UKPOL.CO.UK

Category: Speeches

  • Robert Neill – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Robert Neill – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Robert Neill on 2016-07-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to her Department’s Business Broadband Review, what assessment she has made of the connection needs of businesses in London.

    Matt Hancock

    We recognises the importance of broadband access for British businesses in remaining globally competitive. That is why the Business Broadband Review was announced by the Business Secretary on 24 February. The Review is exploring the barriers faced by all businesses in the UK, especially SMEs, in accessing affordable, high-speed broadband.

  • Grant Shapps – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Grant Shapps – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Grant Shapps on 2016-09-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department plans to fund transport infrastructure projects that are completely or partly funded by EU programmes after the UK leaves the EU.

    Andrew Jones

    The Department for Transport has responsibility for UK involvement in the transport element of the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) and the Trans European Transport Network programme (TEN-T). These schemes have provided co-funding for a number of public and private sector transport infrastructure projects.

    On 13th August my Right Honourable Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer made an announcement[1], outlining the Government position on EU funding schemes, which included a commitment to provide continuity of funding for UK participants in EU programmes.

    In line with that announcement, my Department will work closely with HM Treasury and concerned stakeholders to review EU funding schemes in the round, to ensure that any ongoing funding commitments best serve the UK’s national interest, while ensuring appropriate investor certainty.

    [1] The following is a link to the announcement:
    https://www.gov.uk/government/news/chancellor-philip-hammond-guarantees-eu-funding-beyond-date-uk-leaves-the-eu

  • Owen Thompson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Scotland Office

    Owen Thompson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Scotland Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Owen Thompson on 2015-11-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for the Department for Culture, Media and Sport on the level of funding for the Big Lottery Fund.

    David Mundell

    The Scotland Office engages with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport regularly on a range of important issues, including the Big Lottery Fund. The Parliamentary under Secretary of State, Lord Dunlop, met with the Big Lottery Fund in Edinburgh on 14 September.

  • Jack Dromey – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Jack Dromey – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jack Dromey on 2015-12-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many police officers have been absent from work due to stress-related illnesses in each of the last five years.

    Mike Penning

    The Home Office does not hold data centrally on the number of officers absent from work due to stress-related illnesses. The number of officers on long term absence at 31 March each year is collected, along with information on the number of officers on long term sickness. This is published annually by HMIC in their Value for Money profiles: https://www.justiceinspectorates.gov.uk/hmic/our-work/value-for-money-inspections/value-for-money-profiles/

    These data do not allow the reasons for long term sickness to be identified.

    Chief Constables, working with directly elected police and crime commissioners, are responsible for managing the police workforce effectively and ensuring the welfare of all officers and staff.

  • Liam Byrne – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Liam Byrne – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Liam Byrne on 2016-01-20.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many young people participated in the National Citizen Service in 2015.

    Mr Rob Wilson

    Over 200,000 young people have benefitted from the National Citizen Service (NCS) since 2011. In 2014 57,789 young people took part. The figure for 2015 will be made available after an independent evaluation later this year.

    The Prime Minister has announced the ambition to expand the programme to 60% of all 16 year olds by 2021 and this is the target we aim to deliver.

    The funding for NCS was announced in the autumn statement and spending review. More than £1billion has been committed to the expansion of NCS in this parliament.

  • Keith Vaz – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Keith Vaz – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Keith Vaz on 2016-02-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what estimate she has made of the number of people who have left Yemen as refugees since March 2015.

    Mr Desmond Swayne

    Between March 2015 and 15 February 2016, the UN estimates that 171,585 people have arrived in Djibouti, Somalia, Ethiopia, Sudan, Saudi Arabia and Oman from Yemen, including Yemeni refugees and asylum-seekers, and people of other nationalities seeking protection.

  • Tom Tugendhat – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Tom Tugendhat – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Tugendhat on 2016-03-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many foreign-registered HGVs entered the UK in 2015.

    Andrew Jones

    We estimate that in 2015, 2.0 million foreign registered powered goods vehicles entered Great Britain from mainland Europe.

    Powered goods vehicles include some vehicles weighing under 3.5 tonnes, which would not be classed as heavy goods vehicles.

  • Mike Kane – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Mike Kane – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mike Kane on 2016-04-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent steps his Department has taken through the Commonwealth to promote abolition of the death penalty in all Commonwealth States.

    Mr David Lidington

    The Government supports a moratorium on use of the death penalty across the Commonwealth and works diplomatically and by means of projects to promote abolition in individual Commonwealth countries. Some Commonwealth member states are steadily moving towards abolition. Relatively few persist with carrying out executions and several are contemplating legislative reform. Fiji abolished the death penalty altogether in 2015.

  • Anne Main – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Anne Main – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Anne Main on 2016-05-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what estimate he has made of the value of the UK defence industry’s total exports to the EU in each of the last three years.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    Official Government statistics do not differentiate exports to the European region between EU and non-EU countries. In 2013, UK defence exports to the European region accounted for 12% of total sales by value, approximately £1.3 billion. In 2014, UK defence exports to the European region accounted for 10% of total sales by value, approximately £800 million. Official statistics for 2015 will be released later this year.

  • Jim Shannon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Jim Shannon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-07-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will provide assistance to the Ugandan government to support the capture of Joseph Kony in that country.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    The UK supported UN sanctions placed on the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) and Joseph Kony and will consider imposing further sanctions on other members of the LRA. The former Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my Hon. Friend the Member for Rochford and Southend East (James Duddridge) welcomed the International Criminal Court’s action in the case against LRA Commander, Dominic Ongwen and encourage the international community to work together to bring all perpetrators to justice.

    The former Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my Hon. Friend the Member for Rochford and Southend East (James Duddridge) was alarmed at the LRA’s increase in activities across eastern Central African Republic this year. Those attacks have involved looting, violence against civilians, destruction of property and abductions.

    The African Union’s Regional Task Force remains the best tool the international community has to defeat the LRA and the former Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my Hon. Friend the Member for Rochford and Southend East (James Duddridge) welcomed the extension of the operation to May 2017. He urged the UN Office for Central Africa (UNOCA) to work with the region to ensure there is no increase in LRA activity.

    The UK is working with UN Security Council partners on the MINUSCA (UN peacekeeping mission in Central African Republic) mandate renewal in which MINUSCA will be asked to enhance operational coordination and information sharing with the Regional Task Force.