Category: Speeches

  • 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 2014-06-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the prevalence and effect of unlicensed performance enhancing drugs (a) online and (b) in shops.

    Norman Lamb

    There are strict legal controls governing the sale and supply of medicinal products in the United Kingdom.

    Unlicensed medicines which claim to enhance performance generally claim to enhance either sexual, cognitive or athletic performance.

    The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) works with domain name providers to shut down websites which are illegally trading in unlicensed erectile dysfunction medicines and which refuse to come in to compliance.

    A UK registered pharmacy may have a presence on the internet; however the requirements of legislation apply equally to both UK internet pharmacies and bricks-and-mortar premises. These legal controls also apply equally to medicines for human use sold or supplied via the internet or e-mail transactions. These restrictions do not apply to countries outside UK jurisdiction where medicines may be classified and regulated differently.

    Medicines most commonly associated with enhanced athletic performance are anabolic steroids and human growth hormones. These medicines are controlled as class C drugs under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971.

    The MHRA has serious concerns about the availability of medicines being offered via the Internet and issues regular warnings to the public concerning the inherent risks of purchasing medicines online. MHRA advice is that medicines purchased from websites, particularly websites based overseas, cannot be guaranteed to meet set standards of quality, safety and efficacy and advises patients not to purchase medicines in this way.

  • Lord Morrow – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Lord Morrow – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

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

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Taylor of Holbeach on 3 February (WA 17), whether court orders handed down in the United Kingdom are enforceable in the Channel Islands; and, if not, what action is taken in those circumstances to ensure the safety and protection of vulnerable persons.

    Lord Taylor of Holbeach

    The Channel Islands (the Bailiwicks of Jersey and Guernsey) are Crown Dependencies. The Crown Dependencies are not part of the UK but are self-governing dependencies of the Crown, with their own directly elected legislative assemblies, administrative, fiscal and legal systems and their own courts of law. Judgments of the courts of England and Wales are not, therefore , of themselves effective in the Bailiwicks of Guernsey or Jersey, but it is possible for UK court orders to be recognised and enforced if they meet certain established criteria whether pursuant to statute, or pursuant to the common or customary law. Much depends upon the circumstances and type of offence committed or judgment made.

    Criminal law in Scotland and Northern Ireland is devolved, meaning that responsibility for such matters lie with the devolved administrations of
    Scotland and Northern Ireland respectively.

    There is excellent co-operation between Common Travel Area (CTA) partners, including the UK and the Channel Islands, to prevent abuse of the CTA by strengthening its external border. The UK Government is working with the Channel Islands authorities to ensure that the implications of the Modern Slavery Bill and the Modern Slavery action plan for the Common Travel Area are fully understood.

    UK Border Force staff receive mandatory training to help identify and tackle human trafficking, and to date we have not seen any evidence that individuals are being trafficked to the UK via the Channel Islands. However, we remain alert and will act on any information received.

  • Jessica Morden – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Jessica Morden – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jessica Morden on 2014-06-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many (a) standard passport applications, (b) fast-track applications and (c) premium service applications were processed in (i) 1 January 2012 to 31 May 2012, (ii) 1 January 2013 to 31 May 2013 and (iii) 1 January 2014 o 31 May 2014.

    James Brokenshire

    The information requested is shown in the following table. This also includes data up until 30 June for each year.

  • Lord Willis of Knaresborough – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Lord Willis of Knaresborough – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Willis of Knaresborough on 2014-03-31.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether, following the repeal of European Union Directive 2009/40/EC and the agreement of a new directive at Strasbourg on 11 March with regard to the periodic roadworthiness testing of motor vehicles and their trailers, it will be the United Kingdom Government or the European Union Commission that will decide how the new directive is implemented.

    Baroness Kramer

    The European Union Commission does not have a role in deciding how to implement the new Directive. We are already compliant with the new Directive in most areas and will implement appropriately in the remaining areas in consultation with all parties impacted by changes.

  • Keith Vaz – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Keith Vaz – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Keith Vaz on 2014-06-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people employed by HM Passport Office were specifically tasked with processing passport applications on (a) 1 January, (b) 1 February, (c) 1 March, (d) 1 April, (e) 1 May and (f) 1 June 2014.

