Category: Speeches

  • The Lord Bishop of Coventry – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The Lord Bishop of Coventry – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by The Lord Bishop of Coventry on 2016-03-22.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the extent of freedom of religion or belief in Iraq and in Iraqi Kurdistan.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    The Government is firmly committed to promoting and protecting the right to freedom of religion and belief in Iraq and condemns strongly all persecution on the grounds of faith or creed.

    The situation for religious communities including Muslims, Christians, Yazidis and others in Iraq remains deeply concerning. Daesh has committed atrocities against religious groups and persecuted individuals and communities on the basis of their religion or beliefs.

    Freedom of religion and belief is protected in the Iraqi constitution and we welcome the commitments made by the Government of Iraq to protect all Iraqis and address human rights abuses and violations.

    We continue to engage with religious leaders both in the UK and in Iraq to discuss the situation of religious communities. We also encourage influential religious leaders in Iraq to speak out publicly and condemn sectarian violence. We are working to build consensus around the importance of freedom of religion and belief, as well as its promotion and protection. This includes funding a project to prevent intolerance and violence towards religious communities by inspiring key leaders in Iraqi society to publicly defend and support the right of all Iraqis to freedom of religion and belief.

  • Anna Turley – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Anna Turley – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Anna Turley on 2016-04-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, if he will bring forward legislative proposals on redundancy to specify that the word establishment applies to a whole business rather than an individual working environment.

    Nick Boles

    It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

  • Julian Knight – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Julian Knight – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Julian Knight on 2016-06-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what government funding local litter awareness groups can apply for.

    Rory Stewart

    Central Government does not make any funding directly available to local litter awareness groups. It is up to local councils to determine how to use the central Government funding they receive for local services: this can include making some funding available to local volunteer groups to carry out litter-picking and raise awareness of litter as a local issue.

  • Deidre Brock – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Deidre Brock – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Deidre Brock on 2016-09-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she plans to maintain air pollution targets set out in the ambient air quality directive following UK withdrawal from the EU.

    Dr Thérèse Coffey

    Air quality has improved significantly in recent decades; we are working at local, national and international levels and will continue to do more.

    The UK has a long commitment to improving the environment even before the EU – the Clean Air Act was introduced in 1956 – and our strong commitment to environmental issues will continue after the UK leaves the EU.

    We are now preparing to negotiate our exit. Defra will continue to ensure the right policies are in place for a cleaner, healthier environment for everyone.

    Defra will be working with the Department for Exiting the EU on the UK’s withdrawal and future relationship with the EU, liaising closely with other key Departments on future support for farmers, the food and drink industry and the environment. The Government will work with industry and the public to develop these new arrangements.

  • 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 2016-10-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to paragraph 5.2.13 of the Review of the National Referral Mechanism for victims of human trafficking, published in November 2014, on country-by-country differences in acceptance rates not suggesting a nationality bias, whether her Department conducted statistical tests to inform that conclusion.

    Sarah Newton

    The paragraph in question was informed by the data shown in Figure 6 of the National Referral Mechanism Review. The review can be found here:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/467434/Review_of_the_National_Referral_Mechanism_for_victims_of_human_trafficking.pdf

  • Mary Creagh – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Mary Creagh – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mary Creagh on 2015-11-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make an assessment of the costs and benefits to the UK of implementation of the EU Hazardous Waste Directive.

    Rory Stewart

    The EU Hazardous Waste Directive was repealed on the introduction of the revised Waste Framework Directive in 2008.

    I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 30 October to Questions 13685 and 14733. An assessment of the costs and benefits of the revised Waste Framework Directive in England and Wales was carried out when laying the Waste (England and Wales) Regulations 2011 which transposed the Directive. The assessment was published and is still available on the Legislation.gov website. This is the most up to date assessment of the impacts of the Waste Framework Directive and contains a year-by-year breakdown of the expected costs. As waste is a devolved issue, the Devolved Administrations carried out and published their own impact assessments, which are similarly available online.

  • Lord Moonie – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Lord Moonie – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Moonie on 2015-12-01.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many manned and unmanned sorties have been flown by the RAF this year in support of operations in the Middle East.

    Earl Howe

    The RAF has flown 1,490 manned and 828 unmanned sorties in support of operations in the Middle East from 1 January 2015 to 30 November 2015. These sorties were carried out by ISR aircraft, C-130 transport aircraft, Tornado GR4s and Reaper Remotely Piloted Air Systems.

    These numbers do not include the routine air-bridge that operates twice weekly from the UK to the Middle East to support deployment of personnel and equipment.

  • John Healey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    John Healey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Healey on 2016-01-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 14 December 2015 to Question 19365, on housing benefit, (a) when the evidence review began, (b) who has been commissioned to undertake that review and (c) when he expects that review to be published.

    Brandon Lewis

    A copy of the specification for the review has been put in the Library of the House.

    The Review began in January 2015. The Department of Work and Pensions and the Department for Communities and Local Government commissioned Ipsos MORI in partnership with Imogen Blood and Associates and Housing and Support Partnership Limited to undertake the evidence review. The report will be published later this year.

  • Jim Shannon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Jim Shannon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-02-02.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps the Government is taking to reduce levels of family debt; and what assessment he has made of current tends in those levels.

    Harriett Baldwin

    In Q3 2015 household debt fell to 142 per cent of household income, down from its peak of 168 per cent in Q1 2008. The Government’s plan for a higher wage, lower welfare society makes it easier for families and working people to save, and includes the new National Living Wage which will mean a pay boost for 1.7 million workers this year.

    Nonetheless, the Government recognises that there are those who face problem levels of debt. The Money Advice Service (MAS) is responsible for the coordination of publically funded free to client debt advice and is financed by a levy on the financial services industry. MAS is currently consulting on its business plan; it has proposed levying for a constant debt advice budget for 2016/17 providing around £45 million.

    The Government is currently reviewing how the public provision of free-to-client, impartial financial guidance, including consumer debt advice services, should be structured. The Public Financial Guidance consultation closed in December 2015 and the Government will report back by budget.

    Additionally, we have created the independent Financial Policy Committee within the Bank of England, to ensure emerging risks and vulnerabilities across the financial system as a whole, including in relation to household debt, are identified, monitored and effectively addressed.

  • Andrew Rosindell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Prime Minister

    Andrew Rosindell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Prime Minister

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2016-02-23.

    To ask the Prime Minister, if he will make representations to bodies campaigning on the EU referendum to ensure that members of the Royal Family are not referred to in the debate on that referendum; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr David Cameron

    This is a matter for the campaign groups. Government activities in respect of the EU Referendum will be in line with published propriety guidance.