Category: Speeches

  • Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead on 2014-06-04.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what engagement they have had with the African Union on efforts to address the situation in the Central African Republic.

    Baroness Northover

    The ongoing violence in the Central African Republic (CAR) continues to take a distressing toll on the civilian population, compounding an already acute humanitarian crisis. The UN estimates that 557,000 people have been displaced within CAR, with 483,000 estimated to have fled the country, of whom 358,000 are refugees in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Chad, Cameroon, Republic of Congo and South Sudan.

    Prior to the crisis, CAR was host to over 15,000 refugees from DRC and Sudan; however the deteriorating security situation has led to the voluntary repatriation of many refugees with support from UNHCR. In April over 6,000 Congolese refugees were voluntarily repatriated to Equateur province in DRC – a further sign of the gravity of the situation in CAR.

    The crisis is having a marked impact on education provision, with the UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs estimating that 400,000 vulnerable children are in need of emergency access to education. Many schools outside the capital have been closed since the onset of the crisis and whilst some schools in Bangui have reopened, work on rebuilding educational institutions as well as infrastructure is needed. The Multi-Cluster Initial Rapid Assessment in January 2014 placed the level of functioning schools at 4%, with many looted and occupied by displaced people, but did not report military use of schools. The interruption of education affects both girls and boys.

    The most important need continues to be security, and the UK has worked closely with international partners, including the African Union (AU), to support efforts to bring stability to the country. We have provided £2m in non-lethal support to the UN-mandated AU force, MISCA, which despite serious challenges, has worked well with the French Operation Sangaris to bring some security to the country. We will continue to work with the AU and others as we approach the handover to the UN Peace Keeping Operation, MINUSCA, in September 2014, and as preparations are made for elections, currently scheduled for 2015.

  • Mary Creagh – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Mary Creagh – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mary Creagh on 2014-03-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many unaccompanied asylum-seeking children were placed in local authority care in each of the last 10 years.

    James Brokenshire

    Figures for Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Children (UASCs) placed in Local Authority care are not available from published statistics.

    In 2012 and 2013 there were 1,125 and 1,174 applications received from UASCs, excluding dependants.

    Figures on a comparable basis are not available for previous years.

    The Home Office publishes statistics on asylum applications from UASCs in tables as_08 and as_08_q (Asylum data tables Volume 2) of the release Immigration Statistics available from:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/immigration-statistics-october-to-december-2013

    This release is available from the Library of the House.

    “

  • Baroness Tonge – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Baroness Tonge – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Tonge on 2014-06-04.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of Israel concerning the Palestinian footballers, Adam and Johar Halabiya, who were reportedly arrested without charge at the Jordan and West Bank border, following their hospital treatment for gunshot wounds.

    Baroness Warsi

    Officials from our Embassy in Tel Aviv have spoken to the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) on the issue. The IDF have informed us that Adam and Johar Halabiya were transferred to Jordan for medical treatment and that the IDF approved their continued treatment during detention. Upon their release from the hospital, they were arrested on a terrorism-related charge.

  • Mr Dominic Raab – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Mr Dominic Raab – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mr Dominic Raab on 2014-03-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with which countries the EU as a legal personality has concluded co-operation agreements in the field of justice and home affairs.

    Mr Shailesh Vara

    I refer to the response provided by the Minister for Europe on 24 March [PQ 191707 Col 70W]. In addition, JHA agreements have been concluded between the EU and Brazil, Ukraine and Moldova during the course of this Government, which build on the borders and immigration aspects of the Schengen system, in which the UK does not participate.

  • Dominic Raab – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Dominic Raab – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dominic Raab on 2014-06-04.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much funding for the extraction of North Sea oil has come from (a) the Government, (b) the Scottish Executive and (c) the private sector in each of the last 20 years.

    Michael Fallon

    I have been asked to reply on behalf of the Department for Energy and Climate Change.

    Government departments and agencies, including notably the Department of Energy and Climate Change and its predecessor departments, have for many years supported research aimed at identifying UK hydrocarbon potential and finding ways of finding and extracting it more cost-effectively. Comprehensive records of the amount spent on such activities by year across Government are not available.

