Category: Speeches

  • Justin Tomlinson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Justin Tomlinson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Justin Tomlinson on 2014-06-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to ensure that newly built residential properties have access to telephone and internet services.

    Nick Boles

    Developers and internet providers recognise the importance of telephone and internet provision in new builds and that customers’ expectation is these services will be available on the day they move in. My Department, with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, is working with house builders and providers of telephone and internet services to ensure newly built residential properties have access to telephone and internet services.

  • Philip Davies – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Philip Davies – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Philip Davies on 2014-04-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent estimate he has made of the number of dogs owned by people who have previously been banned from owning dogs.

    George Eustice

    No estimate has been made of the number of people owning dogs who have previously been banned. However, the table shows the number of people convicted of breaching disqualification orders, in respect of keeping any animal, made under the Animal Welfare Act 2006.

    Year

    2010

    2011

    2012

    Convictions

    43

    59

    73

    Source: Data provided by the Home Office on 9 April 2014.

  • Bill Wiggin – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture Media and Sport

    Bill Wiggin – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Bill Wiggin on 2014-06-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what the process was by which Arqiva arrived at its decision not to proceed with the proposed Fownhope mast.

    Mr Edward Vaizey

    DCMS officials provided Arqiva with the latest data on notspots, updated by Ofcom for 2014 with information from the Mobile Network Operators. This shows that coverage has improved in Fownhope since the inception of the project. The Mobile Infrastructure Project can intervene in areas where there is no mobile coverage from any operator, and where the cost of the build of a mast, considered alongside the numbers of premises that would benefit from the additional coverage, provides value for money. Unfortunately this is no longer the case for the proposed mast location in Fownhope, and Arqiva made a recommendation to officials to not proceed.

  • Menzies Campbell – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Menzies Campbell – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Menzies Campbell on 2014-04-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what response his Department has made to the expulsion of Médicins Sans Frontières from Rakhine state by the Burmese government.

    Mr Hugo Swire

    On hearing of the expulsion of Médicins San Frontières (MSF) on 26 February, the British Embassy registered our concerns with the Burmese government that same evening. Since then we have been liaising very closely with MSF tailoring our lobbying to their support, as they negotiate with the Burmese authorities. The British Ambassador visited the MSF clinic in Sittwe during his visit to Rakhine State from 19-20 March to hear first-hand the impact this decision has had on the local community.

    I summoned the Burmese Ambassador to London on 7 April to make clear our grave concerns about the situation in Rakhine State, including the expulsion of Médicins San Frontières. I called on the Burmese government to urgently restore humanitarian access to all communities in need and to ensure the security of humanitarian aid workers and all communities in Rakhine State so that they can operate free of constraint and intimidation. We continue to make clear to the Burmese authorities that there must be no deterioration in the provision of health services in Rakhine State, which is already on the brink of crisis.

  • Jim Shannon – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Jim Shannon – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2014-06-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many ships from the Royal Navy were present in the recent joint manoeuvres with the Ukrainian navy.

    Mr Mark Francois

    None.

  • 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 2014-04-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what steps she is taking in conjunction with the Northern Ireland Executive to increase foreign direct investment to Northern Ireland.

    Mrs Theresa Villiers

    The successful G8 Summit and follow-up investment conference have highlighted Northern Ireland as a great place in which to invest.

    I continue to work in partnership with the Northern Ireland Executive Minister for Enterprise, Trade & Investment to attract Foreign Direct Investment to Northern Ireland building on the success of the Northern Ireland Investment Conference at which my Rt hon Friend the Prime Minister made the keynote address.

    On 7 November I co-hosted, with Arlene Foster, the Northern Ireland Investment Seminar at Lancaster House for a number of High Commissioners and Ambassadors to explain the benefits for their respective countries of trade and investment in Northern Ireland. NIO and Invest NI officials are now meeting the trade and commercial officers from the Embassies with a view to inviting their respective Ambassador to lead a trade delegation to Northern Ireland on a visit co-hosted by myself and the DETI minister.

    The first two of these Ambassadorial visits will take place in September and October and it is envisaged that other visits will take place over the coming twelve months.

    Arlene Foster has also invited me to participate with her at SIAL 2014 which will take place in Paris in October. SIAL is the world’s premier food exhibition and will provide a good opportunity to promote the excellence of Northern Ireland produce to the international food industry.

