Category: Speeches

  • Andy Slaughter – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Andy Slaughter – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andy Slaughter on 2015-10-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment his Department has made of the potential change in the levels of fraud if the funding of insolvency litigation is changed under the provisions of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012.

    Dominic Raab

    An Impact Assessment was published when the Legal Aid Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 received Royal Assent.

    The Ministry of Justice is in the process of considering the way forward in relation to the application to insolvency litigation of the no win no fee reforms in Part 2 of the Legal Aid Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012.

  • Adam Afriyie – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Adam Afriyie – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Adam Afriyie on 2015-10-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many households in the UK have been fitted with satellite broadband as part of the Government’s broadband rollout.

    Mr Edward Vaizey

    The Government has provided £780 million to support the roll-out of superfast broadband to 95 per cent of homes and businesses in the UK. In addition, the Government is supportingseven pilot projects exploring options for delivering superfast broadband services to the hardest to reach parts of the UK. Through these pilots, satellite broadband has been provided to 327 premises to date. Customers are being connected every day, so this figure is subject to constant change.

  • Stephen Gethins – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Stephen Gethins – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Gethins on 2015-10-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how much funding her Department has contributed to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria (a) since the creation of that fund and (b) in each of the last five years.

    Grant Shapps

    The UK remains a strong and active supporter of the Global Fund and has pledged a contribution of up to £1 billion between 2014 and 2016 for the Global Fund’s 4th replenishment, subject to a 10% donor share cap. As part of this, in 2015-16 the UK has contributed £100m.

    The 5th replenishment, for 2017-2019, has not been launched yet, so the UK contribution has not yet been determined.

    The UK has contributed £2.05bn to the Global Fund since its inception. From a standing start in 2002, the UK’s unwavering support has enabled the Global Fund to keep 8.1 million people alive with HIV therapy, distribute 548 million mosquito nets, detect and treat 13.2 million cases on TB, and has contributed to a decline of one third in the number of people dying from the three diseases since 2002 in Global Fund countries.

    The UK has contributed: £128m in 2011/12; £128m in 2012/13; £543m in 2013/14; £285m in 2014/15, and; £100m 2015/16. This totals £1.184bn over the 5-year period.

  • Jim Cunningham – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Jim Cunningham – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2015-10-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 23 October 2015 to Question 12252, what plans his Department has to increase the nutritional content of meals served to the prison population.

    Andrew Selous

    Meals offered to prisoners are nutritious, balanced, varied and in line with government recommendations on eating a healthy diet.

    Last year, National Offender Management Service developed a model of cyclical four week menus, working closely withtheir food suppliers and nutritional technologists. As part of this process, a dietary and nutritional specialist was commissioned to review, analyse and make recommendations on the overall balance and nutritional content of the menus. These recommendations were incorporated and the menus are available to Prison Catering Teams.

    Prisons are also encouraged to seek nutritional advice on any changes to menus to ensure they meet national standards.

  • Meg Hillier – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Meg Hillier – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Meg Hillier on 2015-10-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his oral contribution of 20 October 2015, Official Report, column 813, what discussions he has had with ministers in the Turkish government on ensuring that freedom of the press is upheld in that country as it relates to citizens of any country.

    Mr David Lidington

    Foreign and Commonwealth Office Ministers and officials regularly encourage Turkey to continue to work towards the full protection of fundamental rights, including the principles of freedom of expression and freedom of the press. I discussed these issues, in the context of Turkey’s accession to the EU, when I last met my Turkish counterpart in August this year.

  • Lord Paddick – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Lord Paddick – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Paddick on 2015-10-23.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions they have had with the emergency services in Scotland about ensuring that the new communications network being procured under the emergency services mobile communications programme meets the coverage requirements of rural and island communities.

    Lord Bates

    The Emergency Services Mobile Communications Programme has had on-going discussions and workshops with the emergency services, including those in Scotland, about all aspects of the new network including coverage requirements in the Highlands and Islands of Scotland.

  • Caroline Flint – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Caroline Flint – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Flint on 2015-10-23.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the practice of insurers automatically signing up customers to annual renewals without the explicit consent of those policy holders.

    Harriett Baldwin

    I refer my hon. Member to the answer given on the 26 October 2015 to Question UIN 12727.

  • Zac Goldsmith – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Zac Goldsmith – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Zac Goldsmith on 2014-02-27.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many deaths of (a) infants, (b) children, (c) adults and (d) elderly people have been recorded in the UK from antibiotic-resistant bacterial meningitis infection by age group in each year since 1990.

    Mr Nick Hurd

    The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.

  • Mrs Sharon Hodgson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Mrs Sharon Hodgson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mrs Sharon Hodgson on 2014-02-24.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what proportion of civil servants in his Department who were promoted in each of the last five years were (a) male and (b) female.

    Mr Francis Maude

    Promotion in the Cabinet Office is based on merit and suitability for the post in question.

    The requested statistics on promotion are not readily available. However, we estimate that male staff constituted 51% of all those promoted since April 2011. This closely reflects the overall proportion currently working in my Department.

    Figures for ethnicity and disability are not available. Cabinet Office does not compel staff to declare against workforce diversity indicators, including ethnicity and disability.

  • Mr David Hanson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Mr David Hanson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mr David Hanson on 2014-02-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to investigate the English language test results of students who completed English language tests organised by ETS in each of the last three years.

    James Brokenshire

    The Home Office has suspended acceptance of all ETS tests taken and used in the
    UK whist the scope of the issue is ascertained and to determine the number of people who
    have taken a test and been involved in fraud. We have specialist teams in place
    to undertake this analysis.

    We are looking at all current and past applications. Anyone who is found to
    have used or is currently trying to use evidence that they obtained dishonestly
    can expect to have their leave curtailed and be removed from the UK or have any
    outstanding application refused and leave the UK. We will also seek criminal
    prosecution where appropriate and use all of the measures that we have
    available.

    Our reforms have curbed abuse by closing bogus colleges, making the application
    process more rigorous and imposing more rules on colleges to improve course
    quality. However, as the recent BBC Panorama programme highlighted, much more
    needs to be done.
    The Government will take all necessary steps, but our approach also requires
    the education sector, particularly private or further education colleges and
    those providing secure English language testing, to take on their
    responsibility to tackle abuse.