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Category: Speeches

  • Roger Godsiff – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Roger Godsiff – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Roger Godsiff on 2016-01-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 12 January 2016 to Question 21436, whether the UK will reconsider humanitarian assistance by air to Madaya in Syria if the Assad regime resumes its blockade; and if the Government will monitor the situation in order to take action if land access is blocked again.

    Penny Mordaunt

    The UK will consider any option compliant with international law that might save lives in Syria. However, the UK does not plan to drop aid to besieged and hard to reach areas inside Syria. This is not the most effective way to improve the humanitarian situation. It would also involve a considerable risk to slow, low-flying transport aircraft both from hostile air defence systems and even low-technology threats such as machine-gun and small-arms fire.

  • Ian Austin – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Ian Austin – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Austin on 2016-02-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the potential effect on (a) overall levels of available compensation and (b) confidence in the NHS of fixed recoverable costs in clinical negligence cases for patients who are (i) over the age of 60 and (ii) female.

    Ben Gummer

    The Department has established a working group to look at the impact of the proposal on equalities, health inequalities and families. The consultation stage assessment for the introduction of fixed recoverable costs for clinical negligence is work in progress and we will seek views on the impact of the policy on equalities, health inequalities and families within the consultation. We can confirm that age and gender, along with the other protected characteristics named within the Equality Act 2010, will be considered. The policy is not seeking to reduce the amount of damages but to reduce the levels of recoverable legal costs and to make claimant legal costs more proportionate to damages and defence costs.

  • Lilian Greenwood – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Lilian Greenwood – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lilian Greenwood on 2016-02-29.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when his Department’s South East Flexible Ticketing programme’s Strategic Business Case was completed; and if he will place a copy of that document in the Library.

    Claire Perry

    The South East Flexible Ticketing Programme’s Strategic Business Case was approved by the Rail Investment Board on 24th June 2014 and subsequently confirmed by Her Majesty’s Treasury on 22nd July that same year. The release of this document into the public domain could prejudice current policy making so it will not be placed into the Library at this stage.

  • Hilary Benn – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Hilary Benn – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Hilary Benn on 2016-03-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what information he holds on the number of civilians (a) killed and (b) injured in the Yemen conflict to date.

    Mr Philip Hammond

    The UN reports that between 26 March 2015 and 17 March 2016 there have been just under 9,000 casualties in Yemen including 3,218 civilians killed and a further 5,778 injured. The UK Government uses UN reports as one of its primary data sources.

  • Fabian Hamilton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Fabian Hamilton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Fabian Hamilton on 2016-05-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to the government of Bangladesh on the increase in and alleged official toleration of extra-judicial killings in that country; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr Hugo Swire

    Allegations of extra-judicial killings in Bangladesh are deeply concerning. We follow progress closely and raise concerns where there are credible allegations. We take human rights in Bangladesh seriously, naming it as one of 30 Human Rights Priority Countries in this year’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office Human Rights and Democracy report. In my speech during a House of Commons debate on the future of Bangladesh in June 2015 I reiterated our call for the Bangladesh Government to hold the perpetrators to account through impartial, transparent investigations.

  • Lord Storey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Lord Storey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Storey on 2016-06-09.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Williams of Trafford on 7 June (HL272), what are the National Planning Policy Framework guidelines about what constitutes an exceptional circumstance that necessitates building on Green Belt land.

    Baroness Williams of Trafford

    Green belts are created and protected by local authorities in line with national policy set out in the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF). A Green Belt boundary can only be altered where there are exceptional circumstances and only by means of the Local Plan process of public consultation and independent examination.

    We do not define exceptional circumstances as these can vary from instance to instance. The NPPF however does outline that exceptions in regards to the construction of new buildings in the Green Belt may include:

    • buildings for agriculture and forestry;
    • provision of appropriate facilities for outdoor sport and recreation and for cemeteries as long as it preserves the openness of the Green Belt and does not conflict with the purposes of including land within it;
    • the extension or alteration of a building provided that it does not result in disproportionate additions over and above the size of the original building;
    • limited infilling in villages, and limited affordable housing for local community needs under policies set out in the Local Plan.
  • Lord Stone of Blackheath – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Lord Stone of Blackheath – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Stone of Blackheath on 2016-09-06.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact on the Egyptian economy and tourism industry of their continued advice against all but essential travel by air to or from Sharm el Sheikh.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    Prior to the downing of Metrojet 9268, tourism accounted for around 12% of Egypt’s GDP.

