Category: Speeches

  • Steven Paterson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Steven Paterson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steven Paterson on 2016-03-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, on how many occasions his Department has not provided substantive answers to written parliamentary questions by stating that disclosure of the information would likely prejudice the capability, effectiveness, or security of our Armed Forces or Allies in this parliamentary session.

    Penny Mordaunt

    Since the start of the 2015-16 session of Parliament to 17 March 2016, 47 written parliamentary questions (PQs) tabled to the Ministry of Defence (MOD) were not answered because disclosure would have been likely to prejudice the capability, effectiveness, or security of our Armed Forces or Allies. This figure represents 2% of the total number of 2,318 PQs answered by the MOD during that period.

    In 19 further PQs, only part of the answer was withheld so as to protect the capability, effectiveness, or security of our Armed Forces or Allies.

  • Justin Madders – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Justin Madders – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Justin Madders on 2016-04-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether a devolution deal with Cheshire and Warrington is dependent on the introduction of an elected mayor.

    James Wharton

    Devolution deal proposals must be led and agreed by local partners—the Government will not impose an arrangement on any area. What we are saying, though, is that if an area wants far-reaching control over major powers and budgets, we will expect that deal to include a directly-elected mayor covering the whole area.

  • Jeremy Lefroy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Jeremy Lefroy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jeremy Lefroy on 2016-05-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the trends in the level of crime in Stafford constituency in each of the last three years; and if she will make a statement.

    Mike Penning

    The Crime Survey statistics published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show that crime in England and Wales fell by 7% in the year to the end of December 2015 (the latest period for which data is available), and has fallen by well over a quarter since 2010.

    Over the same period, crimes recorded by the police have risen. The independent ONS has been clear that rises in police recorded crime are largely the result of more victims coming forward to report certain offences and improvements in police crime recording practices. Police recorded crime for the Stafford constituency for the last three years is shown in the attached table.

  • Craig Whittaker – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Craig Whittaker – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Craig Whittaker on 2016-07-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what research his Department has conducted on variations in cancer survival rates between different (a) parts of the UK and (b) socio-economic groups.

    David Mowat

    Public Health England’s National Cancer Registration and Analysis Service has published data on variation in cancer survival linked with deprivation as part of its Routes to Diagnosis project. This covers 55 different cancers and shows that, on the whole, survival is poorer in more deprived populations. Full results are available at the following link:

    www.ncin.org.uk/publications/routes_to_diagnosis

    “

  • Alex Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

    Alex Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alex Cunningham on 2016-10-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to the speech of the then Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change on 18 November 2015, at the Institution of Civil Engineers, on a new direction for UK energy policy, when he plans to publish the terms of reference for the consultation on coal use; and if he will make a statement.

    Jesse Norman

    Most of the UK’s existing coal fired power stations are old, relatively inefficient and require investment to reduce the level of damaging pollutants they emit. I expect to consult shortly on additional measures to close unabated coal stations by 2025.

  • Karin Smyth – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Karin Smyth – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

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

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many asylum seekers have been moved to the Bristol City Council area in each of the last five years.

    James Brokenshire

    The Home Office publish figures on the number of asylum applicants living in dispersed accommodation (under Section 95), by local authority, in the quarterly Immigration Statistics release. The latest release for April-June 2015 is available here:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/immigration-statistics-april-to-june-2015 Figures on Section 95 support by local authority (including those in dispersed accommodation) are published in table as_16q, in volume 4 of the Asylum data tables:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/455576/asylum4-q2-2015-tabs.ods

  • Rushanara Ali – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Rushanara Ali – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rushanara Ali on 2015-11-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what proportion of students supported by universities through the Student Opportunity Allocation fund have disabilities.

    Joseph Johnson

    The Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) allocates the Student Opportunity Fund to Higher Education providers as part of the teaching grant.. Although the different elements of the fund are calculated on the basis of the number of students within an institution with particular characteristics, institutions have been able to use the funding in whichever way they feel is most appropriate for their students. Therefore, there is no centrally collected data on the numbers of students supported by the fund.

  • Lord Kennedy of Southwark – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Lord Kennedy of Southwark – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Kennedy of Southwark on 2015-12-17.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their latest assessment of the situation in (1) Sudan, and (2) South Sudan.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    The situation in Sudan remains of concern, especially in the conflict areas of Darfur and the Two Areas. In this light, it was disappointing that African Union-mediated peace talks in Addis Ababa were suspended on 23 November without the parties reaching an agreement. We continue to urge both the Government of Sudan and opposition to return to discussions on a ceasefire, allow full humanitarian access and engage in inclusive, comprehensive and transparent political dialogue. In South Sudan, progress has been mixed on implementation of the compromise peace agreement signed in August. We welcome recent steps including the agreement of the transitional security arrangements and preparations for the return of the first group of the opposition to Juba. However, we remain concerned by delays to the formation of the transitional government of national unity, breaches of the ceasefire in Unity and Upper Nile states, and the continued lack of humanitarian access in many areas. We regularly lobby both sides on all these issues.

  • Stephen Gethins – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Stephen Gethins – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Gethins on 2016-01-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the independence of the legal system in the Maldives.

    Mr Hugo Swire

    We are concerned about the erosion of judicial independence in the Maldives. A 2013 UN report by the Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers raised serious questions about the impartiality of judges, the fact that many interventions by courts were arbitrary and that due process was not being followed. We do not believe that the situation has improved since. I raised the issue of judicial independence when I met key members of the Maldives government, including President Yameen, during my visit to the Maldives on 17 and 18 January.

  • Alex Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Alex Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alex Cunningham on 2016-02-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 28 January 2016 to Question 23729, what the Government’s policy is on the confiscation of the belongings of Syrian refugees over a certain value to help meet the cost of their stay in the UK.

    James Brokenshire

    The Government does not confiscate the belongings of Syrian refugees or refugees of any other nationality to help meet the cost of their stay in the UK.