Category: Speeches

  • Lord MacKenzie of Culkein – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Lord MacKenzie of Culkein – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord MacKenzie of Culkein on 2016-02-24.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they are funding research into terrestrial enhanced position navigation and timing systems.

    Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

    Her Majesty’s Government is researching terrestrial technology that could supply positioning, navigation and timing (PNT) needs. For example, Innovate UK is working with other agencies to research the use of quantum technology for PNT applications. In addition, there is research into technologies that supply only some elements of PNT, including ranging mode and radar absolute positioning.

  • Grant Shapps – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Grant Shapps – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Grant Shapps on 2016-03-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what plans the Government has to extend the period of time separating spouses of service personnel have to vacate his Department’s accommodation.

    Mark Lancaster

    The Ministry of Defence (MOD) has no plans to extend the period of time in which separating spouses of Service personnel have to vacate MOD provided accommodation. However, the current 93-day period can be extended further according to individual circumstances, such as children’s schooling, relevant welfare and any medical considerations.

  • Philip Davies – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Philip Davies – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Philip Davies on 2016-04-29.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many and what type of (a) indictable and (b) violence against the person offences were committed by offenders who participated in an out-of-court restorative justice resolution in the last year for which information is available.

    Mike Penning

    The information requested could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

    It is vital that victims see swift and certain justice delivered to their offender. It is also vital that victims of crime get the help they need to cope with, and recover from, crime.

    That is why we have protected the victims’ budget and given Police and Crime Commissioners greater flexibility to decide which services are needed in their local area. Restorative Justice can be a part of a wide range of services offered to victims of crime, and we are providing advice and guidance to help Police and Crime Commissioners deliver it.

  • Chris Law – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Leader of the House

    Chris Law – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Leader of the House

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Law on 2016-06-07.

    To ask the Leader of the House, how many times he has visited Scotland in an official capacity since the 2015 General Election; and what meetings were held on each such visit.

    Chris Grayling

    I have not visited Scotland in an official capacity since the 2015 General Election.

  • Paul Blomfield – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Paul Blomfield – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Blomfield on 2016-09-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans she has made to allow students from other EU member states to stay in the UK to live and work after graduation following the UK leaving the EU.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    The Prime Minister has been clear that she wants to protect the status of EU nationals already living in the UK, and the only circumstances in which that wouldn’t be possible is if British citizens’ rights in other EU Member States were not protected in return.

  • Diana Johnson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Diana Johnson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Diana Johnson on 2016-10-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate she has made of the proportion of companies which have published details of the measures they are taking to eradicate slavery and human trafficking from their supply chains.

    Sarah Newton

    The Government has not estimated what proportion of businesses have reported so far.

    We published guidance in October 2015 advising that businesses should report as soon as reasonably practicable after their financial year end, which in practice should mean within six months of an organisation’s financial year end.

  • David Hanson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    David Hanson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Hanson on 2015-10-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions she has had with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on ensuring that policy and border staff share information on the illegal wildlife trade with Interpol, Europol and World Customs Organisation.

    James Brokenshire

    Border Force are in regular contact with all the Organisations listed and regularly use their systems to communicate and share Intelligence on IWT to the global community .They are also represented on the EU Enforcement Working group that covers the Illegal wildlife trade.

  • Lord Campbell-Savours – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Lord Campbell-Savours – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Campbell-Savours on 2015-11-25.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government when they plan to announce the detail of their proposals for £12 billion in savings on the welfare budget; and what benefits are under consideration for further reduction.

    Lord Freud

    The Government’s commitment to save £12bn from welfare spending was set out at the Summer Budget and the recent Autumn Statement. Details of these measures can be found at pages 72-73 of the Summer Budget Report (July 2015) and page 113 of the Spending Review and Autumn Statement 2015. These are published on gov.uk.

    Any future changes to benefits following the Spending Review announcement will follow the usual policy development process and be announced at a future fiscal event.

  • Angus Brendan MacNeil – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Angus Brendan MacNeil – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Angus Brendan MacNeil on 2015-11-30.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the relative competitiveness in terms of differentials in tax treatment of UK refiners and those importing petroleum products directly from European or international refiners and suppliers as opposed to internal imports in the UK.

    Damian Hinds

    I refer the Honourable Member to the answer given by my Honourable Friend the Financial Secretary to the Treasury on 16 November (PQ 14896 and 14897).

  • Lord Alton of Liverpool – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Lord Alton of Liverpool – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool on 2016-01-11.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they plan to declare ISIS’s actions against Christians and Yazidis a genocide.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    The British Government has received a number of recent representations on these issues from Parliament and members of the public and is responding in writing.

    We condemn in the strongest possible terms the atrocities committed by Daesh against all civilians, including Christians, Mandeans, Yazidis, and other minorities, as well as the majority Muslim population who continue to bear the brunt of Daesh’s brutality. The UK has led efforts within the UN to tackle and condemn Daesh and on the protection of civilians more widely. For example, we co-sponsored the UN Human Rights Council Resolution mandating the UN to investigate and report on Daesh abuses.

    It is a long-standing Government policy that any judgements on whether genocide has occurred are a matter for the international judicial system rather than governments or other non-judicial bodies.

    Ultimately, the only way to protect Christians, Yazidis and other minorities in the region from Daesh is by defeating this terrible organisation, which in turn requires, amongst other things, ending the conflict in Syria. The Prime Minister, my right hon. Friend the Member for Witney (Mr Cameron), set out the UK’s comprehensive strategy for defeating Daesh and finding a political settlement to the Syria conflict in his response to the Foreign Affairs Committee on 26 November 2015.

    The joint Office of the United Nations Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide and the Special Adviser on the Responsibility to Protect (the Office) are engaged with these issues and publish much of their activity online, including statements in relation to the situation of Christians and other minorities in Syria and Iraq. Our officials maintain regular contact with officials from the Office to discuss issues related to the prevention of genocide and mass atrocities. The Government provides funding for the Office, including for their work with religious leaders and faith based organisations in the Middle East and North Africa region, aimed at the prevention of incitement to violence that could lead to atrocity crimes.