Category: Speeches

  • Daniel Zeichner – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Daniel Zeichner – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Daniel Zeichner on 2016-09-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make it her policy to remove international students from the Government’s migration targets following the decision to leave the EU.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    International students are included in net migration statistics that are produced by the independent Office for National Statistics (ONS). In line with the internationally agreed UN definition, these statistics define a migrant as someone changing their normal place of residence for more than a year. Students are therefore included in the same way as other migrants. Other countries, such as the United States, Canada, and Australia also include students in their net migration figures.

    Like other migrants, students who stay for longer than 12 months have an impact on communities, infrastructure and services while they are here, so it is right that they are included in the net migration count.

    We are committed to reducing non-EU migration across all visa routes in order to bring net migration down to sustainable levels as soon as possible.

  • Lord Rooker – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Lord Rooker – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Rooker on 2015-10-28.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Gardiner of Kimble on 22 July (HL1237), whether any proposed change to the Bread and Flour Regulations 1998 will be forwarded to the relevant scientific committee for consideration.

    Lord Gardiner of Kimble

    In June this year the Government held an informal consultation in order to seek views on possible additions to the exemptions currently allowed under the Bread and Flour Regulations 1998 from the requirement to fortify flour with calcium, iron, niacin, and thiamine. The exemptions that were envisaged would allow more efficient and streamlined manufacturing operations for foods produced for export as well as for the home market, without compromising the public health benefits which accrue from fortification. A range of interested parties were consulted including millers, flour users, retailers, fortificant manufacturers and health professionals.

    The options proposed in the consultation would allow millers to produce unfortified flour in England when used as a secondary ingredient which undergoes further processing, or is used in relatively small quantities in products. This approach was welcomed by most consultees and the Government is now considering how to take this forward.

    The Department of Health and Public Health England has considered the proposals and concluded that it is unlikely that an exemption from fortification for flour used in such products will have a nutritionally significant impact on the intakes of calcium, iron, thiamine or niacin.

    The changes proposed would apply to England only since food legislation is a devolved matter. The devolved administrations are aware of these proposals but have not yet made any decisions on whether to introduce similar changes.

    Respondents to the consultation also asked for some additional flexibility around the point at which the fortificants are added to flour. At the moment flour must be fortified at the mill and the four fortificants are added as a premix at the end of the milling process. Many businesses which manufacture foods both for the home market and for export requested the flexibility to be able to add the fortificants at the bakery stage. They highlighted that the requirement for separate storage and handling for, both fortified and unfortified flour (which is used for exported products) was creating significant manufacturing complexities. That resulted in a more restricted product range and is having an adverse effect on their export potential and their ability to diversify into new global markets. The Government is currently considering this.

  • Alan Brown – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Alan Brown – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alan Brown on 2015-12-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with his foreign counterparts on preventing the sale of Daesh-controlled oil; and what steps are being taken to prevent such sales.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    The UK has led efforts at the UN to make it illegal for any state, company or individual to trade in oil or oil products with Daesh, including co-sponsoring UN Security Council Resolution 2199 in February 2015. This resolution requires all states to prevent the transfer of economic resources to Daesh. We work closely and continually with allies, particularly in the region, to ensure Resolution 2199 is implemented.

    In addition to UN measures, we have worked to ensure that individuals involved in brokering oil deals between Daesh and the Assad regime have been sanctioned by the EU.

    We have held bilateral and multilateral discussions, including within the Global Coalition’s Counter ISIL Finance Group on this issue. The UK is expanding its work to help regional partners enforce sanctions and stop smuggling. We are also working with the private sector to ensure it takes seriously its responsibilities to ensure Daesh cannot access the spare parts and fuel additives it needs for its oil industry to function.

  • Mark Pritchard – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Mark Pritchard – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Pritchard on 2016-01-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will simplify the fishing licence regime to expand fishing as a sport.

    George Eustice

    The Environment Agency is currently undertaking a number of activities to modernise the current rod licence service. This includes a proposal to change the licence structure and associated charges. The proposed new licence structure includes a number of changes such as a full year rolling licence rather than a fixed single season; a licence for a maximum of three rods rather than the current two and a free junior licence for anglers under the age of 16. The Environment Agency will consult on these proposals in the spring.

  • Stephen Doughty – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Stephen Doughty – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Doughty on 2016-02-01.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether (a) Clearsprings (Management) Ltd and (b) Clearsprings (Ready Homes) Ltd are under investigation by HM Revenue and Customs.

    Mr David Gauke

    HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is legally prohibited from discussing the tax affairs of identifiable businesses.

    Section 18 of the Commissioners for Revenue & Customs Act 2005 imposes a duty of confidentiality upon officers of HMRC which means they are unable to disclose information which relates to functions of HMRC. This includes any specific action taken in response to information provided.

  • Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2016-02-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate her Department has made for the total exit payments for academy chain staff in each year since 2011.

    Edward Timpson

    The information is not available in the format requested but is recorded in the attached Education Funding Agency (EFA) annual report and accounts for financial years 2012-13 and 2013-14 and on GOV.UK. Data from before financial year 2012-13 is not available as this is when the Department for Education began consolidating academy trusts’ accounts into its own. Data for financial year 2014-15 will be available in due course when the EFA’s published accounts for that year are released.

  • Kevin Hollinrake – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Kevin Hollinrake – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kevin Hollinrake on 2016-04-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, if he will consider extending the exemptions that exist in the sea fishing industry to self-employed workers seeking Skills Funding Agency support for apprenticeships in the construction industry.

    Nick Boles

    Under Apprenticeship Frameworks, there are very specific instances where an apprentice is able to undertake an apprenticeship without being employed; where they are made redundant and where they are in an occupation that does not traditionally have an employer. In order to facilitate apprenticeships under these circumstances, specifically where employers do not exist, Government has provided funding to cover training and support. Fewer than 2000 apprenticeship starts fall under these conditions each year, of which fewer than 40 are in the sea fishing industry.

    The role of an employer in an apprenticeship, where possible, is considered vital and ensures the apprentice receives appropriate training, pay and support during their apprenticeship programme. The Government is therefore not considering widening exemptions that exist into other sectors at this time.

  • Stephen Doughty – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Stephen Doughty – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Doughty on 2016-04-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, whether his Department has produced an implementation plan for the Sustainable Development Goals.

    Anna Soubry

    The Government intends to produce a report in due course that will set out how the UK is contributing to the Sustainable Development Goals.

  • Harriet Harman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Harriet Harman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Harriet Harman on 2016-06-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many housing associations have demolished residential buildings that are less than 10 years old in each of the last five years; and what the reasons were for those demolitions.

    Brandon Lewis

    The information requested is not held centrally.

  • Sarah Wollaston – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Sarah Wollaston – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sarah Wollaston on 2016-09-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether any requests from Falmouth Coastguard Operations Centre asking for assistance in running an incident have been turned down by (a) the National Maritime Operations Centre in Fareham and (b) any other station in the last two years.

    Mr John Hayes

    Her Majesty’s Coastguard do not specifically record requests for assistance from the National Maritime Operations Centre or any Coastguard Operations Centre within its Incident Management System. Information may be held in the text narrative of an incident within this system but this would require a check of tens of thousands of records, diverting resources from critical parts of their budget and would be disproportionately costly to collate.

    It should be noted that any decision to provide assistance to Coastguard Operations Centre will be on the basis of the professional judgement of a senior operational manager.