Category: Speeches

  • 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 towards negotiating a peaceful solution with Iran on the nuclear issue.

    Hugh Robertson

    The November interim agreement between the E3+3 and Iran was a significant first step to resolving the nuclear issue. It has created time to negotiate a comprehensive agreement. On this we are making progress although we are under no illusion about the difficulty of reaching a successful outcome. Talks resume on 16 June in Vienna, with the aim of reaching an agreement by the 20 July which is when the interim deal currently expires.

  • 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 claimants who begin claiming employment and support allowance prior to new claims being accepted by the Universal Credit system will be transferred to the universal credit system by the start of 2017 or end of 2017.

    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, what representations he has received from (a) researchers, (b) academies, (c) pressure groups, (d) parents and (e) people working in education on the appropriate age for children to enter primary education.

    Elizabeth Truss

    Formal school starting ages vary across OECD member states. However it is useful to compare the state provision of education for young children prior to the start of compulsory education as the majority of children in OECD countries have entered the education system at a young age – participation rates in formal childcare and pre-school are broadly similar across Finland, Norway and the United Kingdom.

    Research indicates that most countries have published curricula governing the provision of early years education from the ages four to six years which are consistent in their use of learning objectives and expected outcomes. The Department has commissioned the OECD to carry out an international review of pedagogy and practice in the early years to investigate this issue further. We anticipate a report in autumn 2014.

    Research has demonstrated that all-round development is enhanced for those children attending nursery compared to those who don’t before starting school. This suggests that attending a formal learning environment from an earlier age is typically beneficial. Furthermore duration in nursery matters, with every month of nursery experience after age two years linked to better intellectual development and improved independence, concentration and sociability at age five with a continued effect at Key Stage 1.

    High quality early years education will help close the attainment gap that already exists by the beginning of primary school between disadvantaged children and their peers. Evidence is clear that children’s learning and development in their early years is crucial to later attainment. The Effective Provision of Pre-School Education Project found that high quality early years education is a strong predictor of achievement in English and mathematics later on in school.

    We cannot provide the information requested on representations on this topic. The Department receives a huge volume of mail and representations on education and children’s issues. There would be a disproportionate cost to providing a response in this case.

  • Lord Ashcroft – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Lord Ashcroft – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

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

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether United Kingdom aid has funded projects to combat climate change in South America, including a scheme to improve animal diets by cultivating trees and plants in such a way to reduce the amount of methane escaping through belching and flatulence; and, if so, how much was spent and what was the result of that project.

    Baroness Verma

    The Government supports a number of projects which combat climate change in South America. These include support for a project to encourage the uptake of Silvopastoral Systems (SPS) by Colombian farmers. By introducing SPS, the project is protecting forests, improving the livelihood of farmers, increasing biodiversity and reducing Greenhouse Gas emissions through improved land management. It does this through SPS techniques which improve the grazing land by the planting of trees, shrubs and fodder crops, installing living fences and conserving existing forest.

    Participating small farmers, the majority of whom are living in conditions of rural poverty, are also able to raise more, healthier cattle on their existing land, increasing their income and reducing the need to clear forest. The resulting change in diet for the cattle that live on the farms may affect emissions from the cattle but this is not an objective of the project.

  • 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 regarding guidance for police officers of the implementation of the new drug driving offence; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    The Department is in regular contact with the Police Service about the implementation of the new drug driving offence and has every confidence that the police will implement it effectively including the application of the statutory medical defence.

    The Police Service is in the process of amending their procedures, which will include the statutory medical defence and its operation. These will be issued in advance of the introduction of the new offence. This will provide each force plenty of time to consider the new procedures. We are confident forces will properly consider and include the new offence alongside current drink and drug drive training.

  • 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 publish guidance to inform charities and other affected organisations about 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.

  • John Leech – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    John Leech – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

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

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many claimants who received a benefits sanction are eligible for the 80 per cent hardship payment of their jobseeker’s allowance personal entitlement allowance.

    Esther McVey

    The information requested is not available.

  • David Simpson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    David Simpson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Simpson on 2014-03-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he Department will review the length of sentencing given to those who kill by dangerous driving and speeding.

    Jeremy Wright

    Severe maximum penalties, of 14 years imprisonment, are available for those who cause death through dangerous driving or under the influence of drink or drugs and statistics show that the overwhelming majority of those convicted for these offences receive lengthy custodial sentences. The maximum penalty for causing death by careless driving is 5 years imprisonment and for causing death by disqualified, unlicensed or uninsured driving is two years imprisonment. We are keeping the law in this area under review. If any changes are needed, we will bring forward proposals.

    Guidance to the judiciary is produced independently of Government, by the Sentencing Council. This is in line with the principle that, whilst the Government decides what maximum penalties should be, the courts are responsible for deciding what sentence to impose within those limits.

    The sentencing guideline on Causing Death by Driving was published by the Sentencing Guidelines Council in 2008. It covers the offences of causing death by dangerous driving and causing death by careless driving as well as causing death by dangerous driving whilst under the influence of drink or drugs and causing death by driving unlicensed, disqualified or uninsured. Last year, the Justice Secretary wrote to the Sentencing Council (as it now is) to ask them to review the death by driving guideline and they have agreed to include this in their programme of work.

  • George Howarth – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    George Howarth – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by George Howarth on 2014-06-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that reparations will be paid to HM Treasury as a result of damage caused by discharges in the Diego Garcia lagoon in the British Indian Overseas Territory by US vessels and those responsible for causing that damage are prosecuted.

    Mark Simmonds

    It is not clear what if any damage has been caused by the discharges by US vessels in the Diego Garcia lagoon, and the Government looks forward to the conclusions of a joint UK-US study of the lagoon water and its coral which will conclude this summer. The US have already committed to spending several million dollars over 2014-2016 to ensure that they comply with our no-discharge policy.

  • Chris Ruane – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Speaker’s Committee on the Electorial Commission

    Chris Ruane – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Speaker’s Committee on the Electorial Commission

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Ruane on 2014-03-10.

    To ask the hon. Member for South West Devon, representing the Speaker’s Committee on the Electoral Commission, what assessment the Electoral Commission has made of the potential benefits of using (a) student unions and (b) other university and college venues as polling stations.

    Gary Streeter

    The Electoral Commission informs me that between 2002 and 2007 a number of English local authorities piloted the use of alternative locations as polling stations, although these did not include student unions or other university and college premises. The locations included railway stations, supermarkets, libraries and other local authority venues.

    The Commission’s statutory evaluation of the pilot schemes concluded that the convenience of voting at alternative locations was appreciated by some voters, although the impact on turnout was minimal.

    At present, the legislation provides that Returning Officers may use certain publicly-funded schools or “rooms funded out of any rate” free of charge as premises for polling stations. The Electoral Commission has recommended that Returning Officers should be permitted to use a wider range of publicly-funded buildings as polling stations.