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Category: Speeches

  • Lord Bruce of Bennachie – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Lord Bruce of Bennachie – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Bruce of Bennachie on 2016-09-15.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they are taking to secure the release of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe following her five-year prison sentence in Iran; and what priority they assign to reuniting Nazanin and her daughter with her husband in the UK.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    The Government continues to raise its strong concerns about Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe’s five year sentence. Iran does not recognise dual nationality for Iranian nationals and therefore has not provided any information to us about Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe’s case or the charges against her. On 11 September our Acting Ambassador to Tehran raised our concerns with the Iranian Government and pressed for urgent confirmation of the charges. The Prime Minister, my right hon. Friend the Member for Maidenhead (Mrs May), raised our strong concerns for Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe with Iranian President Rouhani on 9 August. The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Uxbridge and South Ruislip (Boris Johnson), similarly raised her case with Iranian Foreign Minister Zarif on 4 August, and followed up in writing on 29 August. The Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my Hon. Friend the Member for Bournemouth East (Mr Ellwood) met Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe’s family on 8 September to reassure them that we will continue to raise her case with the Iranian authorities at the highest levels at every available opportunity.

  • Alistair Carmichael – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Alistair Carmichael – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alistair Carmichael on 2016-10-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if she will ensure that in any review of civil legal aid children and young people’s entitlement to legal aid will be considered.

    Sir Oliver Heald

    We are committed to reviewing Parts 1 and 2 of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 within three to five years of its implementation.

  • Tania Mathias – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Tania Mathias – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tania Mathias on 2015-11-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what his policy is on the concentration of flight paths over residential areas near Heathrow Airport.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    The Government’s overall policy on aviation noise, as stated in the 2013 Aviation Policy Framework (APF), is ‘to limit and, where possible, reduce the number of people in the UK significantly affected by aircraft noise’. To achieve this, the Government believes in most cases it will be preferable to concentrate aircraft over as few routes as possible. The APF does however go on to say that ‘where there is intensive use of certain routes, and following engagement with local communities, it may be appropriate to explore options for respite which share noise between communities on an equitable basis, provided this does not lead to significant numbers of people newly affected by noise.’

  • Chi Onwurah – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Chi Onwurah – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chi Onwurah on 2015-12-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment he has made of the potential benefits of making penalties for data breaches a criminal act in which negligence is involved.

    Mr Edward Vaizey

    The Government keeps the sanctions available for breaches of the Data Protection Act 1998 (DPA) periodically under review. The Information Commissioner alreadyhas the power to serve a Civil Monetary Penalty of up to £500,000 for‘serious’ contraventions of the DPA.

  • Paul Flynn – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Paul Flynn – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Flynn on 2016-01-21.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the Government’s policy is on further developing the necessary facilities and skills for the UK to become a world centre of expertise in the dismantling of formerly-armed nuclear warheads.

    Michael Fallon

    As we set out in the 2010 Strategic Defence and Security Review, we will reduce the overall stockpile of nuclear warheads to no more than 180 by the mid 2020s. The Government is investing in the Atomic Weapons Establishment, which is responsible for supporting the entire life-cycle of the UK’s nuclear warheads, from design and manufacture, to maintenance and certification of the existing warhead stockpile, and, ultimately, to decommissioning and disposal. In addition, the UK is co-operating with international partners – particularly the US and Norway – on a verification regime for the dismantlement of a nuclear weapon that could support any potential future nuclear disarmament treaty.

  • Kevan Jones – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Kevan Jones – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kevan Jones on 2016-02-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the US Department of Defense’s decision to delay the acceleration of orders of the F-35 until 2021.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    The US Department of Defense budget decision in relation to accelerating F-35 orders does not impact on the UK’s F-35B Lightning II procurement policy, which we will continue to progress in line with the Strategic Defence and Security Review. The programme remains on track for initial operating capability in 2018.

  • Craig Whittaker – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Craig Whittaker – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Craig Whittaker on 2016-03-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to encourage local authorities to offer apprenticeships.

    Mr Marcus Jones

    My Department is working closely across Government and with the Local Government Association to encourage local authorities to start planning now so they can take advantage of the opportunities both the apprenticeship levy and targets offer to meet skills shortages and increase apprenticeship numbers. The Department has already jointly hosted, with BIS and the Local Government Association, two successful round table events with local authorities to support them in meeting the challenge of significantly increasing the numbers of apprenticeships in the wider public sector.

  • 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 2016-04-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the average waiting time for autistic adults with mental health problems to access psychiatric therapy was in (a) England and (b) each clinical commissioning group in each of the last five years.

    Alistair Burt

    The information requested is not collected centrally.

    However, as recommended by the independent Mental Health Taskforce, the Department is developing a five-year plan for the development of mental health data to be published by the end of this year. The plan will set out future data requirements and timings for developing data to inform pathways of care which will include data requirements for autism.

  • Jonathan Ashworth – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Jonathan Ashworth – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jonathan Ashworth on 2016-05-20.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will publish a list of the people who attended the Tackling Corruption Together Conference on 11 May 2016.

    Matthew Hancock

    The Tackling Corruption Together conference on 11 May was organised by a consortium of civil society organisations, businesses and the Commonwealth Secretariat. The government was not responsible for the guest list.

  • Jim Shannon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Jim Shannon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-07-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if the Government will commission an international and independent review of organ harvesting in China.

    Mr Hugo Swire

    We currently have no plans to commission a review of organ harvesting in China.