Category: Speeches

  • Tulip Siddiq – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Tulip Siddiq – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tulip Siddiq on 2016-02-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 11 December 2015 to Question 19716, what proportion of oral appeals were not represented in each month of the last three years.

    Karen Bradley

    Further to my earlier response of 11 December 2015, the proportion of oral appeals where the Secretary of State for the Home Department was not represented for each month of the last three years is set out in the attached data table. As set out in my previous answer the proportion of oral appeals not represented increased between January – September 2015 in comparison to the previous 2 years. This was the result of the availability of presenting resource in the Home Office to match court listing schedules which varied from forecasts used for planning purposes to a significant extent. Resources were put in place to address this and representation rates increased in the final three months of the calendar year.

  • Stephen Timms – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Stephen Timms – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2016-03-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to encourage more people to train as adults’ social workers.

    Alistair Burt

    The Chief Social Worker for Adults is actively working with the profession to create a highly skilled, flexible workforce which is able to contribute to improved outcomes for people in all settings.

    She is developing a comprehensive framework for continuous professional development for adult social work, which will include development of specialisms in key areas of practice, such as dementia, end of life care and learning disabilities. This will provide a clear progression route for both newly qualified and experienced social workers to deepen their knowledge, skills and practice.

    The Government has funded four teaching partnerships which build on and enhance the existing arrangements between Higher Education Institutions and employers. The key aims are to improve the quality of education received by social work students, mainly through a greater experience of quality statutory placements and employer involvement in the selection of students and provision of placements.

    The Department has also developed Think Ahead, a new fast-track scheme for exceptional graduates and career-changers to become mental health social workers. The programme has been in development since 2014 and will take its first graduates in July 2016.

  • Alex Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Alex Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alex Cunningham on 2016-04-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 17 March 2016 to Question 31014, what steps her Department is taking to (a) improve water quality and (b) ensure that all water bodies achieve good status as soon as possible.

    Rory Stewart

    The Department has not been issued with any fines relating to any aspect of its implementation of the Water Framework Directive.

    The exemptions referred to in my reply to PQ 31014 are:

    • Article 4(4) provides for extensions of the deadline to 2021 or 2027 for reasons of disproportionate cost or technical feasibility;

    • Article 4(5) provides for setting of less stringent objectives where it would be disproportionately expensive or technically infeasible to achieve good status due to natural conditions or the effects of essential human activity;

    • Article 4(6) allows for temporary deterioration due to natural causes such as extreme floods or prolonged drought; and

    • Article 4(7) allows for deterioration from high status to good status and failure to achieve good status to allow for new sustainable development activities.

    The application of each of the exemptions is subject to conditions set out in the above provision.

    River Basin Management Plans (RBMPs) provide the framework for protecting and improving the water environment. Updated plans covering the period 2016 to 2021 were published by the Environment Agency (EA) on 18 February.

    The Plans for England confirm over £3 billion investment in the water environment by 2021, leading to improvements in at least 680 water bodies by 2021, including an overall target to enhance at least 8,000km of fresh waters by 2021. The EA is currently working with Defra to profile the delivery of this target over the six years that the RBMP covers, and is also working with partners to explore opportunities to deliver more.

    The EA coordinates action by water companies, farmers, local groups, businesses and councils to achieve the targets set out in the Plans. These actions include reducing pollution from sewage treatment works, managing water abstraction, opening up rivers to salmon and other fish species, and improving the physical habitat.

  • Tulip Siddiq – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Tulip Siddiq – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tulip Siddiq on 2016-05-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 9 May 2016 to Question 36224, on proceeds of crime, how many reporters received no reply within seven working days following the first working day after the report was submitted; and by what statutory authority appropriate consent is given to reporters who do not receive a reply from the National Crime Agency within the seven day limit.

    Mr John Hayes

    Between October 2011 and September 2015 a total of 61 reporters who requested consent under Part 7 of the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 (POCA) received no reply from the NCA within the seven working days (referred to as the notice period in POCA). Where an authorised disclosure is made under section 338 POCA, appropriate consent is afforded to a reporter in cases where no reply is provided by the NCA at the end of the seven day notice period under section 335(3) POCA or in the case where the disclosure is from a nominated officer in the regulated sector, under section 336(3) POCA.

  • Barry Gardiner – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Barry Gardiner – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Barry Gardiner on 2016-06-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what steps his Department is taking to implement the recommendations in the first report of the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative, published in April 2016.

    Anna Soubry

    The Extractives Industry Transparency Initiative (EITI) requires implementing countries to form a Multi-Stakeholder Group (MSG) consisting of industry, civil society and government, who work in partnership to implement EITI. The MSG meets every 2 months with the next meeting on 12 July.

    The UK MSG is currently reviewing the first year’s report and these recommendations form part of that review.

  • Chuka Umunna – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Trade

    Chuka Umunna – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Trade

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chuka Umunna on 2016-09-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, how many citizens of other EU countries work in his Department.

    Greg Hands

    Following her appointment on 13 July 2016 the Prime Minister established the Department for International Trade (DIT). The DIT aggregates UK Trade and Investment (UKTI), UK Export and Finance (UKEF), Trade Policy Units from the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS), as well as some new hires.

    Until such time as a transfer of functions order establishes the Secretary of State as a corporation sole, DIT remains a unified Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS) department for accounting purposes.

    As DIT is currently being formed, details of the staff that the Department employs is being finalised, whilst employee transfers and recruitment are taking place.

  • Rebecca Long Bailey – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Rebecca Long Bailey – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rebecca Long Bailey on 2015-11-13.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions the Government has had with (a) Amazon and (b) eBay on VAT fraud conducted by online traders operating from outside the EU; and what safeguards his Department has put in place to prevent such fraud.

    Mr David Gauke

    HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is actively targeting operational and intelligence activity, as well as a range of other options, to tackle this issue. However, HMRC is unable to give details of their plans in respect of any individual taxpayer because of taxpayer confidentiality.

  • Julian Lewis – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Julian Lewis – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Julian Lewis on 2015-12-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when HMS Ocean was last refitted; how much that refit cost; and what the intended out-of-service date was stated to be at the time of that refit.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    Work on the last refit of HMS Ocean began in December 2012 and was completed in August 2014 at a cost of £71 million. The timing of the refit was driven by the mandatory requirement to revalidate the ships safety and environmental certification.

    The decommissioning date of 2018 is the same as that planned at the time of her refit.

  • 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 2016-01-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how the Independent Review to assess the potential benefits of aligning hospital services in Manchester is being funded; and whether the head of the review, Sir Jonathan Michael, will be remunerated for carrying out that role.

    Ben Gummer

    These are matters for the local National Health Service.

    The NHS needs to ensure it is delivering the highest quality care and the best clinical outcomes for patients.

    Accordingly, the NHS in Manchester has commissioned an independent review of hospital services to identify where changes might be required to ensure consistently high standards of care.

  • Helen Whately – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Helen Whately – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Helen Whately on 2016-02-09.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 11 September 2015 to Question 8466, how many additional extended ministerial offices have since been established.

    Matthew Hancock

    An Extended Ministerial Office (EMO) is also being established in the Scotland Office.