Category: Speeches

  • Maria Eagle – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Maria Eagle – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Maria Eagle on 2015-11-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what estimate he has made of the level of potential efficiency in the equipment budget in (a) 2015-16, (b) 2016-17, (c) 2017-18, (d) 2018-19, (e) 2019-20 and (f) 2020-21.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    We were already planning to deliver efficiency savings in the equipment budget as outlined in the Defence Equipment Plan 2015 published on 22 October 2015, available in the Library of The House.

    Following the Spending Review and Strategic Defence and Security Review (Cm9161), the total amount of equipment efficiency savings we plan to make is equivalent to 3% of the equipment budget in 2016-17 rising to 6% of the equipment budget by 2020-21.

  • Mary Creagh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Mary Creagh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mary Creagh on 2016-01-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, in which countries British military personnel are embedded.

    Michael Fallon

    I refer the hon. Member to my written ministerial statement of 17 December 2015, (Official Report, column 98WS) which sets out that we only centrally collate data on embedded forces with those nations with whom UK forces are embedded on operations, and to my letter of 6 January 2016 explaining that I am unable to specify the exact locations of UK personnel because this risks their personal security and the security of Allies’ operations.

  • Tom Elliott – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Tom Elliott – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Elliott on 2016-02-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what research her Department has conducted or commissioned on the effect of the early closure of the Northern Ireland Renewables Obligation to new onshore wind projects in Northern Ireland.

    Andrea Leadsom

    With certain limited exceptions, Energy Policy is devolved to Northern Ireland. Closure of the Northern Ireland Renewables Obligation is therefore a matter for the Northern Ireland Executive.

  • Hilary Benn – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Hilary Benn – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Hilary Benn on 2016-02-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many UK nationals work at administrator grade staff level in the European Parliament; and what proportion of the total number of that parliament’s employees they represent.

    Mr Philip Hammond

    The European Parliament does not publish statistics on numbers of permanent staff by nationality. As of April 2015, our records show there were 144 British citizens working in the European Parliament at administrator grade level, including UK secondees. This represents 2.4% of approximately 6000 total staff employed by the European Parliament in 2015.

  • Keith Vaz – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Keith Vaz – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Keith Vaz on 2016-03-22.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment his Department has made of the relative accessibility of (a) Spirit Healthcare’s Empower type 2 diabetes education course and (b) the DESMOND programme for diabetes patients in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland.

    Jane Ellison

    The Department has made no such assessment.

    NHS England advises that Spirit Healthcare’s Empower course will be as accessible as the current DESMOND programme. The Empower course will be available in a range of locations across Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland, including general practitioner practices, community centres and faith venues. The provider will be responsive to demand and local need to ensure that the courses are offered where required by patients and referring health care professionals.

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

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

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Ahmed on 2016-04-27.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of the US regarding the implementation of HR158 under the Visa Waiver Programme Improvement and Terrorist Prevention Act 2015, which prevents British nationals from travelling to the US if they may have visited Iran, Sudan, Iraq or Syria in the last five years; and what assessment they have made of whether that implementation is discriminatory.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    While US immigration processes are a matter for the US authorities, we have raised with the US administration the importance of clearly communicating changes to their immigration policy. The US Customs and Border Protection service has stated publicly that “the religion, faith, or spiritual beliefs of an international traveller are not determining factors about his/her admissibility into the US”. We remain in close contact with the US Embassy in order to avoid inconvenience to British nationals travelling to the US.

  • Jim Shannon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Jim Shannon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-06-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, with reference to the UN Secretary-General’s report on Children and Armed Conflict, published in April 2016, if the Government will suspend arms export licences and reject new applications for arms exports while there is a risk that they could be used in contravention of international humanitarian and human rights laws.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    All UK export licence applications are assessed on a case-by-case basis against the Consolidated EU and National Arms Export Licensing Criteria, taking account of all available relevant information at the time of the application. A licence will not be issued if doing so would be inconsistent with any provision of the mandatory Criteria, including the UK’s international obligations and its commitments to enforce UN, OSCE and EU arms embargoes, and where it is assessed there is a clear risk that the items might be used for internal repression or in the commission of a serious violation of international humanitarian law. As part of its assessment under Criterion 2, the Government is required to take account of the risk the items might be used to commit gender-based violence or serious violence against women or children.

    We do not agree that it is right to prohibit all sales of arms to all the countries named in the UN’s annual reports on Children and Armed Conflict, especially as the violations may be carried out by non-state actors. We take our arms export responsibilities very seriously, and operate a robust arms export control regime with every country.

  • Ian Murray – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

    Ian Murray – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Murray on 2016-09-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what Ministerial oversight he plans to put in place of the implementation of the key findings and recommendations of the Citizens Advice Scotland Independent governance review, published on 27 July 2016.

    Margot James

    The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy takes its responsibility for managing public money seriously and was deeply concerned by the issues raised in the independent governance review. Citizens Advice Scotland has since committed to taking concrete steps to instil robust governance and financial controls.

    My Department has agreed to continue funding on the basis that these changes are made and will report to me regularly on progress.

    Citizens Advice Scotland provides a vital service to the people of Scotland, as well high-quality support to vulnerable consumers throughout Britain. My Department will keep working with the Scottish Government and the organisation to improve governance and help make sure this continues.

  • Barry Sheerman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Barry Sheerman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Barry Sheerman on 2016-10-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to ensure that private higher education providers that have attained degree powers and university status provide an education of a sufficient quality.

    Joseph Johnson

    Private higher education providers can obtain Degree Awarding Powers (DAPs) and University Title (UT) if they meet the criteria. The criteria are set out in departmental guidance, and are the same for publicly-funded and private providers. For DAPs they include criteria around Governance and Academic Management, and Academic Standards and Quality Assurance. For UT they include good governance criteria such as quality assurance and academic standards, and criteria on student numbers.

    Higher education providers that are publicly funded can obtain DAPs on an indefinite basis. All other organisations, including private providers, can be granted DAPs for a fixed term period of six years. The decision to renew degree-awarding powers after each term rests with the Privy Council and is subject to the organisation meeting the criteria for the renewals set out in our guidance. All holders of DAPs are expected to subscribe to the Quality Assurance Agency and the Office of the Independent Adjudicator.

    A change in control at the provider may trigger a review to check that the provider in question continues to meet the criteria for UT, and remains the same cohesive academic community that was granted DAPs.

    The current departmental guidance is available online at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/higher-education-market-entry-guidance

    “

  • Gloria De Piero – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Gloria De Piero – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gloria De Piero on 2015-11-04.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many and what proportion of (a) men and (b) women have been paid the minimum wage in (i) Ashfield constituency, (ii) each constituency in Nottinghamshire and (iii) England in each year since 2010.

    Mr Rob Wilson

    The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.