, and establish an EPC minimum of E for domestic and non-domestic private rented sector properties from April 2018.

    Officials in the Department liaise regularly with the insulation industry, local authorities, and other stakeholders on a range of energy efficiency issues including the minimum EPC standards for the private rented sector. Discussions have also been held recently with French officials about domestic energy efficiency issues including minimum standards.

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

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

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Poulter on 2016-01-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 14 December 2015 to Question 19268, what (a) financial penalties and (b) other mechanisms are available to ensure that all private rented properties have an energy efficiency certificate.

    Brandon Lewis

    It is the duty of every local weights and measures authority to enforce the requirements of the Energy Performance of Buildings (England and Wales) Regulations 2012, as amended.

    The attached table summarises the penalties that may be imposed by the enforcement authority or its authorised officer for breaches of the regulations regarding Energy Performance Certificates through serving a penalty charge notice. These are the financial penalties that are available to ensure that all private rented properties, both domestic and non-domestic, have an energy efficiency certificate.

    Private sector landlords cannot serve a section 21 eviction notice on their tenant in respect of a property that was rented out since 1 October 2015 if they failed to provide their tenant with an Energy Performance Certificate at the start of the tenancy.