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Category: Speeches

  • Daniel Kawczynski – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Daniel Kawczynski – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Daniel Kawczynski on 2016-07-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether his Department has taken legal advice on whether the European Communities Act 1972 can be repealed by Royal Prerogative.

    Sir Alan Duncan

    The process for leaving the EU and determining our future relationship with the EU, including changes to domestic legislation, is likely to be a long and complex one. We now need to work on the detailed arrangements to support that process.

  • Lord Storey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Lord Storey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Storey on 2016-09-15.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many illegal schools have been closed down, and how many people have been prosecuted for running an illegal school, in each of the last five years.

    Lord Nash

    We are determined to keep children safe in and out of school and have made it very clear that it is an offence to operate an unregistered independent school. We announced in January funding for Ofsted to establish a dedicated team of specialist inspectors to investigate such settings. Since that time, there’s been a significant escalation in Ofsted investigations of settings, which has resulted in the closure of many.

    However, the numbers of unregistered schools, including closures fluctuates all the time as new ones come to our attention, existing ones are closed down, or are confirmed as not operating as schools. Such settings also proceed to go through the registration process and may be operating in some capacity, but on a part-time basis which is not an offence.

    No prosecutions have yet been taken but we are working closely with Ofsted and the Crown Prosecution Service on taking forward prosecutions of individuals running them, where appropriate.

  • Jim Shannon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Jim Shannon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2015-11-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the study entitled ‘First, do no harm’: are disability assessments associated with adverse trends in mental health? A longitudinal ecological study, published in November 2015 in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health.

    Priti Patel

    The Department will study the report. However, as the authors make clear, their report does not show a causal link between the Incapacity Benefit reassessment process and rates of suicide, mental ill-health or use of anti-depressants.

  • Andy Slaughter – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Andy Slaughter – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andy Slaughter on 2015-12-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, with reference to his Department’s Policy paper, UN Human Rights Council: United Kingdom 2017-2019 candidate, published on 9 December 2015, for what reason reference to the prevention of torture included in previous candidature policy papers was omitted from that policy paper.

    Mr David Lidington

    Our UN pledges reflect our enduring commitment to promoting universal human rights. Our work to prevent torture globally is intrinsic to this. Our pledges renew the UK’s commitment to encourage the ratification and implementation of core UN human rights instruments – this includes the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, and its Optional Protocol. As the Prime Minister, my right hon. Friend the member for Witney (Mr Cameron) has said, “torture is always wrong”. We continue to call on all states to set up meaningful national preventative mechanisms to put an end to all use of torture and remain committed to torture prevention work globally as evidenced by the launch of the new edition of the Torture Reporting Handbook on 24 September.

  • Paul Flynn – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Paul Flynn – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Flynn on 2016-01-21.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, for what reasons two empty armed transporter ships owned by the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority and capable of carrying fissile nuclear materials departed Barrow-in-Furness on 19 January 2016; and what the destination of those ships is.

    Andrea Leadsom

    Two specialist nuclear cargo vessels, which are UK flagged, are currently taking part in a voyage which is approved by all relevant authorities, including the UK Government. In accordance with normal procedures, no further details of their voyage can be disclosed at this stage for security reasons.

  • Jess Phillips – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Jess Phillips – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jess Phillips on 2016-02-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many cases the Schools Adjudicator has investigated in connection with the provisions of the Armed Forces Covenant since 2011.

    Nick Gibb

    In response to the Armed Forces Covenant, the School Admissions Code (the code) contains various provisions to ensure that children of UK service personnel are not disadvantaged when applying for a school place. Admission authorities are required to comply with the code. Objections citing provisions relating to the Armed Forces Covenant would not be within the Office of the School Adjudicator’s jurisdiction (excluding those relating to service premium admission).

    The Office of the School’s Adjudicator has not received any objections relating to this issue.

