Category: Speeches

  • Philip Davies – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Philip Davies – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Philip Davies on 2014-03-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many offenders received a driving ban alongside a prison sentence of a longer length in each of the last five years.

    Jeremy Wright

    When the courts impose a driving ban and a custodial sentence at the same time, they already make some allowance for the length of time that the offender would normally serve in prison before becoming eligible for release, in order to ensure that disqualification has the desired impact. There are provisions in the Coroner’s and Justice Act 2009 which will give this statutory force. These will be commenced in due course.

    We want to make sure that road traffic offenders face the full consequences of the punishment for their offence. When an offender commits a serious road traffic offence that attracts both a custodial sentence and disqualification from driving, it is essential for public confidence in the criminal justice system that the driving ban has full effect on the offender; he should not benefit from, in effect, a reduction in the length of the ban whilst he serves time in prison. These provisions will ensure that, as now, the court will determine the appropriate length of the ban for the purposes of the offence but it will then be required to extend the ban to take account of time to be spent in prison. This will ensure that there is consistency of action in every case and that driving bans bear equally on all offenders.

    The Ministry of Justice Court Proceedings Database holds information on defendants proceeded against, found guilty and sentenced for criminal offences in England and Wales. This database holds information on offences provided by the statutes under which proceedings are brought but not the specific circumstances of each case. This centrally held information records the period of disqualification into one of thirteen bands. As the exact length of driving ban is not available, it is not possibly to identify how many offenders received a driving ban alongside a prison sentence of a longer length. This detailed information may be held on the court record but due to the size and complexity is not reported centrally to the MoJ. As such, the information requested can only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

  • Angus Robertson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Angus Robertson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Angus Robertson on 2014-06-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many times his Department has provided top-cover fixed-wing search and rescue assets for a search and rescue mission in each of the last two years; and what aircraft were used in each case.

    Mr Mark Francois

    Information on the occasions when Ministry of Defence (MOD) aircraft have provided top-cover fixed wing search and rescue (SAR) assets for a SAR mission is provided in the following table:

    Year Aircraft Type Number of SAR Missions
    2012 E3-D Sentry 1
    2013 None 0
    2014* C130 1

    *To 5 June 2014
    Aircraft provided by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency or overseas Governments may also be tasked by MOD to participate in rescue missions.

  • Teresa Pearce – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Teresa Pearce – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Teresa Pearce on 2014-03-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he plans to take to monitor the effect of recent restrictions on Access to Work funding for communication support for deaf and deafblind people.

    Mike Penning

    We continually monitor the impact of our policies and processes by liaising with and requesting feedback from our customers and a range of stakeholder organisations.

    The current process is being taken in respect of requests for funding from all customers needing assistance of this type and extent to ensure that programme funds are being managed equitably and consistently to assist with the work needs of the maximum possible number of disabled people.

  • Angus Robertson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Angus Robertson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Angus Robertson on 2014-06-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what progress has been made by UK forces in the search for the schoolgirls kidnapped by Boko Haram in Nigeria.

    Mark Simmonds

    The UK is working with the US, France, Nigeria, its neighbours and international partners to provide advice and assistance to the Nigerian Government to help them secure the safe release of the schoolgirls and defeat Boko Haram. Our SENTINEL aircraft, as part of a number of allied surveillance assets, continues to conduct over-flights of Nigeria and a team of UK experts is working alongside US and French counterparts in Nigeria in the Intelligence Fusion Cell to assist the Nigerians in locating the abducted students. I look forward to taking further stock of this activity, and wider work to tackle Boko Haram, with Foreign Minister Wali and representatives from Nigeria’s neighbours, the US, France, Canada, UN, AU and EU at this week’s ministerial meeting on security in northern Nigeria.

  • Rachel Reeves – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Rachel Reeves – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rachel Reeves on 2014-03-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether the Universal Credit system will accept new claims for employment and support allowance by the end of 2016.

    Esther McVey

    While the majority of the legacy caseload will move to Universal Credit during 2016 and 2017, claimants in receipt of Income based Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) will retain their current arrangements during this period unless there is a relevant change in their circumstances. Final decisions on the implementation of the programme will be informed by the development of the enhanced digital solution.

  • Barry Sheerman – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Barry Sheerman – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Barry Sheerman on 2014-06-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to his Department’s School Admissions Code, published in February 2012, what steps his Department is taking to ensure the consistent and effectual application of sections 2.16 and 2.17 of that code to primary education admissions for summer-born children.

    Mr David Laws

    We published advice on the admission of summer-born children in July 2013. We are now monitoring the impact of this advice and have committed to review it one year after its publication.

    Officials are investigating cases referred to them to ensure admission authorities are complying with the provisions in the Code.

  • Lord Morrow – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Lord Morrow – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Morrow on 2014-03-11.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether Atos Healthcare is seeking to opt out of or end its contract to provide assessment services for Disability Living Allowance and Employment and Support Allowance benefit applications.

    Lord Freud

    The Department is in discussions with Atos Healthcare regarding its contract; Atos Healthcare continues to be committed to and obliged to deliver the services under the contract until such time as the contract ends.

  • Andrew Selous – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Andrew Selous – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Selous on 2014-06-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions his Department has had with external stakeholders on planned communications regarding the new drug driving offence; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    Officials working on the new drug driving legislation meet regularly with stakeholders from both the law enforcement and healthcare sectors. These meetings include discussions on how the new offence will be communicated.

    The medical profession has assisted the Department in developing guidance to healthcare professionals to use in discussion with their patients. We expect to publish the guidance later in the summer and will circulate it to the medical profession. The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is currently working with pharmaceutical companies to update the product information of those medicines implicated by the new legislation. MHRA also expect to issue a ‘Drug Safety Update’ article later in the summer to include details about the new offence for healthcare professionals. This will be accompanied by an article for patients. MHRA also work closely with the British National Formulary to update the prescribing information for medicines as new safety information emerges and will ensure this new information is brought to their attention. The Think! campaign is in the process of being developed but we expect to start informing the public about the new offence just prior to its introduction followed be a more concentrated campaign on its introduction.

  • Pete Wishart – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Deputy Prime Minister

    Pete Wishart – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Deputy Prime Minister

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Pete Wishart on 2014-03-10.

    To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, whether he plans to meet charities and other interested parties to discuss the issuing of guidance on the implementation of the Transparency of Lobbying, Non-party Campaigning and Trade Union Administration Act 2014.

    Greg Clark

    Guidance is being produced by the Electoral Commission regarding the operation of the rules for non-party campaigners. The Commission are working with the UK’s three charity regulators and other organisations to ensure that the guidance is clear and helpful.

  • Dr Julian Lewis – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Dr Julian Lewis – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dr Julian Lewis on 2014-06-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, in which countries in receipt of her Department’s funds in each of the last two financial years women are known to have been murdered (a) for apostasy and (b) in honour killings with impunity; and if she will make a statement.

    Lynne Featherstone

    Given that globally 1 in 3 women will experience violence in her lifetime, preventing violence against girls and women in all its forms is a priority for DFID. While DFID does not collect or hold the information in the form requested, the UK has prioritised addressing violence against women and girls around the world. We are also committed to help 10 million women access justice through the courts, police, and legal assistance by 2015.