Category: Speeches

  • Greg Knight – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Greg Knight – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Greg Knight on 2014-06-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, for what reason scientific experiments on cats are permitted.

    Norman Baker

    Cats, along with some other species, are given special protection by the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 and may only be used if no other species is suitable or it is not practicable to obtain animals of any other species that are suitable for the purposes of the relevant programme of work. It is my objective to minimise the use of cats as far as possible.

    Cats are primarily used in the development of veterinary medicines and techniques, and in neurological research. Much of the veterinary research is for the benefit of cats, for example in developing vaccines for feline diseases and improved diets for cats.

  • Vernon Coaker – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Vernon Coaker – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Vernon Coaker on 2014-03-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 25 March 2014, Official Report, column 181W, on D-Day landings: anniversaries, how many (a) veterans, (b) armed forces’ widows, (c) armed forces’ spouses and (d) carers his Department expects will be in attendance for each of the 70th anniversary D-Day commemoration events in the UK.

    Anna Soubry

    The 70th Anniversary D-Day commemorative events in Portsmouth are being organised by Portsmouth City Council, and the military is supporting the event as requested. Similarly, the Services are supporting events planned by the Normandy Veterans Association (NVA). The Department is unable to predict the numbers who may be present at any of these events and has received no requests to facilitate attendance.

    The Ministry of Defence was made aware of Portsmouth City Council’s planned events in April 2013. We were informed about the majority of NVA events in February 2013, and the National Memorial Arboretum event in November 2013. We have been working closely with the Royal British Legion and the NVA on the planned events to mark this significant anniversary, and have ensured that a range of Service charities and associations are kept informed, including COBSEO, the Confederation of Service Charities.

  • Matthew Offord – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Matthew Offord – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Matthew Offord on 2014-06-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to speed up claims by asylum seekers.

    Karen Bradley

    Claims for asylum are increasing. In 2013 the number of asylum applications
    within the EU was the highest it has been since 2002. The UK has experienced an increase
    of 30% between 2010 and 2013 – with an 8% increase between 2012 and 2013 alone.

    We are committed to resolving these quickly, while continuing to improve
    the quality of our decision making, and we are making changes to our processes
    and management to make sure we do so.

  • Tim Loughton – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Tim Loughton – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tim Loughton on 2014-03-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, on what dates the National Panel on Serious Case Reviews has met; and if he will publish the minutes of that Panel’s meetings.

    Mr Edward Timpson

    The national panel of independent experts on Serious Case Reviews has met on the following dates:

    1. 25 July 2013

    2. 9 September 2013

    3. 11 November 2013

    4. 13 January 2014

    5. 10 February 2014

    6. 10 March 2014

    The key output of the panel meetings is letters from the panel to Local Safeguarding Children Boards making recommendations on the cases put to them, about the application of the SCR criteria, the appointment of reviewers and the publication of SCR reports. The letters refer to sensitive material not in the public domain and would not therefore be routinely publishable.

  • Alison Seabeck – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Alison Seabeck – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alison Seabeck on 2014-06-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what new buildings his Department plans to provide for the use of the private sector partner taking over the Defence Support Group; and what the potential cost to the public purse is of such provision.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    The Ministry of Defence does not intend to provide any new buildings as part of the sale of the Defence Support Group. But as part of our planned drawdown from Germany there will be a requirement to provide Controlled Humidity Environment storage facilities as part of Army 2020.

  • 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 2014-03-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many fines have been levied under The Immigration (Employment of Adults Subject to Immigration Conrol) (Maximum Penalty) Order 2008 of a value of (a) up to £1000, (b) between £1000 and £2000, (c) between £2000 and £5000 and (d) between £5000 and £10000 to date.

    James Brokenshire

    Enforcement operations against illegal working have increased significantly,
    with a 47% increase in 2013 compared to 2012. The administration of the penalty
    scheme and administrative debt recovery processes have been reviewed, including
    with Cabinet Office input and are being streamlined and further improved.

    The information on the number of civil penalties levied is provided in the
    following table. Data has been provided from £2,500 upwards as this is the
    minimum penalty value that is levied in line with the published penalty
    calculation framework. The table includes values of £10,000 upwards to account
    for multiple workers per penalty.

    Please note the figures are for penalties levied at the initial decision stage
    which may be reduced, cancelled, increased or reissued at the objection or
    appeal stage.

    Value of Penalty £2,500-£5,000 £5,000-£10,000 £10,000 plus
    Total Penalties levied 5701 2774 1954

  • Gloria De Piero – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Gloria De Piero – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gloria De Piero on 2014-06-11.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the average salary was for a (a) man and (b) woman of (i) white ethnic origin and (ii) black and minority ethnic origin and who was (A) disabled and (B) not disabled in Ashfield constituency in each year since 2010.

    Mr Nick Hurd

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

  • Mary Creagh – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Mary Creagh – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mary Creagh on 2014-03-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions his Department has had with Transport for London on the South East Flexible Ticketing scheme.

    Stephen Hammond

    As a key delivery partner for the South East Flexible Ticketing (SEFT) programme, Transport for London are a signatory to the SEFT Memorandum of Understanding and have membership of the SEFT Programme Board. This is intended to ensure that their extensive experience of developing smart ticketing in London is fully utilised in delivering the SEFT programme.

    TfL has therefore been fully involved in all significant discussions on the strategic direction, design and delivery of SEFT. Significant work has also been carried out with them to ensure that the scheme will interoperate properly with their existing infrastructure in central London, including system testing.

  • Ian Austin – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Ian Austin – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Austin on 2014-06-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what guidance her Department issues to police forces on marking cases as requiring No Further Action.

    Norman Baker

    The Home Office Counting Rules provide guidance to police forces on all matters that relate to the recording of crime and disposals. They are issued annually
    by the Home Office.

    This Government is committed to increasing the transparency of information available to the public on recorded crime and outcomes. From April 2014, we introduced the recorded crime outcomes framework, replacing the previous regime of detections. This will inform the public how forces have dealt with 100% of crimes reported to them. For the first time, therefore, the public will be able to see how those crimes previously recorded as ‘undetected’ and as requiring ‘no further action’ have been resolved. The first data will be available in July 2015.

  • 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 2014-03-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will place in the Library a copy of his Department’s agreement in principle for three offshore patrol vessels with BAE Systems.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 8 November 2013 (Official Report, column 401W).