    James Brokenshire

    The formal record for workforce data is made on the last day of each calendar
    month.
    The table below shows the number of Her Majesty’s Passport Office full-time
    equivalents working within the passport operational Directorates.
    (a) On 31 December 2013: 2,457
    (b) On 31 January 2014: 2,515
    (c) On 28 February 2014: 2,559
    (d) On 31 March 2014: 2,593
    (e) On 30 April 2014: 2,611
    (f) On 31 May 2014: 2,629

    Please note, Her Majesty’sPassport Office records migrated to the Department’s
    strategic record system during this period and are subject to enhanced validation
    checks. Several months in this time series have a variance of +/- 2 FTE.

  • David Morris – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    David Morris – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

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

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what support his Department has provided to Lancaster City Council to ensure affordable homes are built in rural areas in Morecambe and Lunesdale constituency.

    Kris Hopkins

    There will be 228 affordable homes delivered in Lancaster area as a result of £6.9 million of government funding through the 2011 to 2015 Affordable Homes Programme of which 27 homes are in rural areas (defined as settlements with populations of less than 3,000 people).

    In 2011-12, half of the affordable homes built outside London were in rural local authorities and we have delivered over 5,000 affordable homes in the smallest rural communities (under 3,000 people) in the first two years of the current programme.

    The Homes and Communities Agency’s funding prospectus for the 2015-18 Affordable Homes Programme sets out how the Agency will continue to pay particular attention to the importance of delivery in rural areas in providing funding. The work of the Agency is also supported by a network of rural champions. The National Planning Policy Framework and Rural Exception Sites also help to address the housing needs of rural communities.

  • Sheila Gilmore – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Leader of the House

    Sheila Gilmore – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Leader of the House

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sheila Gilmore on 2014-06-12.

    To ask the Leader of the House, what visits each of the Ministers in his Office have made since January 2013; and what the purpose of each such visit was.

    Mr Andrew Lansley

    In February 2013, I visited the Scottish Parliament to examine Parliamentary procedures and practices.

    In May 2013, the Deputy Leader of the House and I undertook an overseas visit to the European Institutions in Brussels. This visit provided an opportunity to consider and promote the role of national parliaments, including the House of Commons, in the processes of European legislation.

    In December 2013, the Deputy Leader of the House visited Northern Ireland to engage with various Northern Irish charities and campaign groups on the Transparency of Lobbying, Non-Party Campaigning and Trade Union Administration Bill.

    In February 2014, I and the Deputy Leader of the House visited the Welsh Assembly in Cardiff to examine Parliamentary procedures and the work of the Petitions Committee.

  • Angus Robertson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Angus Robertson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

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

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to paragraphs 7.22, 7.21 and 7.7 of Joint Service Publication 832, if he will place in the Library and on his Department’s website a copy of the Service inquiry regarding the collision of two Tornado aircraft over the Moray Firth on 3 July 2012.

    Dr Andrew Murrison

    I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right Hon. Friend the Minister of State for the Armed Forces (Mark Francois) on 3 December 2013, (Official Report, column 639W). It would be inappropriate to comment on any details relating to this incident prior to the publication of the Service Inquiry.

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

    Gordon Marsden – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gordon Marsden on 2014-06-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the (a) availability and (b) effectiveness of scrubber technology on maritime vessels.

    Stephen Hammond

    In October 2012, and again in March 2013, I chaired ‘round table’ meetings of industry stakeholders (from the shipping, ports, exhaust gas cleaning system technology, oil refining and logistics sectors) to consider the best way forward for compliance with the new international and EU sulphur requirements. The potential for reverse modal shift, the maturity and efficacy of scrubber technology and the scope for financial assistance to industry were all key to those discussions. The report commissioned by the UK Chamber of Shipping was produced as a result of those meetings, and officials have taken it into account in producing the Government’s Impact Assessment on the draft UK Regulations to implement the sulphur limits in national law.

    The Government went out to an eight-week public consultation on 29 April 2014 on those draft UK Regulations. Meanwhile, Government officials continue to work closely with the industry and to explore the scope for securing EU finance, possibly under the Trans-European Network (commonly known as TEN-T) programme and affordable capital from the European Investment Bank, for shipowners and ports who wish to invest in scrubber technology or in technology associated with the use of an alternative fuel, such as liquefied natural gas, to comply with the new limits.

    The UK Regulations will be reviewed in accordance with normal Government practice and consistent with the principles of better regulation.

  • 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 2014-03-31.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many staff worked in investigation, legal and enforcement action in each geographical area of the Environment Agency in each year since 2010.

    Dan Rogerson

    The Environment Agency is unable to provide a breakdown of the number of staff that worked in investigation, legal and enforcement action across geographical areas since 2010 due to disproportionate cost.

    Many Environment Agency staff work on investigation, legal and enforcement action as part of their role and across more than one geographical area.