Category: Speeches

  • Robert Syms – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Robert Syms – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Robert Syms on 2014-06-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what the global mean carbon dioxide concentration in the atmosphere and partial pressure of carbon dioxide in the oceans will be (a) at the outset and (b) at the end of the Navitus Bay lifetime, if the project goes ahead, (c) at the end of the Navitus Bay lifetime, if the project does not go ahead.

    Gregory Barker

    The Department does not undertake analysis or hold information of this nature relating to specific developments. The average load factor for offshore wind farms using five year historical data from 2008 to 2012 inclusive is 33.1%.

  • Mike Gapes – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Mike Gapes – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mike Gapes on 2014-03-31.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to protect a diversity of older and heritage seed varieties.

    Dan Rogerson

    Defra takes the lead for the UK’s membership to the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture and the Convention on Biological Diversity. These require contracting parties to conserve the genetic diversity of agricultural varieties, including heritage varieties. Defra sponsors three genetic resource collections which maintain heritage varieties: the National Fruit Collection, the John Innes Pea Collection, and the vegetable collection at Warwick University. Defra is planning to follow up previous research assessing, conserving and encouraging the further cultivation of locally adapted fruit and vegetable varieties (landraces).

    Defra took a leading role in developing simpler EU registration requirements, introduced in 2009, for heritage varieties of agricultural and vegetable species. These allow marketing on the basis of a simplified, low cost description, with proportionate controls to assure seed quality. Defra is now seeking further simplification in the proposed new Plant Reproductive Material legislation currently under discussion at European level.

  • Barry Sheerman – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Barry Sheerman – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Barry Sheerman on 2014-06-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his counterparts and other senior figures in the United Nations and the EU on human rights abuses in Tibet.

    Mr Hugo Swire

    We remain concerned about the situation in Tibet. Ministers regularly raise their concerns with Chinese counterparts, and we highlight our concerns in the Foreign and Commonwealth Offices Annual Report on Human Rights and Democracy.

    We regularly work with international partners on these issues, including the EU and the UN Human Rights Council. We believe that long term stability in Tibet will be best achieved through respect for the universal human rights and genuine autonomy for Tibet within the framework of the Chinese constitution.

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

    David Amess – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Amess on 2014-03-31.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what (a) advice and (b) written guidance (i) he, (ii) Ministers and (iii) officials in his Department have given to Aspire to Change (A2C) since December 2013; and if he will make a statement.

    Jeremy Wright

    Under Transforming Rehabilitation, we are opening up the market to a diverse range of new rehabilitation providers, so that we get the best out of the public, voluntary and private sectors, at the local as well as national level. Managers in a number of Probation Trusts, including Essex, have set up mutuals so that they can bid to become owners of the new Community Rehabilitation Companies (CRCs). In line with wider Government policy, we have encouraged those Trusts that have been interested to consider the mutual option. All those developing mutuals have had the opportunity to bid for further advice, guidance and assistance through the Cabinet Office Mutual Support Programme (MSP). The MSP has allocated a total of £1.5million to support prospective mutuals with the greatest potential. Support to organisations has been provided in two phases. Phase 1 supported organisations to prepare them for the competition. Phase 2 is providing further support to those that passed the first stage of the competition throughout the negotiation phase and, if they are successful in the competition, support their transition to a mutual.

    We launched the competition to establish the owners of the 21 CRCs on 19 September 2013. Competition rules preclude this Department from contacting potential bidders other than through the competition process so that is, and will remain the only avenue for Aspire 2 Change Ltd. to communicate with the Department until the competition is completed.

  • Chris Ruane – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Chris Ruane – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Ruane on 2014-06-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the relationship between the length of time of GP patient consultation and patient satisfaction.

    Dr Daniel Poulter

    Overall patient satisfaction is driven by a range of factors, including accessing general practitioner (GP) appointments at a convenient time, the ability to see a preferred GP and the quality of the conversation with the GP.

    Data is not held centrally on the average length of a GP appointment, and we are not aware of any formal assessment being made of the relationship between the length of time of a GP patient consultation and patient satisfaction.

    However, the GP Patient Survey includes the following question:

    “Last time you saw or spoke to a GP from your GP surgery, how good was that GP at each of the following?

