Category: Speeches

  • Dan Jarvis – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Dan Jarvis – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dan Jarvis on 2016-03-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what plans he has to commemorate the First World War in 2016.

    David Evennett

    Since the Prime Minister set out plans for the Centenary in October 2012 the Government has delivered highly successful commemorative events for the start of the First World War and the Gallipoli Campaign.

    In May 2016, commemorative events will be held for the Battle of Jutland, and in July 2016, we will mark the centenary of the Battle of the Somme by holding national events at the Thiepval Memorial in France, at Manchester Cathedral, and at Heaton Park. In addition, a national vigil will be held in June at Westminster Abbey, and there will also be vigils in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

    Season Two of the 14-18 NOW culture programme has been announced and this – together with Centenary Partnership events, Heritage Lottery funded projects and local commemorative activity – will ensure people right across the UK have the opportunity to participate in commemorative events.

    Other centenary activities such as the UK Tour of the “poppies” and the national repair and conservation of War memorials also continue, more details can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/topical-events/first-world-war-centenary

    “

  • Kirsten Oswald – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Kirsten Oswald – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kirsten Oswald on 2016-04-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many times have mines or improvised explosive devices in the vicinity of UK military bases caused (a) minor injuries and (b) serious or fatal injuries to non-military persons visiting the base in the last 10 years.

    Penny Mordaunt

    Specific statistics regarding mines and IEDs either detected or causing injuries or fatalities in the vicinity of UK military bases are not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  • Andrew Percy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Andrew Percy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Percy on 2016-06-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the implications for his Department’s policies of the declaration by Sir James Munby in the matter of Z (A Child) (No. 2), on 20 May 2016, that sections 54(1) and (2) of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 2008 are incompatible with rights under Article 14 of the European Convention on Human Rights taken in conjunction with Article 8.

    Jane Ellison

    The Government has accepted the judgment by Sir James Munby from the High Court. We will be looking to update the legislation on Parental Orders, and are now considering how best to do this.

  • Mark Pawsey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Mark Pawsey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Pawsey on 2016-09-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how much funding his Department has given to support children and young adults in social care in (a) Warwickshire and (b) Rugby constituency in (i) 2013-14, (ii) 2014-15 and (iii) 2015-16.

    Mr Marcus Jones

    We do not provide funding specifically for children and adults in social care. Local authorities were provided with formula grant in the period 2010-11 to 2012-13, and Revenue Support Grant from 2013-14 onwards, both of which are unringfenced and it is a matter for local discretion how this is spent.

  • Jeff Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Jeff Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jeff Smith on 2016-10-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the average processing time was for applications to the Disclosure and Barring Service for each police force area in England for the most recent year for which figures are available.

    Sarah Newton

    In the last 12 months (1 October 2015 – 30 September 2016), the proportion of disclosure applications which took longer than 60 days was as follows: (a) the UK – 5.4%, (b) Manchester – 3.9%, (c) Manchester Withington – 2.8%. The Disclosure and Barring Service is reliant on police forces completing their checks in a timely manner and is working closely with those forces whose performance does not meet turnaround time targets. The average time taken in days to process disclosures checks in the last three years is as follows:

    Time Period

    Average waiting time – United Kingdom

    Average waiting time – Manchester Withington

    Oct-13 to Sep-14

    13.4

    12.0

    Oct-14 to Sep-15

    14.4

    12.1

    Oct-15 to Sep-16

    15.5

    12.6

    The average processing time for applications to the DBS for each police force area in England from 1 October 2015 to 30 September 2016 is set out in the table below. This shows the average number of days each application took from the point at which the application form was received to the date the certificate was issued, broken down by the applicant’s geographical police force area. This information reflects all applications sent to the DBS, of which a proportion are sent to police forces for consideration for disclosure.

