Category: Speeches

  • Lord Taylor of Warwick – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Lord Taylor of Warwick – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Taylor of Warwick on 2016-01-27.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact on the global economy of gender equality in the technology sector.

    Baroness Williams of Trafford

    The technology industry contributes over £91 billion to the UK economy and forecasts show the number of tech specialists in the UK will increase from 1.2m in 2014 to 1.6m in 2024. However, women only make up 17% of the current tech specialist workforce.

    That is why the Government is supporting independent campaigns such as Your Life and #notjustforboys which inspire girls to consider STEM careers. Top graduates are being recruited into teaching through bursaries and scholarships in mathematics and the sciences and over the next 5 years up to 2,500 additional teachers will be trained in maths and physics. Since 2010, the Government’s plan for education has resulted in 12,000 more STEM A level entries for women.

    Increasing the number of women in the tech sector will not only be good for women, who will benefit from rewarding and interesting careers, but it will also benefit the businesses they work for, improving both profits and the quality of decision making.

    This government is committed to encouraging women and girls to consider STEM careers and on International Women’s Day, we will be convening a Round Table with key stakeholders from industry, academia and government to agree what more we can take collectively to increase the number of women in digital roles.

  • Richard Burden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Richard Burden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2016-02-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what progress his Department has made on the establishment of 12 hydrogen refuelling stations announced on 27 March 2015.

    Andrew Jones

    Despite the challenges of establishing an initial network, work on all 12 hydrogen refuelling stations is progressing. The first station will be fully upgraded and publically accessible by the end of this month. We expect the other stations to come on-line between March and November this year. They are located in and around London, in Swindon, Sheffield and South Wales. This will enable vehicle manufacturers to deploy their limited initial fleets of Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles and is an important first step towards a national network of 65 refuelling stations identified by UK H2Mobility.

  • Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer on 2016-03-16.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of whether agroforestry measures under the CAP could help provide an incentive for farmers to plant some trees on pasture as opposed to clearing scrub and trees from pasture, and what assessment they have made of whether CAP Pillar 1 Ecological Focus Areas or Pillar 2 Article 23 measures would be more appropriate for English needs.

    Lord Gardiner of Kimble

    The Countryside Stewardship scheme provides options for farmers to manage both grassland and scrub in environmentally beneficial ways. Countryside Stewardship also provides opportunities to plant trees. These options can be used to deliver environmental enhancements and could contribute to agroforestry without needing to apply the Article 23 measure.

    CAP Pillar 1 Ecological Focus Areas can only include agroforestry where this is supported under Pillar 2 Article 23 measures (agroforestry). We have not implemented the agroforestry measure in England.

  • Richard Burden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Richard Burden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2016-04-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the projected cost savings are from the closure of the Marine Offices in (a) Brixham, (b) Leith and (c) Newlyn; and what the value is of (i) land and (ii) buildings on each site.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    (a) The Brixham Marine Office was co-located with the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre that closed on 31 October 2014 when the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) stopped search and rescue coordination from there. The Brixham building was disposed of on 22 May 15, realising a value of £1.2M for the (i) land and (ii) building combined.

    (b) The lapse of the Leith Marine Office lease will realise a saving of £17K per annum.

    The only value to the MCA is the value of the lease. The value of the (i) land and (ii) building assets reside with landlord.

    (c) The Newlyn Office lease was surrendered on 30 April 2015, realising a saving of £1K per annum.

    The only value to the MCA is the value of the lease. The value of the (i) land and (ii) building assets reside with landlord.

  • Andrew Percy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Andrew Percy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Percy on 2016-05-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people have been convicted of offences of online abuse on (a) Facebook and (b) Twitter under the Communications Act 2003 since 2010.

    Karen Bradley

    The Home Office do not hold the information requested. The Ministry of Justice hold data on the number of offenders found guilty at all courts in England and Wales.

  • Tom Watson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Tom Watson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Watson on 2016-07-18.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether any pay rises were awarded to special advisers in the Cabinet Office since 17 December 2015.

    Ben Gummer

    No pay rises have been awarded to Special Advisers in the Cabinet Office since 17 December 2015.

  • Philip Davies – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

    Philip Davies – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Philip Davies on 2016-10-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what representations he has (a) received from and (b) made to the Colombian government on the amount of coal mined in Colombia by children and young people aged under 16; and if he will make a statement.

    Jesse Norman

    My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has not engaged with the Colombian government on this issue. Departmental officials have had discussions with NGOs and industry bodies regarding coal mining in Columbia but have not been made aware of evidence to support these claims. We are aware that Columbia has laws in place to prevent child labour; if there is evidence to the contrary we would encourage the Hon Member to share it with officials.

  • Karin Smyth – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Karin Smyth – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Karin Smyth on 2015-10-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many new homes for social rent were completed in Bristol South constituency in each year from 2010 to 2014.

    Brandon Lewis

    Statistics on additional housing for affordable rent provided in each local authority area in England are published in the Department’s live table 1006a which is available at the following link:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/live-tables-on-affordable-housing-supply

    These figures include both newly built housing and acquisitions.

    Figures are not collected on the basis of Parliamentary constituencies.

  • David Amess – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    David Amess – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Amess on 2015-11-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will include take-home naloxone in the harm reduction strategy for the penal service; and if he will make a statement.

    Jane Ellison

    The substance misuse element of the harm reduction strategy will align with national clinical guidance with regard to how naloxone and other medicines in the care pathway are considered for use, although specific medicines are unlikely to be named in the strategy.

    The commissioning of substance misuse treatment for prisoners is the responsibility of health and justice commissioning teams in ten of NHS England’s area teams, supported by a central health and justice team. The Government expects commissioners and providers of substance misuse services in prisons and in the community to work together closely in respect to prisoners being released from custody to ensure seamless transfers of care.

    Public Health England, the Department and the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency have jointly published a factsheet[1] to explain October’s regulatory change with regard to naloxone and how the wider availability of naloxone affects relevant services. NHS England Area Teams will encourage providers to take account of this guidance.

    [1] https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/widening-the-availability-of-naloxone/widening-the-availability-of-naloxone

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  • Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck on 2015-12-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what educational provision there is for offenders who are unable to read or write.

    Nick Boles

    The Offender Learning and Skills Service (OLASS) arrangements deliver a broad range of provision in adult prisons across England, operating within funding rules set by the Skills Funding Agency. Those funding rules require providers to deliver a core curriculum, commissioned by the prison Governor or the lead Governor for a cluster of prisons, in conjunction with the Skills Funding Agency, which must include mandatory initial assessment of English (and maths) for all prisoners on reception to custody as well as English, maths and English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) provision.