Category: Speeches

  • Chris Stephens – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Chris Stephens – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Stephens on 2016-01-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what impact assessment his Department has carried out on the effects of reductions in the universal credit work allowance on employees of his Department.

    Priti Patel

    The impact of the work allowance change cannot be considered in isolation – it is part of a broader package of measures announced at the Summer Budget, such as the increase to the personal tax allowance and introduction of the national living wage, which strengthens incentives to find work and better paid jobs.

  • Lord Campbell of Pittenweem – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Lord Campbell of Pittenweem – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Campbell of Pittenweem on 2016-02-01.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what conclusions they have drawn from the recent study of the UK’s future rotary wing requirements carried out by the Joint Helicopter Command.

    Earl Howe

    The 2015 Air Manoeuvre Future Capability Study reviewed and confirmed a number of major assumptions made about Battlefield Helicopter capabilities in the Rotary Wing Strategy of 2009. These were further tested through the Strategic Defence and Security Review 2010 and in the Defence Rotary Wing Capability Study of 2011. These included:

    Attack Helicopter capability will be sustained through the Apache Capability Sustainment Programme until at least 2040.

    Rotary Wing Heavy Lift capability will be sustained through a Chinook Capability Sustainment Programme until at least 2040.

    An opportunity exists to review the means by which medium lift capabilities are delivered from the mid-2030s, following the out of service dates for Puma Mk 2 and Merlin Mk 3/4. This will be examined initially through a capability investigation that will also consider the broader utility of unmanned aviation.

  • Lord McColl of Dulwich – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Lord McColl of Dulwich – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord McColl of Dulwich on 2016-02-25.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what processes are in place, and what action they have taken, to ensure that EEA nationals who have made applications for discretionary leave to remain (DLR) as confirmed victims of human trafficking are not considered for administrative removal until a decision has been made about their application for DLR.

    Lord Bates

    The processes and guidance in place relating to the factors to take into account in deciding whether to remove a person from the United Kingdom, including EEA nationals and potential victims of trafficking, are found within “Chapter 50: (EEA) EEA administrative removals” of the Enforcement Instructions and Guidance published on gov.uk.

    The Home Office will consider exceptional and compassionate individual circumstances that may justify leave on a discretionary basis. The “Discretionary leave” Asylum Instruction on gov.uk gives guidance to Home Office staff on considering whether to grant discretionary leave (DL).

    No action is taken to enforce the administrative removal of an EEA national identified as a potential victim of trafficking where their case is still being considered in accordance with the “Discretionary leave” Asylum Instruction. However, DL is not normally granted to EEA nationals (or their family members) where they have free movement rights under EU law and are exercising those treaty rights.

    Guidance to immigration enforcement staff on how to identify and manage victims of trafficking is provided in “Chapter 9: identifying victims of trafficking” of Enforcement Instructions and Guidance. “Chapter 53: extenuating circumstances” gives guidance to immigration enforcement staff how to consider any extenuating circumstances. Section 4 of “Chapter 50: (EEA) EEA administrative removals” sets out the criteria that apply in considering whether it is right and reasonable to remove an EEA national and whether it is proportionate given all the circumstances of the case.

  • Paul Blomfield – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Paul Blomfield – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Blomfield on 2016-03-21.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many victims of trafficking have brought civil claims against their traffickers in each of the last five years; how many such claims have resulted in awards for damages; and what the value of such awards was in such cases.

    Mike Penning

    The information requested is not held centrally.

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

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

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Tebbit on 2016-04-26.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the obligations upon member states of the EU include any duty to observe the requirements of the European Convention on Human Rights.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    The EU is not itself a party to the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). Any agreement for the EU to accede would need to be agreed unanimously by all EU Member States (including the UK) and all other contracting parties to the ECHR.

    Our renegotiation deal reaffirmed that the Charter of Fundamental Rights does not extend the ability of the Court of Justice of the European Union or domestic courts to rule on compliance with fundamental rights.

  • Richard Burden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Richard Burden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2016-06-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Answer of 26 April 2016 to Question 34503, if he will release a summary or redacted version of risk assessments carried out by the Cross-Government Working Group on RPAS.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    The Cross-Government Working Group on RPAS commissioned a piece of work, led by the Ministry of Defence, to analyse the potential use of drones for criminal purposes including the potential use of drones for terrorist purposes. This work is ongoing and being kept under review. I will place a redacted summary of the work to date in the Libraries of both Houses before the Summer Recess.

  • Steve Reed – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union

    Steve Reed – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve Reed on 2016-09-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what steps he plans to take to ensure that local government representatives are included in the process of exiting the EU.

    Mr David Jones

    As the Secretary of State said in his statement of 5 September, we are going to listen and talk to as many organisations, companies and institutions as possible – from the large PLCs to small business, from the devolved administrations through to councils, local government associations and the major metropolitan bodies.

  • Mike Kane – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Mike Kane – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mike Kane on 2016-10-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the status is of the Healthier Together programme in Greater Manchester.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    These are matters for the local National Health Service.

    We are advised by NHS England that the Healthier Together programme has now moved into implementation and is part of the Greater Manchester Health and Social Care Partnership. The recently appointed Chief Officer for the Partnership has assumed the role of Programme Sponsor to oversee the implementation phase.

    All areas of Greater Manchester are developing detailed plans and business cases for the transfer of care for high risk elective general surgery patients to the hub sites from 1 April 2017. This is a new way of working whereby current teams from different hospitals will work under single governance and leadership to achieve the required quality and safety standards for patients.

  • Hilary Benn – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Hilary Benn – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Hilary Benn on 2015-11-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, with reference to his oral Answer of 22 October 2015, Official Report, column 444WH, what steps he has taken to assess whether British-manufactured arms have been used in a responsible manner in Yemen.

    Mr Philip Hammond

    The Government takes its arms export responsibilities very seriously and operates one of the most robust arms export control regimes in the world. All export licence applications are carefully assessed on a case by case basis against the Consolidated EU and National Arms Export Licensing Criteria. A licence will not be issued, for any country, if to do so would be inconsistent with any provision of the Criteria, including where we assess there is a clear risk that it might be used in the commission of a serious violation of international humanitarian law. We are aware of reports of alleged violations of International Humanitarian Law in Yemen by all sides to the conflict and keep these under regular review. We have raised our concerns with the Saudi Government and have received repeated assurances of IHL compliance. We continue to engage with them on those assurances and urge all sides to investigate such incidents fully.

  • Louise Haigh – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Louise Haigh – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Louise Haigh on 2015-12-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many civil servants in his Department are in the redeployment pool.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    There are currently 14 people in the Departmental redeployment pool.