Category: Speeches

  • Richard Burgon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Richard Burgon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burgon on 2016-03-23.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what criteria he plans to use to ensure sales of Government shares in Royal Bank of Scotland maximise value for the public purse.

    Harriett Baldwin

    The first sale of Government shares in RBS was conducted in August 2015 and raised £2.1 billion for the taxpayer. This was an important first step in returning the bank to private ownership, which is the right thing to do for the taxpayer and for British businesses: it will promote financial stability, lead to a more competitive banking sector, and support the interests of the wider economy.

    The government will conduct further sales of RBS shares subject to market conditions, and in doing so will maximise value for the taxpayer. The returns on the government’s interventions in RBS will be determined by the success of the whole of the selling programme, rather than the terms achieved on the first few disposals.

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

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

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Ahmed on 2016-05-03.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Anelay of St Johns on 27 April (HL7738), what assessment they have made of the impact of their representations on the government of Israel with regard to house demolitions, in the light of the number of deaths and injuries caused during such incidents in the first three months of 2016.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    The Government remains extremely concerned at the large increase in demolitions in the Occupied Palestinian Territories since the start of 2016, compared to the monthly average in 2015. We are not aware of any deaths which have resulted from demolitions. Our Embassy in Tel Aviv continues to regularly raise our concerns on demolitions with the Israeli authorities. As a result of these representations, the UK’s humanitarian and legal concerns on demolitions have been made clear.

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

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

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Patten on 2016-06-20.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Gardiner of Kimble on 25 May (HL39), what discussions they have had with the National Trust about badger culls; what was the outcome of those discussions; and whether they will publish the results of those discussions.

    Lord Gardiner of Kimble

    Defra officials have regular conversations with the National Trust about the Government’s 25-year strategy to eradicate bovine tuberculosis (TB) in England. The National Trust has published its view on badgers and TB on its website.

  • Tim Farron – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Tim Farron – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tim Farron on 2016-09-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to the Queen’s Speech 2016, if her Department will publish detailed plans to create the right for every household to access high speed broadband.

    Matt Hancock

    Following the Queen’s Speech, the Digital Economy Bill has been introduced which includes measures to enable the Government to implement and review a new broadband Universal Service Obligation. We have asked Ofcom to undertake a detailed technical analysis on a range of factors that will impact on the design of the USO. Once we have considered Ofcom’s report, we will consult on the detailed specifications for the USO which will be set in secondary legislation once the Bill has received Royal Assent.

  • Fiona Mactaggart – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Fiona Mactaggart – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Fiona Mactaggart on 2016-10-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many victims of human trafficking applied for asylum in each year from 2010 to 2015 by gender, age, citizenship and type of exploitation.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    Between 1 January 2010 and 30 September 2015 1,200 applications for asylum were submitted by individuals recognised as victims of human trafficking by the National Referral Mechanism. Of those, 782 individuals (65.2%) were successfully granted some form of leave to enter/remain in the UK as a result of their asylum application.

  • Catherine McKinnell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Catherine McKinnell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Catherine McKinnell on 2015-11-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what estimate he has made of the average cost to the public purse of a vacated trial in (a) Magistrates’ courts and (b) the Crown Court.

    Mr Shailesh Vara

    HMCTS is unable to provide the information requested, as this information is not held.

  • Jim Shannon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Jim Shannon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2015-12-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will take steps to encourage school children to participate in rifle shooting (a) sports and (b) as part of armed forces cadet activities.

    Edward Timpson

    Physical education (PE) is a compulsory subject at all four key stages in the national curriculum for maintained schools in England. It sets out the expectation that pupils should be provided with opportunities to engage in a broad range of competitive sports and activities. Teachers have the flexibility to organise and deliver a range of activities; this can include rifle shooting where teachers have the specific expertise.

    The government announced in the summer that it was allocating £50m from LIBOR fines to support the cadet expansion programme. This will deliver the Prime Minister’s commitment to expand the number of cadet units to 500 across the UK by 2020.

    The Cadet Expansion programme is a joint MOD/DfE initiative. Cadet units aim to build character, discipline and leadership skills, particularly among disadvantaged young people, through military themed activities. Cadets will have the opportunity to experience rifle shooting as part of the cadet syllabus under the supervision of fully trained Cadet Force Adult Volunteers.

  • Robert Flello – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Robert Flello – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Robert Flello on 2016-01-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that the new migrant camp being built in Dunkirk does not have a negative effect on UK-bound lorries.

    James Brokenshire

    Any proposals for accommodation for migrants in Dunkirk, or elsewhere in Northern France, are a matter for the French authorities.

    The haulage industry is hugely important to UK trade and prosperity and the Government takes the security of UK-bound traffic, as well as the safety of hauliers and tourists using the ports in Northern France, very seriously.

    The Government has listened to industry concerns and continues to work closely with the French authorities at both political and operational levels on a package of measures to bolster the security of the ports. Action has been taken to improve the flow of traffic at the Juxtaposed Controls; and a new secure waiting area at Calais for UK-bound lorries with capacity for 230 vehicles will be completed by spring 2016. In the interim, Border Force has worked with the Calais port operator and introduced a secure freight circulation and waiting area for around 200 vehicles.

    Border Force advice for drivers – published on gov.uk – is to alert the authorities of the country they are in as soon as they suspect persons may be seeking to enter their vehicle. The website also provides hauliers and drivers with emergency contact details for the relevant French authorities and is applicable at all the ports in Northern France.

  • Tulip Siddiq – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Tulip Siddiq – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tulip Siddiq on 2016-02-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 4 February 2016 to Question 24387, whether the proposed changes to mitigate the effect of lorry traffic on the hedgehog population in the area of Regent’s Park will require an amendment to the High Speed Rail (London – West Midlands) Bill.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    The identified impact on the Regent’s Park hedgehog population is from the provision of replacement car parking for the Zoological Society of London rather than from lorries accessing the proposed lorry holding area. The measures being considered to mitigate this effect in the Regent’s Park area do not require an Additional Provision to the Bill. Any mitigation measures outside the limits of the Bill would be delivered with the cooperation of The Royal Parks.

  • Robert Flello – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Robert Flello – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Robert Flello on 2016-03-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make representations to his Colombian counterpart on reports of threats and human rights violations by the Colombian army and police towards members of the Patriotic March.

    Mr Hugo Swire

    Our Embassy in Bogotá met members of the Patriotic March on 20 January 2016 to discuss concerns around these threats and human rights violations. They will continue to monitor the situation closely and will ensure reports of threats against members of the Patriotic March are raised with the Colombian Government.