Category: Speeches

Simon Kirby – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Simon Kirby on 2014-04-03.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what progress his Department has made in implementing the Military Covenant; and if he will make a statement.

Anna Soubry

There is a statutory obligation on the Defence Secretary to report annually on progress in implementing the Armed Forces Covenant. The second annual report was published in December 2013 and contains comprehensive updates on the four major areas specified in the Armed Forces Act 2011, namely healthcare, education, housing, and the operation of inquests.

I look forward to significant further progress in the coming year, including supporting Service personnel to buy their first home through the £200 milion Forces Help to Buy scheme, improving patient care by establishing a unified defence primary healthcare service, and allocating £40 million to support charities which assist veterans with housing needs.

The Covenant is not just a matter for the Government; recognising and respecting the specific needs of the Armed Forces community is a duty incumbent on the whole of society. Charities, employers, local authorities and individuals can play their role in providing the support and fair treatment that our Service personnel, veterans and service families so richly deserve.

01/11/2022
Baroness Royall of Blaisdon – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Royall of Blaisdon on 2014-06-17.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what effect they consider that the provisions contained within clause 21 of the Infrastructure Bill will have onthe policy stated in their response to recommendation 27 of the Independent Panel on Forestry’s Final Report.

Baroness Stowell of Beeston

There has been some uninformed and misleading speculation on this issue, as I am happy to make clear that the Infrastructure Bill’s provisions will have no impact on the Public Forest Estate. This point was also made by my noble Friend, Baroness Kramer, during Second Reading on 18 June 2014, Official Report, Column 899.

Clause 21 of the Infrastructure Bill is completely unconnected to the Government’s stated policy to establish a new public body to hold the Public Forest Estate.

The Government has no intention of transferring land from the new body to the Homes and Communities Agency, as the Public Forest Estate is currently in use and not declared surplus. As such, the powers will not be used in relation to this body and will therefore have no effect on it.

Instead, Clause 21 simply enables surplus land to transfer directly from named public bodies directly to the Homes and Communities Agency, rather than being transferred into the ownership of a Whitehall department first, saving unnecessary bureaucracy. The underlying policy intention is to make it easier for surplus and redundant brownfield land to be sold and help build more homes.

The Clause 21 arrangements will only apply to public bodies included on a list set out in secondary legislation. I can confirm that this list will not include the new body to hold the Public Forest Estate.

01/11/2022
Barry Gardiner – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Barry Gardiner on 2014-04-03.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the reason is for the time his Department has taken to revise and publish environmental guidance on gov.uk.

Dan Rogerson

A target has been set to simplify all of Defra and its agencies’ guidance, including general reader and specialist guidance, by March 2015 with an expected reduction in volume of over 80%.

Guidance reform plans have now been prepared for all environmental topics and the Environment Agency started to put revised guidance on GOV.UK on 31 March. Seventy per cent of simplified content for the general reader will be on GOV.UK during April and the rest by June.

Defra and the Government Digital Service (GDS) are working closely together to make the most effective use of resources as GDS migrates Defra’s arm’s length bodies’ web content to GOV.UK. The original target date for completing this migration process was March this year. This timing has been revised to July.

01/11/2022
Lord Laird – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Laird on 2014-06-17.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Taylor of Holbeach on 17 December 2013 (WA 189), what was the text of the Somali nationality law which required in the case of Mohammed Ahmed Mohamed the loss of Somali nationality on his naturalisation as a British citizen.

Lord Taylor of Holbeach

The following is a direct quote from Article 10 of the 1962 Somali nationality law which governed loss of Somali citizenship – Any Somali citizen who:
a) having established his residence abroad, voluntarily acquires foreign country (sic);
b) having established his residence abroad, and having acquired, for reasons beyond his will, foreign citizenship or the status as subject of a foreign country, declares to renounce foreign citizenship;
c) being abroad and having accepted employment from a foreign Government or voluntarily serving in the armed forces of a foreign country, continues to retain his post, notwithstanding the notice from, the Somali Government that, unless he leaves the employment or the service within a definite period of time, he shall lose Somali citizenship; shall cease to be a Somali citizen.

01/11/2022
Andrew Rosindell – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2014-04-03.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the effect of Japan’s lifting of its ban on arms exports on the UK.

