Category: Speeches

  • Nigel Dodds – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    Nigel Dodds – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nigel Dodds on 2014-04-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how much her Department has spent on legacy issues in each year since 2010; and how many staff are employed on dealing with such legacy issues.

    Mrs Theresa Villiers

    It is not possible to provide a breakdown of spend by the Northern Ireland Office on legacy issues annually since 2010 as matters related cut across so many aspects of the Department’s work.

    Within the Northern Ireland Office’s Engagement Group there is a Legacy Unit which currently consists of 4 members of staff. This unit deals with a wide range of issues arising from Northern Ireland’s troubled past, including calls for further inquiries and reviews; legal challenges brought in relation to legacy cases; applications for public interest immunity; and compensation for certain miscarriages of justice. In addition, the Legacy Unit oversees the sponsorship of the Independent Commission for the Location of Victims Remains.

  • David Hanson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    David Hanson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Hanson on 2014-06-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions her Department has had with representatives of the travel insurance industry regarding cancellations of holidays or business trips due to delays in processing passport applications.

    James Brokenshire

    Home Office Ministers and officials have meetings with a wide variety of
    international partners, as well as organisations and individuals in the public
    and private sectors, as part of the process of policy development and
    operational delivery.
    Details of Ministerial meetings with external organisations and individuals are
    passed to the Cabinet Office on a quarterly basis and are subsequently
    published on the Cabinet Office website, which is available here:
    https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/home-office-mnisters-hospitality-data

  • Grahame M. Morris – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Grahame M. Morris – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Grahame M. Morris on 2014-04-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what proportion of the helicopter fleet operating in the offshore oil and gas industry is fitted with a side-floating helicopter scheme that is compliant with the Civil Aviation Authority’s relevant statutory specifications.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), as part of its Offshore Helicopter Review, looked at improvements that could be made to helicopters to increase the survivability of passengers in the event of a ditching in the sea. The CAA has made recommendations to industry concerning the use of flotation devices. However, the CAA does not have statutory specifications for side-floating helicopter schemes.

    The requirements for such equipment are being developed by the European Aviation Safety Agency.

  • Richard Burden – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Deputy Prime Minister

    Richard Burden – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Deputy Prime Minister

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

    To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, how many schools in England and Wales were closed for the local and European elections on 22 May 2014.

    Greg Clark

    The Information requested is not held centrally.

  • Mike Crockart – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Mike Crockart – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mike Crockart on 2014-04-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what inflation adjustment measures are applied to the pensions paid to armed forces pensioners resident outside the UK.

    Anna Soubry

    Armed Forces pensions are currently uprated annually in April using the Consumer Price Index (CPI) figure from the previous September. These are occupational pensions and are therefore paid, including any CPI increase, to scheme members wherever they reside in the world.

    The UK Government is confident that the people of Scotland will continue to support remaining within the UK. There have, therefore, been no discussions with the Scottish Government about this matter.

  • Richard Fuller – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Richard Fuller – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

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

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what representations he has had on including insolvency litigation in the scope of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012.

    Mr Shailesh Vara

    We have recently received representations from insolvency practitioners, including the Association of Business Recovery Professionals (R3), regarding a permanent exemption for insolvency litigation from the scope of the costs and funding provisions in Part 2 of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders (LASPO) Act 2012. Ministry of Justice officials have met with R3 on this matter.

    The LASPO reforms were implemented generally from 1 April 2013, although they were delayed for insolvency proceedings in order to allow stakeholders time to adjust. The Government’s position remains – as announced by written ministerial statement in May 2012 (24 May 2012: Col 94WS) – that the reforms should apply to insolvency proceedings from April 2015.

  • 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 2014-04-02.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they plan to take to protect the property rights and security of Palestinians if peace negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian Authority are extended.

    Baroness Warsi

    I refer the noble Baroness, Lady Tonge to the answer I gave her on 21 November 2013 (Official Report, column WA233).

  • Mike Weir – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Deputy Prime Minister

    Mike Weir – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Deputy Prime Minister

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mike Weir on 2014-06-16.

    To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what the total cost was of production and delivery of the booklet, What staying in the United Kingdom means for Scotland; and what proportion of such costs relate to (a) research, verification and co-ordination, (b) writing, editing, sub-editing and proofing of the text, (c) photography, design, artwork and licensing, (d) printing, (e) distribution and delivery and (f) related communications, administration and public affairs support.

    Greg Clark

    The total cost to-date of What Staying in the United Kingdom Means for Scotland is £723,501 (plus VAT).

    Each booklet cost around 30p to design, produce, print and deliver to every household in Scotland. As is standard practice, detail and spending data will published in the Cabinet Office transparency returns.

  • Lord West of Spithead – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Lord West of Spithead – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord West of Spithead on 2014-04-02.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they intend to reintroduce the artificer rate into the Royal Navy.

    Lord Astor of Hever

    No, the Royal Navy has disestablished the Artificer system in favour of a more coherent engineering technician structure which sets a headmark of achieving accreditation through the appropriate professional institutions and apprenticeships.

  • John Robertson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    John Robertson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Robertson on 2014-06-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to publicise information on changes to child maintenance.

    Steve Webb

    Since the Child Maintenance Service launched in December 2012 we have been talking to clients (via caseworkers and through our Child Maintenance Options service) about the planned introduction of charging, and letters to Child Maintenance Service clients have made reference to the charges.

    More widely we have engaged with stakeholders, partners, MP caseworkers and intermediaries to share information about the reforms to the child maintenance system.

    Ahead of existing Child Support Agency cases closing, a regional media trial is currently running in the Manchester area. The media activity includes digital, radio and press advertising to let parents know that the Child Support Agency is changing and to reassure them that they don’t need to take any action until they receive a letter. We will evaluate the results of this media activity before confirming plans to run this campaign nationally later this year.