    Police Force Area in which applicant lives

    Average time taken in calendar days

    Metropolitan

    28.1

    Cumbria

    11.5

    Lancashire

    11.6

    Merseyside

    12.1

    Greater Manchester

    14.1

    Cheshire

    11.1

    Northumbria

    13.9

    Durham

    11.9

    North Yorkshire

    14.1

    West Yorkshire

    12.7

    South Yorkshire

    19.8

    Humberside

    12.2

    Cleveland

    13.5

    West Midlands

    10.3

    Staffordshire

    9.6

    West Mercia

    11.9

    Warwickshire

    9.4

    Derbyshire

    14.1

    Nottinghamshire

    11.7

    Lincolnshire

    10.5

    Leicestershire

    9.4

    Northamptonshire

    17.9

    Cambridgeshire

    10.1

    Norfolk

    9.1

    Suffolk

    9.9

    Bedfordshire

    11.6

    Hertfordshire

    14.8

    Essex

    14.2

    Thames Valley

    16.1

    Hampshire

    14.2

    Surrey

    14.1

    Kent

    15.8

    Sussex

    11.9

    City of London

    11.9

    Devon & Cornwall

    11.3

    Avon And Somerset

    10.7

    Gloucester

    10.7

    Wiltshire

    10.2

    Dorset

    26.8

    For a breakdown of how long police forces take to process applications they receive; this information is regularly published on the DBS website and can be accessed here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/dbs-performance

  • Jason McCartney – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Jason McCartney – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jason McCartney on 2015-11-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans she has to respond to recommendation 2015/105 from the Marine Accident Investigation Branch in its 2/2015 Investigation Report, on adoption of the Boat Safety Scheme by the Lake District National Park Authority.

    Rory Stewart

    The National Park and the Broads Authorities are independent bodies operating within the local government framework and therefore it is for the Lake District National Park Authority to decide whether to adopt the recommendation to implement the Boat Safety Scheme. I understand the National Park Authority will shortly be seeking its members’ views on the recommendation.

  • George Howarth – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    George Howarth – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by George Howarth on 2016-01-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment her Department has made of the terrorism threat level for events at major sports stadiums.

    Mr John Hayes

    The threat level for international terrorism for the UK is set independently by the Joint Terrorism Assessment Centre (JTAC) and is currently at SEVERE, meaning that an attack is highly likely. It would however, not be appropriate to comment on threat assessments for specific locations.

    The Government and police advice to the public is to be alert, but not alarmed by the terrorist threat. The UK’s counter-terrorism strategy, CONTEST, works to improve protective security and preparedness at a range of crowded places sites, including sports stadia, by ensuring businesses have access to high quality protective security advice. This includes advice provided to sports grounds by police specialist Counter Terrorism Security Advisors (CTSAs), and through the National Counter Terrorism Security Office which has provided information about the current threat and guidance on key actions to take to the Sports Ground Safety Association and its partners.

    The police regularly review their arrangements at major sporting events to ensure a proportionate response is in place at events, which may include an increase in highly visible officers.

  • Neil Parish – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Neil Parish – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Neil Parish on 2016-02-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what assessment she has made of the effect of the Renewable Heat Incentive on the UK’s decarbonisation targets.

    Andrea Leadsom

    Using less fossil fuel and more renewables to heat our homes and businesses is vital to decarbonising the UK economy. The continued Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) funding (rising to £1.15bn in 2020/21) means that renewable heat will continue to play its part in meeting our binding domestic and international targets on carbon and renewables.

    We intend to reform the RHI to improve value for money and reduce costs; improve cost control and budget management; and explore the best way to support less able to pay households and owners of large plants. We plan to consult on the changes shortly; this consultation will provide estimates of the reformed RHI’s contribution towards our carbon targets.

  • Ivan Lewis – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Ivan Lewis – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ivan Lewis on 2016-02-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many police forces in England operate a neighbourhood policing model.

    Mike Penning

    How neighbourhood policing is delivered, its priorities, and the specific model that is used, are decisions for Chief Constables in conjunction with their democratically accountable Police and Crime Commissioners. This Government believes in local policing, accountable to local communities. That is why we abolished all central Government targets and put local people in charge by introducing directly elected Police and Crime Commissioners.

  • Derek Thomas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Derek Thomas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Derek Thomas on 2016-03-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department issues guidance to schools on how to identify and manage incidences of parental alienation.

    Edward Timpson

    Protection from abuse and neglect is a fundamental right of all children and young people, regardless of their family situation, and the government will continue to review how schools, police, social services and other agencies work together to protect all children.

    The Department published updated statutory guidance in 2015 on Keeping Children Safe in Education and Working Together to Safeguard Children. Schools and colleges must have regard to this guidance when carrying out their duties to safeguard and promote the welfare of children. All school and college staff should be aware of the various forms of abuse, including emotional harm, so that they are able to identify children in need of help and support and know what action to take. This would include recognising where children are suffering as the result of family relationship breakdown.