Category: Speeches

Julie Cooper – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Julie Cooper on 2016-02-19.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 16 February 2016 to Question 26169, on social security benefits: disqualification, what the established safeguards are which are in place to prevent the accrual of sanctions.

Priti Patel

The sanctions regime has a range of safeguards for claimants, including ensuring all requirements placed on claimants are reasonable, taking into account individual capability and circumstances, such as health conditions, disability and caring responsibilities.

A further safeguard exists so that sanctions at the same level do not increase in duration when the claimant accrues 2 or more within a two week period. This ensures claimants cannot accrue lengthy sanctions within a short period in between meetings with their work coach. We keep the sanctions process under constant review and use research analysis and insight to improve the clarity of all our products and policies.

January 1, 2023
Lord Alton of Liverpool – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool on 2016-03-11.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Prior of Brampton on 8 March (HL6323), how licence conditions R18-R27 and T97 have been specifically reflected in the patient information and consent forms submitted to the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority by the person responsible in order to perform genome editing in human embryos by means of CRISPR-Cas9.

Lord Prior of Brampton

The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) has advised that it carried out an audit of the patient information relating to the research project involving genome editing against the requirements of R19 and R20. T97 is not relevant, as it refers to the use of embryos in training, not research. The audit was completed as part of the inspection and feedback provided to the person responsible during the inspection. An assessment was made against the other licence conditions referred to during the inspection. The HFEA does not interpret the requirements to mean that each specific technique that might be used in the research must be specified in the patient information. In this case, the patient information, which is not yet finalised, makes it clear that genes may be altered but does not specifically refer to CRISPR-Cas9.

January 1, 2023
Andy Slaughter – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andy Slaughter on 2016-05-19.

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, when he plans to publish his Department’s post-implementation review of tribunal fees.

Dominic Raab

Following public consultation, the government introduced fees in Employment Tribunals as a way of reducing the burden on the taxpayer and to encourage parties to seek alternative ways of resolving their disputes.

On 11 June 2015, we announced the start of the post-implementation review of the introduction of fees in the Employment Tribunals. The review will report in due course.

January 1, 2023
William Wragg – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

The below Parliamentary question was asked by William Wragg on 2016-07-13.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether the Education for All Bill will require academies to provide sex and relationships education.

Edward Timpson

All schools should offer high quality, age-appropriate sex and relationship education, and build a curriculum that meets the needs of all their students. Sex and relationship education is compulsory in all maintained secondary schools. Academies do not have to teach sex and relationship education but many choose to do so as part of their statutory duty to provide a broad and balanced curriculum.

The content of any forthcoming Bill will be announced in due course.

January 1, 2023
Stephen Gethins – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Gethins on 2016-09-14.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when he plans to publish details of the £8 million investment at the RAF base in Leuchars.

Mark Lancaster

On 5 March 2013 (Official Report, column 845) my right hon. Friend the then Defence Secretary, (Philip Hammond), set out the Department’s Army Basing Plans. As part of this larger package of investment the plan contains a commitment to invest around £8million in the infrastructure and facilities at Leuchars. The investment is being spent on improvements to existing facilities including the upgrade of buildings, existing single living accommodation and sports facilities.

January 1, 2023

Daniel Zeichner – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Daniel Zeichner on 2015-11-17.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many children have died in road accidents since 2010-11; and if he will estimate what proportion of those children were from households in the lowest income decile.

Andrew Jones

The table below gives the number of children (aged 0-15) killed in reported personal-injury road accidents in Great Britain for 2010 to 2014.

The Department does not collect any information on the household income of road causalities.

Table: Child (aged 0-15) fatalities in reported personal injury road accidents: GB, 2010-2014

	2005-2009 average	2010	2011	2012	2013	2014
Child deaths, England	107	47	47	55	38	46
Child deaths, Wales and Scotland		8	13	6	10	7
Total Child deaths, GB		55	60	61	48	53

January 1, 2023

Lord Norton of Louth – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Norton of Louth on 2015-12-16.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many members of the Senior Civil Service have taken courses provided by Civil Service Learning that are intended to enhance their understanding of the role of the House of Lords, in (1) 2014, and (2) 2015.

Lord Bridges of Headley

Civil Service Learning provide two e-learning courses that address this subject area – “Induction: An introduction to Parliament” and “Parliamentary processes”. They also provide face to face training on taking a Bill through Parliament, however on this training attendees are not required to provide information on their grades. Civil Service Learning also endorse and promote two relevant external courses to the Senior Civil Service – “Supporting Ministers” and “Civil Service Attachment Scheme” both provided by the Industry and Parliament Trust.

In total 80 Senior Civil Servants accessed this learning in 2014. In 2015 this number rose to 90. All numbers have been rounded to the nearest ten.

January 1, 2023
Daniel Zeichner – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Daniel Zeichner on 2016-01-20.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make it her policy that there will be no further emergency authorisations of the use of neonicotinoid pesticides.

George Eustice

EU legislation provides for Member States to authorise limited and controlled use of a pesticide on an exceptional basis in emergency situations to “control a danger which cannot be contained by any other reasonable means”. Emergency authorisations are not granted automatically and applications must be based on evidence relating to the need for the pesticide and possible harmful effects.

Emergency authorisations are granted for a maximum of 120 days and those issued for neonicotinoids in 2015 have now expired. Any future applications will be considered by the Chemicals Regulation Directorate of the Health and Safety Executive, against strict criteria.

January 1, 2023
Lord Boateng – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Boateng on 2016-02-11.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government on how many occasions in each of the last three years the Ambassador of the UK to Burundi (1) visited Bujumbura, and (2) met the President of Burundi.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

In 2014 our Ambassador visited Bujumbura on eight occasions and met with President Nkurunziza on three occasions.

In 2015 our Ambassador visited Bujumbura on seven occasions and met with President Nkurunziza on two occasions.

In 2016 our Ambassador has visited Bujumbura on one occasion so far.

January 1, 2023
Baroness Randerson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Randerson on 2016-03-11.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions they have had with owners and managers at Heathrow Airport about improved security around the perimeter fence and in relation to aircraft while they are parked on the tarmac.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

The Department for Transport (DfT) is in regular contact with aviation industry operators on all aspects of aviation security. The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) oversees industry’s compliance with aviation security measures. The CAA and DfT have been in contact with the relevant operators concerning the incident on 5 March. For obvious reasons the Government does not discuss the details of such contacts.

January 1, 2023