Category: Speeches

  • The Lord Bishop of St Albans – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The Lord Bishop of St Albans – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by The Lord Bishop of St Albans on 2016-03-08.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what percentage of those individuals who previously claimed a motability allowance under the Disability Living Allowance and have lost that allowance after being reassessed for Personal Independence Payments, have (1) appealed that decision, and (2) succeeded at appeal.

    Lord Faulks

    The First-tier Tribunal – Social Security and Child Support (SSCS) administered by HM Courts & Tribunals Service­­ hears appeals against decisions by the Department for Work and Pensions­­­­­­­­­­­­­­ on a range of benefits including Personal Independence Payment (PIP).

    Information about the number and success rates of SSCS appeals by benefit type, including PIP, is published in the Tribunal and Gender Recognition Certificate Statistics Quarterly. The most recent report can be located on the government website.

    The specific information requested is not held centrally.

  • Lord Hylton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Lord Hylton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hylton on 2016-04-13.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have any plans to ask that unrecognised entities such as Gaza, Nagorno-Karabakh and the Cantons of Northern Syria be invited, at least as observers, to the UN World Humanitarian Summit in May.

    Baroness Verma

    The World Humanitarian Summit has been convened by the UN Secretary-General. Whilst it is for him to decide on participants, he has been clear in his intention to make the Summit an open and participative process. Over 5,000 participants are expected in Istanbul, including leaders from crisis-affected communities.

  • Paul Blomfield – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Paul Blomfield – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Blomfield on 2016-05-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she plans to publish data gathered from border exit checks.

    James Brokenshire

    Exit checks were introduced in April 2015. They will, over a period of time, provide us with a range of insights into the behaviours of migrants and how they comply with restrictions placed upon their length of stay in the UK.

    Data collected from exit checks is a record of cross border movement. It may in the future help inform but will not in itself answer questions on emigration.

    The Home Office has announced that it is considering the use of exit checks data for statistical reporting and intends to publish an initial evaluation of the use of exit checks for this purpose. The evaluation will be a technical assessment of the analysis carried out thus far and of the further analysis necessary to better understand short, medium, and long term opportunities.

    The initial evaluation of the use of exit checks will be published on 25 August to coincide with the next quarterly immigration statistics release.

    Publication of the initial evaluation on the use of exit checks will be on the GOV.UK website

  • Nigel Dodds – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    Nigel Dodds – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nigel Dodds on 2016-07-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what recent discussions she has had with the Northern Ireland Executive on the Joint Agency Task Force; and if she will make a statement.

    Mrs Theresa Villiers

    I attended a Security Interface meeting on 4 July 2016 with Clare Sugden MLA, Minister of Justice for Northern Ireland, representatives of PSNI and senior representatives of the Department of Justice. We received an update on the work of the Joint Agency Task Force. The Task Force has presented its first report to the meeting of Justice Ministers in the framework of the Intergovernmental Agreement on co-operation on criminal justice matters, with an update on operational activity undertaken to date.

  • Catherine West – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Catherine West – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Catherine West on 2016-10-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether the Government plans to continue to participate in the European Institute for Gender Equality after the UK leaves the EU.

    Caroline Dinenage

    The negotiations we are about to undertake will include our relationship with a wide range of EU organisations and institutions, the European Institute for Gender Equality being one of them. How we take these various relationships forward will be a matter for discussion with the EU institutions and our European partners.

  • Alison Thewliss – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Alison Thewliss – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alison Thewliss on 2015-11-18.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent discussions he has had with the European Commission on the abolition of Value Added Tax on sanitary products.

    Mr David Gauke

    Following the recent Parliamentary debate on this issue, I have written to the European Commission and other Member States setting out the Government’s view that Member States should have full discretion over what rate of VAT they can apply to sanitary products, and that this should be considered in the context of the Commission’s ambition to produce an Action Plan on VAT initiatives in 2016.

  • Andy Slaughter – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Andy Slaughter – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andy Slaughter on 2015-12-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, which Government Ministers or officials have visited the Calais refugee camp.

    James Brokenshire

    I have been to the Calais migrant camp and UK officials regularly visit the Jules Ferry Day Centre.

  • Angus Brendan MacNeil – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Angus Brendan MacNeil – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Angus Brendan MacNeil on 2016-01-22.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) tariffs will apply to the different domestic heat and non-heat categories of the RHI scheme.

    Andrea Leadsom

    We intend to reform the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) to improve value for money and reduce costs; improve cost control and budget management; and explore the best way to support ‘less able to pay’ households and owners of large plants. We plan to consult on the changes shortly. Ofgem will continue to run the RHI under the current rules, while we consider the reform of the scheme.

  • Julian Lewis – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    Julian Lewis – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Julian Lewis on 2016-02-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what assurance the Government has given to (a) former members of Irish terrorist organisations and (b) former service personnel on any continuing liability to prosecution for alleged crimes committed during the Troubles; and if she will make a statement.

    Mrs Theresa Villiers

    Criminal investigations and prosecutions throughout the United Kingdom are matters for the police and prosecuting authorities acting independently of the Government and politicians. If there is considered to be evidence or intelligence of involvement in crime, individuals will be investigated by the police. That applies equally to everyone, without fear or favour.

    As I made clear in my response to Lady Justice Hallett’s report on the so-called ‘On-the-Runs’ scheme established by the former Labour Government there is no immunity from prosecution for terrorists in Northern Ireland. This Government believes in the rule of law and we would not countenance amnesties or immunity from prosecution.

  • Lord Stoddart of Swindon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Lord Stoddart of Swindon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Stoddart of Swindon on 2016-03-08.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether parliamentary approval would be required for any decision to join the eurozone, and if so, why the Prime Minister has stated that the UK will never join the eurozone, in the light of the fact that one Parliament cannot bind its successor.

    Lord O’Neill of Gatley

    As set out in Protocol 15, the United Kingdom is under no legal obligation to adopt the euro as its currency. Under the EU Act 2011, a decision by the UK under Protocol (No 15) leading to a decision by the Council under article 140 (3) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union would require an Act of Parliament and a referendum result in favour before a Minister of the Crown could support it.

    The Prime Minister has been clear that Britain will never join the euro.