Category: Speeches

  • Lord Kennedy of Southwark – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Lord Kennedy of Southwark – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Kennedy of Southwark on 2016-04-28.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their latest assessment of the human rights situation in the Ivory Coast.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    The British Government welcomes the progress made by the Government of Côte d’Ivoire on the issue of human rights, most notably on combating sexual violence against women and providing compensation for victims of past conflicts. We are encouraged that the Ivorian authorities have prioritised improving the poor condition of their prisons. The UK also welcomes progress made by the judiciary in combating impunity. We have urged the Government of Côte d’Ivoire to ensure that all those responsible for crimes against humanity are held accountable for their actions, regardless of political, regional, religious or tribal affiliations.

  • Baroness Tonge – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Baroness Tonge – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Tonge on 2016-06-13.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have instigated, or plan to instigate, undercover police investigations into potential female genital mutilation perpetrators in the UK.

    Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

    How the police enforce the law in any particular case, including decisions on arrests, is an operational matter. This is in line with their duties to keep the peace, protect communities and prevent the commission of offences, working within the provisions of the legal framework set by Parliament. It is for the police to decide what might assist them in enforcement. The instigation of undercover investigations and the deployment of undercover officers is an operational matter for chief officers. Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) is a crime and it is child abuse. We will not tolerate a practice that can cause extreme and lifelong physical and psychological suffering to women and girls. To support the police in investigating cases of FGM, in March 2015 the College of Policing published Authorised Professional Practice and on 1 April we published updated multi-agency guidance on FGM for all professions, which we have put on a statutory footing to support compliance.

  • Steve McCabe – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Steve McCabe – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

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

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 12 July 2016 to Question 42179, what plans he has to support the creation of high quality and high paying jobs in city regions.

    Mr David Gauke

    We have gone further than any other government in devolving significant powers and funding from central government to city regions through devolution deals – which will result in high quality jobs, local growth, and reduce regional variations in tax generation. We are breaking with decades of centralisation, handing real powers away from Whitehall and closer to local people.

    The government has made several commitments which will boost high quality job creation across the regions. £200m has been committed to Transport for the North, strategic investments have been made in science (including £235m for the Sir Henry Royce Institute in Manchester,) Hull has been backed as the 2017 City of Culture, and we are creating a Midlands Engine Investment Fund of over £250m.

  • Christopher Chope – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Christopher Chope – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Christopher Chope on 2016-10-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 17 October 2016 to Question 48308, when he expects to reach a conclusion on whether the proposal for the combined authority meets the statutory test; and if he will place in the Library a copy of the summary of consultation responses submitted on 26 July 2016.

    Andrew Percy

    In reaching a decision, the Secretary of State will take into account the governance review, the councils’ statutory scheme setting out their proposals, the summary of responses which is available on the councils’ web site at the link below, and any other relevant information, and plans to take decisions, likely to be around the start of 2017, on a timetable that would enable the combined authority to be established on 1 April 2017.

    https://www.dorsetforyou.gov.uk/article/421739/Dorset-Combined-Authority-proposals-and-consultation

    “

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

    Jim Cunningham – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2015-11-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what his most recent estimate is of the number of UK military personnel currently involved in military operations in (a) Iraq and (b) Syria; and if he will make a statement.

    Penny Mordaunt

    We have over 850 military personnel committed to Operation SHADER (counter-ISIL operations in Iraq and Syria) based across the Middle East

  • Danny Kinahan – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Danny Kinahan – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Danny Kinahan on 2015-11-30.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the reasons for removing treatment options for (a) multiple myeloma and (b) other rare cancers from the Cancer Drugs Fund.

    George Freeman

    No such assessment has been made. NHS England is responsible for the operational management of the Cancer Drugs Fund (CDF) and decisions on which treatments are included on the national CDF list are made by the CDF expert clinical panel, which includes expert oncologists, oncology pharmacists and patient representatives.

  • Lord Roberts of Llandudno – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Lord Roberts of Llandudno – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Roberts of Llandudno on 2016-01-11.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what support they give to voluntary organisations engaged in the refugee crisis.

    Earl of Courtown

    The UK has pledged over £1.1 billion to date to help alleviate the Syria Crisis, our largest ever humanitarian response. The UK is supporting a range of implementing partners working in Syria and neighbouring countries, including United Nations agencies, international Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), the Red Cross/Crescent and other international organisations.

    In relation to the Mediterranean migration crisis, the UK is supporting host government capacity and organisations such as the Red Cross, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the United Nations Children’s fund (UNICEF), the International Organisation for Migration, and NGOs to provide basic care, assistance, protection, and informationto vulnerable people.

  • Jamie Reed – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Jamie Reed – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jamie Reed on 2016-02-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the potential effect on Copeland Borough Council’s spending power of reforms to business rates announced in the Summer Budget 2015.

    Mr Marcus Jones

    The Government has announced reforms to the business rates retention scheme which mean that, by the end of this Parliament, local government will keep 100% of locally raised business rates and 100% of the growth generated by new development. Over the coming months we will be working with local government on the details of the scheme.

    Ahead of final decisions, it is too early to assess what the impact of the reforms will be on individual areas’ spending power.

  • Stephen Timms – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Stephen Timms – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2016-02-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 22 February 2016 to Question 26584, on housing: young people, what conditions vulnerable young people have to meet in order to qualify as being in need of support.

    Mr Marcus Jones

    Young people’s eligibility for support with their housing costs is set out in the relevant benefit regulations.

  • Liz Saville Roberts – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Wales Office

    Liz Saville Roberts – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Wales Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Liz Saville Roberts on 2016-03-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, whether he has had discussions with the Welsh Government on strengthening and extending the remit of the Children’s Commissioner for Wales.

    Guto Bebb

    The Children’s Commissioner for Wales plays an essential role as part of wider efforts to protect children.

    I have already spoken to the Commissioner by phone and look forward to further engagement in the future to discuss any concerns she may have about the extent of her remit.