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Category: Speeches

  • Tim Farron – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Tim Farron – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tim Farron on 2015-12-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how much his Department has spent on advertising the Right to Buy scheme in each month of 2015.

    Brandon Lewis

    My Department has run two targeted campaign bursts during 2015 to make sure eligible council and housing association tenants are aware of their opportunity to buy their home at a discount, through the Right to Buy scheme and to give them up-to-date information on changes to the discount rates and eligibility criteria.

    We are currently in the middle of a burst of the campaign so figures for October and November are provisional and may not reflect all costs incurred. The monthly breakdown of invoiced expenditure for 2015 is:

    January – £5,100
    February – £68,600
    March – £299,300
    April – £0
    May – £100
    June – £0
    July – £200
    August – £600
    September – £64,700
    October – £155,000
    November – £171,200

  • Geoffrey Cox – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Geoffrey Cox – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Geoffrey Cox on 2016-01-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the effects of the ban on fishing for bass on the North Devon fishing industry.

    George Eustice

    The overall estimated reductions of the EU bass measures for the main gear groups in the commercial sector are set out in the following table; at this stage calculated for the UK fleet. This is an estimate which takes into account the effects of the initial 6 month moratorium, related derogations, and the subsequent monthly vessel catch limits.

    Those parts of the industry that use hook and line and fixed gillnets will benefit from derogations in the form of higher monthly catch limits and a moratorium of 2 rather than 6 months.

    More in depth analysis also taking into account additional factors such as the effects of last year’s increase of the minimum conservation reference size for bass and reduced availability of bass will be undertaken.

    Gear type

    Previous average tonnage 2011-13

    Estimated tonnage catch potential in 2016

    Estimated % reduction from 2011-13 average

    Bottom Trawl

    131

    37

    72%

    Nets

    378

    224

    41%

    Hook and line

    171

    167

    2%

    Purse seine

    56

    21

    63%

    pelagic trawl

    77

    11

    86%

    Totals

    813

    460

    43%
  • Richard Burden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Richard Burden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2016-02-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 29 January 2016 to Question 24913, what assessment he has made of the likely take-up of the (a) deck and (b) other Maritime Trailblazer ratings apprenticeships (i) before and (ii) after the introduction of the Apprenticeship Levy from April 2017.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    The Apprenticeship Levy will encourage the take up of apprenticeships generally. It is not possible to say how it might impact on individual apprenticeships, particularly those still under development.

  • Dawn Butler – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Dawn Butler – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dawn Butler on 2016-02-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will undertake an urgent and comprehensive review into British arms export licences to Saudi Arabia.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    The UK Government is satisfied that export licences for Saudi Arabia are compliant with the UK’s export licencing criteria. The Government takes its arms export responsibilities very seriously and operates one of the most robust arms export control regimes in the world. The Government routinely keeps factors relevant to the licensing of arms exports under active review, and Ministers are consulted in the event of any significant changes in the circumstances relating to UK-licensed exports to ensure that licences comply with the Consolidated EU and National Arms Export Licensing Criteria. Since the outset of the conflict in Yemen the Government has kept all extant licences and new licensing to Saudi Arabia under continuous review, and has exercised special caution and vigilance in granting new licences for exports to Saudi Arabia, handling each on a case-by-case basis. The conflict in Yemen is being monitored closely, and that monitoring is taken into account as part of the careful risk assessment for exports to Saudi Arabia.

  • The Lord Bishop of Leeds – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The Lord Bishop of Leeds – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by The Lord Bishop of Leeds on 2016-03-23.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they have taken to record the atrocities that have been committed by Daesh in Iraq so that, in due course, offenders may be brought to justice.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    This Government wants to see accountability for Daesh abuses, and has supported efforts to document them. The UK co-sponsored the UN Human Rights Council Resolution in September 2014 mandating the investigation of Daesh abuses.

    In Iraq, we are funding training for human rights defenders to improve victim support and case documentation of sexual violence committed by Daesh. It is hoped that this evidence will be able to be used in the future to hold the perpetrators to account.

  • Paul Monaghan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Paul Monaghan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Monaghan on 2016-05-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to review applications from Canadian nationals for indefinite leave to remain to ensure that decision-making is (a) appropriate and (b) evidence-based.

