Category: Speeches

  • Flick Drummond – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Flick Drummond – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Flick Drummond on 2016-03-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps he is taking to promote the participation of women in the Syrian peace negotiations.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    The UK is committed to peace talks between the Syrian parties, under UN auspices in Geneva and continues to work closely with the International Syria Support Group. The UK encouraged the UN Special Envoy for Syria and the Syrian opposition to include women in the negotiations. The UN established a Women’s Advisory Board and the opposition’s negotiating team includes women.

  • Andrew Rosindell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Andrew Rosindell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2016-05-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps her Department is taking to improve its ability to efficiently shift its involvement from providing short-term humanitarian assistance to long-term development projects in regions experiencing protracted crises.

    Mr Desmond Swayne

    We are increasing our capacity to deal with protracted and multiple crises. We have set up a new team to develop thinking on our overall approach to protracted crises, and are working across the department to share lessons and build on best practice.

    We are also working with international partners to develop solutions for protracted crises – and more appropriate medium term financing. The UK co-hosted the “Supporting Syria and the Region” conference in London on 4 February 2016 which raised over $12bn in pledges, of which $6.1 billion has been committed for 2017-20 to enable partners to plan ahead. We are approaching the UN World Humanitarian Summit 2016 with an ambitious set of objectives to secure commitment to implementing a new approach to protracted displacement.

  • Gloria De Piero – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Gloria De Piero – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gloria De Piero on 2016-06-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the take-up rate is of the HPV vaccine for girls in (a) Ashfield constituency, (b) Nottinghamshire and (c) the UK.

    Jane Ellison

    Data for the Mansfield and Ashfield Clinical Commissioning Group are included within the Nottinghamshire Local Authority, which is within the South Yorkshire and Bassetlaw Area Team.

    The uptake rates for the first dose of human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine given to Year 8 girls (12-13 year olds) from 1 September 2014 to 31 August 2015 are:

    Nottinghamshire local authority: 89.1%;

    South Yorkshire and Bassetlaw Area Team: 90.0%; and

    United Kingdom: 89.5%.

    The latest published figures for the HPV vaccination programme cover the 2014/15 academic year, and show the uptake rate for the first dose of this two dose programme. Vaccine uptake data covering the second dose will not be available until autumn 2016.

  • Lord Palmer of Childs Hill – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Lord Palmer of Childs Hill – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Palmer of Childs Hill on 2016-09-05.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the remarks made by the Foreign Affairs Minister of the Palestinian Authority calling for legal action against the UK over the Balfour Declaration, what representations they have made to the Palestinian Authority regarding the delegitimising of the State of Israel.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    Officials from our Consulate-General in Jerusalem have discussed the remarks with Palestinian officials and politicians.

  • Patrick Grady – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Patrick Grady – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Patrick Grady on 2016-10-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what his policy is on support for the findings of the UN Commission of Inquiry on Human Rights in Eritrea.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    The Government shares the concerns of the UN Commission of Inquiry regarding human rights in Eritrea, in particular shortcomings in the rule of law and indefinite national service.

    We have made clear to the Eritrean Government the tangible improvements we want to see, including amending its national service system and fully implementing its own constitution. We are also urging the Government of Eritrea to increase further its engagement with international human rights bodies, such as the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, which recently visited Eritrea and was allowed access for the first time to a place of detention. We are supporting UN and EU programmes set up to address recommendations made by the Universal Periodic Review on human rights, and are funding a programme on strengthening the rule of law implemented by the Slynn Foundation.

    The mechanism of the Special Rapporteur is an important tool for the international community to strengthen its engagement with Eritrea. The UK Statement to the Human Rights Council on 21 June called on both the Special Rapporteur and the Government of Eritrea to consider ways that they might work together constructively to enhance the progress Eritrea has begun to make in its human rights observance.

  • Poulter – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Poulter – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Poulter on 2015-11-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what estimate she has made of the average annual energy bill for domestic customers of (a) Scottish Power, (b) SSE, (c) Eon, (d) British Gas, (e) EDF, (f) NPower, (g) First Utility, (h) Ovo and (i) Cooperative Energy in 2014.

    Andrea Leadsom

    DECC collect data from the energy companies in order to provide estimates of the average annual domestic bills. Data is provided in confidence and therefore DECC do not disclose this data. DECC do not calculate or publish estimates of average annual bills by supplier.

  • Graham Brady – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Graham Brady – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Graham Brady on 2015-12-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the (a) target, (b) average and (c) longest time taken to approve individual funding requests are for diseases in the last 12 months for which data is available.

    George Freeman

    NHS England has advised that its standard operating procedures published target to process individual funding requests is 40 days. This is for all cases no matter what their outcome.

    In the last 12 months for which data is available, NHS England has advised that the average approval time was 20 days, with the longest approval time being 66 days and the shortest being two days.

  • Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2016-01-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 6 November 2015 to Question 14627, what estimate her Department has made of the total funding available to the Waste and Resources Action Programme in each of the next five years; and if she will make a statement.

    Rory Stewart

    No final decisions on budget allocations have been reached and Defra’s Business Planning process is due to conclude at the end of February. Until this time it would not be appropriate to comment on planning assumptions, including total funding for the Waste and Resources Action Programme.

  • Julian Knight – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Julian Knight – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Julian Knight on 2016-02-08.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what recent progress he has made in reducing the rate of unemployment.

    Mr Rob Wilson

    The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.

  • Caroline Lucas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Caroline Lucas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2016-03-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for the completion of projects funded in England by EU structural funds in the event of the UK leaving the EU.

    Anna Soubry

    At the February European Council, the Government negotiated a new settlement, giving the United Kingdom a special status in a reformed European Union. The Government’s position, as set out by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister to the House on 22 February, is that the UK will be stronger, safer and better off remaining in a reformed EU.