  • Mrs Anne-Marie Trevelyan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Mrs Anne-Marie Trevelyan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mrs Anne-Marie Trevelyan on 2016-03-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many signatories there are to the Corporate Covenant to date; and if he will make a statement.

    Mark Lancaster

    As at 8 March 2016 a total of 891 organisations had signed a Corporate Pledge to the Armed Forces Covenant. The requested breakdown is provided below:

    Educational establishments (including training companies)

    79

    of which, schools, colleges and universities

    41

    Public Health Bodies (excluding Ambulance Trusts)

    25

    of which, NHS Foundation Trusts

    12

    Ambulance Trusts

    5

    Private companies

    763

    of which, private companies with ‘Limited’ in their name

    355
  • Robert Flello – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Robert Flello – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Robert Flello on 2016-04-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether his Department is taking steps to ensure that abortion clinics transfer women to hospital at the earliest stage necessary in the case of serious incidents.

    Jane Ellison

    The termination of pregnancies is a regulated activity. All providers of regulated activities must be registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) and must meet all of the relevant Regulations under the Health and Social Care Act 2008, including meeting the fundamental standards of quality and safety, which includes independent sector termination of pregnancy providers and managers. The CQC is responsible for monitoring and, where appropriate, inspecting providers in relation to their ongoing compliance with meeting those requirements. Independent sector providers are also required to comply with the Department’s Required Standard Operating Procedures which the CQC inspect against.

    The CQC has made a public commitment to undertake inspection of all independent providers of termination of pregnancy services using their new inspection approach and will continue to respond to risk as appropriate and take regulatory action as required.

    On the issue of whether the Department plans to issue guidance to abortion clinics on consultation on disposal arrangements following termination, I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 11 April 2016 to Question 32357.

    We have no plans to issue guidance to abortion clinics on the administration of drugs. The administration of drugs is managed through the CQC’s fundamental standards and through inspection visits.

    “

  • David Anderson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    David Anderson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Anderson on 2016-05-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what proportion of coal produced and imported into the UK is used for (a) electricity generation, (b) steel production, (c) cement manufacture, (d) domestic uses, (e) carbon fibre goods, (f) liquid fuel manufacture, (g) mobile phone components and (h) heritage railways in the latest year for which figures are available.

    Andrea Leadsom

    The table below gives the proportion of coal produced and imported into the UK by sector for 2014. DECC only produces industry consumption data for the main industrial sectors. Therefore, data is not broken down specifically for cement manufacture, carbon fibre goods, liquid fuel manufacture and mobile phone components. For industry the table shows the two largest consumers and iron and steel.

    Thousand Tonnes

    Proportion %

    Total Demand

    48,500

    Transformation

    45,665

    94.1%

    Of which: Electricity Generation

    38,400

    79.2%

    Industry

    2,240

    4.6%

    Of which : Mineral Products

    1173

    2.4%

    Pulp, paper, printing, etc

    136

    0.2%

    Iron and Steel

    54

    0.1%

    Heritage railways

    13

    0.03%

    Domestic

    547

    1.1%

    *Other

    35

    0.1%

    *includes energy industry use, public administration, commercial and miscellaneous.

    Source:

    DUKES table 2.4 available at:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/solid-fuels-and-derived-gases-chapter-2-digest-of-united-kingdom-energy-statistics-dukes.

    “

  • Nicholas Brown – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Nicholas Brown – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicholas Brown on 2016-07-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what options his Department is considering for making access to an expanded range of cancer drugs available through the NHS after the end of the Cancer Drugs Fund.

    George Freeman

    The Government remains committed to the Cancer Drugs Fund which has so far helped over 84,000 patients in England access the cancer drugs they need. £340 million has been allocated to the Fund in 2016-17.

    NHS England has advised that it envisages, under the new arrangements that are being introduced for the Cancer Drugs Fund, that a greater number of cancer drugs will be funded from baseline commissioning. This will be as a consequence of more appropriate pricing arrangements proposed by pharmaceutical manufacturers and better evidence being available through the Fund as to longer term patient outcomes.