Category: Speeches

Diana Johnson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Diana Johnson on 2016-10-19.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate she has made of the proportion of companies which have published details of the measures they are taking to eradicate slavery and human trafficking from their supply chains.

Sarah Newton

The Government has not estimated what proportion of businesses have reported so far.

We published guidance in October 2015 advising that businesses should report as soon as reasonably practicable after their financial year end, which in practice should mean within six months of an organisation’s financial year end.

January 1, 2023
Adam Afriyie – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Adam Afriyie on 2015-12-07.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she has taken to encourage applications to university technical colleges.

Nick Boles

Like all academies, each university technical college (UTC) is responsible for publicising their school and encouraging applications. Officials from the Department for Education and the Baker Dearing Educational Trust provide UTCs with advice to support pupil recruitment, drawing on the best practice from UTCs and other new schools. Statutory guidance to schools on careers guidance is clear that they should allow UTCs to engage with their pupils on their premises. This guidance can be found at GOV.UK: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/careers-guidance-provision-for-young-people-in-schools. This careers guidance should ensure pupils have information about their full range of education and training options.

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January 1, 2023
Oliver Colvile – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Oliver Colvile on 2016-01-18.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to simplify and make more accessible the diagnostic pathway in order to improve speed of diagnosis and access to support.

Jane Ellison

In September 2015, the NHS England Board approved the development of a personalised medicine strategy for the National Health Service which will be based around four overarching principles: the prediction and prevention of disease; more precise diagnoses; targeted and personalised interventions; and a more participatory role for patients.

The strategy will build on the 100,000 Genomes Project, which is moving the NHS to a new model of diagnosis and treatment based on the understanding of underlying genetic causes and drivers of disease and a comprehensive phenotypic characterisation of the disease (rather than deduction from symptoms and individual diagnostic tests). Personalised medicine informs the selection of the most appropriate treatment and better outcomes for individual patients – the right drug at the right time, earlier screening and treatment, smarter monitoring and the adjustment of treatments.

Furthermore, the Independent Cancer Taskforce recognised the need for more accessible molecular diagnostic provision in their report ‘Achieving World-Class Cancer Outcomes’ published in July 2015. In September 2015, the Department confirmed a commitment from NHS England to implement the Taskforce’s recommendations on molecular diagnostics.

NHS England is currently working with partners across the healthcare system to determine how best to take forward the recommendations of the Taskforce, and has appointed Cally Palmer as National Cancer Director to lead on implementation, as well as new cancer vanguards to redesign care and patient experience.

She has set up a new Cancer Transformation Board to implement the strategy, and this met for the first time on Monday 25 January 2016. There will also be a Cancer Advisory Group, chaired by Sir Harpal Kumar, to oversee and scrutinise the work of the Transformation Board. Timeframes and phasing for implementation will be dependent on the final financial settlement reached as a result of the spending review.

January 1, 2023
Daniel Zeichner – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Daniel Zeichner on 2016-02-09.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if his Department plans to provide Transport for London (TfL) with Bus Service Operators Grant funding when the general grant paid to TfL is removed from 2018.

Mr Robert Goodwill

The Department has no intention of doing this. In addition to the grants provided by the Department for Transport, TfL receives around £800 million a year of funding through the Business Rate Retention Scheme, in which the Greater London Authority passes TfL an agreed share of locally retained business rates. This funding stream has, since 2013, included an amount to reflect the changes to the payment of Bus Service Operators Grant (BSOG) that were introduced in that year. TfL will continue to receive this funding from 2018 onwards, alongside the investment grant provided by the Department.

January 1, 2023
Jim Shannon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-03-01.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what steps she is taking to reduce carbon emissions from wood stoves.

Andrea Leadsom

Directive 2009/125/EC established a framework for the setting of ecodesign requirements for energy-related products. In April 2015 Commission Regulation 2015/1185 was published, which provides minimum standards for efficiencies of wood burning stoves placed on the European market from 2022 that will reduce their carbon emissions.

Wood burning stoves that have a back boiler attached are supported through the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI). The scheme applies only to Great Britain.

Wood burning stoves are treated as having zero emissions for most inventory purposes, given that the biomass combustion releases the carbon captured during the trees’ lifetime; and that this loss of carbon from the forest is already recorded in the forestry section of the emissions inventory.

