Category: Speeches

  • Lord Alton of Liverpool – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Lord Alton of Liverpool – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool on 2016-01-12.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether any North Korean assets are held in the UK; and what steps they are taking to freeze assets they suspect to be linked to weapons proliferation, smuggling, money laundering, or human rights abuses in North Korea.

    Lord O’Neill of Gatley

    HM Treasury has, since 2007 implemented European Union sanctions against individuals and entities identified as linked to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s (DPRK) nuclear programmes.

    The result of these sanctions is that financial institutions are required to freeze funds and economic resources of persons, entities and bodies engaged in or providing support for North Korea’s nuclear-related, other weapons of mass destruction-related or ballistic missile-related programmes. Any assets in the UK which are owned, held or controlled by any of the 70 listed individuals and entities identified as linked to North Korea’s nuclear programmes are frozen. HM Government works to ensure that these measures are robustly implemented, including by looking to uncover assets which may be hidden behind complex company structures.

  • Nigel Huddleston – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Nigel Huddleston – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nigel Huddleston on 2016-02-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions his Department has had with Ofcom on (a) allocating additional resources and (b) developing additional measures to monitor accidental interference to programme making and special events services from (i) licence-exempt and (ii) manually configure white space devices.

    Mr Edward Vaizey

    Government considers Ofcom’s existing powers of enforcement sufficient to address interference from unlicensed use at this time. Ofcom is working with the Federation of Communication Services to develop a Code of Practice for the installation of manually configured white space devices. Ofcom also plans to conduct early-phase compliance checks on licensees of manually configured devices.

  • Rehman Chishti – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Rehman Chishti – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rehman Chishti on 2016-02-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many incidents of laser pen attacks were recorded on trains in the last five years.

    Claire Perry

    The following number of incidents of involving laser pens and trains has been recorded over the last 5 years:-

    2011

    2012

    2013

    2014

    2015

    81

    76

    46

    64

    59
  • Steve McCabe – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Steve McCabe – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2016-03-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she is permitted to consider a bid from a Combined Authority for a Police and Crime Commissioner elected in May 2016 to be subsumed by a Metro-Mayor.

    Mike Penning

    If a local area were to make the case to transfer Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) functions to an elected mayor, secondary legislation would set out the details of the transfer of powers and the relevant timescales based on discussions between the local area and central government.

    These powers are provided for in Section 107F of the Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Act 2009 (as amended by the Cities and Local Government Devolution Act 2016), which sets out the Secretary of State’s necessary order making powers to enable the transfer of PCC functions to an elected mayor.

    Local areas can put forward a proposal to transfer PCC functions at any time and, as stated in response to the honourable member’s earlier question on this issue [32271], any proposal submitted by a local area for an elected mayor to take on PCC functions would be considered on its merits, on a case-by-case basis. The timing of any transfer of powers would also form part of this consideration.

  • Lilian Greenwood – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Lilian Greenwood – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lilian Greenwood on 2016-04-29.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, at which stations Network Rail plans to defer Access to All works from Control Period 5 into Control Period 6.

    Claire Perry

    The Access for All programme was‎ reviewed as part of Sir Peter Hendy’s report into Network Rail’s investment programme for Control Period 5 (2014-2019).

    We are currently considering consultation responses to the report and working with Network Rail to decide which stations may be affected.

  • Gareth Thomas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Gareth Thomas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gareth Thomas on 2016-06-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many and what proportion of migrants staying in the UK for more than three months did not have an ID card containing both their photograph and fingerprints in each of the last seven years.

    James Brokenshire

    The Home Office does not hold this information.

    Biometric residence permits (BRP) are issued to non-European Economic Area (EEA) migrants who are granted leave to come and stay in the UK for more than six months. The BRP contains the photograph and fingerprints of the holder. Since August 2015, all non-EEA nationals applying for leave for more than six months must also apply for a BRP.

  • Charlotte Leslie – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Charlotte Leslie – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Charlotte Leslie on 2016-09-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many people in England received NHS treatment as a result of road traffic accidents in each year since 2010.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    These data are not collected centrally.

  • Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

    Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2016-10-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether UK-based research institutions will be able to access the EU’s Horizon 2020 programme until 2020; and if he will make a statement.

    Joseph Johnson

    UK-based researchers can continue to apply for competitive EU research funding through the Horizon 2020 programme while we remain a member of the EU. We will work with the Commission to ensure payment when funds are awarded. The Treasury will underwrite the payment of such awards, even when specific projects continue beyond the UK’s departure from the EU. Access to apply to Horizon 2020 after we leave the EU will be a matter for the negotiations that will follow the triggering of Article 50.

  • Alison McGovern – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Alison McGovern – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

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

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on ensuring that mental health is removed as an obstacle to entering the workplace.

    Alistair Burt

    Ministers at the Department of Health and Department for Work and Pensions met on 3 June and agreed to greater cross government working between our respective Departments. Following that meeting, the Department of Health and Department for Work and Pensions Work and Health Unit was created to improve the health and employment outcomes of benefit claimants. Next year, the unit will launch a range of voluntary mental health and employment pilots to support working age individuals with or at risk of developing a mental health condition retain and return to employment.

    We know that people come into contact with the welfare system at a time when they may be vulnerable because of unemployment and its associated consequences. The Department for Work and Pensions provides guidance and training for staff to help them identify and support people who may be vulnerable.

  • Lord Glenarthur – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Lord Glenarthur – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Glenarthur on 2016-01-12.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they continue to share with the Scottish Government the public finance element of the Caledonian Sleeper franchise operated by Serco Group, and if so, what has been the cost to both Governments since the Serco Group franchise contract commenced in April 2015.

    Lord O’Neill of Gatley

    Responsibility for the Caledonian Sleeper service is devolved to the Scottish Government.

    At Autumn Statement 2011 the government committed to invest £50m in the Caledonian Sleeper service, conditional on co-funding from the Scottish Government, to support this valuable cross-border service. This funding was transferred as part of the 2012 Supplementary Estimates round.