Category: Speeches

  • Dan Jarvis – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Dan Jarvis – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dan Jarvis on 2014-03-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many breaches of security have been reported at (a) HM Courts Service, (b) the Land Registry, (c) the National Offender Management Service, (d) the National Archives, (e) the Office of the Public Guardian and (f) the Tribunals Service in each year since May 2010; and what procedures each agency follows when a breach of security involves the disclosure of personal data.

    Shailesh Vara

    The table below provides the number of centrally recorded security incidents (breaches of security resulting in actual or potential harm) that have occurred during each financial year since 1 April 2010.

    01/04/2010-31/03/2011

    01/04/2011-31/03/2012

    01/04/2012-31/03/2013

    01/04/2013-31/12/2013

    HM Courts Service*

    2,845

    –

    –

    –

    Tribunals Service*

    577

    –

    –

    –

    HM Courts and Tribunals Service*

    –

    5,077

    3,101

    2,421

    Office of the Public Guardian

    679

    446

    485

    389

    The National Archives

    3

    1

    5

    0

    The National Offender Management Service **

    8,287

    9,298

    10,052

    8,492

    *HM Courts Service and the Tribunals Service merged in April 2011 and became HM Courts and Tribunals Service and therefore these details are not recorded separately.

    ** Includes the number of incidents involving physical security in prisons.

    Responsibility for HM Land Registry was transferred to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills in July 2011 and therefore the Ministry of Justice does not hold this information.

    The figures include a wide range of types of incident, including loss of IT equipment (which would usually be password protected or encrypted to protect the information); verbal abuse and threats to court staff, judiciary and members of the public; and a wide variety of incidents in prisons.

    The Department and its agencies apply robust incident management processes, including a requirement for staff to report breaches resulting in potential harm/loss to assets (information, people, buildings and equipment).

    When a security incident involving the disclosure of personal data is identified prompt action is taken locally to limit harm and residual action is then taken to seek to alleviate further recurrence.

  • Rosie Cooper – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Rosie Cooper – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rosie Cooper on 2014-05-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what representations he has received on the inclusion of a bill on modernisation of the regulation of nurses and midwives in the Queen’s Speech.

    Dr Daniel Poulter

    We have not received representations on the inclusion of a bill on modernisation of the regulation of nurses and midwives. However, the Department has received representations on taking forward the Law Commission’s work from a number of organisations, including:

    – professional regulatory bodies;

    – patient safety groups;

    – the Professional Standards Authority; and

    – medical professional associations.

  • Huw Irranca-Davies – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Huw Irranca-Davies – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Huw Irranca-Davies on 2014-03-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what proportion of work capability assessments appeals that were found in favour of the claimant heard by January 2014, were awarded zero points at the initial decision; and what proportion of such decisions were awarded to (a) the WRAG and (b) the Support Group.

    Mike Penning

    The information requested for all Work Capability Assessments is not readily available and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

  • Jim Shannon – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Jim Shannon – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2014-05-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions his Ministers had with the Iranian government on the imprisonment of (a) Rasoul Abdollahi, (b) Saeed Abedini, (c) Ebrahim Firozi, (d) Behmain Iranal, (e) Alireza Seyedin, (f) Maryam Naghash-Zargaran, (g) Farshid Fathi and (h) others imprisoned for their religious beliefs in Iran.

    Hugh Robertson

    We remain deeply concerned about the detention and treatment of all prisoners of conscience in Iran and the ongoing discrimination against Christians and other minority religious groups. We have called publicly for the Iranian government to end all persecution of individuals on the basis of their faith. The UK’s non-resident Chargé d’Affaires raised the issue of freedom of religion with the Iranian authorities during his last visit to Iran on 12 March.

  • Mr Andrew Smith – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Mr Andrew Smith – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mr Andrew Smith on 2014-03-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will commission a study of the case for a new cycle and pedestrian crossing of the Thames east of Tower Bridge.

    Stephen Hammond

    Transport in London is the responsibility of the Mayor and Transport for London (TfL) as per the terms of the Greater London Authority Act 1999. Any decision to commission a study into a new cycle and pedestrian Thames crossing would therefore be a matter for the Mayor of London.

  • David Anderson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    David Anderson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Anderson on 2014-06-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make representations to the government of Sudan about the imprisonment of Meriam Ibrahim.

    Mark Simmonds

    I am appalled at the death sentence given to Meriam Ibrahim, and her continued imprisonment. Immediately following her trial, I issued a statement describing her conviction as barbaric and calling upon the Government of Sudan to respect the right to freedom of religion and international human rights laws as enshrined in its own constitution. The Chargé d’Affaires of the Sudanese Embassy in London was summoned to the Foreign Office on the 19 May at the request of Foreign Secretary. DFID Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, Lynne Featherstone, reiterated our demand with the Sudanese Foreign Minister when she met him on 20 May. Our Embassy in Khartoum, that attended her trial, continues to press the Sudanese authorities for Meriam Ibrahim’s release, and is in close contact with the defence team.

  • Chris Ruane – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Chris Ruane – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Ruane on 2014-03-17.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what change there has been in median gross weekly earnings for (a) men and (b) women in Vale of Clwyd constituency since 2010.

    Nick Hurd

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

  • Iain McKenzie – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Iain McKenzie – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Iain McKenzie on 2014-06-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what recent assessment she made of the humanitarian situation in Syria; and if she will make a statement.

    Justine Greening

    The humanitarian crisis in Syria has reached catastrophic proportions. The UN estimates that 9.3 million people are in dire need of humanitarian aid within Syria. At least 6.5 million people in Syria have been forced to flee their homes to other areas of the country and there are now over 2.8 million refugees in the region.

  • Mr Jamie Reed – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Mr Jamie Reed – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mr Jamie Reed on 2014-03-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what training schemes his Department has in place to enable teachers to support children who have type one diabetes.

    Edward Timpson

    The training of school staff to support pupils with medical conditions is a matter for schools. However, the Department for Education fully expects them to be aware of and understand the needs of pupils with medical conditions such as diabetes, and to put arrangements in place to provide effective support. This should include ensuring that school staff receive suitable training.

    From September 2014, there will be a new duty, (introduced in the Children and Families Act 2014), on governing bodies of maintained schools (and proprietors of academies) to make arrangements to support pupils at school with medical conditions and to have regard to statutory guidance. The guidance (upon which we have consulted publicly) will set out the requirements on schools to support children with medical conditions, which we would expect them to apply to conditions like diabetes. The guidance will set out expectations in respect of staff training.

  • Cathy Jamieson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Cathy Jamieson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Cathy Jamieson on 2014-06-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many tenants from elsewhere in the UK have taken advantage of Home Swap Direct to arrange exchanges to Scotland in each of the last three years for which figures are available.

    Kris Hopkins

    Details of the number of moves that have taken placeunder the HomeSwap Direct Scheme from elsewhere in the United Kingdom to Scotland in each of the last three years are not held centrally.

    HomeSwap Direct increases opportunities for social tenants who wish to find a new home by allowing tenants looking for a swap to see details of every possible property nationwide, no matter which mutual exchange website their landlord has chosen to subscribe to. The scheme has operated very successfully since its launch in October 2011 with tenants carrying out over 18 million searches of the property data held on HomeSwap Direct.