    The Department of Energy and Climate Change does not have detailed information on the annual expenditure of the Scottish Executive.

    Estimates of total annual pre-tax expenditure in £ billions by the private sector on finding and developing UK hydrocarbons (oil and gas, in the North Sea as well as elsewhere in the UK and on the UK Continental Shelf) for the period 1994–2013 are given in the table below. More detailed information through to 2012 is available online at:

    https://www.gov.uk/oil-and-gas-uk-field-data#ukcs-income-and-expenditure.

    1994

    1995

    1996

    1997

    1998

    1999

    2000

    2001

    2002

    2003

    8.5

    9.4

    9.4

    9.6

    9.9

    7.8

    7.5

    8.3

    8.6

    8.2

    2004

    2005

    2006

    2007

    2008

    2009

    2010

    2011

    2012

    2013

    8.4

    9.9

    12.0

    12.4

    13.1

    13.3

    14.9

    18.3

    21.8

    25.8

    “

  • Mr Gordon Marsden – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Mr Gordon Marsden – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mr Gordon Marsden on 2014-03-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he has taken to enforce the Equality Act 2010 (Work on Ships and Hovercraft) Regulations 2011 in the shipping industry; and which regulatory body is responsible for such enforcement on (a) UK and (b) overseas-flagged vessels in UK ports.

    Stephen Hammond

    A contravention of the Equality Act 2010 (Work on Ships and Hovercraft) Regulations can be notified either to the port State authorities or directly to the appropriate enforcement team. For example, a breach of National Minimum Wage regulations could be reported directly to the HMRC Enforcement Team or gender discrimination could be reported to the Equal Opportunities Commission

    Enforcement action for a contravention occurring where the Regulations are applicable on UK flagged vessels would be undertaken by the relevant enforcement team (as per above) for that infringement.

    Enforcement action for a contravention on board a foreign flagged vessel, which whilst more complex in its application, would similarly be undertaken where the Regulations are applicable to either that vessel or an individual concerned.

  • Steve McCabe – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Steve McCabe – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2014-06-04.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many homes in (a) the West Midlands and (b) Birmingham have been bought under the Help to Buy mortgage guarantee scheme to date.

    Andrea Leadsom

    The Government publishes quarterly official statistics relating to the Help to Buy: mortgage guarantee scheme. The first of these were published on 29 May 2014.

    This report, along with accompanying tables, can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/help-to-buy-mortgage-guarantee-scheme-quarterly-statistics-october-2013-to-march-2014

  • Sheila Gilmore – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Sheila Gilmore – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sheila Gilmore on 2014-03-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what progress he has made in negotiations with the European Commission on a derogation from the ban on the import or manufacture of incandescent bulbs; and if he will make a statement.

    Gregory Barker

    Responsibility for energy-using products policy, including negotiations for product-specific regulations under the Ecodesign for Energy-related Products Directive, was transferred from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to the Department of Energy and Climate Change on 3rd March 2014.

    There are no provisions allowing the European Commission or individual Member States to create exemptions from Regulation 244/2009, which phases out of incandescent bulbs.

    The UK has been proactive in pressing to ensure EU policy and legislation takes full account of the potential health implications of artificial lighting, and has raised the issue in two recent meetings in Brussels. EC regulation 244/2009 will be reviewed later this year and we will continue to press for potential health implications to be considered.

  • Hugh Bayley – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Hugh Bayley – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Hugh Bayley on 2014-06-04.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many crimes were reported to the police in York in each year since 2004-05.

    Mr Nick Hurd

    The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.

  • 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 2014-04-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what progress his Department has made in mobilising the mid-scale solar photovoltaic sector; and if he will make a statement.

    Gregory Barker

    On Friday 4th April I launched the UK’s first Solar PV Strategy, which set out our ambition for Solar PV in the UK. Central to this is an emphasis on deployment on Commercial and Industrial buildings as well as domestic roof tops, rather than large scale ground-mounted systems.

    The solar strategy sets out a number of wide ranging actions which will encourage deployment in this part of the sector.