Category: Speeches

  • Alison Seabeck – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Alison Seabeck – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alison Seabeck on 2014-06-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many parliamentary questions tabled to his Department in the last parliamentary Session did not receive a substantive answer by the time of the 2014 prorogation; and when each such question was first tabled.

    Anna Soubry

    One question tabled to the Ministry of Defence in the last Parliamentary session did not receive a substantive reply by the time of the 2014 prorogation.

    The tabling date for this question was 14 March 2014.

  • Caroline Lucas – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture Media and Sport

    Caroline Lucas – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2014-04-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment he has made of the effect of the delay in debating the draft Council Regulation on the European Citizens Programme on funding for civil society organisations in UK planning (a) events to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the outbreak of the First World War and (b) other events; what the timescale for implementation and release of monies under the Programme is; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr Edward Vaizey

    No formal assessment has been undertaken. Following completion of the Parliamentary scrutiny process the UK voted in support of the programme, which is now ready for implementation. The timing of the release of monies under the programme is a matter for the EU Commission, and it is expected that details will be made available in due course on the Commission web-site, which is: http://ec.europa.eu/citizenship/about-the-europe-for-citizens-programme/future-programme-2014-2020/index_en.htm

    “

  • Madeleine Moon – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Madeleine Moon – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Madeleine Moon on 2014-06-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many recruits of each sex completed training at AFC Harrogate in each year since 2006; how many recruits of each sex commenced Phase 2 training (a) elsewhere and (b) at ITC Catterick; and if he will make a statement.

    Anna Soubry

    No female recruits undergo infantry training. The information requested is shown in the table.

    Year

    AFC Harrogate Completions (Male)

    AFC Harrogate Completions (Female)

    Phase 2 starts elsewhere (Male)

    Phase 2 starts elsewhere (Female)

    Phase 2 starts ITC Catterick (Male)

    2006-07

    860

    50

    560

    50

    300

    2007-08

    890

    50

    580

    50

    300

    2008-09

    860

    40

    540

    40

    320

    2009-10

    960

    80

    580

    80

    380

    2010-11

    840

    60

    560

    60

    280

    2011-12

    800

    20

    330

    20

    480

    2012-13

    1,100

    80

    490

    80

    630

    2013-14

    1,040

    70

    620

    70

    420

    Figures have been rounded to 10; numbers ending in ‘5′ are rounded to the nearest multiple of 20 to prevent systematic bias.

  • Madeleine Moon – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Madeleine Moon – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Madeleine Moon on 2014-04-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the his reply 192877, how many service complaints taken to an employment tribunal were settled (a) by out of court or other payments and (b) at Army Board CO Level 2 complaints appeal; what the total of those payments was; and if he will make a statement.

    Anna Soubry

    The following table sets out details of Employment Tribunal (ET) cases brought by Service personnel since 2008 which were subject to an out of court settlement. I am unable to answer the second part of this question as the internal appeal process does not include any separate complaints appeal stage which is distinct from the Superior Officer or Defence Council levels.

    Calendar year

    No of ET cases settled out of court (of those lodged in each year)

    Total settlement monies (paid against ET claims lodged in each year)

    2008

    27

    £393,584

    2009

    4

    £131,000

    2010

    4

    £28,075

    2011

    6

    £37,243

    2012

    1

    Withheld

    2013

    0

    £0

    Notes:

    1. Data refer to the date of submission of the ET claim. ET settlements and monies paid may have occurred in different years, but are presented in this format to show the outcomes of the claims which were lodged in each calendar year.

    2. Settlement payments made are covered by Compromise Agreements which contain a confidentiality clause. For this reason the figure for the single case settled out of court in 2012 is withheld.

    3. The figure for 2008 includes the Royal Irish class action Industrial Tribunal cases in which 21 of the 22 complainants received a settlement.

    4. Not all cases lodged in 2013 have reached their conclusion.

  • Kevan Jones – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Kevan Jones – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kevan Jones on 2014-06-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to rectify the (a) inconsistent understanding of Army staffing requirements, (b) limited use of management information and (c) unsystematic approach to improvement in relation to the Recruiting Partnering Project referred to on pages 36 and 37 of the National Audit Office report, Army 2020, HC 263, published on 11 June 2014.