Mr Hugo Swire

The Japanese government’s new guidelines on arms exports have shifted the country’s policy on arms exports from a de facto ban with occasional exceptions, to a set of principles governing the transfer overseas of defence equipment. This move is in line with Japan’s National Security Strategy, published last year, and reflects the commitment of the Japanese government to play a more active role in international peace and security, a commitment which the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague) welcomed when he visited Tokyo in October 2013.

The new principles which the Japanese government have published make clear that Japan will implement its new export control regime in line with international treaty obligations, including the Arms Trade Treaty, and UN Security Council resolutions. Applications will be subject to strict examination and transparency, and controls will be applied concerning extra-purpose use and third-party transfer.

For the UK, the new export control principles may give rise to further opportunities for British defence companies to engage in co-development and joint production of defence equipment with Japanese partners. This builds on the UK-Japan Defence Equipment Cooperation Framework agreement signed by the Foreign Secretary with his Japanese counterpart in July 2013.

01/11/2022
Lord Kennedy of Southwark – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Kennedy of Southwark on 2014-06-16.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what changes local authorities are required to make to their information technology services in order to remain connected to the gov.uk secure network.

Lord Wallace of Saltaire

The Public Services Network (PSN) is a new and trusted single network for government. Ninety-eight per cent of local authorities have already transitioned to PSN, with the remainder due to transfer before the end of summer.

The Cabinet Office is supporting local authorities as they transition to PSN by providing guidance, project managers and information assurance specialists.

01/11/2022
Sadiq Khan – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sadiq Khan on 2014-04-03.

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many staff of each grade were available for detached duty arrangements in each month since December 2013.

Jeremy Wright

The Ministry of Justice has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

01/11/2022

Adrian Bailey – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Adrian Bailey on 2014-06-16.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, (a) how many higher national diplomas and (b) higher national certificates have been completed in each of the last 10 years.

Mr David Willetts

The Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) collects and publishes data on student qualifiers at UK Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). The number of students registered at an English Higher Education Institution, who qualified with a Higher National Diploma (HND) and a Higher National Certificate (HNC) in the last 10 years can be found in the table below.

It has not been possible to provide a time series data for FECs because of the disproportionate cost in providing this analysis.

Qualifiers from HND and HNC courses by mode of study

Registered at English Higher Education Institutions

Academic year 2003/04 to 2012/13

Level of study

Mode of study

2003/04

2004/05

2005/06

2006/07

2007/08

2008/09

2009/10

2010/11

2011/12

2012/13

HND

Full-Time

7,660

6,035

5,025

3,980

3,475

2,630

2,635

2,460

2,385

1,955

Part-Time

1,575

1,465

1,140

860

720

710

565

540

515

Total

9,235

7,500

6,165

5,120

4,335

3,350

3,345

3,025

2,925

2,470

HNC

Full-Time

135

125

160

135

160

115

215

Part-Time

3,940

3,195

2,995

2,780

2,745

2,900

3,155

2,320

2,275

1,785

Total

4,075

3,320

3,155

2,945

2,825

2,955

3,295

2,480

2,390

2,000

Source: Higher Education Statistics Agency Student Record

Notes:

1. Figures are based on HESA qualifications obtained population and have been rounded up or down to the nearest multiple of five, so components may not sum to totals.

2. Students registered at English HEIs will include both students studying at English HEIs and students franchised at Further Education Colleges.

01/11/2022

Stephen Timms – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2014-04-03.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the effect of recent social and employment programmes financed through the European Social Fund; and if he will make a statement.

Esther McVey

The European Social Fund supports a range of activities to help unemployed and disadvantaged people improve their employment prospects and skills. These activities expand or enhance the support provided by national and local programmes. Recent activities are being evaluated by a number of research studies and a cohort survey of participants. Reports on these will be published during 2014 and 2015.

01/11/2022
Jonathan Edwards – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Deputy Prime Minister

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jonathan Edwards on 2014-06-16.

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what costs have been incurred under each cost heading for the production and postage of anti-Scottish independence pamphlets to be sent to every home in Scotland.

Greg Clark

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Angus on 19 June 2014, Official Report, column 667W.

01/11/2022