Category: Speeches

  • Jonathan Ashworth – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Jonathan Ashworth – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jonathan Ashworth on 2016-04-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, (a) how many and (b) what proportion of officials of her Department resigned in each of the last six years.

    Andrea Leadsom

    The number of leavers in each financial year from 2011/12 is show in the following table. Leavers data for the full year 2010/11 is not available as data prior to 1 November 2010 is not held on the current HR database.

    All figures include Core DECC and the Oil and Gas Authority Agency. Headcount figures include Permanent staff, Fixed Term and Short Term appointments.

    Year

    No of Leavers

    % of Headcount

    2011/12

    42

    3%

    2012/13

    41

    3%

    2013/14

    63

    4%

    2014/15

    90

    5%

    2015/16

    57

    3.3%
  • Tulip Siddiq – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Tulip Siddiq – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tulip Siddiq on 2016-05-18.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the Answer of 11 March 2016 to Question 30254, what penalty and enforcement options are currently available to the Financial Conduct Authority if financial institutions fail to meet their obligations in relation to Politically Exposed Persons.

    Harriett Baldwin

    This is an operational matter for the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), who are operationally independent from Government.

    The question has been passed on to the FCA. The FCA will reply directly to the honourable member by letter. A copy of the letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

  • Chris Law – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Chris Law – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Law on 2016-06-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the cost to the public purse of deportation by chartered flights has been in each of the last five years.

    James Brokenshire

    Home Office records indicate that the cost of chartering aircraft for removal flights over the past 5 years is as follows:

    2011/12 – £8.5 million

    2012/13- £13.8 million

    2013/14 – £12.7 million

    2014/15 – £13.2 million

    2015/16 – £9.1 million

  • Luciana Berger – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Luciana Berger – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Luciana Berger on 2016-09-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many meetings and on what dates he has had meetings with NHS Improvement on Southern Health since the start of 2016.

    Mr Jeremy Hunt

    Oversight of National Health Service trusts is primarily the responsibility of NHS Improvement (NHSI). I meet regularly with the Chief Executive of NHSI, as I do with a number of senior leaders. Our discussions cover a variety of issues that fall under NHSI’s remit including the progress of trusts that are subject to regulatory support.

  • Nick Hurd – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Nick Hurd – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nick Hurd on 2015-11-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what information her Department holds on the global cost of lost economic activity due to blindness and low vision.

    Grant Shapps

    There are a limited number of studies that estimate the lost productivity from all avoidable blindness. However, there have been some studies to assess the impact of specific causes of visual impairment and blindness. For example, it has been estimated that trachoma alone causes US$3-6 billion in lost productivity per year across affected countries. DFID is supporting the prevention and treatment of trachoma in a number of highly endemic countries.

  • Fiona Bruce – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Fiona Bruce – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Fiona Bruce on 2015-12-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps her Department is taking to protect the welfare of vulnerable older people in developing countries.

    Mr Nick Hurd

    Age features as part of our efforts to leave no one behind and in country level analyses as a key factor in understanding poverty.

    Older people have been specifically included in the Sustainable Development Goals on ending hunger, creating sustainable cities and communities and the means of implementation. As well as this, the requirement to provide disaggregated data to evidence progress against the Sustainable Development Goals will ensure that governments and development agencies can identify those at risk of being left behind and design programmes to lift them out of poverty. The UK was a key player in achieving these goals.

    Many DFID programmes reach and include older people, for example on health systems strengthening, eye care, or specific programmes for the poorest including supporting slum dwellers in Tanzania, or supporting widows resulting from the genocide in Rwanda. DFID has also supported Governments to establish social pensions for older people to ensure that they do not live in poverty.

    Finally, DFID also continues to fund a number of age-specific development programmes which are delivered by Civil Society Organisations in some of the world’s poorest communities to ensure that older people are not left behind.

  • Lord Greaves – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Lord Greaves – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Greaves on 2016-01-19.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what reasons there are for the recent and proposed closures to road traffic at Allen’s West Level Crossing at Eaglescliffe, Stockton-on-Tees, and what action they plan to take to minimise any future unplanned and planned closures.

    Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

    Network Rail operates at arm’s-length from the Department for Transport and is not expected to involve Ministers in its regular operational decisions such as its proposals for works at level crossings.

  • Joan Ryan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Joan Ryan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Joan Ryan on 2016-02-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, pursuant to the Answer of 10 February 2016 to Question 26100, what estimate her Department has made of the proportion of the £349 million spent in support of Palestinian development from 2011 to 2015 which has gone to support projects which promote coexistence.

    Mr Desmond Swayne

    The DFID Palestinian Programme supports the HMG objective of protecting the viability of a two state solution. DFID’s work in the Occupied Palestinian Territories tends to consist of large-scale and strategic programmes that fit within our three priority areas; state building, economic development and alleviating poverty and vulnerability. Through the cross-government Conflict Stability and Security Fund (CSSF), the UK continues to support several projects which promote coexistence. These projects include support for the Peres Centre for Peace Training Doctors Programme which brings Israelis and Palestinians together through medical care and training to combat stereotypes and build trust. Additionally we work on projects with youth groups and through sport to encourage engagement between Israelis and Palestinians.

  • Tommy Sheppard – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Tommy Sheppard – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tommy Sheppard on 2016-03-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how much her Department plans to spend on emergency aid relief in Fiji in response to the recent cyclone in that country.

    Mr Desmond Swayne

    The UK is assisting Fiji in response to Tropical Cyclone Winston. We are contributing technical support to strengthen United Nations Children’s Fund capacity with water, sanitation and hygiene coordination and are ready to consider further requests for humanitarian experts should it be required. DFID has also offered to provide support to the United Nations Disaster Assessment and Co-ordinations team and will remain in contact with Agencies in the region.

    The UK is also funding MapAction, a UK-based NGO. Two of their volunteers have now deployed to Fiji to provide GIS and Mapping capability. The UK also makes core contributions to the UN Agencies, the European Commission’s Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection Department and the Red Cross, all of whom are contributing to the response. Stephen O’Brien, Head of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs has recently announced US $8 million for Fiji from the Central Emergency Response Fund, to which the UK is biggest contributor, having donated in excess of $855m in the last 10 years.

  • Richard Burden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Richard Burden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2016-04-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of progress in the EU structured dialogue with Israel in halting the demolition and confiscation of EU-funded structures in Area C of the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    There has been a significant increase in Israeli demolitions since the start of 2016. The UK and the EU continue to raise concerns about demolitions with the Government of Israel and make it clear that demolitions are contrary to international humanitarian law in all but the most exceptional cases.