    The Egyptian Tourist Minister stated in November that flight suspensions following the Metrojet attack have resulted in direct losses estimated at upwards of $280m a month. This figure includes the impact of flight suspensions by a number of countries including Russia, which has suspended flights to the whole of Egypt. 865,000 British nationals visited Egypt in 2015 accounting for around 1% of Egypt’s GDP. British tourists continue to visit Egypt, for example popular resorts such as Hurghada. We expect that our current suspension of direct UK flights to and from Sharm el Sheikh will mean that the overall numbers are significantly lower this year. We are cooperating closely with the Egyptian government on Aviation Security and have agreed a Joint Action Plan to resume flights between the UK and Sharm el-Sheikh.

  • Neil Gray – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Neil Gray – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Neil Gray on 2016-10-21.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what he expects the savings to his Department to be of the proposed changes to the employment and support allowance work-related activity group; and how much funding has been allocated to the proposed work and health programme.

    Penny Mordaunt

    The forecasted savings from the proposed changes to the Employment and Support Allowance work-related activity group from April 2017, can be found in Table 2.2 of the Budget 2016, available here:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/budget-2016-documents/budget-2016

    The 2015 Spending Review announced funding rising to at least £130 million a year by 2019/20 for the new Work and Health programme. The programme is one part of a wider offer of support for disabled people and our Work and Health Green Paper will be looking at how we can go even further.

    “

  • Rachel Reeves – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Rachel Reeves – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rachel Reeves on 2015-11-09.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many and what proportion of tax credit claimants have a child under the age of five and claim support for childcare costs.

    Damian Hinds

    This Government is committed to moving from a high welfare, high tax, low wage economy to a lower welfare, lower tax, higher wage society. As the Chancellor made clear, the Government will set out at Autumn Statement how we plan to achieve the same goal of reforming tax credits, saving the money we need to save to secure our economy, while at the same time helping in the transition.

    As announced at Summer Budget, the Chancellor announced that free entitlement childcare would be doubled from 15 hours to 30 for working parents. This will not be rolled out until September 2017, with early implementation in some areas in September 2016.

    Information about the age, gender and number of children in receipt of tax credits can be found in HMRC’s Child and Working Tax Credits Statistics, April 2015. Available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/personal-tax-credits-provisional-statistics-2013-to-2009

    “

  • Emma Lewell-Buck – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Emma Lewell-Buck – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Emma Lewell-Buck on 2015-12-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what steps his Department has taken to encourage (a) UK-owned and (b) UK-based private sector companies to invest in UK energy and manufacturing supply chains.

    Anna Soubry

    The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) has worked jointly with Department of Energy & Climate Change (DECC) and UKTI to encourage investment in UK energy supply chains, in both UK-owned and UK-based companies, and to achieve higher levels of UK content in energy infrastructure. We have worked constructively with project developers to enhance the opportunities for UK-based companies to win contracts and with top tier suppliers to encourage them to invest in the UK.

    BIS continues to work with DECC and the Oil & Gas Authority (OGA) to encourage investment in the UK Continental shelf (UKCS) and these arrangements include the formation of a Supply Chain Board to promote development of the oil and gas supply chain. Subsequent to the Oil & Gas Skills Analysis Report we maintain a regular dialogue with Offshore Petroleum Industry Training Organisation (OPITO), the oil and gas skills body, who advise on skills gaps.

    For large renewable energy projects, developers are required to have their Supply Chain Plans approved by Government, setting out how they will boost competition, innovation and skills, before they are eligible to apply for price support under the Contract for Difference regime. BIS has supported the GROW: Offshore Wind programme to help SMEs in England to compete in the offshore wind supply chain and the Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult to help companies bring new technologies to market.

    Open competition is important to bring down the costs of energy and, in open competition, UK bidders do not always win the contracts. We have made no specific assessment of the impact of UK contractors failing to win contracts on the UK economy, including the Scotland economy, and on the UK skills base.

    More widely, the Government is taking a number of steps to strengthen UK manufacturing supply chains and help these businesses compete in global markets.

    First and foremost, we are building a strong economy and a competitive business environment. We are backing manufacturers by cutting corporation tax, slashing red tape by a further £10billion and investing £6.9billion in the UK’s infrastructure. This is creating the right economic conditions to encourage the business investment crucial to UK manufacturing productivity growth and jobs.

    Through the sectors councils we are working closely with manufacturing companies to understand their needs and remove barriers in their path. The Government continues to invest in our world leading aerospace, automotive, defence and transport sectors and has reformed procurement rules so the supply chain can reap maximum benefit; whilst the High Value Manufacturing Catapult shows how companies can adapt to new technologies reduce their costs and boost productivity. One in six manufacturers have reshored production over the past three years and around one third of the 2,000 new Foreign Direct Investment projects landed in 2014/15 were in the areas of advanced manufacturing and life sciences. Business has the confidence to invest and make things in the UK again because the Government is getting the fundamentals of the economy right and creating a highly competitive, pro-business environment.