Category: Speeches

  • Andy Slaughter – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Andy Slaughter – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andy Slaughter on 2016-01-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to his oral evidence to the House of Lords Constitution Committee of 2 December 2015, Question 9, what his definition is of a constitutional long stop.

    Dominic Raab

    As the Prime Minister said on 10 November, we need to examine the way that Germany and other EU nations uphold their constitution and sovereignty. The issue that the Prime Minister raises requires serious thought, consultation within government and then space afterwards in order to allow proper debate.

  • Greg Mulholland – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Greg Mulholland – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Greg Mulholland on 2016-02-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the effect on patient access to medicines of planned reductions to the community pharmacy budget.

    Alistair Burt

    Community pharmacy is a vital part of the National Health Service and can play an even greater role. In the Spending Review the Government re-affirmed the need for the NHS to deliver £22 billion in efficiency savings by 2020/21 as set out in the NHS’s own plan, the Five Year Forward View. Community pharmacy is a core part of NHS primary care and has an important contribution to make as the NHS rises to these challenges. The Government believes efficiencies can be made without compromising the quality of services including public access to medicines. Our aim is to ensure that those community pharmacies upon which people depend continue to thrive and so we are consulting on the introduction of a Pharmacy Access Scheme, which will provide more NHS funds to certain pharmacies compared to others, considering factors such as location and the health needs of the local population.

    Our proposals are about improving services for patients and the public and securing efficiencies and savings. A consequence may be the closure of some pharmacies but that is not our aim.

    We are not able to assess which pharmacies may close or the number of people who may lose their jobs, because we do not know the financial viability of individual businesses or the extent to which they derive income from services commissioned locally by the NHS or local authorities or have non-NHS related income.

  • Liam Byrne – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Liam Byrne – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Liam Byrne on 2016-03-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the Dublin III Regulation asylum process; what her proposals are for its reform and improvement; and if she will make a statement.

    James Brokenshire

    The Dublin Regulation is an important tool in our ability to manage asylum claims in the EU. The Government recognises that improvements can be made to the operation of the Regulation through simplification, greater flexibility and encouragement of maximum compliance. The underlying principles, however, such as claiming asylum in the first safe country, reuniting families where possible, prevention of secondary movement and assigning responsibility of a claim as soon as possible all remain sound.

    We are cooperating fully with the European Commission’s review of the Dublin Regulation and will continue to make the case these long established principles should continue to be the basis for any future regulation.

  • Baroness Lister of Burtersett – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Baroness Lister of Burtersett – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Lister of Burtersett on 2016-04-11.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what consultation has taken place, or is planned, with the governments of British Overseas Territories, specifically Montserrat, to make provision for those born before 1 July 2006 to fathers not married to their mothers to register as full British Citizens, as provided under section 65 of the Immigration Act 2014.

    Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

    A forthcoming review of British nationality law will look at what does and does not work in the current system, and how citizenship should be obtained in the future. As part of that review, we will consult with the overseas territories.

  • Jim Shannon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Jim Shannon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-05-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many men have been diagnosed with psoriasis in England in each of the last five years.

    Jane Ellison

    Information concerning the number of men diagnosed with psoriasis in each of the last five years is not collected. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence estimates that psoriasis affects around 2% of people in the United Kingdom.

  • Baroness Thomas of Winchester – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Baroness Thomas of Winchester – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Thomas of Winchester on 2016-07-08.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the result of the referendum on the UK’s membership of the EU, what plans they have for ensuring that the conditional approval of the European Medicines Agency for new treatments continues to have validity in the UK.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    The previous Prime Minister was clear that the negotiation for Britain’s future relationship with Europe needed to begin under the new Prime Minister, and we now have got to look at all the detailed arrangements.

    The Department has launched a ministerial industry strategy group to prepare for the renegotiation on the new European Union/United Kingdom relationship, which includes looking at the relationship between the UK and the EU medicines regulatory framework.

  • Margaret Hodge – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

    Margaret Hodge – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Margaret Hodge on 2016-10-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to the register of persons with significant control, how many companies have registered a shell company in an offshore tax haven as the persons with significant control of that company since 6 April 2016.

    Margot James

    Companies House does not hold figures on the number of companies that have registered a shell company in an offshore tax haven as their PSC. Companies can legitimately register a company as their PSC if that company meets the conditions of control, is the first legal entity in a company’s ownership chain and they are subject to their own disclosure requirements.

    A full explanation of the rules can be found in BEIS guidance.

  • Patrick Grady – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Patrick Grady – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Patrick Grady on 2015-11-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will issue a response to Early Day Motion (a) 162, Closures of abortion clinics and (b) 172, Buffer zones around abortion centres.

    Jane Ellison

    These matters are dealt with by the Home Office.

  • Andrew Rosindell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Andrew Rosindell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2015-12-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many new EU regulations have become law in the UK since May 2015.

    Mr David Lidington

    There are different types of EU laws, some of which are directly applicable in the UK (regulations), and others which may require domestic implementing measures to give them full effect (such as directives). Sometimes administrative rules or guidelines will be needed in the UK whilst on other occasions legislation may be necessary. Additionally, EU legislation may be new, or it may amend or repeal existing legislation. There is often a delay before an EU law enters into force for instance in order to enable Member States to adopt the necessary domestic implementing measures; different parts of EU laws may enter into force at different times. The information which brings together all these categories of EU measures is not held centrally. However details of all EU-derived legislation currently on the statute book in the UK can be found on our website at: legislation.gov.uk and on the Official Journal of the EU at: http://eur-lex.europa.eu/oj/direct-access.html

  • Greg Mulholland – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Greg Mulholland – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Greg Mulholland on 2016-01-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Prime Minister’s announcement of 18 January 2016, Passive tolerance of separate communities must end, how the £20 million fund for English teaching for isolated women will be spent.

    Mr Marcus Jones

    Our new £20 million community-based English language training offer will be informed by the findings of Louise Casey’s Review into boosting opportunity and integration amongst isolated groups and the learning from the six community projects we have funded as part of our current integration programme. In particular, we will work with Louise Casey to identify the most isolated communities in England to make sure this programme is targeted at those women who need it most.