Category: Speeches

  • Lord Alton of Liverpool – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Lord Alton of Liverpool – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool on 2016-05-04.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the campaign by the Syriac Military Council and its militia in recapturing territory, including Assyrian villages, from ISIS.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    We welcome all successes against Daesh. Ultimately, the best way of safeguarding minorities such as the Assyrians and the majority population is by defeating Daesh and establishing a lasting peace in both Syria and Iraq.

    The Syriac Military Council has been a component part of the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG)-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) since the SDF’s formation in late 2015. The SDF receives support from the Global Coalition in its efforts to combat Daesh in Northern Syria.

  • John Redwood – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    John Redwood – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Redwood on 2016-06-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what EU directives related to his Department’s responsibilities are awaiting transposition into UK law.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    The following EU Directives related to my Department’s responsibilities are awaiting transposition into UK law:

    Directive No:

    Directive title:

    2012/34/EU

    DIRECTIVE 2012/34/EU OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of 21 November 2012 establishing a single European railway area.

    2014/88/EU

    Commission Directive 2014/88/EU of 9 July 2014 amending Directive 2004/49/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards common safety indicators and common methods of calculating accident costs Text with EEA relevance.

    2013/55/EU

    DIRECTIVE 2013/55/EU OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of 20 November 2013 amending Directive 2005/36/EC on the recognition of professional qualifications and Regulation (EU) No 1024/2012 on administrative cooperation through the Internal Market Information System (‘the IMI Regulation’).

    2013/35/EU

    Directive 2013/35/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 26 June 2013 on the minimum health and safety requirements regarding the exposure of workers to the risks arising from physical agents (electromagnetic fields) (20th individual Directive within the meaning of Article 16(1) of Directive 89/391/EEC) and repealing Directive 2004/40/EC.

    2014/90/EU

    Commission Directive 2014/90/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 July 2014 on marine equipment and repealing Council Directive 96/98/EC.

    2014/94/EU

    DIRECTIVE 2014/94/EU OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of 22 October 2014 on the deployment of alternative fuels infrastructure.

    2015/2087/EU

    Amending Annex II to Directive 2000/59/EC of the European Parliament and the Council on port reception facilities for ship-generated waste and cargo residues.

    EU 2014/112

    COUNCIL DIRECTIVE 2014/112 of 19 December 2014 implementing the European Agreement concerning certain aspects of the organisation of working time in inland waterway transport.

    EU 2015652

    COUNCIL DIRECTIVE (EU) 2015/652 of 20 April 2015 laying down calculation methods and reporting requirements pursuant to Directive 98/70/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council relating to the quality of petrol and diesel fuels.

    EU 2015/719

    DIRECTIVE (EU) 2015/719 OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of 29 April 2015 amending Council Directive 96/53/EC laying down for certain road vehicles circulating within the Community the maximum authorised dimensions in national and international traffic and the maximum authorised weights in international traffic.

    EU 2015/413

    DIRECTIVE (EU) 2015/413 OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of 11 March 2015 facilitating cross-border exchange of information on road-safety-related traffic offences.

    2014/52/EU

    Directive 2014/52/EU on the assessment of the effects of public and private projects on the environment.

    EU 2015/1513

    Co-decided (EU) Directive 2015/1513 amending Directive 98/70/EC on the quality of petrol and diesel fuels (and amending Directive 2009/28/EC on promotion of use of energy from renewable sources).

    EU 2015/1794

    DIRECTIVES ★ Directive (EU) 2015/1794 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 6 October 2015 amending Directives 2008/94/EC, 2009/38/EC and 2002/14/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council, and Council Directives 98/59/EC and 2001/23/EC, as regards seafarers.

    EU 2016/797

    DIRECTIVE (EU) 2016/797 OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of 11 May 2016 on the interoperability of the rail system within the European Union (recast).

    EU 2016/798

    DIRECTIVE (EU) 2016/798 OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of 11 May 2016 on railway safety (recast).

    EU 2016/844

    COMMISSION DIRECTIVE (EU) 2016/844 of 27 May 2016 amending Directive 2009/45/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council on safety rules and standards for passenger ships (Text with EEA relevance).

    EU 2016/882

    COMMISSION DIRECTIVE (EU) 2016/882 of 1 June 2016 amending Directive 2007/59/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards language requirements (Text with EEA relevance).

    2014/45/EU

    DIRECTIVE 2014/45/EU OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of 3 April 2014 on periodic roadworthiness tests for motor vehicles and their trailers and repealing Directive 2009/40/EC (Text with EEA relevance.

    2014/46/EU

    DIRECTIVE 2014/46/EU OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of 3 April 2014 amending Council Directive 1999/37/EC on the registration documents for vehicles THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION.

    2014/47/EU

    DIRECTIVE 2014/47/EU OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of 3 April 2014 on the technical roadside inspection of the roadworthiness of commercial vehicles circulating in the Union and repealing Directive 2000/30/EC (Text with EEA relevance).

