Category: Speeches

  • Lord Taylor of Warwick – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Lord Taylor of Warwick – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Taylor of Warwick on 2015-12-14.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to promote Small Business Saturday.

    Baroness Neville-Rolfe

    The Government is a strong supporter of Small Business Saturday, which was this year held on Saturday December 5. As part of a programme of activity to get behind the event and encourage communities to support their local businesses at a key time in the commercial calendar, the Government worked with Small Business Saturday organisers to hold a flagship market with a diverse range of small companies at HM Treasury. All 21 Government departments were also briefed to raise awareness of the campaign, with many using social media channels to highlight the initiative. In addition, 50 Ministers visited a local business in their area on the day, endorsing the campaign through their own social media channels. We also distributed message packs online to 588 stakeholders to encourage them to reach out to their own memberships and support the day. We are now planning to work with organisers to support Small Business Saturday 2016.

  • Nic Dakin – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Nic Dakin – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nic Dakin on 2016-01-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when she expects A-Levels in (a) French, (b) German, (c) Spanish, (d) Religious Studies and (e) Geography to be approved by awarding bodies for teaching from September 2016; and if she will make a statement.

    Nick Gibb

    This is a matter for Ofqual, the Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation. I have therefore asked its Chief Regulator, Glenys Stacey, to write directly to the Honourable Member. A copy of her reply will be placed in the House of Commons Library.

  • Baroness Goudie – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Baroness Goudie – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Goudie on 2016-02-22.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether any Burmese Army soldiers from Infantry Battalions 213 or 217 have received any form of training from the UK.

    Earl Howe

    I refer the noble Baroness to the answer given by my hon. Friend, the Minister of State for the Armed Forces (Penny Mordaunt MP), on 14 January 2016 to Question 21564, which stated that we do not provide combat training to the Burmese Army. We do however provide educational training, as well as English Language Training. We have no information to indicate that participants on these educational courses were Burmese Army soldiers from Infantry Battalions 213 or 217.

  • Jim Shannon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Jim Shannon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-03-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if the Cross Government Working Group on Drones will conduct a detailed examination of the security threats posed by drones as part of its work.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    The Cross Government Working Group is undertaking analysis of the potential use of drones for criminal and terrorist purposes, and the impacts of their negligent use near sensitive locations, such as airports.

    Guidance on tackling the risks of criminal drone use has been provided to constabularies across the UK.

  • Viscount Waverley – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Viscount Waverley – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Viscount Waverley on 2016-04-14.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether, in the event of the UK leaving the EU, they intend to advise UK citizens living in EU member states to take citizenship in their country of residence in order to protect their legal rights.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    The Government’s view is that the UK will be stronger, safer and better off in a reformed EU. Should the UK choose to stay in the EU, British citizens will be able to work, live and retire abroad as they do now. UK citizens and citizens from other Member States living in the UK get a range of rights from our membership of the EU. If the UK were to leave the EU, all of these rights would have to be covered in a successor arrangement. If we left the EU without agreeing what would happen to these rights, it would at the least bring them into serious question, creating difficulty for UK citizens who relied on them.

  • Richard Fuller – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Richard Fuller – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Fuller on 2016-05-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much expenditure was incurred by the Child Support Agency in making ex-gratia or special payments as a result of poor service or errors by that agency in each of the last three years.

    Priti Patel

    The information on the total amount paid as ex-gratia or special payments across child maintenance in the last three years is in the attached table.

    Financial Year

    £’000s

    2013 – 2014

    £1,090

    2014 – 2015

    £847

    2015 – 2016 *

    £941

    Notes –

    These amounts include payments made across the Child Support Agency and Child Maintenance Service for the following:

    Ex-gratia – Actual Financial Loss

    Ex-gratia – Consolatory

    Compensation for Delay

    *The figure for 2015/16 is draft and subject to audit.

  • Kevan Jones – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Kevan Jones – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kevan Jones on 2016-07-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he expects that the build facilities selected as the build location for both the Type 26 frigate programme and the General Purpose Frigate will be able to deliver both platforms concurrently.

    Harriett Baldwin

    We have begun the initial pre-concept work to take forward the new General Purpose Frigate (GPFF) programme outlined in the White Paper ‘National Security Strategy and Strategic Defence and Security Review 2015’. The work is in the very early stages and it is too early to say what either the build strategy or the detailed supply chain arrangements may be.

    In addition, as part of his work leading the National Shipbuilding Strategy, Sir John Parker will be considering how to balance the GPFF requirement against export opportunities and industrial capacity.

  • Tom Brake – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Tom Brake – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Brake on 2016-10-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the Government has received any legal challenge regarding delayed acceptance of child refugees in Calais with a legal right to residence in the UK.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    The UK has received a number of legal challenges regarding alleged delays in accepting asylum seeking children in Calais who assert that they have a legal right to residence in the UK.

    A number of these challenges include cases where the child is yet to seek asylum in France. We are clear that individuals must claim asylum before the UK can consider a transfer request. The recent case of ZAT demonstrates that due process must be followed.

    We are working to improve the operation of the Dublin Regulation and transfer requests are now generally processed within 10 days.

  • Gavin Newlands – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Gavin Newlands – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gavin Newlands on 2015-11-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many home visit assessments were offered to personal independence payment claimants in Scotland in the last 12 months; and whether his Department has declined to provide such assessments to any claimants who have requested such assessments.

    Justin Tomlinson

    The information requested is not collated and could only be provided at disproportionate cost

  • Gary Streeter – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Gary Streeter – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gary Streeter on 2015-12-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 12 October 2015 to Question 10658, whether the national improvement framework for hepatitis C services will contain guidance on (a) commissioning responsibilities and (b) patient pathways.

    Jane Ellison

    Commissioning responsibilities for hepatitis C are divided between NHS England, clinical commissioning groups and local authorities. In the light of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence published guidance for the anti-viral drugs, the successful establishment of Operational Delivery Networks across England, and the rapidly widening access to curative treatment to thousands of patients, the draft Improvement Framework does not provide detailed commissioning guidance or patient pathways. NHS England is exploring how such guidance might be developed through its collaborative commissioning arrangements.