Category: Speeches

  • Baroness Smith of Basildon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Baroness Smith of Basildon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Smith of Basildon on 2016-02-08.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what advice has been provided this Session for ministers or senior officials in the Department of Energy and Climate Change on whether to use secondary legislation or primary legislation for significant legislation.

    Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth

    There has been no change in approach to the use of primary and secondary legislation since the General Election. Each piece of legislation is approached within the context of the policy and the existing legislative framework. There is no evidence of an increase in the number of statutory instruments laid since 2010 or since the General Election. Briefing produced by the House of Commons Library (CBP 7438) shows that the number of statutory instruments laid before the House of Commons peaked at 1,885 in the 2005-06 session, compared to 1,378 last session and 540 so far this session.

  • Philip Davies – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Philip Davies – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Philip Davies on 2016-03-03.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 26 February 2016 to Question 26811, what the job titles are of those people in receipt of subsidised health insurance.

    Matthew Hancock

    There are fewer than 5 staff in receipt of subsidised health insurance and disclosing the job titles of those in receipt of subsidised health insurance may lead to the identification of the individuals.

  • Lord Judd – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Lord Judd – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Judd on 2016-04-12.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they have taken to fulfil their commitment in the 2015 National Security Strategy and Strategic Defence and Security Review to regard UN Peacekeeping as one of its most important roles.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    As set out in the Strategic Security and Defence Review, the UK attaches great importance to UN Peace Operations. The Government is committed to working with partners to further strengthen the UN’s capability to support global stability and end conflict. In the Security Council, we champion reforms that increases the efficiency and impact of UN engagement on conflict prevention and mediation, peace building and human rights.

    We are working with the UN to finalise the new military deployments announced by the Prime Minister in September 2015. The UK will deploy up to 70 personnel to UN peace operations in Somalia, and 250-300 to the UN peacekeeping mission in South Sudan. We will continue to identify and offer policing expertise where UK skills match UN missions’ requirements with the objective of steadily increasing the number of officers the UK deploys. We will also continue to support British candidates for senior positions in the UN, and deploy civilian staff with relevant expertise to key roles in UN missions and at UN headquarters.

    The UK will be hosting an international conference on UN peacekeeping which is part of a sustained effort to increase the capabilities available to UN peacekeeping. The Government is also in the process of forming a cross-Whitehall joint UN Peacekeeping Policy Unit to bring further focus to our efforts on peacekeeping.

  • John Redwood – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    John Redwood – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Redwood on 2016-05-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment his Department has made of the human rights situation in Turkey.

    Mr David Lidington

    We share the concerns of the Council of Europe, the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe and the EU over freedom of the expression in Turkey, including the arrest and detention of a number of journalists. As a friend and ally we strongly encourage Turkey to continue work towards the full protection of all fundamental rights, especially in the areas of minority rights, freedom of religion and freedom of expression – and will continue to do so.

  • Chris Law – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Chris Law – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Law on 2016-06-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what her Department’s policy is on having independent witnesses and monitoring groups aboard mass deportation charter flights.

    James Brokenshire

    Home Office records indicate that there were at least 1999 foreign nationals who, having been detained in a UK prison, were removed on charter flights in the past 5 years; 367 in 2012, 424 in 2013, 498 in 2014, 486 in 2015 and 224 in 2016 to date.

    This is provisional management information that is subject to change. It has not been assured to the standard of Official Statistics.

    Immigration Enforcement charter flights are regularly monitored by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Prisons (HMIP) and the Independent Monitoring Board (IMB).

  • Lord Empey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Lord Empey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Empey on 2016-09-14.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government when they received their most recent communication from the Northern Ireland Executive concerning the establishment of an Enterprise Zone in Northern Ireland.

    Lord Young of Cookham

    The establishment of an enterprise zone in Northern Ireland is a matter for the Northern Ireland Executive.

    In the 2013 economic pact between the UK government and the Northern Ireland Executive, ‘Building a Prosperous and United Community’, we agreed to consider designating a range of sites within any Northern Ireland Enterprise Zone as designated areas for Enhanced Capital Allowances, should the Executive propose them.

    This year, we delivered the necessary legislation to provide for Enhanced Capital Allowances in the Executive’s pilot Coleraine Enterprise Zone.

  • Poulter – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Poulter – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Poulter on 2015-10-27.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what fiscal support his Department is giving to infrastructure initiatives in East Suffolk.

    Greg Hands

    The Government has committed to invest £100bn in infrastructure over the course of this Parliament. There are 31 projects and programmes in the East of England in the National Infrastructure Pipeline, which include the energy, transport and waste sectors. The Pipeline is a strategic overview of the level of public and private infrastructure investment planned over the rest of this decade and beyond. These projects and programmes have a total capital value of more than £6 billion, of which more than £2.5 billion is public spending.

  • Lord Storey – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Lord Storey – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Storey on 2015-11-24.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many local authority schools have opened in the last five years.

    Lord Nash

    On 1 February 2011 the Education Act 2011 amended the Education and Inspections Act 2006 to change the arrangements for establishing new schools. Most new schools are now established via the academy/free school presumption.

    182 local authority maintained schools have opened since 01 January 2011.

  • Paul Flynn – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Paul Flynn – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Flynn on 2015-12-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what encouragement he has given local authorities to switch street lighting to LED light sources since May 2015.

    Mr Marcus Jones

    Many local authorities are choosing to reduce street lighting at night to save energy costs and reduce carbon emissions using a variety of approaches, which include replacing traditional sodium lamps with more energy efficient LED lamps.

    However, decisions about street lighting are for elected local councillors, reflecting local circumstances and views.

  • Ian Murray – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Ian Murray – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Murray on 2016-01-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he has made an assessment of the cost to business of the closure of the West Coast Main Line between Glasgow and Carlisle.

    Claire Perry

    Network Rail and the relevant passenger and freight train operators have been working collaboratively since the closure to provide the best practicable alternative travel options for the traffic which uses this part of the West Coast Main Line with the aim of minimising the adverse impact on users.