Category: Speeches

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

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Teverson on 2016-05-18.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have plans to reconsider their decision to withdraw financial support for the Cornish language, and if not, under what circumstances they next intend to do so.

Baroness Williams of Trafford

Cornwall Council has a core spending power of £1.7 billion over the next four years, from which they can allocate the necessary resources to sustain and grow the use of the Cornish Language, if that is what local people want to see.

01/01/2023
Andrew Gwynne – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Gwynne on 2016-07-12.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 26 May 2016 to Question 37468, if she will inform the hon. Member for Denton and Reddish when any application is received from Tameside Council for the disposal of the Two Trees High School site in Denton; if she will discuss any such applications with that Member; and if she will report her decision on any such application to that Member.

Edward Timpson

Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council has not yet presented an application seeking consent to dispose of the site. The Secretary of State is content to discuss an application should one be received. She does, however, rely on her officials to process such applications, and would also consider any recommendation from the School Playing Fields Advisory Panel when making her final decision. She has, therefore, asked her officials responsible for processing such applications to make initial contact with the hon. Member for Denton and Reddish to discuss any such application on her behalf.

01/01/2023

Tim Farron – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tim Farron on 2016-10-07.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many staff of his Department’s resigned in each half of each year since 2010.

Sir Alan Duncan

The following table contains the numbers of UK-based staff that have resigned from the Foreign & Commonwealth Office in each six month period since 2010:

FY	Six month period	Resignations	FY Total
2010/11	April – September 2010	22	61
	October 2010 – March 2011	39
2011/12	April – September 2011	43	70
	October 2011 – March 2012	27
2012/13	April – September 2012	35	53
	October 2012 – March 2013	18
2013/14	April – September 2013	29	46
	October 2013 – March 2014	17
2014/15	April – September 2014	17	48
	October 2014 – March 2015	31
2015/16	April – September 2015	23	47
	October 2015 – March 2016	24
2016	April – September 2016	34	34

Details are not held centrally for local staff.

01/01/2023

Kate Osamor – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kate Osamor on 2015-11-23.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make representations to his Saudi Arabian counterpart calling for the release of Mr Ashraf Fayadh who was sentenced to death in Saudi Arabia on 17 November 2015 on charges of apostasy.

Mr Tobias Ellwood

We are aware of, and concerned about, the case of Mr Ashraf Fayadh (who is Palestinian). We oppose the death penalty in all circumstances and strongly support freedom of expression in every country. We regularly make the Saudi Arabian authorities aware of our views, and will consider suitable opportunities for raising our concerns over this case.

01/01/2023
Paul Flynn – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Flynn on 2015-12-15.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, whether she has reviewed the fitness-for-purpose of the UK Nuclear Industry Malicious Capability Planning Assessment to deal with attacks similar to those carried out recently in Paris and San Bernadino.

Andrea Leadsom

The security of the UK’s civil nuclear sector is of paramount importance to the Government. The Nuclear Industry Malicious Capability Planning Assumptions (NIMCA) provide a common basis for determining the sector’s required protective security posture. It is reviewed by DECC, the Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR), and industry representatives on an annual basis. To ensure that the NIMCA assumptions remain appropriate, these annual reviews are supplemented with assessments of threat information provided by the police and the intelligence agencies on an ongoing basis. Additionally, the ONR maintains a permanent presence within the Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre, which guarantees the fastest possible identification and notification of intelligence that might indicate changes to present and foreseeable threats to civil nuclear sites.

01/01/2023
Caroline Lucas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2016-01-26.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many (a) AWE personnel and (b) contractors are working on legacy decommissioning projects at the Atomic Weapons Establishment.

Mr Philip Dunne

There are 209 contractors and 78 AWE personnel working on decommissioning projects, including demolition, at the Atomic Weapons Establishment

01/01/2023
Gordon Marsden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gordon Marsden on 2016-02-11.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what representations he has received form the governments of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland on his decision to withdraw funding from the UK Commission for Employment and Skills.

Nick Boles

The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has been in regular contact with the Devolved Administrations both at Ministerial and official level since the spending review decision by Whitehall Departments to withdraw funding from the UK Commission for Employment and Skills (UKCES).

A meeting of senior officials took place on 20th January and Ministers met on 4th February. These meetings discussed common issues within the UK’s devolved skills systems, including the implications of the decision on UKCES funding. At working level, officials in all Governments involved the work of UKCES are meeting regularly to discuss and agree the necessary transition arrangements that will be required as a result of the withdrawal of funding.

01/01/2023
Baroness Garden of Frognal – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Garden of Frognal on 2016-03-10.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the value of strategic local approaches to play, and the case for local authorities to submit regional play strategies to them for review.

Lord Nash

I refer my Noble Lady to the answer given on 8 March to PQ 29737, which I have also set out below:

The Department for Education recognises that play has an important role in supporting all young children to develop and prepare for later learning.

Play is covered in the statutory Early Years Foundation Stage framework which states: “Each area of learning and development must be implemented through planned, purposeful play and through a mix of adult-led and child-initiated activity.”

The staff working in early years settings as Early Years Educators (level 3) and Early Years Teachers (graduates) are required to have an understanding different pedagogical approaches, including the role of play in supporting early learning and development. The criteria for the Early Years Educator and standards for Early Years Teacher Status qualifications are set by the department.

Ofsted registers childcare provision on the Early Years Register and the General Childcare Register and conducts a regular cycle of inspection to ensure that provision meets the required quality and safety standards.

In judging the quality and standards of early years provision, Ofsted inspectors must assess the extent to which the learning and care provided by the setting meets the needs of the range of children who attend, including the needs of any children who have special educational needs or disabilities. At August 2015, 85 per cent of providers on the Early Years Register were rated good or outstanding for overall effectiveness. This is an increase of 11 percentage points since 2012.

Local Authorities provide and offer Continuous Professional Development and training to early years settings; some of which may include training on play. However, it is not a requirement for local authorities to deliver regional play training as it is already a requirement in the Early Years Foundation Stage to cover play in a setting.

01/01/2023
Richard Burden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2016-04-18.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she has taken to ensure that all police officers are aware of restrictions around the use of drones in public areas and where permits are necessary.

Mr John Hayes

The Aircraft Accident investigation Bureau investigation into the collision will be made public. However, the separate, ongoing criminal investigation, and any decision to release the results of the investigation, is an operational matter for the Metropolitan Police, as the investigatory authority.

Guidance has been circulated to Police Forces to assist them when dealing with incidents involving misuse. A decision on whether to investigate and prosecute is made on an assessment of threat, risk and harm.

01/01/2023
Lord Alton of Liverpool – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool on 2016-05-18.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the aerial bombing of the Heiban locality in the South Khordofan and Blue Nile regions on 1 May, what assessment they have made of (1) the willingness, and (2) the capability, of the government of Sudan to distinguish between civilians and combatants.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

The reported aerial bombardment of civilians in the Heiban locality of South Kordofan is appalling. Targeting of civilians would be a clear breach of International Humanitarian Law. We continue to make clear to the Government of Sudan that they have a responsibility to protect citizens, distinguish between combatants and non-combatants and uphold International Humanitarian Law.

We consistently raise the importance of ending the conflicts in South Kordofan and Blue Nile directly with both the Government of Sudan and the Opposition; most recently, the UK Special Representative for Sudan and South Sudan raised this issue during his visit to Khartoum earlier this month. We continue to call on all sides to end the violence and believe that the Roadmap proposed by the African Union High-Level Implementation Panel represents a viable way forward.

01/01/2023