Category: Speeches

  • Paul Flynn – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Paul Flynn – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Flynn on 2015-12-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what assessment she has made of the implications for her polices of the Fossil Fuel Subsidy Reform Communiqué presented by the New Zealand Prime Minister John Key on behalf of the Prince of Wales’ Corporate Leaders’ Group to Christina Figueres, Executive Secretary of the UNFCCC, at COP 21 in Paris on 30 November 2015.

    Andrea Leadsom

    The UK is a co-signatory to the Fossil Fuel Subsidy Reform Communiqué. As that document covers, significant subsidy reform can help deliver major reform of global energy usage which limits global temperature rises.

    The fall in the oil price over the last eighteen months creates a moment of opportunity for action around the world to reduce subsidies. The communiqué calls for clear communication and increased ambition. We support those goals. We will continue to lobby Governments overseas and support activity to make the most of this opportunity to implement meaningful reform. Doing so will enhance both UK and wider energy security, reduce emissions of greenhouse gases, and free up funds that Governments could use to tackle other challenges.

  • Paul Flynn – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Paul Flynn – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Flynn on 2016-01-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, pursuant to the Answer of 15 September 2015 to Question 9021 and with reference to the Oxford Research Group, Remote Control project report: Hostile drones, published 11 January 2015, if the Office for Nuclear Regulation will review security at nuclear power stations.

    Andrea Leadsom

    Licensees of UK nuclear sites are required by ONR to demonstrate that they have resilience against a range of external threat scenarios. These scenarios are updated regularly considering developments in technology and other areas. The airspace over UK nuclear licensed sites is restricted by the Air Navigation (Restriction of Flying) (Nuclear Installations) Regulations 2007. These impose restricted airspace of a radius between 0.5 and 2 nautical miles and to a height of between 1000 and 2400 feet above mean sea level around the centre of those nuclear licensed sites listed in Schedule 2 of the Regulations. Airspace usage in the UK is regulated by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).

  • Gavin Shuker – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Gavin Shuker – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gavin Shuker on 2016-02-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what responsibilities for (a) upkeep, (b) condition and (c) repair at Luton railway station are discharged by (i) Network Rail, (ii) Govia Thameslink Railway and (iii) any other organisation.

    Claire Perry

    Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR), as the station operator, are responsible for the upkeep, repair and condition of the cosmetic appearance of the station, including the car park and footbridge under a lease agreement from Network Rail.

    Network Rail, as station owner, are responsible for the structural upkeep and repair.

    GTR advise the lift and stairs to the footbridge, at the front of the station, are the responsibility of Luton Borough Council and that the bus station and busway do not form part of the station footprint.

  • John Baron – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    John Baron – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Baron on 2016-02-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what progress his Department has made on establishing cancer clinical alliances; and what the function of those alliances will be.

    Jane Ellison

    Forming cancer alliances to drive and support improvement and care pathways was a key recommendation of the independent Cancer Taskforce report, Achieving World-Class Cancer Outcomes, published in July 2015. NHS England appointed Cally Palmer CBE as National Cancer Director to lead on implementation of the strategy and she has since established a new cross-system Cancer Transformation Board, which met for the first time on 25 January. There will also be a Cancer Advisory Group, chaired by Sir Harpal Kumar, to oversee and scrutinise the work of the Transformation Board. NHS England is currently working with national, regional and local partners to develop the model for cancer alliances, building on the successes of existing clinical networks.

  • Liz Saville Roberts – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Wales Office

    Liz Saville Roberts – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Wales Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Liz Saville Roberts on 2016-03-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, whether he has had discussions with the Welsh Government on strengthening and extending the remit of the Children’s Commissioner for Wales.

    Guto Bebb

    The Children’s Commissioner for Wales plays an essential role as part of wider efforts to protect children.

    I have already spoken to the Commissioner by phone and look forward to further engagement in the future to discuss any concerns she may have about the extent of her remit.

