Category: Speeches

  • Lord Blencathra – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Lord Blencathra – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Blencathra on 2016-09-13.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what arrangements they have put in place to ensure that there is proper routine and emergency veterinary treatment for government cats, and any other officially owned animals in government service.

    Lord Gardiner of Kimble

    Individuals in each government department are responsible for the care of cats and any other animals residing in their buildings. We are mindful of our duties under the Animal Welfare Act, and this includes the provision of routine and emergency veterinary treatment. While no care or food costs for any animals in government buildings are funded by the public purse, these animals are supported and cared for thanks to voluntary fundraising.

    I also refer my noble friend to the answer to him of 16 September 2016 to Question 1605.

  • David Simpson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    David Simpson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Simpson on 2015-11-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will publish a financial assessment and analysis of the effectiveness of badger culling in the first three quarters of 2015.

    George Eustice

    The expected benefits of the policy remain in line with those in the ‘Measures to address bovine tuberculosis in badgers’ impact assessment published in 2011.

  • Ruth Smeeth – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    Ruth Smeeth – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ruth Smeeth on 2015-12-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, which victims’ groups she plans to meet to discuss legacy issues over the next 12 months.

    Mrs Theresa Villiers

    I met the Victims Commissioner and the Victims and Survivors Forum this week. This Government has made greater progress on legacy issues than any of our predecessors and we remain committed to the delivery of the new bodies under the Stormont House Agreement. We will continue to engage with the political parties, Northern Ireland Executive and victims groups to achieve the consensus needed to bring forward legislation.

  • Angela Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Angela Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Angela Smith on 2016-01-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what guidance her Department issues on the import and use of fox urine for the purpose of trail hunting.

    Rory Stewart

    The Government has no plans to make an assessment or issue guidance on the import and use of fox urine for the purpose of trail hunting.

  • Emily Thornberry – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Emily Thornberry – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Emily Thornberry on 2016-02-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 29 January 2016 to Question 24285, how many times (a) Brimstone missiles, (b) Hellfire missiles and (c) Paveway IV guided bombs were deployed against targets in Iraq between 2 December 2015 and 29 January 2016.

    Penny Mordaunt

    The number of weapons fired by each weapon type in Iraq during the period requested is shown below:

    Weapon Type

    Number of weapons fired at targets in Iraq

    Hellfire

    39

    Dual Mode Seeker Brimstone

    15

    Paveway IV

    230

  • Paul Flynn – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Paul Flynn – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Flynn on 2016-03-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, with reference to the Annex on a Comprehensive Franco-British Partnership on Civil Nuclear Energy, Franco-British Summit, on 3 March 2016, if she will publish the new key cooperation actions on Generation IV reactors which have been identified.

    Andrea Leadsom

    Further to an agreement at the 2014 UK – France Summit, the UK National Nuclear Laboratory (NNL) and the French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA) have been progressing work to develop a joint roadmap for collaboration, to support the Advanced Sodium Technological Reactor for Industrial Demonstration (ASTRID) project. This work was noted in the text of the 2016 UK – France summit conclusions.

    Development of this agreement and the progression of actions under the associated roadmap are a commercial matter between NNL and CEA, the details of which are subject to commercial confidentiality.

  • Lord Jones of Cheltenham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Lord Jones of Cheltenham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Jones of Cheltenham on 2016-04-11.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the scientific evidence on which the updated guidance from the Chief Medical Officer concerning alcohol consumption, published in January, was based.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    The alcohol guidelines review was undertaken by a group of independent scientific experts who were commissioned to report back to the United Kingdom Chief Medical Officers and make recommendations on new low risk drinking guidelines. The Guidelines Development Group scrutinised all of the available evidence concerning alcohol consumption including moderate alcohol consumption and the protective effects to overall mortality. They set out their assessment of the systematic reviews in their report.

    The Alcohol Guidelines Review – Report from the Guidelines development group to the UK Chief Medical Officers is attached.

  • William Cash – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    William Cash – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by William Cash on 2016-05-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what discussions she has had with the European Commission on the application of EU state aid rules related to the provision of (a) Supplementary Balancing Reserve and (b) other Black Start ancillary support contracts provided by the National Grid to Eggborough, Fiddler’s Ferry and Drax power plants; and if she will make a statement.

    Amber Rudd

    The Supplementary Balancing Reserve and Black Start services are procured directly by the System Operator, National Grid and the Government has no involvement in the tendering, or award of Supplementary Balancing Reserve or Black Start contracts. As such DECC has not discussed these with the European Commission in relation to their application to State Aid.

  • Catherine West – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Catherine West – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Catherine West on 2016-07-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what her Department’s target waiting time is for a Disclosure and Barring Service local intelligence check to be completed by the police.

    Karen Bradley

    In 2015/16, the Disclosure and Barring Service processed 87% of all applications within 21 days, against a target of 85%.

    Some of the over four million applications received each year need to be referred to one or more police forces for further checks. There is a service level agreement between the Disclosure and Barring Service and police forces in relation to the time taken to complete these local disclosure checks.

    These standards are: –

    85% of police checks must be completed in 14 days;

    90% of police checks must be completed in 18 days;

    95% of police checks must be completed in 25 days; and – 100% of police checks must be completed in 60 days.

  • Baroness Randerson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Baroness Randerson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Randerson on 2016-09-13.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what work they are undertaking to implement the Airports Commission recommendations for surface transport improvements to Stansted to make the best use of existing capacity at London’s airports, to encourage more people to travel by rail, and to reduce emissions.

    Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

    In its National Infrastructure Plan of December 2013, the government confirmed that it would be taking forward the surface access measures recommended by the Airports Commission to make best use of existing capacity at London airports.

    For Stansted, work to examine potential upgrades to rail infrastructure between London, Stansted and Cambridge has been taken forward by the West Anglia Taskforce, which was established by the government and the Mayor of London to consider this issue and the benefits it might generate.

    The Taskforce published its recommendations and a suggested timetable for action in July.

    Rail services to Stansted will also be enhanced through the new East Anglia franchise. This will bring a number of improvements for passengers travelling to the airport, including new trains with free Wi-Fi from February 2019 and a minimum 12.5% reduction in anytime return fares and anytime single fares on the Stansted Express by early 2017. By early 2018, passengers will be able to purchase tickets via a dedicated Stansted Express website, to be delivered to their mobile devices for validation. There is flexibility within the new franchise for the train operator to introduce services to different parts of London if market demand for this emerges.