Category: Speeches

  • Paul Flynn – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Prime Minister

    Paul Flynn – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Prime Minister

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Flynn on 2014-03-13.

    To ask the Prime Minister, whether the possibility of Israel (a) disarming its nuclear weapons capability and (b) joining the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty was discussed with (i) his Israeli counterpart, (ii) other Israeli ministers and (iii) members of the Knesset during his visit to Israel on 12 and 13 March 2014.

    David Cameron

    I did not discuss this issue during my recent visit to Israel.

    The Government consistently call on Israel to join the Nuclear Non Proliferation Treaty as a non-nuclear weapon state and to agree a full scope Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement with the International Atomic Energy Agency. We continue to support the objective of a Middle East free from Weapons of Mass Destruction and continue to encourage Israel to participate in discussions to that end.

  • Mark Pritchard – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Mark Pritchard – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Pritchard on 2014-06-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make representations to the government of the United Arab Emirates to ensure that Ahmad Zeidan is given his full legal rights and protections whilst in the custody of that government.

    Hugh Robertson

    It would not be appropriate for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to discuss the details of an individual case. However, consular officials have provided full consular assistance to Mr Zeidan since we were informed of his detention and will continue to do so. In any case where we have concerns about the welfare or human rights of a British National, with their permission, we will raise these.

  • Toby Perkins – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Toby Perkins – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Toby Perkins on 2014-03-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the additional cost to small businesses of abolishing the percentage threshold scheme for recovering statutory sick pay.

    Mike Penning

    The Department for Work and Pensions has published an impact assessment outlining the abolition of the Percentage Threshold Scheme (PTS) and introduction of the new provision of health assessments and occupational health advice available at the following link:

    <http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukdsi/2014/9780111108468/impacts>

    “

  • Mark Williams – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Mark Williams – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Williams on 2014-06-04.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether the Bank of England has engaged in any selling, leasing, loaning, hypothecating or re-hypothecating either independently or in conjunction with other parties, which could have had the effect of lowering or suppressing the quoted market price of gold since May 2010.

    Andrea Leadsom

    The Bank of England has not been active in the gold market during or since May 2010, either in its own capacity, or acting as agent for Her Majesty’s Treasury for the UK’s official reserves (the “Exchange Equalisation Account” or EEA).

    As a result, the Bank did not engage in any selling, leasing, loaning, hypothecating or re-hypothecating of gold during this period.

  • Katy Clark – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Katy Clark – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Katy Clark on 2014-03-12.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will take steps to ensure that all statistics identified as high impact outputs with less widespread support by the Office for National Statistics in its consultation on statistical products 2013 will continue to be funded for 2014-15.

    Nick Hurd

    I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 17 March 2014 (Official Report) Column Ref: 470W.

  • 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 2014-06-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the Answers of 18 November 2013, Official Report, columns 696W and 698W and of 18 December 2013, Official Report, columns 632W, on armed forces: young people, if he will publish the terms of reference of the cost benefit analysis of the recruitment of young people into the armed forces; when he expects that report to be published; and if he will make a statement.

    Anna Soubry

    The report has been submitted by the Army to Ministry of Defence (MOD) HQ, for consideration. It is not possible to provide a publication date for the report until the report’s findings have been considered.

    The terms of reference of the report are as follows:
    Question – “What is the cost overhead to MOD of Phase 1 training for Junior Entry (JE) soldiers versus Standard Entry (SE) soldiers joining the Army?”

  • Kelvin Hopkins – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Speaker’s Committee on the Electorial Commission

    Kelvin Hopkins – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Speaker’s Committee on the Electorial Commission

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kelvin Hopkins on 2014-03-12.

    To ask the hon. Member for South West Devon, representing the Speaker’s Committee on the Electoral Commission, what the electoral registration figures were for each ward in the recent confirmation dry run conducted in Luton Borough Council.

    Gary Streeter

    The Electoral Commission informs me that the confirmation dry run involved matching all entries on the electoral registers against the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) Customer Information System database. Entries would be marked as green if they matched with DWP, amber if they were a partial match or red if there was no match.

    Results for all wards are available on the Commission’s website here: http://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/__data/assets/excel_doc/0003/163146/Confirmation-dry-run-2013-Results-Wards.xls

    The ward results for Luton Borough Council were as follows:

    Ward

    Green matches

    Amber matches

    Red matches

    BARNFIELD

    82.0%

    1.5%

    16.4%

    BISCOT

    68.7%

    5.1%

    26.2%

    BRAMINGHAM

    82.8%

    1.1%

    16.1%

    CHALLNEY

    77.9%

    2.8%

    19.3%

    CRAWLEY

    79.6%

    1.3%

    19.1%

    DALLOW

    66.9%

    5.0%

    28.1%

    FARLEY

    76.6%

    2.4%

    21.0%

    HIGH TOWN

    63.6%

    2.9%

    33.5%

    ICKNIELD

    85.2%

    1.3%

    13.5%

    LEAGRAVE

    79.8%

    2.1%

    18.1%

    LEWSEY

    81.8%

    2.3%

    15.9%

    LIMBURY

    83.4%

    1.9%

    14.6%

    NORTHWELL

    81.1%

    2.4%

    16.6%

    ROUND GREEN

    81.1%

    1.8%

    17.1%

    SAINTS

    74.7%

    3.9%

    21.4%

    SOUTH

    57.6%

    4.5%

    37.9%

    STOPSLEY

    85.3%

    1.1%

    13.7%

    SUNDON PARK

    82.9%

    2.0%

    15.1%

    WIGMORE

    81.9%

    1.2%

    16.9%

    “

  • 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 2014-06-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent estimate he has made of the number of merlins in the UK; and what steps his Department is taking to maintain their numbers and habitat.

    George Eustice

    The merlin is protected by the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 which makes it an offence to take, kill or injure any wild bird; take or damage their nests while in use; and take or destroy an egg. This robust legal framework protects the merlin from persecution, with penalties including imprisonment.

    The Department has not made an assessment of merlin population levels. A study by Ewing et al reported that in 2008 there were approximately 1,100 breeding pairs of merlins in the UK.

    Several measures are in place to protect habitats. The UK has designated 615 sites as Special Areas of Conservation under the Habitats Directive, and 270 sites as Special Protection Areas under the Birds Directive to provide protection to our most vulnerable and threatened wild birds.

    The Government has also provided £7.5 million to establish twelve Nature Improvement Areas. These are intended to benefit birds by improving existing habitat, creating new habitat and improving connectivity between habitats.

  • Julie Hilling – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Julie Hilling – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Julie Hilling on 2014-03-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate his Department has made of the effect of the removal of the under-occupancy penalty on the number of children living in relative income poverty.

    Esther McVey

    This information could be only provided at disproportionate cost.

    This Government has made good progress in tackling the root causes of child poverty and has recently published the 2014-17 draft child poverty strategy for consultation which outlines the actions we are taking. The latest figures from 2011/12 show that 2.3m (17%) children are in relative income poverty – down 300,000 since 2009/10. These are the lowest level since the mid-1980s.

  • Luciana Berger – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Luciana Berger – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Luciana Berger on 2014-06-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when he plans to bring forward secondary legislation on (a) banning smoking in cars with children in them and (b) the introduction of standardised packaging of tobacco.

    Jane Ellison

    The Children and Families Act 2014 provides regulation-making powers for the introduction of standardised packaging of tobacco and banning smoking in cars.

    Regulations for making it an offence to smoke in private vehicles carrying children are being drafted at present.

    A final, short consultation in order to ensure that a final decision on whether to introduce standardised packaging is properly and fully informed will be published shortly.