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Category: Speeches

  • 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 support to overseas students who convert to Christianity in the UK to ensure they are not persecuted for their religious beliefs when they return to their country of origin.

    Alok Sharma

    The UK is a staunch defender of the right to freedom of religion or belief internationally. We believe that societies where freedom of religion or belief is protected are fairer, more tolerant and better able to resist extremist ideologies.

    With this in mind, we actively lobby governments for changes to laws and practices that discriminate against individuals on the basis of their religion or belief.

    In many cases students have access to alumni networks, often supported or endorsed by the British Embassy, once they have returned to their country of origin. Such networks can offer moral and practical support in times of need.

  • Stephen Timms – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Stephen Timms – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2016-09-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what progress the Government has made to reduce the disability employment gap.

    Penny Mordaunt

    We recognise that the gap between the employment rates of disabled people and non-disabled people remains too large.

    Last year the Work and Health Unit was established to lead the drive for improving work and health outcomes for people with health conditions and disabilities, as well as improving support for people absent from work through ill health and those at risk of leaving workforce.

    The Unit has begun work to build the evidence base of what works to support disabled people and people with health conditions to obtain and remain in work.

    We plan to produce a Green Paper later this year that will explore a range of ways to improve the prospects and transform the lives of disabled people and people with long term health conditions by removing barriers that prevent them from working, and helping ensure that they are able to obtain and remain in work.

  • Tania Mathias – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Tania Mathias – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tania Mathias on 2015-11-17.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of a fundraising preference service on the work of the charity sector.

    Mr Rob Wilson

    The Fundraising Preference Service, recommended by the Etherington reviewinto fundraising, will re-balancepower back to individuals and help them to press the ‘reset’ button on their relationship with fundraisers, giving them control over the fundraisingcommunications they receive from charities. It will stop people being inundated withrequests which they do not wish to receive and it will stop charities wasting resources oncommunicating with people that do not wish to hear from them. It also seeks to underwritepublic trust and confidence in charities which is vital to the sector’s work.

    A working group involving charities is being established to develop the detailed plans for theimplementation of the service.

  • Andy Slaughter – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Andy Slaughter – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andy Slaughter on 2015-12-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what support he has made available to enable people with learning disabilities to serve on juries in the last five years.

    Mr Shailesh Vara

    Jury service is one of the most important civic duties that anyone can be asked to perform. Her Majesty’s Courts and Tribunal Service (HMCTS) is committed to ensuring that the public are provided with the necessary support to fulfil this duty where possible.

    Jurors are asked in advance to let HMCTS know if they have any special requirements as a result of disability or other special needs. Where courts are informed about a potential juror’s particular needs, HMCTS will make adjustments that can reasonably be made to enable them to carry out their jury service.

    HMCTS does not retain records of such requests and is unable to provide data of such instances in the last five years.

  • Catherine McKinnell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Catherine McKinnell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Catherine McKinnell on 2016-01-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to ensure that vulnerable people are prioritised in the provision of settled accommodation.

    Mr Marcus Jones

    Under Part 7 of the Housing Act 1996, households that include someone who is vulnerable, for example because of old age, physical or mental disability or any other special reason, have a priority need for accommodation. Housing authorities must ensure that suitable accommodation is available for anyone if they are in priority need, are eligible for assistance and unintentionally homeless.

  • Margaret Ritchie – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Margaret Ritchie – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Margaret Ritchie on 2016-02-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what plans his Department has for consultation with (a) civil society groups, (b) the devolved administrations and (c) Northern Ireland to inform its report for the third cycle of the Human Rights Council Universal Periodic Review.

    Dominic Raab

    We have not yet been informed of the date of the third Universal Periodic Review of the UK.

  • Julie Cooper – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Julie Cooper – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Julie Cooper on 2016-03-14.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many people have been employed on zero-hours contracts in (a) Burnley and (b) Lancashire in each of the last six years.

    Mr Rob Wilson

    The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.

  • Stephen Gethins – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Stephen Gethins – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Gethins on 2016-04-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether it is planned that officials of his Department will attend the trial of Egyptian non-governmental organisations scheduled for 20 April 2016 in Cairo.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    Representatives of the Embassy attended the previous hearing on 24 March, and plan to attend the next hearing on 20 April. We are deeply concerned by growing restrictions on civil society in Egypt. I encourage the government of Egypt to work with civil society organisations to implement the rights guaranteed by the Egyptian constitution and allow non-government organisations to operate freely.

  • George Kerevan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    George Kerevan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by George Kerevan on 2016-05-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, whether there is any involvement of China National Nuclear Corporation as a stakeholder in the construction or ownership of the Hinkley Point C reactor.

    Andrea Leadsom

    This is a commercial matter for EDF Energy.

    Any company involved in the UK civil nuclear sector must meet the robust requirements of our regulatory regime.

  • Jim Shannon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Jim Shannon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

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

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of the use of pig organ transplants for humans.

    Nicola Blackwood

    The Department has no plans to make such an assessment.