Category: Speeches

  • Louise Haigh – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Louise Haigh – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Louise Haigh on 2015-11-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what estimate he has made of the cost of using external agencies for recruitment to Senior Civil Service posts in his Department in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

    Mike Penning

    From July 2014, recruitment for SCS posts have been managed centrally by Civil Service Resourcing. Data prior to that date is not held centrally and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

    As part of its long-term economic plan, this Government has reduced the size of the Civil Service by 22%, adjusting for Machinery of Government changes that moved staff into and out of the Civil Service since the 2010 General Election, representing a significant increase in efficiency and productivity that helped save taxpayers £2.8 billion last year alone.

  • Roger Godsiff – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Roger Godsiff – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Roger Godsiff on 2015-12-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to the Bahraini authorities about the release from prison of Mahdi Abu Dheeb, President of the Bahrain Teachers’ Association.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    We have raised Mahdi abu Dheeb’s case with the Government of Bahrain, including at the highest levels. We continue to monitor this case closely as we do with a number of other trials, including through attendance at hearings by a member of staff from the British Embassy. The UK continues to encourage the Government of Bahrain to deliver on its international and domestic human rights commitments and to appropriately address all reports of ill-treatment of detainees. In parallel, we encourage all those with concerns about their treatment in detention to report these directly to the Ombudsman.

  • Margaret Ferrier – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Scotland Office

    Margaret Ferrier – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Scotland Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Margaret Ferrier on 2016-01-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, which local authorities in Scotland on what dates he (a) has visited and (b) plans to visit.

    David Mundell

    a) I have visited the following local authorities in Scotland:

    1. City of Edinburgh – 29 July 2015
    2. Western Isles – 30 July 2015
    3. Highland – 25 August 2015
    4. Angus – 2 September 2015
    5. Dundee City – 2 September 2015
    6. Perth and Kinross – 22 September 2015
    7. East Lothian – 23 September 2015
    8. Aberdeen City – 28 September 2015
    9. Aberdeenshire – 28 September 2015
    10. Ayrshire – 29 September 2015
    11. Shetland Islands – 30 September 2015
    12. Orkney Islands – 1 October 2015
    13. South Lanarkshire – 8 October 2015
    14. South Ayrshire – 8 October 2015
    15. Glasgow City with PUS – 19 October 2015
    16. Renfrewshire – 5 November 2015
    17. East Renfrewshire – 5 November 2015
    18. Inverclyde – 5 November 2015
    19. North Ayrshire – 6 November 2015
    20. Midlothian – 23 November 2015
    21. West Lothian – 23 November 2015
    22. Scottish Borders – 23 November 2015
    23. East Dunbartonshire – 3 December 2015
    24. Fife – 4 December 2015
    25. Falkirk – 7 December 2015
    26. Clackmannanshire – 7 December 2015
    27. North Lanarkshire – 10 December 2015
    28. Stirling – 14 December 2015

    b) I plan to visit the following local authorities in Scotland in early 2016 (dates to be confirmed):

    1. Argyll and Bute
    2. Moray
    3. Dumfries & Galloway
    4. West Dunbartonshire
  • Owen Thompson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Owen Thompson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Owen Thompson on 2016-02-24.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the implications for his Department’s policies of the findings of the most recent OECD Interim Economic Outlook.

    Harriett Baldwin

    The OECD forecasts show the cocktail of risks facing the world this year, with expectations for global growth downgraded in 2016 and 2017. This is expected to have an impact on the UK as well, but we are forecast to be the fastest growing G7 economy this year.

    We need to keep taking action to restore order to the public finances and deliver economic security for working people.

  • 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 2016-03-21.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps Public Health England has taken in conjunction with the National Public Health Workforce Advisory Group to implement the public mental health leadership and workforce development framework, published in March 2015.

    Jane Ellison

    Since publication, Public Health England (PHE) has worked with national partners and with local authorities to co-ordinate implementation of the public mental health leadership and workforce development (PMHLWD) framework. Twenty national partners have signed the Call to Action to implement the framework.

    PHE is working closely with Health Education England (HEE) to incorporate the PMHLWD framework into the forthcoming Mental Health Skills and Knowledge Framework (commissioned by the Department). It has been cited in the Mental Health Task Force report and PHE will continue to work with HEE to implement the PMHLWD framework’s priorities via the Task Force and Future in Mind working groups.

    PHE has incorporated the PMHLWD framework into the revised Public Health Skills and Knowledge Framework, the review of the future workforce and its wider workforce programme. This has included integrating mental health and wellbeing into the Making Every Contact Count programme.

    PHE has supported delivery via local public mental health networks joint commissioning of training, collating examples of training programmes, developing e-learning modules and delivering local workshops and presentations.

  • Imran Hussain – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Imran Hussain – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Imran Hussain on 2016-04-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if her Department will take steps to address the issue of funding for child protection interventions in humanitarian contexts at the World Humanitarian Summit in May 2016.

    Mr Desmond Swayne

    The World Humanitarian Summit presents a major opportunity to reflect on the international humanitarian system, including how it delivers for the most vulnerable, such as children. The UK recognises the critical importance of protecting children in times of crisis and expects this issue to be raised at the Summit, where the UK will be launching new commitments on funding and delivering education in emergencies.

  • Lord Falconer of Thoroton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Lord Falconer of Thoroton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Falconer of Thoroton on 2016-05-25.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Faulks on 5 May (HL7790), what assessment they have made of the cause of the rise in the number of applications to the Criminal Cases Review Commission from 2010 to 2015.

    Lord Faulks

    The Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) published annual reports from 2010 to 2015 setting out the reasons for applications to the CCRC. The CCRC casework is subject to fluctuations and the Government works closely with them to understand the reasons for these applications.

  • Stephen Timms – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Stephen Timms – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2016-07-21.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans she has to support successful multi-academy trusts in collaborating and sharing best practices with other such trusts.

    Edward Timpson

    The Department supports successful Multi-Academy Trusts in collaborating with other such trusts and I refer the Hon. Member to the answer provided for question 42232 on 13 July 2016.

  • Alistair Carmichael – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Alistair Carmichael – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alistair Carmichael on 2016-10-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what the funding provided by the Government to the BBC or to bodies co-funded by the BBC for Gaelic language television programming was in (a) 2014-15 and (b) 2015-16; and what her Department’s forecast is for the future level of such funding.

    Matt Hancock

    There is a successful partnership between the BBC and MG Alba for the funding and delivery of Gaelic language broadcasting through the BBC Alba television channel. Decisions about the levels of licence fee funding and number of hours for individual nation’s services are editorial matters for the BBC.

  • Baroness Whitaker – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Baroness Whitaker – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Whitaker on 2015-10-27.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their estimate of the impact of air pollution on the lung function of children in the London Borough of Lambeth.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    Public Health England has not made any estimate of the impact of air pollution on the lung function of children in the London Borough of Lambeth.