  • Roger Williams – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Roger Williams – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Roger Williams on 2014-06-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much beef was imported into the UK from (a) the Republic of Ireland, (b) the rest of the EU and (c) non-EU countries in each of the last 18 months.

    George Eustice

    The following tables provide details of UK imports of beef and veal as recorded in the Official Overseas Trade Statistics for the period January 2012 – April 2014.

    Thousand Tonnes

    Thousand Tonnes

    Imports from

    Month

    2012

    2013

    2014

    Imports from

    Month

    2012

    2013

    2014

    Irish Republic

    January

    12.3

    12.1

    13.3

    Non EU

    January

    1.6

    2.6

    2.2

    February

    13.7

    10.8

    12.2

    February

    1.3

    1.7

    1.5

    March

    14.9

    13.0

    16.2

    March

    1.2

    1.4

    1.5

    April

    12.9

    11.9

    13.5

    April

    1.4

    2.3

    2.1

    May

    12.5

    12.4

    May

    2.1

    2.6

    June

    11.8

    14.9

    June

    3.1

    3.5

    July

    11.3

    12.2

    July

    2.2

    3.5

    August

    12.4

    11.7

    August

    2.2

    3.1

    September

    13.8

    14.9

    September

    1.9

    2.8

    October

    15.0

    15.6

    October

    2.2

    3.5

    November

    14.0

    15.1

    November

    2.0

    2.5

    December

    15.1

    16.4

    December

    1.7

    2.0

    Irish Republic annual total

    159.7

    161.0

    Non EU annual total

    23.0

    31.7

    Rest of EU

    January

    3.8

    3.9

    3.4

    February

    4.1

    3.2

    3.4

    Ó Crown Copyright

    March

    4.4

    2.9

    3.3

    Source: HM Revenue and Customs

    April

    4.4

    3.5

    4.1

    2013 & 2014 data is subject to amendments

    May

    5.3

    3.9

    June

    4.3

    3.3

    EU data based on EU 28

    July

    4.8

    4.1

    August

    4.7

    3.7

    September

    4.2

    3.9

    October

    5.1

    4.4

    November

    4.4

    4.6

    December

    3.8

    4.2

    Rest of EU annual total

    53.4

    45.6

    “

  • Stephen O’Brien – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Stephen O’Brien – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen O’Brien on 2014-04-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he has made of changes in passenger numbers on the West Coast Main Line over the next 10 years.

    Stephen Hammond

    I refer my Hon Friend to my answer of 28 April 2014, Official Report, columns 517-518W (UIN 196423).

  • Christopher Chope – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Christopher Chope – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Christopher Chope on 2014-06-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will place in the Library a copy of the Government’s written submission to the European Court of Justice which was the subject of the hearing before the Court in April 2014 about the EU application to accede to the European Convention on Human Rights.

    Damian Green

    The European Court of Justice held a hearing on 5-6 May 2014 before a full court in proceedings under article 218 (11) of Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union regarding the European Commission’s request for an Opinion on the compatibility of the draft Accession Agreement with the EU Treaties.

    I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to him on 10 December 2013, Official Report, Column 123W.

    My subsequent letter to the European Scrutiny Committee of 20 December 2013, as referenced in the Committee’s Twenty-ninth Report of session 2013-2014 of 8 January 2014, clarifies the basis on which documents in the proceedings are confidential.

    My most recent letter to the European Scrutiny Committee of 18 June 2014 outlines that the UK’s oral submissions supported the compatibility of the draft Accession Agreement with the EU Treaties, and sought to encourage the Court to robustly test the draft Accession Agreement and its implications while steering clear of making any findings that prejudge the content of the internal EU rules.

  • Graeme Morrice – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Graeme Morrice – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Graeme Morrice on 2014-04-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many meetings (a) officials and (b) Ministers in his Department have had with (i) disability groups and charities and (ii) providers of the Work Capability Assessment in each of the last five years.

    Mike Penning

    Ministers and officials meet regularly with a range of stakeholders about the Work Capability Assessment, including our health assessment providers, disability representative groups and charities.

    The current contractual agreement between DWP and Atos Healthcare contains a number of key performance indicators. DWP monitors and discusses performance with Atos on a weekly basis.