Category: Speeches

  • Lord Storey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Lord Storey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Storey on 2015-12-17.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the 20 Miles More group’s campaign to extend HS2 to Liverpool.

    Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

    The government recognises that Liverpool is a major city and a significant market. Evidence from Liverpool City Region has been assessed but no decision has yet been made on the Phase Two route other than the route to Crewe.

    Liverpool will benefit from day one of HS2. Phase One will cut 28 minutes from the journey time between Liverpool and London. Accelerating the line to Crewe will reduce journeys by a further 14 minutes.

    HS2 will ensure that it maximises the synergies with the Northern Powerhouse, to make the most of the two networks. In this way opportunities may be created for Liverpool to benefit still further.

  • Tim Loughton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Tim Loughton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tim Loughton on 2016-01-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when she plans to publish the findings of the review into children’s residential care undertaken by Sir Martin Norey.

    Edward Timpson

    This review is being led independently by Sir Martin Narey. The review is currently expected to report to Government in spring 2016 and its findings will be published after this.

  • David Winnick – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    David Winnick – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Winnick on 2016-02-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what plans he has to urgently consult with medical authorities on ensuring a meningitis B vaccine is provided to all young children; and if he will make a statement.

    Jane Ellison

    National immunisation programmes are introduced on the advice of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), the independent expert body that advises the Government on all immunisation matters. JCVI’s recommendations are based on a comprehensive and careful review of a wide range of evidence including information from medical experts.

    JCVI reviewed the available evidence on meningitis B vaccine and recommended a national Meningococcal B (MenB) immunisation programme for infants. The MenB vaccine is first offered to babies at 2 months of age, with further doses offered when they reach 4 and 12 months of age.

    MenB was introduced into the NHS programme in September 2015. JCVI keeps the eligibility criteria of all vaccination programmes under review and considers new evidence as it becomes available. If JCVI provides further advice about the programme, we will consider this.

  • David Morris – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    David Morris – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Morris on 2016-03-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether he has made an assessment of the resilience of the (a) mobile telephone network, (b) landline telephone network and (c) fibre optic broadband network after a power cut; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr Edward Vaizey

    Government continually assesses the resilience of the communications network and works closely with the communications industry to do this. Power is the main dependency of the communications sector, and the Strategic Defence and Security Review (SDSR), published in November 2015, highlighted Government’s commitment to enhancing the UK’s resilience to power disruption. Government will continue to work with industry to ensure the ongoing resilience and availability of services across the sector in the event of power loss.

  • Justin Madders – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Justin Madders – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Justin Madders on 2016-04-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how much his Department provided in start-up costs for the Greater Manchester City Region Mayor.

    Mr Mark Francois

    We are not providing funding for start-up costs for the Greater Manchester Combined Authority mayor, with any such costs being met by the Combined Authority from the resources available to it.

  • Victoria Atkins – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Victoria Atkins – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Victoria Atkins on 2016-05-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what work her Department has undertaken with international partners on access to sources of data that can be used to enhance the security of the UK border.

    James Brokenshire

    The Government works multilaterally and bilaterally with foreign governments, international law enforcement partners and security agencies to share data in order to strengthen the UK border against a range of security threats. The UK uses Interpol’s Stolen and Lost Travel Documents Database to identify individuals trying to enter the UK on such documents.

    Since April 2015, the UK has also had access to the Schengen Information System which allows us intercept individuals at the border who are subject to a European Arrest Warrant. The Government also works with the global carrier industry to process passenger and crew information to inform border security decisions in advance of travel to or from the UK and at the border.

  • Jim Shannon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Jim Shannon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-07-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what recent estimate his Department has made of the proportion of women undergoing chemotherapy who experience side effects of that treatment.

    David Mowat

    The Department has made no such estimate. Chemotherapy involves the use of powerful cancer killing drugs and side effects are common. The severity and nature of the side effects will vary from patient to patient, and will also depend to the type of drug being used and the duration of the treatment.

  • Gregory Campbell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Gregory Campbell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gregory Campbell on 2016-10-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the average amount of student loans outstanding for graduates has been in each of the last three years ending on 31 March 2016.

    Joseph Johnson

    The Student Loans Company (SLC) administers student loans for each of the UK Government Administrations. Statistics covering English student loan borrowers are published annually by the SLC in the Statistical First Release (SFR) ‘Student Loans in England’:

    http://www.slc.co.uk/official-statistics/student-loans-debt-and-repayment/england.aspx

    Information on the average outstanding Higher Education loan balance of borrowers liable to repay by repayment cohort and tax year can be found in table 5A(iii) of the SFR. The figures refer to borrowers who received loans as English domiciled students studying in the UK or as EU domiciled students studying in England.

    “

  • Nigel Evans – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Nigel Evans – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nigel Evans on 2015-10-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many students from India were granted a visa to study in Britain in 2014.

    James Brokenshire

    There were 11,699 entry clearance visas granted to Indian nationals for study in 2014. This figure relates to main applicants, and is available in the published entry clearance visa statistics (Immigration Statistics April-June 2015, Home Office, table vi_06_q_s, Tier 4 & pre-PBS equivalent).

    The latest quarterly Home Office immigration statistics on entry clearance visas are published in ‘Immigration Statistics, April-June 2015’, available from the Library of the House and from the Home Office website at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/migration-statistics

  • Richard Burden – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Richard Burden – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2015-11-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department has taken to promote to UK investors the publication by the European Commission of the Interpretative Notice on indication of origin of goods from the territories occupied by Israel since June 1967, on 11 November 2015.

    George Eustice

    The principal feature of the Interpretative Notice is a recommendation that goods imported into the EU which originate from Israeli settlements in the territories occupied by Israel since 1967 should bear an indication which makes that provenance clear. That recommendation was included in technical advice to UK retailers and importers concerning labelling agricultural produce from the West Bank that was issued by Defra in 2009. We are currently in discussion with other Departments to consider whether revisions need to be made to the 2009 advice in the light of the Interpretative Notice.