Category: Speeches

  • Baroness Jones of Whitchurch – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Baroness Jones of Whitchurch – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Jones of Whitchurch on 2016-03-21.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the Food Standards Agency achieved its target of halving the incidence of campylobacter food poisoning in 2015.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    Although progress continues to be made, the Food Standards Agency’s (FSA) agreed target with industry to reduce the numbers of the most contaminated birds at the end of slaughter to less than 10% by 2015 was not met. However, given the interventions expected to come on stream within industry, the FSA Board agreed to roll the target to 2016, when it is expected that the target will be met. If the target is met, then a decrease of around 50% in the number of human cases of campylobacteriosis would be expected.

  • Lord Patten – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Lord Patten – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Patten on 2016-04-18.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the benefits to date of the Right to Roam policy.

    Lord Gardiner of Kimble

    The Government recognises that the right of access for open-air recreation under Part 1 of the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 plays an important role in the public’s use and enjoyment of the natural environment in England. Although it has made no assessment of the benefits of the right of access, a report Costs and benefits of public access to the countryside – Literature Review, which was made to Natural England in 2013, noted that the recreational use of the countryside provided significant benefits to individuals, society and the wider economy.

    The Monitor of Engagement with the Natural Environment survey, which is funded by Natural England with support from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and the Forestry Commission, has recorded the number of visits per year to open access land. The results of the survey show that between 2009/10 and 2013/14 on average 27.8 million visits per year were made to open access land.

    The Government is also developing a 25 Year Environment Plan which aims for Britain to be the healthiest and most beautiful place to live, work and bring up a family. We will be working with the Natural Capital Committee to develop a plan to protect and improve our natural capital and to provide opportunities for sustained prosperity and wellbeing.

    The Government wants everyone to feel the benefits of an improved environment and the opportunities that come from access to the countryside and our green spaces, including for recreation and relaxation. We are making strides to improve our understanding of the value of nature, to better quantify the range of benefits we get from our land, water, air, and seas. This will allow us to enhance the quality of the decisions we take about how these assets are managed, using natural capital as the common currency.

  • Hilary Benn – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Hilary Benn – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Hilary Benn on 2016-05-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what reports he has received on the number of people unlawfully executed in Libya by Daesh.

    Mr Philip Hammond

    It is clear from reports and testimonies from local residents that Daesh have carried out many savage executions and brutal punishments in Libya against innocent civilians and those who have had the courage to oppose their vile oppression. We utterly condemn their barbaric acts of terror inside Libya, including the targeting of others because of their faith. The Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) has confirmed that ICC jurisdiction over Libya prima facie extends to such crimes.

    We are engaging with the new Libyan government and working closely with international partners to develop a comprehensive approach to defeat Daesh in Libya.

  • Michael Dugher – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Michael Dugher – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Michael Dugher on 2016-07-21.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when his officials last updated the Blue Badge Scheme local authority guidance; whether he plans to update that guidance; and if he will make a statement.

    Andrew Jones

    The extent to which a specific condition affects people will vary. If we were to provide automatic eligibility without further assessment by virtue of having dementia it may not reflect genuine need.

    However, the ‘subject to further assessment’ criteria do not preclude the issue of badges to people with mental/cognitive disabilities. Any permanent and substantial disability may qualify for a badge if it causes “very considerable difficulty in walking”. It is for the local authority to assess the degree of challenge on a case-by-case basis.

    The guidance was last updated in October 2014. There are no plans to update it at this time.

  • Paul Blomfield – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Paul Blomfield – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Blomfield on 2016-10-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many applications for medicine courses were (a) received and (b) accepted at higher education institutions in England in each of the last five years.

    Joseph Johnson

    The Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) publishes data on applications and acceptances to full-time undergraduate courses. The table below shows the number of main scheme applications (applications submitted by 30 June each year) and the number of acceptances for ‘pre-clinical medicine’ for applicants domiciled in England.

