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Category: Speeches

  • Steve McCabe – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Steve McCabe – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2016-04-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 21 March 2016 to Question 31102, what assessment she has made of the effect of the Government’s proposal for every school to become an academy on (a) divergences between schools’ admissions arrangements and (b) proposals to limit who may refer objections to the Schools Adjudicator; and if she will make a statement.

    Nick Gibb

    The Department’s White Paper, ‘Educational Excellence Everywhere’, sets out the Government’s aim that every school should have the opportunity to become an academy. In this context, it sets out our intention to seek views on a number of changes to the admissions system to make it simpler and clearer for parents to navigate.

    As part of these proposed changes, we intend to streamline the functions of the Office of the Schools Adjudicator so that objections to admission arrangements are resolved faster. This will include limiting who can object so only local parents and councils may refer objections, so that the adjudicator function can remain focused on resolving the concerns of those who may be directly affected by a school’s admission arrangements.

    The White Paper is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/educational-excellence-everywhere

    “

  • David Mackintosh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    David Mackintosh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Mackintosh on 2016-05-18.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will make representations to the Office for National Statistics on including a separate ethnicity box for Sikh in the (a) 2021 census and (b) 2017 test questionnaire.

    Mr Rob Wilson

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

  • Imran Hussain – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Imran Hussain – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Imran Hussain on 2016-06-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with his (a) foreign counterparts and (b) cabinet colleagues on recent reports of border clashes between Ethiopia and Eritrea.

    James Duddridge

    We are concerned over recent reports of fighting between Ethiopian and Eritrean forces along the border near Tsorena. I made a statement on 16 June calling on both countries to exercise restraint and to adhere to the terms of the Algiers Agreement. We have also made clear to Ethiopia and Eritrea that they should engage in meaningful political discourse to seek a resolution to the ongoing border issues. Officials have discussed the clashes with our partners in Europe and at the UN, many of whom share our concerns and have made similar calls for restraint.

  • Zac Goldsmith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Zac Goldsmith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Zac Goldsmith on 2016-09-13.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what estimate he has made of the number of staff departing from (a) his Department and (b) the Prime Minister’s Office who accepted jobs with Heathrow Airport Limited; and what estimate he has made of the number of staff arriving in (i) his Department and (ii) the Prime Minister’s Office from Heathrow Airport Limited in each of the last five years.

    Ben Gummer

    The Prime Minister’s Office is an integral part of the Cabinet Office.

    This information is not held centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

  • Nusrat Ghani – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Nusrat Ghani – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nusrat Ghani on 2015-11-16.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment his Department has made of the potential benefits of removing the obligation to register as self-employed for students in full-time education earning less than the standard personal allowance.

    Mr David Gauke

    The information is not available. HM Revenue and Customs does not routinely record whether a student is in full time education.

  • Greg Mulholland – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Greg Mulholland – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Greg Mulholland on 2015-12-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with his international counterparts on forced disappearances in Syria.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    We continue to press (including in international fora) for the immediate end to enforced disappearances in Syria and the release of those arbitrarily detained.

    The UK sponsored three resolutions on the human rights situation in Syria at the Human Rights Council during 2015 condemning all arbitrary detention of individuals by the Syrian authorities and other parties to the conflict and demanding the immediate release of all persons arbitrarily detained. We also co-sponsored the UN General Assembly Third Committee Resolution on the human rights situation in Syria which was successfully adopted on 19 November.

    We support the UN Commission of Inquiry’s investigations into human rights violations and abuses, including enforced disappearances, in Syria. In partnership with other donor countries, we are funding the collection of documentary evidence on such abuses for use in possible legal processes in the future. We continue to call for the UN Commission of Inquiry to have unhindered access to all persons deprived of their liberty and allow them to investigate.

    Last year the UK co-sponsored a UN Security Council Resolution to refer all those responsible for war-crimes and crimes against humanity in Syria, regardless of affiliation, to the International Criminal Court. Russia and China chose to veto this resolution.

  • Baroness Armstrong of Hill Top – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Baroness Armstrong of Hill Top – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Armstrong of Hill Top on 2016-01-19.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government how much of the Affordable Homes Programme they expect to be spent on bringing empty homes back into use.

    Baroness Williams of Trafford

    The Homes and Community Agency made available £110.6 million to bring empty homes back into use over two rounds of funding:

    • Round 1 (2012-13) £69,820,695; and
    • Round 2 (2014-15) £40,790,126.

    The Homes and Community Agency’s Affordable Homes Programme will continue to provide funding to bring empty homes back into use. The Affordable Homes Programme is a competitive scheme and the amount of funding allocated to empty homes will depend on the quality of the bids received.

  • Steve McCabe – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Steve McCabe – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2016-02-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what plans his Department has to review plans to introduce a click and collect service as a result of P2U service failings over the 2015 Christmas period.

    Alistair Burt

    All pharmacies should have a business continuity plan in place which covers not being able to provide a full or any service.

    NHS England, in conjunction with the General Pharmaceutical Council, worked urgently with Pharmacy 2 U once it became apparent that this pharmacy was failing to deliver its normal service over the Christmas period. They ensured that Pharmacy 2 U instigated several actions in addition to the business continuity plan that the pharmacy already had in place. The ability to ensure that, where necessary or as requested by the patient, prescriptions were diverted to another pharmacy of the patient’s choice was made significantly easier by the fact that the majority of the prescriptions dispensed by Pharmacy 2 U are sent to them via the Electronic Prescription Service.

    Patient safety was the number one priority at the immediate time. Pharmacy 2 U resumed its normal service, as publicised, on 11 January 2016, and there now continues to be a review of the events that led to this situation to ensure that the review of community pharmacy in England is fully informed and national lessons can be learnt from this unexpected and unfortunate event.

  • Graham Stringer – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Graham Stringer – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Graham Stringer on 2016-03-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the evidential basis for new guidelines on alcohol limits in respect of proposed metabolisation of alcohol by men and women.

    Jane Ellison

    The Government asked Dame Sally Davies, the Chief Medical Officer (CMO), to oversee a review of the alcohol guidelines, to ensure these are founded on the best science and so that the guidelines help people at all stages of life to make informed choices about their drinking.

    The Guidelines Development Group considered questions of individual variation, of which one issue is variations in the rates at which individuals metabolise alcohol. Their advice is clear that the weekly guideline is advice for the general population, which individuals need to consider in the light of their own individual characteristics.

    A “List of supporting evidence” on the consultation page (where all the documents, such as the reports and evidence papers are listed) can be downloaded at:

    https://app.box.com/s/wlludrmim3gd83r28c4oqb3upj68cqia

    “

  • Peter Kyle – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Peter Kyle – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Peter Kyle on 2016-04-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment the Government has made of the effectiveness of the flushability tests used by manufacturers of disposable wipes.

    Rory Stewart

    Sewer blockages can be a serious problem, and sewer flooding can cause great distress to householders.

    We support the work that the industry is taking forward to reduce the number of blockages. Water UK, the representative body for the UK water and sewerage industry, has led on development of a voluntary test that sanitary manufacturers can use to establish whether or not their product is truly flushable.