Category: Speeches

  • John Howell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    John Howell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Howell on 2016-01-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to the Palestinian Authority on reports of senior official Jibril Rajoub praising terror attacks against Israelis.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    We absolutely condemn the glorification of terrorism and all incitement to commit violence, whichever side it comes from, and we will seek to raise this specific issue with the Palestinian Authority in the near future. Since the start of the current violence we have spoken regularly to both the Israeli government and the Palestinian Authority, urging them to use their influence to de-escalate the tensions. We regularly raise incitement with the Palestinian Authority, and have urged key figures to encourage calm and condemn violence. We continue to support the reinstatement of the Tripartite Committee as the appropriate channel to deal with allegations of incitement from either side.

  • Angela Eagle – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Angela Eagle – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Angela Eagle on 2016-02-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of the change to Sunday trading laws proposed in the Enterprise Bill on employment in each region.

    Anna Soubry

    The Government has been considering the costs and benefits of changes to Sunday trading and we will be publishing the Impact Assessment shortly.

  • David Jones – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    David Jones – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Jones on 2016-03-02.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions (a) he and (b) ministers of his Department have had with their Welsh Government counterparts on the potential benefits to North Wales of the Northern Powerhouse.

    Greg Hands

    Ministers from the Treasury and Wales Office regularly meet with members of the Welsh Government. The Rt. Honourable Member is right to recognise that north Wales is well positioned to play an integral role in the Northern Powerhouse. The UK Government wants to work with the Welsh Government and partners like the Economic Ambition Board to improve productivity and drive further growth in the region.

  • Lord Tebbit – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Lord Tebbit – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Tebbit on 2016-03-23.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the levels of pollution in (1) drinking water, (2) river water, and (3) coastal waters, caused by chemicals used in medications which are resistant to present purification techniques

    Lord Gardiner of Kimble

    The Drinking Water Inspectorate (DWI) published research in 2012 to assess the levels of pollution caused by a range of pharmaceuticals and illicit drugs found in source waters, such as rivers, abstracted for drinking water and the comparative levels after water treatment. Over a year, substances were measured at four sites. Results agreed with similar studies and concentrations in English surface waters are generally low and below 1 microgramme per litre (1 μg/L). Levels of pharmaceuticals and drugs in drinking waters after treatment were generally significantly lower than those found in surface waters. This indicates that the drinking water treatment systems used in England and Wales are effective at removing these contaminants. The study concluded that the presence of low levels of pharmaceuticals and illicit drugs in drinking waters in England and Wales do not pose an appreciable risk to human health.

    There is evidence that widely used pharmaceuticals are detected at low concentrations in sewage effluent and receiving surface waters. Due to a lack of good quality toxicity data for many of these substances to assess reliably risks to aquatic wildlife that may be exposed to them, research is underway in the UK, at European level and by the pharmaceutical industry to characterise the risks better. This includes a Chemical Investigations Programme, undertaken by England’s water companies, where significant investment is being made to investigate around 20 substances from 2015-2017. Reported data will improve our understanding of the contamination of surface waters due to these chemicals and information will contribute to assessment of the risk posed to, or via the aquatic environment.

    In addition, the UK is participating in a European monitoring network of surface water sites on a ‘watch list’ of contaminants and pharmaceuticals, including the active ingredient of the contraceptive pill, EE2. The Devolved Administrations are doing something similar. Data will inform the Commission’s selection of future priority substances requiring control, and the chemical status of the EU’s surface waters with respect to these chemicals.

  • 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 2016-05-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many UK-registered offshore supply vessels have been re-flagged under open registers in each month since January 2015.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    Since January 2015, 11 offshore supply vessels have left the UK flag. Out of these 11 vessels, 10 have re-flagged under open registers. One left in January 2015; three in April 2015; two in May 2015; and one in each of June 2015, July 2015, November 2015 and March 2016.

  • Jeremy Lefroy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Jeremy Lefroy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jeremy Lefroy on 2016-06-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, whether her Department provides support to farmer networks and farmer-to-farmer training to promote good soil management.

    Mr Nick Hurd

    DFID is supporting farmer networks and farmer to farmer training on soil management. For example we fund the International Fund for Agriculture Development’s Adaptation for Smallholder Agriculture Programme (ASAP). This is assisting farmers networks on the promotion of better land and soil management practices and technologies including those developed under our support by the international agriculture research organisation the CGIAR.

    For example in Nigeria ASAP is supporting the establishment and strengthening of community development associations for 200,000 smallholder farmers to adopt agricultural practices that both reduce soil erosion and their risks to climate change.

    We are also funding farmer to farmer training under our country programmes. In Zambia this is focussed on climate smart agriculture and better management of soils. While in Malawi our support on conservation agriculture has helped 60,000 smallholder farmers to increase their crop yields and incomes by 25% on average.

  • Lord Empey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Lord Empey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Empey on 2016-09-05.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether applicants suffering from Fibromyalgia are refused benefits because the condition is not recognised as sufficiently serious to cause disability.

    Lord Freud

    The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) recognises Fibromyalgia as a real and potentially significantly disabling condition. Where a clinical diagnosis of Fibromyalgia has been made full account will be taken of its functional effects when determining benefit entitlement.

  • Andrew Percy – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Andrew Percy – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Percy on 2015-11-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps the Government is taking to improve awareness, diagnosis and treatment of heart valve disease.

    Jane Ellison

    The initial diagnosis, and follow-up, of those with heart valve disease is commissioned by clinical commissioning groups. NHS England is working with professionals across the system to look at ways in which services and outcomes for patients can be improved further, for example, by encouraging all practitioners to follow clinical guidelines.

    Service specifications for the surgical and interventional treatment of heart valve disease are published by the NHS England Cardiac Clinical Reference Group, which is co-chaired by the National Clinical Director for Cardiac Services, Professor Huon Gray. These are important in clearly defining what NHS England expects to be in place for providers to offer evidence-based, safe and effective services. NHS England is working on the next iteration of these specifications, which will include important standards relating to mitral valve surgery.

    In addition, novel interventions on the mitral valve (Mitraclip) are being evaluated through the Commissioning through Evaluation initiative.

  • Mark Hendrick – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Mark Hendrick – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Hendrick on 2015-12-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 30 November 2015 to Question 17720, if he will take steps to ensure that magistrates’ courts seek confirmation of income by means of P60s, payslips, certified accounts or letters confirming benefit entitlement when assessing the level of fines on the basis of income.

    Andrew Selous

    Defendants before the magistrates’ court are already required to complete a “Statement of Assets and other Financial Circumstances” form which the court takes into account when deciding the amount of any fine or other financial imposition. Defendants are also advised to bring copies of any supporting documentation with them on the day of their hearing, as the court may ask to see evidence of their financial circumstances. The form makes it clear that it is an offence to make a false statement or withhold information.

  • Ruth Cadbury – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Ruth Cadbury – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ruth Cadbury on 2016-01-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the recent Aviation Environment Federation report, Aircraft Noise and Public Health: The Evidence is Loud and Clear, published in January 2016.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    The Government acknowledges that there has been new evidence in recent years that exposure to aircraft noise can adversely affect people’s health. It closely monitors research in this field and relevant robust evidence is incorporated into the policy appraisal process.