    Table: applications and acceptances to pre-clinical medicine1

    2011

    2012

    2013

    2014

    2015

    Number of acceptances

    5,525

    5,705

    5,510

    5,630

    5,515

    Number of main scheme applications

    55,280

    53,740

    54,710

    55,065

    48,525

    Notes:

    1. Pre-clinical medicine is based on Joint Academic Coding System (JACS) code A1

    The figures were extracted from the UCAS 2015 end of cycle data resources (tables DR3_017_01 and DR3_017_03) available via the following weblink:

    https://www.ucas.com/corporate/data-and-analysis/ucas-undergraduate-releases/ucas-undergraduate-end-cycle-data-resource-5

    “

  • Lisa Cameron – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Lisa Cameron – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lisa Cameron on 2015-10-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to support children and young people with Autistic Spectrum Disorder in the education system.

    Edward Timpson

    The Children and Families Act 2014, which came into force in September 2014, introduced significant reforms to the Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) system. The new statutory framework ensures that support is focused on needs and aspirations, enabling all pupils, including those with autism, to achieve better outcomes in education and adult life.

    Changes to the SEND system since September 2014 include the publication of ‘local offers’ of SEND services by local authorities; the introduction of streamlined education, health and care needs assessments and plans; and new statutory protections for young people aged 16-25 in further education.

    The Act also makes provision to ensure that parents, children and young people are able to access impartial information, advice and support about the SEND system through a local, dedicated and easily identifiable service. Among other things, this service offers help in preparing for meetings with schools, health professionals, or other agencies.

    The Department’s Free Schools programme has seen nineteen special free schools open across the country. This includes several free schools that are specifically for children with Autism, such as the Rise free school in Hounslow, the Lighthouse free school in Leeds, and the National Autistic Society’s Church Lawton free school in Cheshire. There are a further eleven special free schools due to open in the future, five of which will specialise in provision for children with autism, including the Heartlands Autism free school in Haringey and a second National Autistic Society free school, the Vanguard free school in Lambeth. The other six will also offer some places for children with autism.

    The Department has contracted with the Autism Education Trust (2015-16) to deliver autism training to education professionals. The Trust has now trained almost 80,000 education staff since 2012. The Department is also providing grant funding for two additional projects (2015-16): a project by the National Autistic Society to provide information and advice to parents and professionals on exclusions; and a project by Ambitious about Autism on strategies for supporting the transition from school to college.

  • Lord Cotter – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Lord Cotter – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Cotter on 2015-11-23.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government how they plan to implement the Small Business Enterprise and Employment Act 2015’s mandatory referral scheme.

    Lord O’Neill of Gatley

    The referral scheme is not yet up and running but the Government is committed to delivering this policy which will help small and medium sized enterprises access the finance they need to grow and expand.

    Since the Government announced the Finance Platform policy it has consulted, passed primary legislation and is now close to making secondary legislation.

    The British Business Bank is currently undertaking a due diligence process on Finance Platforms that have expressed an interest in becoming designated and will advise HM Treasury on designation in the Spring; with the policy expected to ‘go live’ later in 2016.

  • Stephen Gethins – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Stephen Gethins – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Gethins on 2016-01-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to prepare for the outcome of the EU referendum.

    Priti Patel

    The Government is fighting hard to fix the aspects of our EU membership that cause so much frustration in Britain – so we get a better deal for Britain and secure our future. The Government is focused on delivering a successful renegotiation: it believes it can and will succeed in reforming and renegotiating our relationship with the EU.

  • Michael Tomlinson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Michael Tomlinson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Michael Tomlinson on 2016-01-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the Government will (a) fund or (b) conduct algal harvesting in order to improve water quality in Poole Harbour.

    Rory Stewart

    To improve the water quality in Poole Harbour, the Environment Agency focuses on improving nutrient and soil management efficiency of surrounding farmland rather than funding algal harvesting. A feasibility study commissioned by the Environment Agency has concluded that algal harvesting in Poole Harbour would have little material impact on the water quality in the harbour and that the harvesting process may have a detrimental impact on the bird population, with the costs outweighing the benefits.

  • Emily Thornberry – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Emily Thornberry – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Emily Thornberry on 2016-02-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to his Department’s press release, UK to step up NATO maritime commitment, published on 10 February 2016, which Type 45 Destroyer will be deployed to NATO’s Standing Maritime Group 1 in October 2016.

    Penny Mordaunt

    The Secretary of State did announce that the Royal Navy will deploy a Type 45 Destroyer to NATO’s Standing Maritime Group 1 in October 2016.

    However, I am withholding details of the ship that will be deployed as such a disclosure would, or would be likely to, prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the Armed Forces.