Category: Speeches

  • Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead on 2016-04-13.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their response to the sexual violence, harassment, threats and other forms of abuse against Sudanese women’s rights defenders; and what assessment they have made of what more could be done to end the range of abuses experienced including sexual violence.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    All instances of sexual violence, harassment or abuse against women are deeply concerning, but the recent Human Rights Watch report sets out a number of disturbing instances of harassment and abuse of female human rights defenders. The UK will continue to press the Government of Sudan to take action on sexual and gender-based violence. We are also funding a number of projects, including training for lawyers taking on court cases relating to public order laws and legal redress to victims of sexual violence. We assess that the Government of Sudan needs to take action on a number of fronts to end such abuses, including further revising the Criminal Act and other laws pertinent to the prosecution of sexual offences.

  • Jack Dromey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Jack Dromey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jack Dromey on 2016-05-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many police staff have been deployed to (a) each region of the UK from other EU member states and (b) other EU member states from each region of the UK to police (i) football matches and (ii) other sporting events in each of the last 10 years.

    Mike Penning

    Whenever national football or club teams from England, Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland play a match outside of the UK, an assessment is made as to whether a UK police delegation can be useful to the host nation’s policing operation. However, the decision to request UK police officers rests with the relevant host nation. Similarly whenever national football teams or club teams from England, Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland host a match against a foreign club or national team, an assessment is made by the police and this will include whether they would welcome support from the relevant police force. Such consideration can also be given to other sporting events, but it is mainly applicable to football matches. We do not hold the specific detail asked for in the question.

  • Nigel Dodds – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    Nigel Dodds – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nigel Dodds on 2016-07-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what recent discussions she has had with the Northern Ireland Executive on the Joint Agency Task Force; and if she will make a statement.

    Mrs Theresa Villiers

    I attended a Security Interface meeting on 4 July 2016 with Clare Sugden MLA, Minister of Justice for Northern Ireland, representatives of PSNI and senior representatives of the Department of Justice. We received an update on the work of the Joint Agency Task Force. The Task Force has presented its first report to the meeting of Justice Ministers in the framework of the Intergovernmental Agreement on co-operation on criminal justice matters, with an update on operational activity undertaken to date.

  • Danny Kinahan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union

    Danny Kinahan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Danny Kinahan on 2016-10-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, if he will take steps to make international collaboration between UK and EU universities a key part of the negotiations on the UK leaving the EU.

    Mr Robin Walker

    The Government has been clear that we will make a success of Brexit, including for our world class universities. The Government is committed to ensuring that the UK remains a world leader in international research and innovation collaboration and that is why the Government has been consulting, and will continue to consult, with a broad range of stakeholders in this sector.

    We are not going to provide a running commentary on every twist and turn of the negotiations, but we will work hard to get the best deal for Britain, its universities, and the wider research sector.

  • Zac Goldsmith – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Zac Goldsmith – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Zac Goldsmith on 2015-11-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 10 November 2015 to Question 15131, what discussions the Government has had with Heathrow Airport on the mitigation measures proposed for Heathrow expansion in the Airport Commission’s final report; what information the Government has received from Heathrow Airport in response to those discussions; and what account the Government will take of the response from Heathrow Airport in reaching a final decision.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    The Airports Commission’s final report proposed a package of potential mitigation measures for all major UK airports as well as specific ones for Heathrow. Separately from its consideration of the evidence set out in the Airports Commission’s Final Report, the Government is also engaging in discussions with all three of the scheme promoters shortlisted in the Airports Commission’s Interim Report in order to understand the likely timescales, risks and dependencies associated with delivering each of the three schemes. The Government has yet to decide on the need for additional airport capacity and will not make any decisions on the next steps until it has considered the large amount of very detailed analysis contained in the Airports Commission’s final report.

  • Kevin Brennan – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Kevin Brennan – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kevin Brennan on 2015-12-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, if he will make an assessment of the potential effect on the Northern powerhouse of the closure of the Business Growth Service.

    Anna Soubry

    We do not expect closure of the Business Growth Service to have an impact on the growth of Small and Medium sized Enterprises or the Northern Powerhouse.

  • Roger Godsiff – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Roger Godsiff – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Roger Godsiff on 2016-01-22.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if she will take steps to encourage other participants in the Supporting Syria and the Region Conference to (a) increase access to accredited quality non-formal education for Syrian refugee children in host countries in that region and (b) ensure that funding for Syrian refugee education is sustained beyond short-term humanitarian support.

    Mr Desmond Swayne

    At the Conference on Supporting Syria and the Region being held in London on 4th February, we want the international community to agree a new goal that all Syrian refugee children and affected host country children are in education – formal school or non-formal – by the end of 2016/17. Equally, for inside Syria, it is our aim to increase access to good quality schooling or other learning opportunities such as self-learning and non-formal education. In neighbouring countries we will also increase access to vocational or skills training and higher education for children and youth.

    At the Conference our ambition is that international donors, governments from countries in the region hosting refugees, non-governmental organisations and the private sector come together to agree a set of reciprocal financial and policy commitments. The UK and co-hosts are working with donors and other partners to secure increased funding for education under the UN-led appeals for 2016 and longer term, multi-year education funding commitments to ensure sustainability. We are also working with refugee hosting governments in particular to agree the policy commitments necessary to turn increased funding into delivery on the ground.

  • Daniel Zeichner – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Daniel Zeichner – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Daniel Zeichner on 2016-02-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much of the Access Fund he expects to be spent on cycling in each year to 2020-21.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    On 15 February 2016, we announced that the new Access fund would be launched for 2017/18, and would be preceded by a £20m Sustainable Travel Transition Year for 2016/17. I am able to confirm that all bids will need to demonstrate links to cycling and walking to successfully secure funding.

    I am not yet able to confirm how much of the Access fund will go towards cycling and walking initiatives, as the formal Access fund has not yet been launched and funding has not yet been allocated.

  • Lord Hodgson of Astley Abbotts – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Lord Hodgson of Astley Abbotts – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hodgson of Astley Abbotts on 2016-03-08.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many applications for National Insurance numbers were outstanding on 31 December in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

    Lord Freud

    The information requested is not readily available and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

  • Paul Blomfield – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Paul Blomfield – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Blomfield on 2016-04-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what the annual cost is of policy staff (a) from his Department’s office at St Paul’s Place, Sheffield and (b) from his Department’s office at 1 Victoria Street, London travelling to Sheffield.

    Joseph Johnson

    The information is not readily available and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.