    Anna Soubry

    The National Audit Office made a number of observations and recommendations in their report into Army 2020. The Department will respond to these in due course. Part of the reason the Army has entered a recruitment partnership with Capita is to harness the benefits of an integrated recruiting system to help the Army drive more effective end to end recruiting and training activity. As the Capita IT systems and applications and the Recruitment Partnering Project reaches Full Operating Capability, and can interact with other IT tools available to the Army, we would expect to see these benefits realised.

  • Julie Elliott – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Julie Elliott – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Julie Elliott on 2014-04-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, pursuant to the Answers of 19 December 2013, Official Report, column 745W and 13 January 2014, Official Report, column 342W, on wind power: planning permission, what recent assessment he has made of whether the average time taken from submission of a planning application to full generation for offshore wind is reasonable; and whether he has recently discussed this matter with the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government.

    Michael Fallon

    Since the introduction of the new Planning Act 2008 regime in March 2010 in England and Wales (planning is devolved in Scotland), there is now a statutory maximum timescale of 12 months for the examination, report writing and decision making phases of applications for the development consent of nationally significant infrastructure projects (including offshore wind farms over 100MW). My rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State has made decisions on three offshore wind farms under that regime, all within the statutory deadlines.

    The time taken to construct the offshore wind farm following consent is a matter for the developer.

  • Lord Stoddart of Swindon – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Lord Stoddart of Swindon – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Stoddart of Swindon on 2014-06-18.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Warsi on 17 June (WA 37), which third countries envisage joining the European Union; and what assessment they have made of the impact of further European Union enlargement, particularly on the financing of the European Union and migration.

    Baroness Warsi

    Six countries currently have been awarded Candidate Status by the European Union (EU). Of these, Montenegro, Serbia and Turkey are currently in accession negotiations. Iceland has suspended its accession negotiations. Macedonia is a candidate country but has not yet opened accession negotiations. Last month, the European Council endorsed the decision to grant Candidate Status to Albania. Two further countries are recognised as potential candidates. These are Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Kosovo.

    The current governments of Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine have all publicly expressed an interest in joining the EU.

    The accession process is a lengthy one, involving detailed negotiation of 35 Chapters of the EU Acquis, with candidate countries required to adapt their administrative and institutional infrastructures and bring their national legislation into line with EU legislation in these areas. Financing of the EU and migration will be addressed at several stages in this process, notably in EU Common Positions and related impact assessments by the European Commission on Chapter 2 (Free Movement of Workers), Chapter 24 (Justice, Freedom and Security) and 33 (Financial and Budgetary Provisions). We welcome the emphasis that EU Enlargement Commissioner, Stefan Fule, has placed upon economic governance in the enlargement process, which should increase economic convergence between accession countries and the EU and reduce migratory pressures.

    The UK has not produced national impact assessments on EU enlargement in addition to the European Commission’s own impact assessments. As part of the Government’s review of the balance of competences with the European Union, however, reports are due to be published on enlargement and free movement of persons.

  • 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 2014-04-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent discussions Ministers in his Department have had with their counterparts in (a) Malta, (b) Cyprus and (c) Greece about measures to reduce the killing of songbirds.

    George Eustice

    No discussions have taken place with counterparts in Malta, Cyprus or Greece about measures to reduce the killing of songbirds.

  • Ian Murray – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Ian Murray – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Murray on 2014-06-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, with reference to the Answer of 1 May 2014, Official Report, column 782W, on Royal Mail, what link was established in the engagement letter between the payment of the discretionary fee and the ending of the stabilisation period; and what targets or deadlines were set in the letter.

    Michael Fallon

    The engagement letter between the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and the syndicate of banks involved in the initial public offering indicated that the payment of the discretionary fee would be determined 10 days after the end of the stabilisation period and paid 5 days after that.

    As I said in my previous answer (1 May 2014, Official Report, column 782W), we informed the banks that a decision would not be taken in the timeframe set out in the engagement letter given the volatility of the Royal Mail share price after the IPO. The share price remains volatile.

    We have not set any timetable for the decision.

  • Maria Eagle – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Maria Eagle – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Maria Eagle on 2014-04-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when he was informed that cage trapping and shooting of badgers had been implemented alongside the free shooting of badgers within two days of the beginning of the pilot badger cull in Somerset in 2013.

    George Eustice

    Both controlled shooting and cage trapping and shooting methods were always available to the cull companies. There was no compulsion on the contractors to use a defined proportion of cage trapping and controlled shooting. How they used these two methods was a decision for them to make. As the pilot culls progressed, cull companies decided to use more cage trapping, as this technique was found to work well under certain circumstances. Ministers were kept informed of progress during the pilot culls from an early stage.