  • Lord Pendry – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Lord Pendry – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Pendry on 2016-09-05.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Olympic Games in Rio, what steps they will take to encourage greater participation in sport in the UK, in particular among women and ethnic minorities.

    Baroness Chisholm of Owlpen

    The brilliant performance of Team GB at this year’s Olympic Games will have inspired many to take part in sport and physical activity. We are determined to get more people from under-represented groups including women and ethnic minorities taking part in sport and physical activity and to remove any barrier that prevents them from doing so. Government’s sport strategy ‘Sporting Future: A New Strategy for An Active Nation’ states that in future government will, via Sport England, support work designed to get more people from under-represented groups engaging in sport and physical activity and wherever possible, this focus on under-represented groups will run through all Sport England funding.

  • Hugo Swire – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Hugo Swire – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Hugo Swire on 2016-10-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what support officials of his Department are providing for the Commonwealth Trade Ministers’ meeting in London in 2017.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    The UK will co-host this meeting with Malta in London next March. Officials are working closely with colleagues in the Department for International Trade and the Commonwealth Enterprise and Investment Council on the practical arrangements and how the meeting can be used to increase cooperation, break down trade barriers and improve trading environments.

  • Andrew Stephenson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Andrew Stephenson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Stephenson on 2015-11-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent representations he has received on expansion and improvement of educational facilities in prisons; and if he will make a statement.

    Andrew Selous

    Education is embedded in a wide range of regime activities which occur within a prison including classrooms, libraries and industries. No data is held centrally on the proportion of space at each prison (and this would incur disproportionate cost to calculate).

    The Secretary of State for Justice announced on 8th September a review of the quality of education in prisons, chaired by Dame Sally Coates. The review will examine the scope, quality and effectiveness of current provision. It will consider the scope and range of the current curricula and identify the most effective teaching and delivery models. Stakeholders are being consulted and a Call for Evidence has been issued. A copy of the terms of reference are lodged in the library of the House and at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/review-of-prison-education-terms-of-reference

    “

  • Craig Whittaker – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Craig Whittaker – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Craig Whittaker on 2015-12-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps his Department is taking to work with sports clubs to discourage young people from taking performance enhancing drugs.

    Tracey Crouch

    Performance enhancing drugs remain a threat to the integrity of sport and the health and wellbeing of all our athletes. The Government supports the work of UK Anti-Doping which works tirelessly to ensure athletes and sport are clean. Through testing programmes, intelligence sharing with law-enforcement agencies on supplying and trafficking, and its excellent athlete education initiatives, UKAD is one of the world’s most highly regarded national anti-doping organisations.

  • Frank Field – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Frank Field – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Frank Field on 2016-01-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what discussions her Department has had with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation on eradication of polio.

    Mr Nick Hurd

    The UK and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation are both committed to global polio eradication. The Secretary of State and officials from her Department have had a number of meetings with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to discuss polio. Officials also have regular policy discussions through both organisations’ participation on the Global Polio Oversight Board and its Finance and Accountability Committee.

    The UK is a top three donor to polio eradication, with a £300 million commitment from 2013 to 2018. UK support has been critical in bringing us one step closer to the finish line of a world free from polio, something people across the country can be immensely proud of.

  • Andrew Gwynne – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Andrew Gwynne – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Gwynne on 2016-02-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much his Department has paid out in compensation to (a) internal and (b) external claimants in each year since 2010.

    Alistair Burt

    The value of compensation payments made in each year since 2010* is outlined in the table below.

    Year Compensation paid

    Value of compensation paid to external claimants

    Value of compensation paid to internal claimants

    2014/15

    £211,000

    £173,750

    2013/14

    £3,648

    £0

    2012/13

    £17,825

    £250

    2011/12

    £0

    £0

    2010/11

    £0

    £0

    *2015/16 data is still being audited and will be available when the final accounts are published later this year.

  • Mrs Madeleine Moon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Mrs Madeleine Moon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mrs Madeleine Moon on 2016-03-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when the current contractor was appointed to run the facilities at the Atomic Weapons Establishment Aldermaston; when the next open competition for that contract will begin; and if he will make a statement.

    Michael Fallon

    The current contract for the management and operation of the Atomic Weapons Establishment, including the Aldermaston site, was awarded in 2000 following an open competition and will expire in 2025. No decision has been made on how any succeeding contract might be awarded.

  • 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, if he will publish and place in the Library his correspondence on the (a) sale of Government’s Dividend Access Share and (b) proposed sale of Government shares in Royal Bank of Scotland since August 2015.

    Harriett Baldwin

    HM Government reached an agreement with RBS and the European Commission on 9 April 2014 to amend the terms of the Dividend Access Share (DAS). The full terms of this agreement can be found on the European Commission’s website:

    http://europa.eu

    The first sale of Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) shares was conducted in August 2015. The advice which the Chancellor received from a) the Governor of the Bank of England; b) N.M. Rothschild; c) HM Treasury; and d) UK Financial Investments (UKFI) is available on the Government’s website:

    www.gov.uk.

    The government has not undertaken any sale of RBS shares since August 2015.

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