Category: Speeches

  • Zac Goldsmith – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Zac Goldsmith – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Zac Goldsmith on 2014-06-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of reports that scientists at the University of Wisconsin-Madison have created a virus that closely resembles the 1918 Spanish flu strain; whether he has made an assessment of the potential threat to the UK population arising from that experiment; and whether the Government has made any representation to the US administration on this matter.

    Jane Ellison

    Public Health England (PHE) was advised that the work undertaken at the University of Wisconsin-Madison has been reviewed by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases of the National Institutes of Health, in keeping with the institute’s implementation of the United States Government Policy for Oversight of Life Sciences Dual Use Research of Concern.

    As part of this, PHE understand that the research was carried out in secure facilities with high levels of containment. A key finding of the research was that people vaccinated with the current seasonal influenza vaccine (which protects against 2009 H1N1 influenza, a related virus) had some evidence of protection against the novel virus that had been created. In addition, the team showed that the novel transmissible virus is expected to be sensitive to the antiviral medication oseltamivir. Effective counter measures to this novel virus are therefore available.

    This research provides information on the mechanisms responsible for adaptation of avian influenza viruses to mammals. Knowing what genes are associated with a potentially severe pandemic strain can help predict the likelihood of a strain emerging and help devise appropriate counter measures.

  • Mark Tami – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Mark Tami – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Tami on 2014-04-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what percentage change there has been in the average cost of a water bill in each year since 2011.

    Dan Rogerson

    Water prices in England and Wales are reviewed by the independent economic regulator Ofwat every five years. Water prices for the 2010 to 2015 period were set in Ofwat’s 2009 water price review.

    The percentage change in the average cost (in real prices) of a combined water and sewerage bill in England and Wales during the 2010-2015 period is as follows: -0.6% (2010/11), 0.2% (2011/12), -0.1% (2012/13). The forecast for 2013/14 is 0.5% and for 2014/15 around 2%. The changes year on year usually relate to the profile of water industry investment agreed in the 2009 price review. For 2014/15, water companies are taking steps to hold customer bills down and in some cases are giving up price increases that were allowed for in 2009.

    Ofwat’s 2014 water price review is now underway and will determine water prices for the 2015 to 2020 period. Most water companies are proposing flat or declining bills from 2015.

  • Richard Fuller – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Richard Fuller – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Fuller on 2014-06-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if she will review the effectiveness of Part 8 of the Anti-Social Behaviour Act 2003; and if she will bring forward legislative proposals to extend the scope of these provisions to include complaints on high hedges.

    Nick Boles

    Part 8 of the Anti-Social Behaviour Act 2003 (‘High hedges’) addresses private disputes about tall evergreen hedges adversely affecting neighbouring homes and gardens. We have no current plans to undertake a specific review of this part of the 2003 Act.

  • 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 2014-04-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the carbon emissions resulting from the production, transport and disposal or recycling of currently available biodegradable plastic bags.

    Dan Rogerson

    The calculation of lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions from bags currently labelled as biodegradable or compostable is available in the 2011 research report Life cycle assessment of supermarket carrier bags, which was commissioned and funded by the Environment Agency. This reviewed the bags available in 2006. I have placed a copy of the report in the library of the House.

  • Simon Burns – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the House of Commons Commission

    Simon Burns – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the House of Commons Commission

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Simon Burns on 2014-06-16.

    To ask the hon. Member for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross representing the House of Commons Commission, whether a tender was issued for the use of head-hunters to find candidates for the post of Clerk of the House and Chief Executive.

    John Thurso

    Three organisations specialising in executive search services were invited to tender to provide support for the recruitment of the next Clerk of the House and Chief Executive. Saxton Bampfylde was selected through this process.

    The selection panel comprises Mr Speaker, Rt Hon Andrew Lansley MP, Angela Eagle MP, John Thurso MP, Rt Hon Margaret Hodge MP and Dame Julie Mellor (Parliamentary & Health Service Ombudsman). No confirmation hearing is envisaged. The composition of the panel for the recruitment of the present postholder was Mr Speaker, Rt Hon Sir George Young MP, Rt Hon Hilary Benn MP, John Thurso MP, Rt Hon Sir Alan Beith MP, Rt Hon Lindsay Hoyle MP and Sheila Drew Smith.

