Category: Speeches

  • John Mann – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    John Mann – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Mann on 2014-06-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, of how many local authority plans arising from which authorities he has rejected the proposed local development framework and required additional housing supply in excess of that specified in the regional spatial strategy.

    Nick Boles

    [Holding Reply: Monday 9 June 2014]

    The Secretary of State has not rejected any Local Plan.

    The Coalition Government has put Local Plans and local councils at the heart of planning. We have abolished the unpopular and ineffective top-down targets in Regional Strategies, shifting power and responsibility for housing and planning to local councils and local communities. Regional Strategies are no longer relevant for Local Plans coming forward for examination.

    The Localism Act 2011 removed planning inspectors’ powers to impose changes on local authorities’ draft Local Plans. Instead, independent planning inspectors now report to the local authority and identify any conflicts between a draft Local Plan and national policy and regulatory process. They are able to recommend modifications to overcome these issues if they are asked to do so by the council itself. The local authority is free to choose to accept the inspector’s modifications and adopt the draft plan, or resubmit a new plan. This approach is aimed at encouraging a more collaborative process as the public examination proceeds.

  • Keith Vaz – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Keith Vaz – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Keith Vaz on 2014-03-26.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many Government contracts have been given to Airwave; and what the (a) value and (b) duration is of each such contract.

    Mr Nick Hurd

    Since January 2011, as part of the Government’s transparency programme, details of contracts above the value of £10,000 are published on Contracts Finder at:

    https://www.gov.uk/contracts-finder

    “

  • Stephen Phillips – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Stephen Phillips – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Phillips on 2014-06-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the security situation in the South Caucasus.

    Mr David Lidington

    The South Caucasus region, while currently relatively stable, is home to three unresolved conflicts and continued internal and external political tensions. As a result, the risk of renewed instability remains real.

    In Georgia, the UK supports the work of the EU Monitoring Mission; it continues to play a valuable role in helping to reduce tensions along the boundary lines of the breakaway territories of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. However we remain concerned about “borderisation” along the administrative boundary lines of the breakaway regions which only serves to exacerbate tensions in the area. The recent change of power in Abkhazia is concerning, but we are relieved that events have unfolded peacefully. We hope the acting de facto authorities respect the rights of all people in Abkhazia, in particular ethnic Georgians living in the Gali region.

    The UK is also concerned by on-going ceasefire breaches between forces along both the line of contact in Nagorno-Karabakh and the Armenia-Azerbaijan borders. It is disappointing that as we pass the twentieth anniversary of the 1994 cease-fire agreement between the conflicting parties, a sustainable, agreed settlement is still not within reach. The UK supports the work of the OSCE Minsk Group’s Co-Chairs in their attempts to find a peaceful solution to the conflict and introduce confidence building measures which will help de-escalate tensions.

    The UK remains committed to conflict resolution work in the South Caucasus. This financial year, the Conflict Pool has allocated £3m to projects in the South Caucasus that will build capacity of local communities to prevent and resolve conflicts.

  • Andy Sawford – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Andy Sawford – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

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

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Government Response to Lord Heseltine’s report No Stone Unturned: in Pursuit of Growth, when he expects to publish a draft legislative reform order to ensure that the current legislation on combined authorities is fit for purpose.

    Brandon Lewis

    As I told the House on 18 March 2014, Official Report, Column 704, and as my rt. hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (Mr Eric Pickles) indicated on 3 March 2014, Official Report, Column 621, we are minded to amend legislation to allow councils that do not share the same boundaries to join a combined authority, if they wish. This change can be delivered through a Legislative Reform Order, subject to statutory consultation and approval of Parliament.

  • Rehman Chishti – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Rehman Chishti – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rehman Chishti on 2014-06-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what progress his Department has made in turning around failing hospitals.

    Mr Jeremy Hunt

    Through the use of special measures, the Care Quality Commission, Monitor and the NHS Trust Development Authority are making considerable progress at turning around failing hospitals.

    Across the trusts now in the regime, there are over 1,200 new nurses and nursing assistants, as well as 118 more doctors.

    I am delighted that Basildon yesterday became the first trust to exit special measures. This is clear proof that our tough action to turn these hospitals around is working.

  • Mr Nick Gibb – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Mr Nick Gibb – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mr Nick Gibb on 2014-03-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will list all academy sponsors with 10 or more academies. [R]

    Mr Edward Timpson

    Sponsors with 10 or more academies are:

    · Academies Enterprise Trust (AET)

    · Academy Transformation Trust

    · ARK Schools

    · Cabot Learning Federation

    · CfBT Education Trust

    · Clifton Diocese

    · David Ross Education Trust (DRET)

    · Diocese of Salisbury Academies

    · Diocese of Wakefield

    · E-ACT

    · Elliot Foundation

    · Greenwood Dale Foundation Trust

    · Harris Federation

    · Kemnal Academy Trust, The (TKAT)

    · Northern Education Trust

    · Nottingham Roman Catholic Diocesan Education Service (NRCDES)

    · Oasis Community Learning

    · Ormiston Academies Trust

    · Outwood Grange Academies Trust

    · REAch2 Academy Trust

    · School Partnership Trust Academies (SPTA)

    · The Education Fellowship Trust

    · The Griffin Schools Trust

    · The Primary Academies Trust

    · United Learning

  • Ivan Lewis – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    Ivan Lewis – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ivan Lewis on 2014-05-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, with reference to the Answer of 30 April 2014, Official Report, column 723W, on Northern Ireland government, when she last had a meeting with the Northern Ireland Minister for Social Development.

    Mrs Theresa Villiers

    I refer the hon Gentleman to the answer I gave on 13 May 2014, Official Report, Column 521W.

  • 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.

    “