    – Giving you enough time

    – Listening to you

    – Explaining tests and treatments

    – Involving you in decisions about your care

    – Treating you with care and concern”

    In the most recent GP Patient Survey, published in December 2013, 85.8% of respondents said that their GP was either ‘very good’ or ‘good’ at giving them enough time.

  • Iain Wright – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Iain Wright – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Iain Wright on 2014-03-31.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what consultation his Department undertook before excluding damage sustained in utero as a result of illegal drug taking from the definition of a crime of violence under Annex B paragraph 4(e) of the Criminal Compensation Scheme; and if he will make a statement.

    Damian Green

    I sympathise deeply with anyone who suffers from an injury or debilitating condition sustained in utero. As part of the ‘Getting it right for victims and witnesses’ consultation, which was published in January 2012, we looked in detail at the definition of a “crime of violence” for the purposes of the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme (CICS). After the consultation, a decision was taken to exclude injuries sustained by an unborn child if the mother willingly consumes harmful substances during pregnancy. We implemented a new Scheme in November 2012.

    Below is a link to the ‘Getting it right for victims and witnesses’ Consultation Paper and the Government’s Response.

    https://consult.justice.gov.uk/digital-communications/victims-witnesses

    “

  • Robert Flello – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Robert Flello – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Robert Flello on 2014-06-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will take steps to prevent NHS England from implementing restrictions on the use of new drugs for advanced prostate cancer, enzalutamide and abiraterone.

    Norman Lamb

    The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) published technology appraisal guidance in June 2012 which recommends abiraterone (Zytiga) in its licensed indication for the treatment of castration-resistant metastatic prostate cancer previously treated with a docetaxel-containing regimen, subject to a patient access scheme agreed between the Department and the drug’s manufacturer.

    NICE is currently appraising (i) abiraterone for the treatment of metastatic hormone relapsed prostate cancer not previously treated with chemotherapy and (ii) enzalutamide for metastatic hormone-relapsed prostate cancer in adults whose disease has progressed during or after docetaxel-containing chemotherapy.

    National Health Service commissioners are legally required to fund those treatments recommended by NICE in its technology appraisal guidance.

    In the absence of NICE technology appraisal guidance it is for the relevant NHS commissioner to make funding decisions based on an assessment of the available evidence. The NHS Constitution states that patients have the right to expect local decisions on the funding of drugs and treatments ‘to be made rationally following a proper consideration of the evidence’.

    We understand that abiraterone as a first-line treatment is available through the Cancer Drugs Fund to NHS patients in England who could benefit from it, and that enzalutamide is also available through the Cancer Drugs Fund to patients who meet specified clinical criteria.

  • Baroness Thornton – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Baroness Thornton – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Thornton on 2014-03-31.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Governmentwhat is the national averageweekly income in the United Kingdom for (1) men, and (2) women.

    Lord Wallace of Saltaire

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

  • 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 2014-06-12.

    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 life-threatening 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 representations 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.

  • FALSE – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    FALSE – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by FALSE on 2014-03-31.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government who first contacted (1) the Metropolitan Police Service, and (2) the Crown Prosecution Service, with the suggestion that it was unlawful for the supporters of Tottenham Hotspur to chant yids”

    Lord Taylor of Holbeach

    The Home Office does not hold the information requested. The Crown Prosecution Service has no specific policy relating to the chanting of the word "yids" by Tottenham Hotspur supporters and incurred no legal advice costs on this specific issue. The case against the three Tottenham Hotspur supporters was discontinued by the Crown Prosecution Service prior to the adjourned date of the hearing, without parties having to attend court, and without the associated costs being incurred.

    The Crown Prosecution Service National Football lead has been consulted on a number of occasions regarding whether the use of the word "yid" could amount to a criminal act. The general advice given on each occasion was that each case depends on its specific facts. In relation to the case that was dropped against the three Tottenham Hotspur supporters, the police contacted the Crown Prosecution Service prior to charge. Advice was given that there was a realistic prospect of conviction. It subsequently transpired that the further evidence was not available and the case was therefore discontinued. Prior to the discontinuance a meeting took place between senior police officers and the Crown Prosecution Service officials.