Category: Speeches

Lord Laird – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Laird on 2016-02-09.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Dunlop on 9 February (HL5480), why that answer does not list (1) the precise dates in 2007 on which the British-Irish Intergovernmental Conference met; (2) the specific topics discussed on each date; (3) who attended each meeting; and (4) what actions were taken as a result of each meeting.

Lord Dunlop

The British-Irish Intergovernmental Conference met on one occasion during 2007, 26 February in Dundalk. This was the last time that the body met.

Details of Ministerial attendees and the topics discussed were published in a Joint Communiqué between the two Governments. A copy of this has been placed in the Library (along with copies of all other Joint Communiques published since 1998).

Although a range of issues were discussed, no formal actions were listed. The focus however at the time was the drive towards devolution and the Conference urged all political leaders to act with courage and determination in order to attain this. Assembly elections subsequently took place in May 2007.

January 1, 2023
John Mann – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Mann on 2016-03-04.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if the Government will now consider acknowledging mass atrocity prevention or the prevention of identity-based mass violence to be a matter of national interest and a national priority.

James Duddridge

The UK continues to be strongly committed to early and effective international action to prevent mass atrocities. The National Security Strategy and Strategic Defence and Security Review 2015 underlined the importance the Government attaches to upholding international humanitarian law and to the prevention of mass atrocities through effective implementation of the UN agreed principle of the Responsibility to Protect.

January 1, 2023

Tom Pursglove – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Pursglove on 2016-04-08.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many driving test examiners have (a) left and (b) been recruited by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency in the last (i) one, (ii) two and (iii) five years.

Andrew Jones

Driving examiner starters have to pass a compulsory training course in order to become fully qualified examiners. If they do not pass this course they are then dismissed. Information on starters and leavers is shown in the table below:

	Starters	Leavers	Of the leavers, those who did not pass the course
In the past financial year	232	152	8
In the past two financial years	389	288	28
In the past five financial years	614	590	47

January 1, 2023

Valerie Vaz – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Valerie Vaz on 2016-05-09.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether his Department plans to continue payment of benefits through the Post Office Card Account for the next five years.

Priti Patel

Post Office Card Accounts provide a useful service to many people and there are no plans to change provision.

The Department recognises, however, that working age claimants may also be receiving wages. As the account does not receive wages or allow for direct debit or standing order facilities, Post Office Card Accounts are not suitable for all of their needs. Those claimants are therefore being encouraged to open main stream bank accounts including credit union accounts.

The Post Office Card Account contract was awarded from 01 December 2014 and expires on 30 November 2021 and there are no plans to amend that term.

January 1, 2023
David Mackintosh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Mackintosh on 2016-06-28.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assistance her Department has provided to Palestine in the last two years; and what assessment she has made of the results of such assistance.

Sir Desmond Swayne

DFID provided almost £157 million to the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPTs) between 2014/15 and 2015/16 to help build Palestinian institutions, deliver basic services and promote economic development. DFID has either met or exceeded the majority of its targets for programmes in the OPTs.

DFID supported over 390 companies to improve their operations and increase competitiveness. In each of the two years, through UNRWA support, over 26,000 families received social transfers (either food or cash) and almost 45,000 children were provided basic education. Furthermore, over 1.6 million medical consultations were provided over the two years.

In addition to this support, the UK provided more than £17m in immediate humanitarian assistance for those affected by the Gaza conflict in the summer of 2014. Non-food Item (NFI) packages were provided for 23,400 families covering their needs for three months.

January 1, 2023
Andrew Gwynne – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Gwynne on 2016-09-14.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, with reference to article 3 of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea’s classification for the breadth of the territorial seas not exceeding 12 nautical miles, for what reason Gibraltar has a three nautical mile limit on its territorial waters.

Sir Alan Duncan

The 1987 Territorial Sea Act extended UK waters up to the 12 nautical miles maximum permitted by Article 3 of the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Laws of the Sea (UNCLOS). However, the provisions of this Act were not extended to the British Overseas Territories, so the United Kingdom’s claim to territorial waters remains up to 3 nautical miles from Gibraltar. Where the extent of territorial waters is less than 3 nautical miles, this is due to the proximity of the Spanish coastline and a determined median line. We retain the option to extend the reach of British Gibraltar Territorial Waters to the maximum extent of 12 nautical miles permitted under UNCLOS and keep this option under review. The United Kingdom is the only State entitled to a territorial claim over the 3-12 nautical mile zone in respect of Gibraltar.

January 1, 2023
Ian Murray – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Murray on 2015-11-10.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions he has had with organisations representing women in (a) Scotland, (b) England and (c) Wales on the devolution of abortion legislation to the Scottish Parliament.

Jane Ellison

I have had discussions with Ministers on the Smith Commission Agreement and the Scotland Bill. The Secretary of State for Scotland has spoken to women’s groups in Scotland about devolution of abortion legislation, and Department of Health officials have had informal discussions and communication with the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists on this matter.

January 1, 2023
Wayne David – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Wayne David on 2015-12-10.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many prisoners are taking part in drug and alcohol treatment programmes (a) in total and (b) in each prison in England and Wales.

Jane Ellison

Public Health England provides local information for performance monitoring in the restricted access section of the National Drug Treatment Monitoring System website, but does not publish national data centrally.

January 1, 2023
Michelle Donelan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Michelle Donelan on 2016-01-14.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, how much the Government plans to spend from the public purse on supporting or enabling exploratory and productive fracking in the UK.

Andrea Leadsom

The Government supports the safe and sustainable development of unconventional hydrocarbons, but we will not subsidise shale gas development. Exploration and production are a commercial matter for developers.

The Office of Unconventional Gas and Oil (OUGO) has been established within DECC to lead on the policy area and co-ordinate work with other Government Departments and regulators. This is to encourage the development of the UK’s shale industry whilst ensuring that robust regulations are in place to safeguard public safety and protect the environment.

January 1, 2023
Lord Stoddart of Swindon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Stoddart of Swindon on 2016-02-09.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Statement by Lord Bates on 2 February (HLWS495), whether they intend to resist any proposal to allow the EU border guard to intervene directly in member states; and what assessment they have made of whether such an extension of EU powers would be made by way of treaty change and a UK referendum.

Lord Bates

The proposal for a European Border and Coast Guard builds on provisions of the Schengen agreement in which the UK does not participate; the UK will not therefore be bound by the new regulation.

The UK is supportive of steps to increase the security of the external Schengen border – we have a strong interest in effective management of the Schengen external border, not just in combating illegal migration, and cross-border crime but also as part of the EU-wide counter-terrorism effort.

In the Commission’s view there is sufficient basis in the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU) to take forward the clause which allows for intervention, without change to the Treaty.

January 1, 2023