  • Philip Davies – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Philip Davies – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Philip Davies on 2016-05-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many and what proportion of first-time offenders (a) of each ethnic group and (b) for each offence were sentenced to immediate custody in the latest year for which figures are available.

    Dominic Raab

    This information is published routinely in the Criminal Justice Statistics quarterly bulletin, and can be accessed from the Offending History data tool from the following web link:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/criminal-justice-system-statistics-quarterly-september-2015

  • Gloria De Piero – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Gloria De Piero – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gloria De Piero on 2016-06-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many women in Ashfield constituency have had cervical smears in each of the last five calendar years; and what the average number and proportion of women who have had those smears is in all parliamentary constituencies.

    Jane Ellison

    Cervical screening data is provided at local authority (LA) level.

    The screening coverage trend for Ashfield and other LAs in the last five years for women age appropriate can be accessed using the following link:

    http://www.phoutcomes.info/search/cervical%20screening#page/4/gid/1/pat/6/par/E12000004/ati/101/are/E07000170/iid/22002/age/167/sex/2

    Manipulation of the tool is necessary for obtaining information for other LAs.

  • Lord Patten – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Lord Patten – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

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

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the effect on UK–Turkish financial services transactions of the reported collection by the Turkish government of client research carried out by Turkish brokerage houses following the attempted coup of 15 July.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    The Government is aware of news reporting of Turkish brokerage houses’ research being sought by the Turkish authorities, but the impact on UK-Turkish financial services transactions is as yet unclear. It is not unusual for governments to refer to research undertaken by independent researchers and analysts. We have and continue to emphasise that the Turkish Government’s response to the coup attempt must be demonstrably lawful and proportionate. We will continue to engage with the Turkish Government on its response to the coup attempt and monitor the situation closely.

  • Catherine McKinnell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Catherine McKinnell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Catherine McKinnell on 2016-10-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answers of 11 and 18 October 2016 to Questions 46460 and 47904, whether the Government plans to put measures in place to replace the National Stroke Strategy after December 2017.

    David Mowat

    The National Stroke Strategy remains valid and implementation of it continues. There are, therefore, no current plans to renew it. Action is being taken to ensure the progress made on stroke continues. This includes:

    – ongoing work in virtually all parts of the country to organise acute stroke care to ensure that all stroke patients, regardless of where they live or what time of the day or week they have their stroke, have access to high quality specialist care;

    – publication of the Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) Outcomes Strategy in 2013, which includes many stroke specific strategic ambitions;

    – a CVD expert forum, hosted by NHS England, to coordinate delivery of the work which was initiated in the CVD Outcomes Strategy; and

    – NHS England’s National Clinical Director for Stroke works with the Strategic Clinical Networks, clinical commissioning groups, voluntary agencies and individual providers to support better commissioning and provision of stroke care.

    More generally, the NHS Five Year Forward View recognises that quality of care, including stroke care, can be variable and that patients’ needs are changing and new treatment options are emerging. The Five Year Forward View sets out high level objectives to address these issues.

    There are no current plans for a formal evaluation of the National Stroke Strategy. However there is a continuous evaluation of the quality of stroke care via the Sentinel Stroke National Audit Programme (SSNAP). This measures most of the key indicators defined as important in the strategy and findings are freely available on the SSNAP website at:

    https://www.strokeaudit.org/

  • Rob Marris – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Rob Marris – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rob Marris on 2015-11-09.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the effect of business energy taxation on productivity between (a) 2005 and 2010, (b) 2010 and 2015 and (c) 2015 and 2020.

    Damian Hinds

    ‘Fixing the Foundations’, published in July 2015, sets out the government objective of encouraging long term investment in economic capital to boost the productivity of the UK economy. The efficient use of energy can increase the amount of economic output possible for a given level of energy supply, boosting business productivity. A recent HM Treasury consultation, ‘Reforming the Business Energy Efficiency Tax Landscape’ set out proposals to boost business productivity by minimising administrative burdens and addressing perverse incentives to encourage productive long term investment that supports a dynamic economy. The consultation closed on 9 November 2015 and the government will respond to the consultation in due course.