Category: Speeches

  • Bill Esterson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Bill Esterson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Bill Esterson on 2015-11-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what his strategy is for maximising the economic contribution of (a) the steel industry and (b) other industries vital to the UK’s economic success.

    Anna Soubry

    The best way the Government can support our industries is to continue to deliver a strong and growing economy.

    In the Autumn Statement, the Chancellor announced an exemption for Energy Intensive Industries (EIIs), including the steel industry, from the policy costs of the Renewables Obligation and Feed-in Tariffs, a hugely significant step to provide industry with long-term certainty and helping them remain competitive. This is on top of the millions that has already been paid in compensation to EIIs for energy costs.

    The Government engages with various industrial sectors through our Sector Councils, where we discuss the opportunities and challenges facing certain sectors.

    The Government recognises the current difficulties that are unique to the steel sector. While we cannot fix the price of steel, halt global overproduction or fix currency rates, the Government has taken a number of measures to help our steel industry.

    We have taken action on unfair trade, recently voting in support of anti-dumping measures on wire rod and steel tubing imports, as well as lobbying successfully for an investigation into cheap imports of Reinforcing Steel Bar.

    The steel industry’s request for flexibility over Industrial Emissions Directive exemptions has been secured. This will save the industry millions of pounds of unnecessary expenditure at a time of crisis by offering steel companies more time to comply with this European legislation.

    Finally, we are taking action to drive up the number of public contracts won by UK steel manufacturers and their partners through fair and open competition. The Government published on 30 October new guidelines for departments to apply on major projects when sourcing and buying steel. The new instructions will help steel suppliers compete on a level playing field with international suppliers for major Government projects.

  • Baroness King of Bow – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Baroness King of Bow – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness King of Bow on 2015-12-17.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Williams of Trafford on 8 December (HL4000), whether they will place in the Library of the House a copy of the tender specification for the research by Savills on estate regeneration in London commissioned by the Number 10 Policy Unit.

    Baroness Williams of Trafford

    The tender specification for the research by Savills on estate regeneration in London commissioned by the Number 10 Policy Unit will be placed in the Library of the House in due course.

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

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

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-01-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions she has had with Ministers of the Northern Ireland Executive on steps to increase exports of food from Northern Ireland to China.

    George Eustice

    There has been very close collaboration at ministerial and official level to increase food exports to China. On her recent visit the Secretary of State highlighted the Northern Ireland priorities of securing approval for pork plants, finalising access for pig trotters and progressing negotiations for poultry meat. Supporting this extension of access, officials work closely with colleagues from Invest Northern Ireland to ensure complementary export promotional work in China.

  • Diane Abbott – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Diane Abbott – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Diane Abbott on 2016-02-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the implications of the findings of the report by Europol, Migrant Smuggling in the EU, published in February 2016, for her policies on tackling smuggling through the criminal justice system.

    James Brokenshire

    The Government’s system-wide approach to tackling Organised Immigration Crime is based on information and intelligence from a wide variety of sources. The Government takes Organised Immigration Crime very seriously – we are working to smash the criminal gangs that are fuelling this terrible trade in people. In June 2015 the Prime Minister announced the creation of the Organised Immigration Crime Taskforce bringing together officers from the NCA, Border Force, Immigration Enforcement and the Crown Prosecution Service. The Taskforce was subsequently expanded in November 2015 to more than 100 officers, and has had its funding extended until 2020. The Government values the intelligence-led approach to tackling Organised Immigration Crime Europol helps to facilitate, including through Joint Operational Team Mare, and welcomes the launch by Europol on 22 February 2016 of the new European Migrant Smuggling Centre which will proactively support EU Member States in dismantling criminal networks involved in organised migrant smuggling. The UK has been at the forefront of calls in the EU for a robust approach to tackling Organised Immigration Crime.

  • Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2016-03-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what estimate his Department has made of the running costs of the Air Cadet Organisation in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr Julian Brazier

    Total running costs of the Air Cadet Organisation including service and civilian manpower but excluding the annual works programme and contracted services was:

    £23.8 million in Financial Year (FY) 2011-12

    £22.0 million in FY 2012-13

    £23.1 million in FY 2013-14

    £24.5 million in FY 2014-15

    The estimated outturn in FY 2015-16 is £25.7 million.

  • Steve Rotheram – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Steve Rotheram – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve Rotheram on 2016-04-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what recent representations (a) his Department and (b) the Information Commissioner’s Office have received on the failure of organisations to register as data controllers with the Information Commissioner’s Office under the terms of the Data Protection Act 1998; and what steps (i) his Department and (ii) the Information Commissioner’s Office have taken to ensure that organisations (A) are compliant with such terms of the Data Protection Act 1998 and (B) pay their notification fees.

    Mr Edward Vaizey

    The Data Protection Act 1998 requires every data controller who is processing personal information to register with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) unless they are exempt. The ICO’s website sets out the criteria for notification and provides guidance on the level of fee organisations should be paying. The ICO have also made it easier for organisations to notify and pay the fee by introducing online payments.

    At the end of 2015/2016 there were 441,000 data controllers registered with the ICO, which generated a total income of £18.3 million. Due to the very broad range of exemptions from the need to notify, and because these exemptions do not need to be actively claimed, there is no recognised figure for the number of notifiable data controllers in the UK. It is for data controllers to seek registration; the ICO periodically reminds organisations of the requirement to notify.

  • Tom Pursglove – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Tom Pursglove – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Pursglove on 2016-05-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 25 May 2016 to Question 37198, how many of the leaflets entitled Why the Government believes that voting to remain in the European Union is the best decision for the UK have been returned to her Department; and what the postage cost to the Government has been of such returns.

    Karen Bradley

    I refer the Hon Member to the Prime Minister’s response of 25th May 2016 [37198]. This information is not collated centrally by the Department.

  • Paula Sherriff – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Paula Sherriff – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paula Sherriff on 2016-07-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what procedures are in place to safeguard patient transport services if a private provider of such a service goes into administration.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    It is the primary responsibility of commissioners to ensure continuity of commissioned services through contracting and contingency planning. Where a provider is considered hard to replace in the event of failure, its services can be designated as Commissioner Requested Services. This requires the provider to obtain a provider licence, if not otherwise required to hold a licence, and places the provider in NHS Improvement’s financial oversight regime for private providers of essential NHS services.

  • Richard Burden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union

    Richard Burden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2016-10-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, when he plans to respond to the letter from the hon. Member for Birmingham, Northfield of 16 August 2016, inviting him or a Minister in his Department to address the All-Party Parliamentary Motor Group on UK automotive priorities for future negotiations on the UK leaving the EU.

    Mr Robin Walker

    A reply to the Hon. member for Birmingham, Northfield’s invitation has been sent and I can confirm I will be attending the event.

  • Peter Kyle – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Peter Kyle – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Peter Kyle on 2015-10-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what recent discussions she has had with the UN’s Humanitarian Coordinator on the situation in Yemen.

    Mr Desmond Swayne

    My officials are in regular contact with the UN’s Humanitarian Coordinator for Yemen to discuss the latest humanitarian situation, as well as with the UN Regional Humanitarian Coordinator, the UN Special Envoy on the Yemen crisis for the Emergency Relief Coordinator, heads of agencies and our partners on the ground.

    The Secretary of State for International Development has frequent discussions with the Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, Stephen O’Brien on the situation in Yemen – the most recent call was on 28 October. On 28 September, the Secretary of State co-chaired an event with him and the Assistant Secretary-General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation to discuss the situation on Yemen with heads of UN agencies and international partners. Ministers have regular meetings with NGO partners to discuss their assessment of the situation. The Co-Chairs statement from the meeting can be found here: http://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/co-chairs-statement-ministerial-yemen-meeting-monday-28-september-2015

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