    Knowledge of procedural and constitutional issues will be tested as part of the formal interview process. The Clerk of the House is appointed by the Crown by Letters Patent, on the recommendation of the Speaker to the Prime Minister, and the Prime Minister to the Crown. As part of normal pre-appointment checks it will be a requirement for the next Clerk of the House to be subject to security vetting. The terms of the recruitment brief were agreed by the Commission by correspondence, and the advertisement, finalised by the Speaker and the Director General of HR and Change, was based on the agreed brief.

  • Nadine Dorries – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Nadine Dorries – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nadine Dorries on 2014-04-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, in what proportion of cases where (a) an allegation of domestic violence was made or (b) a criminal conviction was obtained for domestic violence the victim was a man and the perpetrator a man in the latest period for which figures are available.

    Norman Baker

    The requested information is not available centrally.

    Home Office police recorded crime only covers offences recorded by the police
    and not allegations. Furthermore, it is not possible to identify domestic
    violence cases from the recorded crime figures returned to the Home Office by
    police forces as these figures are based on counts of crime under the
    appropriate offence classification (e.g. GBH, ABH).

    With regard to stalking, the police started recording offences on April 1st
    2014. Stalking offences recorded by the police will be included as part of the
    regular crime statistics publications in due course.

    The Ministry of Justice Court Proceedings Database holds information on
    defendants proceeded against, found guilty and sentenced for criminal offences
    in England and Wales. This database holds information on offences provided by
    the statutes under which proceedings are brought but not all the specific
    circumstances of each case. This centrally held information does not
    specifically identify whether the crime was committed against males or females
    for the offences of stalking and domestic violence. This detailed information
    may be held on individual court files but is not reported to Justice Statistics
    Analytical Services due to its size and complexity. As such this information
    can only be obtained by the Ministry of Justice at disproportionate cost.

  • Liam Byrne – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Liam Byrne – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Liam Byrne on 2014-06-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many meetings he has had with his Department’s Chief Scientific Adviser in the last 12 months.

    Mr Shailesh Vara

    As was the case under previous administrations, details of internal meetings are not normally disclosed.

  • Fiona O’Donnell – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Fiona O’Donnell – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Fiona O’Donnell on 2014-04-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what recent steps she has taken to ensure that all children are protected from sexual violence in conflict zones.

    Justine Greening

    DFID is committed to tackling sexual violence against women and girls, with relevant programming in over 20 countries. For example, in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) we have invested £60m to build security forces capable of better protecting women and girls from sexual violence and DFID has provided £21.6 million to protect women and children from sexual violence in humanitarian emergencies in a range of countries.

  • Kate Hoey – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    Kate Hoey – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kate Hoey on 2014-06-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, who the beneficiaries in Northern Ireland of the Royal Prerogative of Mercy granted by means of a Warrant under the Royal Sign Manual were in the last 25 years; and if she will make a statement.

    Mrs Theresa Villiers

    As the hon Member is aware, the assessment of my Department is that to release the names of individuals granted the RPM years ago would not be appropriate, given the time that has passed since the RPM was last used and the potential legal issues this would raise. There are, of course, means by which names of RPM recipients become public, including in the course of legal proceedings, which is a matter for the courts.

  • Tom Blenkinsop – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Tom Blenkinsop – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Blenkinsop on 2014-04-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the average age of rolling stock serving the (a) Tees Valley Line and (b) Esk Valley Line is.

    Stephen Hammond

    The rolling stock operated on these two lines is a mixture of Class 142 and Class 156 units which were constructed between 1985 and 1989.

    However, the age of rolling stock is a crude measure of quality – as a properly planned refurbishment of an older train can result in a very pleasant travelling environment and a "new train feel" but at a fraction of the cost of a new unit.

    Information on the average age of rolling stock is available from the Office of Rail Regulation’s website, by following this link:

    http://dataportal.orr.gov.uk/displayreport/report/html/53dcc4e1-3223-48f9-9e9c-10d51359cdd7

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