Category: Speeches

  • Christian Matheson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Christian Matheson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Christian Matheson on 2016-04-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, which agreement takes precedence in areas where she has accepted a business case for the police and crime commissioner to become the fire and rescue authority, or where such a transfer is in progress, and where the Government has also agreed a City Deal that would give combined authorities responsibility over fire and rescue services.

    Mike Penning

    The transfer of responsibility for fire and rescue services to either Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) or mayoral combined authorities is consistent with the Government’s broader approach to devolution. Joining up oversight of public services in this way will promote further collaboration and enable local leaders to pursue ambitious reforms that improve local services and deliver value for money.

    The Government has been clear that it is for local leaders to determine how fire and rescue services are delivered in the best interests of their communities. The Government will consider any proposals to transfer responsibility for fire and rescue to a PCC or to a combined authority mayor on a case by case basis. There is no pre-determined order of preference.

  • Nic Dakin – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Nic Dakin – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nic Dakin on 2016-05-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, with reference to the Answer of 12 May 2016 to Question 36856, on heart diseases, when his Department plans to instruct NICE to develop specific clinical guidelines on the diagnosis, referral and treatment of patients with heart valve disease.

    George Freeman

    NHS England is responsible for commissioning clinical guidelines on healthcare topics from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE).

    NHS England has advised that it has no plans to ask NICE to develop specific clinical guidelines on the diagnosis, referral and treatment of patients with heart valve disease at this time.

  • Lord Pearson of Rannoch – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Lord Pearson of Rannoch – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Pearson of Rannoch on 2016-07-11.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of (1) the treatment of Russian minorities in the Baltic States, particularly Lithuania, and (2) whether such treatment would attract a response from Russia; and if so, what type of response that would be.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    There are sizeable Russian-speaking communities in Latvia and Estonia, and a smaller community in Lithuania. All EU Member States are obliged to meet the standards for minority rights and are subject to obligations and monitoring mechanisms, such as through the Council of Europe. Our Embassies in the Baltic States have supported programmes run by their host governments and non-governmental organisations to encourage integration, tolerance, diversity and respect for minorities – including programmes to support media plurality and social cohesion.

  • David Simpson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    David Simpson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Simpson on 2016-10-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many emergency travel documents were issued by HM Passport Office in each of the last five years.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) issues Emergency Travel Documents to British nationals overseas who need to travel urgently and do not have access to a Full Validity Passport. An emergency travel document is valid for a specific journey made at a specified time. In the past five years, the FCO have issued the following number of documents:

    2012 – 28,737

    2013 – 29,945

    2014 – 39,167

    2015 – 30,844

    2016 – 23,907

    Please note that 2016 figures cover up until the end of September.

  • Carolyn Harris – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Attorney General

    Carolyn Harris – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Attorney General

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Carolyn Harris on 2015-11-23.

    To ask the Attorney General, what recent steps the Crown Prosecution Service has taken to improve the conviction rate for rape and domestic violence.

    Robert Buckland

    The CPS has taken a number of steps to improve the conviction rate for rape and domestic violence cases. These include refocusing resources to strengthen Rape and Serious Sexual Offences Units, extensive training on rape for prosecutors, an update of the domestic abuse legal guidance and closer working with the police in rape cases including the provision of early investigative advice.

  • Stephen Timms – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Stephen Timms – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2015-12-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 8 December 2015 to Question 18747, whether people are made aware of advance Universal Credit payments being made available to them at the initial work search interview.

    Priti Patel

    To be eligible for a Universal Credit (UC) Advance payment, the claimant has to have an underlying entitlement to UC, be in financial need, and be able to afford to repay the Advance. These criteria are contained within the Social Security (Payments on Account of Benefit) Regulations 2013.

    If during the initial work search interview, a work coach identifies a claimant is in financial need, or cannot manage until they receive their first UC payment, they will advise them about advance payments.

  • Wes Streeting – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Wes Streeting – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Wes Streeting on 2016-01-25.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the oral contribution of the Economic Secretary to the Treasury of 19 January 2016, Official Report, column 1254, what the nature and scope is of the Financial Conduct Authority’s investigation into Symphony interbank communications software.

    Harriett Baldwin

    The FCA does not directly regulate the activities of Symphony Communication Services LLC or any other electronic messaging platform. However, firms that are authorised by the FCA who use messaging services such as Symphony are subject to a range of applicable requirements, including the recording and storage of such tapes and electronic communications. The FCA is monitoring developments in relation to the use of Symphony by FCA-regulated firms.

    The FCA is also in touch with regulated firms to monitor how they are using new technology in this area, and any risks that may exist.

    Treasury Ministers and officials meet regularly with the Financial Conduct Authority to discuss relevant regulatory issues.

    As was the case with previous Administrations, it is not the Treasury’s practice to provide details of all such discussions.

  • Nicola Blackwood – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Nicola Blackwood – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicola Blackwood on 2016-02-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what plans he has to reform compensation for armed forces veterans affected by mesothelioma.

    Mark Lancaster

    I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave earlier today to the hon. Member for Daventry (Chris Heaton-Harris) to question number 903759.

  • Richard Burden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Richard Burden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2016-03-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to tackle websites which promote and encourage anorexia; and what assessment she has made of the potential merits of making it a criminal offence to publish pro-anorexia material online.

    Karen Bradley

    The Government is committed to continue working with the internet industry in the United Kingdom to keep young people safe on-line and to promote access to positive support for those children and young people who are vulnerable to suggestion from so called pro-anorexia and pro-bulimia websites.

    The UK Council for Child Internet Safety (UKCCIS) brings together industry, law enforcement, academia, charities, parenting groups, and government departments to work in partnership to help to keep children and young people safe online. As part of this work, the UK’s Communications regulator, Ofcom, published good practice guidance in 2015 for providers of social media and interactive services, to encourage businesses to think about “safety by design” and make their platforms safer for children and young people under 18. A wide range of partners contributed to this project, including Twitter, Facebook, Google, Ask.FM, MindCandy and Microsoft.

    UKCCIS has also published a guide for parents and carers whose children are using social media. The guide includes practical tips about the use of safety and privacy features on apps and platforms, as well as conversation prompts to help families begin talking about on-line safety. It also contains pointers to further advice and support. The Government is clear that what is illegal off-line is illegal on-line and is not currently considering making it an offence to publish pro-anorexia material on-line.

  • David Mackintosh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    David Mackintosh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Mackintosh on 2016-04-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that funding from the public purse for her Department’s work (a) does not reach unintended destinations and (b) is tracked from its source to its intended project.

    Mr Nick Hurd

    At every stage in the programme cycle DFID assesses and mitigates the risk that aid could be diverted from its intended purpose or project. DFID provided a comprehensive written answer on 29 March 2016 [Hansard ref 31732] which set out in more detail the steps DFID take to ensure that funding from the public purse for her Department’s work (a) does not end up in unintended destinations and (b) is tracked from its source to its intended project. In addition, DFID’s Counter Fraud and Whistleblowing Unit will take all necessary steps to investigate swiftly all allegations of corruption and fraud and pursue sanctions available in each case, including dismissal, prosecution, suspension and cancellation of aid.