Different carbon emissions figures are used for lifecycle analysis of biomass – but these often relate to the transportation of the fuel and fuel preparation. Evidence to date suggests the fuel used in wood burning stoves, such as logs, is frequently sourced very locally with minimal preparation, and therefore has a relatively small footprint.

A tool is also available from Ofgem for calculating carbon emissions from biomass. It can be found on the Ofgem website at https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/publications-and-updates/uk-solid-and-gaseous-biomass-carbon-calculator .

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January 1, 2023
Catherine West – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Catherine West on 2016-04-08.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether consular assistance has been granted to Mr Lee Po; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Hugo Swire

We remain deeply concerned by the case of Lee Po and his involuntary removal to the mainland, which was a serious breach of the Joint Declaration. The Foreign Secretary, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond), raised the case of Mr Lee with the Hong Kong and Chinese authorities on 8 and 9 April. We continue to call for Mr Lee’s liberty to be fully restored and remain ready to provide consular assistance. To date we have not been granted consular access to him.

January 1, 2023
Lord Birt – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

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

To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many times in the three years since 1 May 2013 the maternity unit at Peterborough City Hospital has closed its doors to women about to give birth.

Lord Prior of Brampton

This information is not available centrally. This information may be obtained from Peterborough and Stamford Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. We have written to Robert Hughes, Chair of the Trust, informing him of the noble Lord’s enquiry. He will reply shortly and a copy of the letter will be placed in the Library.

January 1, 2023
Ann Clwyd – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ann Clwyd on 2016-06-14.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assistance, education and training the Government is providing to the Burmese Army; and whether the Government provides training on human rights and humanitarian obligations.

Penny Mordaunt

Her Majesty’s Government provides educational training to the Burmese military. In 2015 this included the Managing Defence in a Wider Security Context and Strategic Leadership Programmes, both delivered by the Defence Academy of the United Kingdom in partnership with Cranfield University. In addition, the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst delivered a Psychology of Leadership programme in Burma, and we have also provided English language training. Both programmes delivered by the Defence Academy included dedicated modules on Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law. Ethics in Leadership and the issue of Child Soldiers and Women and Girls in Conflict Zones are also included in the syllabus. The Government does not provide any form of combat training to the Burmese army.

January 1, 2023
Grant Shapps – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Grant Shapps on 2016-09-09.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what his Department’s policy is on the waiver of the five-year British citizenship requirement for Commonwealth recruits to military support roles.

Mike Penning

On 12 May 2016, the then Minister for the Armed Forces (Penny Mordaunt) made a written ministerial statement (HCWS 726) which announced that the five year UK residency requirement was being waived to allow for 200 Commonwealth citizens per annum to be recruited to fill a limited number of roles in the Regular Armed Forces which require specialist skills. The limit and the list of roles that can be filled under these arrangements were agreed in consultation with the Home Office. Those Commonwealth citizens who do not have the required skills to fill one of the 200 specialist roles are still required to meet the five year UK residency requirement.

Since the written statement, some 9,500 applications for specialist roles have been received from Commonwealth citizens. Many applicants will be rejected for not meeting the relevant eligibility criteria, or will fail the various stages of the selection process. The numbers who are enlisted and then successfully complete the training to fill one of these roles will therefore not exceed the 200 per annum limit.

January 1, 2023
David Amess – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Amess on 2015-10-27.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to page 9 of the Government Response to the Report of the Education Select Committee, Life lessons: PSHE and SRE in schools, HC 145 of Session 2014-15, which was published in July 2015, cm 9121, when she expects to report on progress of the quality of PSHE; and if she will make a statement.

Edward Timpson

The Department for Education is committed to considering the views of all stakeholders. As part of the inquiry into PSHE and SRE, the Education Select Committee sought evidence from a wide range of stakeholders, including parent advocacy groups and faith groups. We are aware of the range of views about these subjects. We are currently working with a group of leading headteachers to improve the provision of PSHE in schools. We will consult directly with a wider group of stakeholders when appropriate.

As stated in the government response to the Select Committee report, we will provide a progress update later this year.

January 1, 2023