Category: Speeches

  • Jim Shannon – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Jim Shannon – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2014-03-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of which countries in Africa (a) have the highest incidence of illegal killing of wildlife and (b) have the largest illegal trade in wildlife with China.

    George Eustice

    As a Party to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), the UK supports work to monitor the illegal killing of wildlife. My Department has provided £270,000 since 2009 to support the CITES Secretariat to undertake such work, including the MIKE (Monitoring the Illegal Killing of Elephants) project and ETIS (Elephant Trade Information System).

    In response to assessments made of illegal killing, the CITES Secretariat has identified the following African counties as primary source countries for ivory: Cameroon, Egypt, Ethiopia, Gabon, Kenya, Mozambique, Nigeria, Uganda, the Congo, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the United Republic of Tanzania. Assessments have also shown that illegal killing poses a significant threat to rhinoceros populations, particularly in Zimbabwe and South Africa.

    These countries are taking action under CITES, such as producing National Ivory Action Plans, but many are going beyond this. For example,Botswana, Chad, Ethiopia, Gabon and Tanzania announced the Elephant Protection Initiative at the London Conference in February. This initiative aims to secure new funding from private and public sources for the implementation of the African Elephant Action Plan. Other recent developments include Gabon announcing plans to impose new penalties for poachers and traffickers, and Ethiopia committing to destroying its ivory stockpiles.

    Further knowledge is needed about the trafficking of the products of poaching of wildlife from source countries to consumer countries, particularly in Asia. The Declaration adopted at the recent London Conference on the Illegal Wildlife Trade took an important step forward in relation to this, with over 40 countries agreeing to undertake further assessment, initially over the next twelve months, of the markets and dynamics of the illegal wildlife trade, and the progress made in combatting it.

  • Chris Ruane – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Deputy Prime Minister

    Chris Ruane – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Deputy Prime Minister

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Ruane on 2014-05-12.

    To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, pursuant to the Answer of 5 March 2014, Official Report, column 971W, on the Electoral Administration Act 2013, whether non-individual electoral registration entries will be included on the register by the time of the freeze date for the next boundary review on 1 December 2015.

    Greg Clark

    It has not proved possible to respond to the Hon Member in the time available before Prorogation.

  • Mr Andy Slaughter – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Mr Andy Slaughter – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mr Andy Slaughter on 2014-03-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to his article published in the Daily Mail on 6 September 2013, what the evidential basis was for his statement that countless left-wing campaigners are using the judicial review system as a promotional tool.

    Mr Shailesh Vara

    The rationale for the Government’s reforms is set out in ‘Judicial review: further proposals for reform – the Government response’ (https://consult.justice.gov.uk/digital-communications/judicial-review). The Government is determined to improve the judicial review process so that it is not open to abuse and arguable cases can proceed quickly to final resolution.

    Most of the Government’s reforms to judicial review are being taken forward through the Criminal Justice and Courts Bill which will be subject to the full and proper scrutiny of Parliament.

    “

  • Alison Seabeck – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Leader of the House

    Alison Seabeck – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Leader of the House

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alison Seabeck on 2014-06-05.

    To ask the Leader of the House, how many questions to each department did not receive a substantive answer by the time of prorogation; and how long each question had been waiting for an answer.

    Mr Andrew Lansley

    This information is not held centrally and would be a matter for the individual departments concerned.

    My office collates wider departmental performance information for Ordinary and Named Day Parliamentary Questions, which I submit in relation to each session to the Procedure Committee. Each department is required to set out in its evidence to the Procedure Committee, any factors which have caused delays in answering written questions.

    Statistics relating to departmental performance for the 2012/13, 2010/12 and 2009/10 Parliamentary sessions were previously provided to the Committee and are available on the Parliament website. I expect to provide data for the last Parliamentary session shortly.

  • Jonathan Edwards – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Jonathan Edwards – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jonathan Edwards on 2014-03-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what representations he has received from the Welsh Government or the Official Opposition on Barnett consequentials for Wales resulting from future High Speed 2 expenditure.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    Ministers in the Department for Transport are in regular contact with the Welsh Assembly on a variety of matters; however, Ministers have not received representations from the Welsh Government or the Official Opposition regarding HS2 and Barnett consequentials.

    Details of ministerial meetings with external organisations are published quarterly and can be found at:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/ministerial-transparency-data#meetings

    “

  • Mark Williams – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Mark Williams – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Williams on 2014-06-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the average waiting time was in each local authority for an assessment for a disabled facilities grant in the most recent period for which figures are available.

    Kris Hopkins

    The Department for Communities and Local Government does not collect this information.

  • Gregg McClymont – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Gregg McClymont – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gregg McClymont on 2014-03-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the effect of the planned changes to pensions on retirement incomes from private and workplace pensions.

    Steve Webb

    The government believes people should be trusted to make their own choices about how to use their savings to fund their retirement. These measures fundamentally change the way that people can access their retirement savings, and therefore people are free to vary the mix of income and capital they hold in retirement.

    Alongside these changes, the government is taking measures to ensure everyone approaching retirement is aware of the choices they have. Pension providers and schemes will be required, by April 2015, to offer all individuals retiring with a defined contribution pension pot free and impartial face-to-face guidance on their retirement choices.

  • Luciana Berger – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Luciana Berger – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Luciana Berger on 2014-06-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate he has made of the potential cost of extending the human papilloma virus vaccination programme to include all boys aged 12 and 13 years.

    Jane Ellison

    We have not made any estimate of extending the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination programme to include boys aged 12 and 13 years, as the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation has not yet completed its consideration of whether HPV vaccine should be offered to males.

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

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

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Gilbert on 2014-03-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many households in temporary accommodation were subject to the benefit cap between 1 April 2013 and 31 January 2014.

    Esther McVey

    The information requested is not available.

  • Eilidh Whiteford – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Eilidh Whiteford – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Eilidh Whiteford on 2014-06-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what funding has been provided to disabled people in Scotland and the UK through the Access to Work scheme in each of the last three years.

    Mike Penning

    Please see figures for the last full three financial years for which data is available

    Access to Work programme spend in Scotland:

    2010/11: £6.5m

    2011/12: £6.0m

    2012/13: £5.9m

    Access to Work programme spend in Great Britain:

    2010/11: £105.5m

    2011/12: £98.3m

    2012/13: £99.0m