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Category: Speeches

  • Andrew Percy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Andrew Percy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Percy on 2016-01-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many defibrillators are provided in each building his Department manages.

    Mark Lancaster

    Ministry of Defence Health and Safety Policy states that the requirement to provide First-Aid is delegated to each Top Level Budget Holder (TLB). It is the duty of each TLB to conduct risk assessments of the activities at the establishments/units they control, and supply the necessary equipment and training including first aid equipment. The information requested is therefore not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  • Lord Laird – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    Lord Laird – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Laird on 2016-02-09.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Dunlop on 9 February (HL5480), why that answer does not list (1) the precise dates in 2007 on which the British-Irish Intergovernmental Conference met; (2) the specific topics discussed on each date; (3) who attended each meeting; and (4) what actions were taken as a result of each meeting.

    Lord Dunlop

    The British-Irish Intergovernmental Conference met on one occasion during 2007, 26 February in Dundalk. This was the last time that the body met.

    Details of Ministerial attendees and the topics discussed were published in a Joint Communiqué between the two Governments. A copy of this has been placed in the Library (along with copies of all other Joint Communiques published since 1998).

    Although a range of issues were discussed, no formal actions were listed. The focus however at the time was the drive towards devolution and the Conference urged all political leaders to act with courage and determination in order to attain this. Assembly elections subsequently took place in May 2007.

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

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

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Mann on 2016-03-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if the Government will now consider acknowledging mass atrocity prevention or the prevention of identity-based mass violence to be a matter of national interest and a national priority.

    James Duddridge

    The UK continues to be strongly committed to early and effective international action to prevent mass atrocities. The National Security Strategy and Strategic Defence and Security Review 2015 underlined the importance the Government attaches to upholding international humanitarian law and to the prevention of mass atrocities through effective implementation of the UN agreed principle of the Responsibility to Protect.

  • Tom Pursglove – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Tom Pursglove – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Pursglove on 2016-04-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many driving test examiners have (a) left and (b) been recruited by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency in the last (i) one, (ii) two and (iii) five years.

    Andrew Jones

    Driving examiner starters have to pass a compulsory training course in order to become fully qualified examiners. If they do not pass this course they are then dismissed. Information on starters and leavers is shown in the table below:

    Starters

    Leavers

    Of the leavers, those who did not pass the course

    In the past financial year

    232

    152

    8

    In the past two financial years

    389

    288

    28

    In the past five financial years

    614

    590

    47

  • Valerie Vaz – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Valerie Vaz – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Valerie Vaz on 2016-05-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether his Department plans to continue payment of benefits through the Post Office Card Account for the next five years.

    Priti Patel

    Post Office Card Accounts provide a useful service to many people and there are no plans to change provision.

    The Department recognises, however, that working age claimants may also be receiving wages. As the account does not receive wages or allow for direct debit or standing order facilities, Post Office Card Accounts are not suitable for all of their needs. Those claimants are therefore being encouraged to open main stream bank accounts including credit union accounts.

    The Post Office Card Account contract was awarded from 01 December 2014 and expires on 30 November 2021 and there are no plans to amend that term.

  • David Mackintosh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    David Mackintosh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Mackintosh on 2016-06-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assistance her Department has provided to Palestine in the last two years; and what assessment she has made of the results of such assistance.

    Sir Desmond Swayne

    DFID provided almost £157 million to the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPTs) between 2014/15 and 2015/16 to help build Palestinian institutions, deliver basic services and promote economic development. DFID has either met or exceeded the majority of its targets for programmes in the OPTs.

    DFID supported over 390 companies to improve their operations and increase competitiveness. In each of the two years, through UNRWA support, over 26,000 families received social transfers (either food or cash) and almost 45,000 children were provided basic education. Furthermore, over 1.6 million medical consultations were provided over the two years.

    In addition to this support, the UK provided more than £17m in immediate humanitarian assistance for those affected by the Gaza conflict in the summer of 2014. Non-food Item (NFI) packages were provided for 23,400 families covering their needs for three months.

  • Andrew Gwynne – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Andrew Gwynne – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Gwynne on 2016-09-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, with reference to article 3 of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea’s classification for the breadth of the territorial seas not exceeding 12 nautical miles, for what reason Gibraltar has a three nautical mile limit on its territorial waters.

    Sir Alan Duncan

    ​The 1987 Territorial Sea Act extended UK waters up to the 12 nautical miles maximum permitted by Article 3 of the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Laws of the Sea (UNCLOS). However, the provisions of this Act were not extended to the British Overseas Territories, so the United Kingdom’s claim to territorial waters remains up to 3 nautical miles from Gibraltar. Where the extent of territorial waters is less than 3 nautical miles, this is due to the proximity of the Spanish coastline and a determined median line. We retain the option to extend the reach of British Gibraltar Territorial Waters to the maximum extent of 12 nautical miles permitted under UNCLOS and keep this option under review. The United Kingdom is the only State entitled to a territorial claim over the 3-12 nautical mile zone in respect of Gibraltar.

  • Justin Madders – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Justin Madders – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Justin Madders on 2016-10-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he plans to take in response to the findings on bullying and harassment in the Care Quality Commission’s report on the South East Coast Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust, published on 29 September 2016.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    Following the publication of the Care Quality Commission report on 29 September, NHS Improvement placed South East Coast Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust in Special Measures. The Trust will receive a package of tailored support to address specific issues and drive improvements.

    These measures include: buddying arrangements with South Central Ambulance Service, the appointment of an Improvement Director and publication of the Trust’s recovery plan in November, which will include a detailed programme to specifically address the bullying and harassment culture within the Trust. An oversight group has already been established to be chaired by NHS Improvement and including representatives from NHS England, clinical commissioning groups and the Trust to oversee the delivery of quality improvements.

    There has been a change in leadership following the resignation of the Chair and Chief Executive. NHS Improvement has appointed an interim Chair and continues to support organisational development and cultural change work, including strengthening complaints processes.

  • Antoinette Sandbach – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Antoinette Sandbach – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Antoinette Sandbach on 2015-11-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the availability of staff and resources in prisons to enable (a) Christian, (b) Muslim and (c) Jewish religious services to take place.

    Andrew Selous

    Prisons are required to facilitate and enable religious services for all faiths. The availability of staff and resources to do this is kept under review locally. In addition, chaplaincy Headquarters advisers conduct annual assurance and compliance visits to monitor compliance. Advisers will make recommendations as appropriate and work with prisons to resolve any outstanding issues.

  • Wayne David – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Wayne David – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Wayne David on 2015-12-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many prisoners are taking part in drug and alcohol treatment programmes (a) in total and (b) in each prison in England and Wales.

    Jane Ellison

    Public Health England provides local information for performance monitoring in the restricted access section of the National Drug Treatment Monitoring System website, but does not publish national data centrally.