Category: Speeches

  • Julie Cooper – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Julie Cooper – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Julie Cooper on 2016-03-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate his Department has made of the number of patients who will have to use other hospitals if Calderstones Partnership NHS Foundation Trust is closed.

    Ben Gummer

    No estimate has been made. These are matters for the National Health Service.

  • Kevin Hollinrake – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Kevin Hollinrake – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kevin Hollinrake on 2016-04-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that the most vulnerable people in developing countries have access to adequate hygiene and sanitation.

    Mr Nick Hurd

    DFID is committed to reaching 60 million people with water and sanitation by 2020. We reached 62.9 million people between 2011 and 2015. Improving hygiene is central to our programming. We are the largest bilateral donor for basic water and sanitation in low-income countries.

  • Andrew Bridgen – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Speaker’s Committee on the Electoral Commission

    Andrew Bridgen – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Speaker’s Committee on the Electoral Commission

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Bridgen on 2016-06-13.

    To ask the hon. Member for South West Devon, representing the Speaker’s Committee on the Electoral Commission, what guidance the Electoral Commission has given to its staff on political impartiality.

    Mr Gary Streeter

    A copy of the Electoral Commission’s code of conduct for staff has been placed in the House Library.

    This document, which is available on the Commission’s intranet and circulated at regular intervals through internal bulletins to remind staff of its content, sets out clearly the conduct expected of staff in their capacity as a Commission employee, including that, “Throughout your employment/engagement … with the Commission you are required to conduct yourself so as not to raise any questions as to the political impartiality of the Commission”.

  • Nicholas Soames – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Nicholas Soames – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicholas Soames on 2016-09-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what vessels of all types are available to the Royal Naval Reserve for training.

    Mark Lancaster

    The Royal Naval Reserve has access to all types of Royal Navy vessels to deliver effective and quality training opportunities for all Royal Naval Reservists, depending on their specialisation.

  • Jonathan Reynolds – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Jonathan Reynolds – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jonathan Reynolds on 2016-10-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what progress has been made on the electrification works on the Manchester to Stalybridge railway line.

    Paul Maynard

    The electrification works on the railway line between Manchester and Stalybridge (Phase 5 of the North West Electrification Programme), due by December 2017 will see the installation of infrastructure and improvements to facilitate overhead electrification of the railway line, delivering journey time benefits for passengers in the north of England.

    Good progress has been made on the design and planning aspects of the project. Canopy works at Stalybridge station have been completed to achieve high level clearance required for electrification, and track interventions have taken place on Phase 5 infrastructure, including track lowering and renewals to enable electrification. Detailed Design is progressing well and is at an advanced stage of development.

    This is an extremely complex engineering project ensuring electrification is delivered alongside capacity and journey time improvements. Network Rail continue to work with their contractors to develop a delivery programme to maximise passenger benefits and minimise disruption to a busy passenger and freight rail corridor.

  • Lord Lester of Herne Hill – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Lord Lester of Herne Hill – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Lester of Herne Hill on 2015-11-04.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the research on maternity discrimination, Pregnancy and Maternity – Related Discrimination and Disadvantage: First Findings, whether they will consider extending the time limit for bringing maternity discrimination claims before an employment tribunal from three to six months.

    Baroness Williams of Trafford

    The government will await the final report on pregnancy and maternity discrimination and carefully consider any recommendations from the Equality and Human Rights Commission before deciding on next steps.

  • Seema Malhotra – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Seema Malhotra – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Seema Malhotra on 2015-12-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many schools in rural areas rated by Ofsted as inadequate became academies in 2014-15.

    Edward Timpson

    In the academic year 2014/15, 33 academies were opened in rural locations, whose predecessor schools had been deemed ‘inadequate’ in Ofsted inspections prior to conversion.

  • Tim Loughton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Tim Loughton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tim Loughton on 2016-01-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what contingency arrangements his Department has made for the eventuality of a majority leave vote in the upcoming EU referendum.

    Jane Ellison

    I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my Rt. hon Friend the Prime Minister on 14 January 2016 to Question 21952.

    “

  • Lord Wigley – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Attorney General

    Lord Wigley – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Attorney General

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Wigley on 2016-02-03.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they plan to take to ensure that the recommendation by Her Majesty’s Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate in its Thematic Review of the CPS Rape and Serious Sexual Offences Units that all lawyers working at Rape and Serious Sexual Offences units undergo refresher training is implemented.

    Lord Keen of Elie

    Ensuring that staff have the tools and skills necessary to prosecute effectively is a CPS priority. A detailed CPS/Police Joint National Rape Action Plan was published in June 2014 which identified a programme of training activity to deliver improvements in investigation and prosecution outcomes. This extensive programme, consisting of a range of face to face specialist training, is currently underway. The programme includes refresher training for all specialist prosecutors undertaking rape and serious sexual offence casework which will be delivered during 2016.

  • Baroness Coussins – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Baroness Coussins – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Coussins on 2016-02-29.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what consultations they have held, if any, about the rates of pay of interpreters contracted to work for the Home Office Interpreter Operations Unit, and what the outcome of those consultations has been.

    Lord Bates

    In November 2015 the Interpreter Operations Unit wrote to all interpreters registered to work on behalf of the Home Office informing them of plans to change their rates of pay from January 2016. Some discussions were held with interpreter representatives in December 2015. All proposed changes are currently on hold pending a further internal review of existing pay and conditions. This review will take place in 2016/17.