    James Brokenshire

    We do not comment publicly on individual cases. UK Visas and Immigration will write to the Honourable Member to provide an update on this case.

    There are no plans for a specific review of the administrative handling of immigration applications from Canadian nationals for indefinite leave to remain. UK Visas and Immigration is, however, committed to the principles of continuous improvement and to applying these to ensure processes are efficient and effective.

    The administrative requirements, and service standards, to which applicants for indefinite leave to remain are subject, are set out at www.gov.uk/browse/visas-immigration/settle-in-the-uk. This information is reviewed regularly, with a view to ensuring it is as clear as possible.

  • Barry Sheerman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Barry Sheerman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Barry Sheerman on 2016-06-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to ensure that prospective parents are given adequate and balanced information on (a) living with Down’s Syndrome and its effect on families, (b) the life prospects of people with Down’s Syndrome and (c) community and other support available for people with Down’s Syndrome and their families.

    Jane Ellison

    If testing during pregnancy indicates the baby will be born with Down’s syndrome, the parents should be offered genetic counselling to allow them to discuss the impact of the diagnosis. They may also be offered an appointment to meet a doctor or other health professional who works with children with Down’s syndrome, who can also tell them more about the condition and answer any questions they may have. This may include information on the support available.

    More detailed information for parents is also available from NHS Choices.

  • Lord Berkeley – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Lord Berkeley – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Berkeley on 2016-09-05.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government why citizens of the Irish Republic resident in the UK were allowed to vote in the referendum on 23 June when passport holders from other EU countries resident in the UK were not.

    Baroness Chisholm of Owlpen

    The franchise for the EU referendum was based on the UK Parliamentary franchise and this was debated, voted on and agreed by Parliament. As the referendum was an issue of national significance Parliament concluded that the general election franchise was the right one to use. Irish citizens resident in the UK are entitled to vote in Parliamentary elections and so were able to vote in the referendum. Citizens of other EU countries resident in the UK are not eligible to vote in UK Parliamentary elections, with the exception of those from Cyprus and Malta which are also Commonwealth countries.

  • Lord Jopling – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Lord Jopling – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Jopling on 2016-10-20.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Statement by Baroness Anelay of St Johns on 13 October (HLWS187), what was the average price paid by Government Hospitality per bottle of (1) white, and (2) red, wines produced in (a) France, (b) Germany, (c) Italy, (d) Spain, (e) South Africa, (f) Australia, (g) New Zealand, (h) the United States, and (i) the UK.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    As highlighted in the Annual Statement of 13 October (HLWS187), the average cost per bottle of wine bought by Government Hospitality in 2015-16 was £11.00. Government Hospitality does not calculate the average cost of bottles purchased by type or country of origin, as to do so would incur disproportionate costs.

  • Gordon Marsden – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Gordon Marsden – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gordon Marsden on 2015-11-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, pursuant to the Answer of 3 November 2015 to Question 13325, how many mathematics enhancement programmes his Department offered people in the further education sector in each year from 2010-11 to 2014-15; and how many such programmes he estimates his Department will offer in 2015-16.

    Nick Boles

    The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) began offering bursaries to graduates to train to teach maths in the academic year 2013/14. 61 and 136 people took up such bursaries in 2013/14 and 2014/15, respectively. It is estimated that 167 maths bursaries will be taken up in 2015/16.

    The maths enhancement is a joint BIS/Department for Education supported programme and commenced in the academic year 2013/14. During 2013/14 and 2014/15 over 2,450 existing further education teachers participated in the maths programmes. During 2015/16 we are continuing to support access to a pipeline programme to enhance the maths skills of existing teachers. This is being delivered by the Education and Training Foundation. We have not made an estimate of the number of programmes that will be taken up in 2015/16.

    Emerging findings from the evaluation of the further education (FE) workforce programmes have shown a positive impact on the confidence and effectiveness of FE teachers delivering maths either as a core subject or in vocational context. The evidential basis for intervention in maths teaching was based on the clear need to raise the Maths attainment rates of students in further education; and improve the quality of Maths teaching as identified by Ofsted inspection reports.