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Category: Speeches

  • Emily Thornberry – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Attorney General

    Emily Thornberry – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Attorney General

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Emily Thornberry on 2015-12-02.

    To ask the Attorney General, pursuant to the Answer of 24 November 2015 to Question 16871, how many full-time equivalent staff worked in the Specialist Fraud Division in each of the last six years.

    Robert Buckland

    The number of full-time equivalent (FTE) staff that have worked in the Specialist Fraud Division in each of the last six years is shown below.

    March 2010 – 142 FTE

    March 2011 – 134 FTE

    March 2012 – 138 FTE

    March 2013 – 258 FTE

    March 2014 – 233 FTE

    March 2015 – 230 FTE

    Note: The figures presented above reflect staff in post on 31 March of each year.

  • David Mackintosh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    David Mackintosh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Mackintosh on 2016-01-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he has taken to (a) invest in research on rehabilitation, health and social care models to improve the quality of life for ill Gulf War veterans and (b) communicate the results of US research on those issues to Gulf War veterans living in the UK.

    Mark Lancaster

    The Government greatly values the service of all 1990-91 Gulf War veterans, particularly as we reach the 25th anniversary of the start of combat operations. We have long accepted that the ill health of some veterans of the 1990-91 Gulf War is associated with their service in the Gulf. In such cases compensation may be claimed under the War Pensions Scheme with appropriate medical care provided by the National Health Service across the UK .

    The Department has funded extensive research into Gulf War illness including some research into rehabilitative therapies for those veterans with persistent symptoms.

    Our strategy on research topics and studies has been informed and overseen by independent scientific experts nominated by the Medical Research Council taking account of published peer-reviewed international literature and international studies. We have no plans to undertake further research on Gulf War issues. We continue to monitor any Gulf War research that is published round the world including from the United States.

  • Gavin Shuker – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Gavin Shuker – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gavin Shuker on 2016-02-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, who the members are of the National Police Chiefs’ Council working group on prostitution.

    Karen Bradley

    Within the structure of the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC), chief officers are elected by their peers and take the lead on specific issues from a national operational perspective. It is for the national leads to establish working groups to support them in their role. The Home Office is in regular dialogue with on the NPCC Lead for Prostitution’s office, and as such discussed and commented on the current revision of the strategy.

    Prostitution is a complex issue, which can impact on individuals and communities in many different ways, and we are therefore clear that local areas and police forces are in the best position to identify and respond to issues around prostitution in their area. Police forces are assisted in doing so by the National Policing Lead’s refreshed Policing Sex Work Strategy, which stresses the priority of the public protection duty that the police services have in relation to the safety of those involved in prostitution.

  • Gavin Newlands – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Gavin Newlands – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gavin Newlands on 2016-02-29.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment he has made of the potential effect on Scottish sport of changes to the funding of BBC Alba.

    Mr Edward Vaizey

    It is a matter for MG Alba how it distributes funding across it services. The previous government provided two one-off grants to MG ALBA, which we understand was put into developing the drama series Bannan.

  • Stuart C. McDonald – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Stuart C. McDonald – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stuart C. McDonald on 2016-03-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what independent scrutiny her Department commissioned of reports of invalid and questionable results in English Language tests conducted by ETS.

    James Brokenshire

    We are disappointed by the decision of the recent Upper Tribunal. Once we have the full determination we will carefully consider next steps, including appealing the decision.

  • Emily Thornberry – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Emily Thornberry – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Emily Thornberry on 2016-05-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the likelihood of (a) full ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test Ban Treaty and (b) the commencement of negotiations on the proposed Fissile Material Cut-off Treaty.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    The Strategic Defence and Security Review restated that the Government sees entry into force of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty and successful negotiations on a Fissile Material Cut-off Treaty as key steps towards multilateral disarmament. While we cannot predict when other States will take the decisions necessary to achieve these goals, we continue to pursue both objectives, which were strongly supported in the G7 Foreign Ministers’ declaration at their meeting in Hiroshima.

  • Kirsten Oswald – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Kirsten Oswald – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kirsten Oswald on 2016-06-08.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate his Department has made of the distributional effect of the exclusion from National Insurance contributions of property, dividends, pensions and other forms of non-employment income.

    Mr David Gauke

    National Insurance contributions (NICs) are not intended to tax all forms of income. As a system of social security, the purpose of NICs is that individuals contribute when they are working, in order to build entitlement to contributory benefits such as the State Pension.

    Taxes are levied on non-employment income through the rest of the tax system, and the government’s policies since 2010 have repeatedly increased the contribution of the wealthy. The richest fifth of households will contribute more than half (52%) of UK household tax receipts in 2019-20; under the 2010-11 tax system, they would have paid 49%.

  • Baroness Tonge – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Baroness Tonge – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Tonge on 2016-09-06.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will make representations to the government of Israel following reports that Israeli forces prevented an ambulance from taking an injured person from Fawwar refugee camp on 16 August.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    We have not made representations to the Israeli authorities over this specific issue.

  • Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town on 2016-10-21.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what was the percentage of drivers or riders involved in a road accident who were given a breath test, for each of the last five years; and what assessment they have made of the change, if any, in that percentage.

    Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

    A significant majority of road accidents are damage-only incidents where all participants exchange insurance and contact details. In line with s170 of the Road Traffic Act there is no requirement to report these incidents to the police and, unless there is a specific need for it, the police will not attend the scene. In these cases no breath tests are carried out and the accident is not recorded.

    As a result, it is impossible to state what percentage of drivers involved in all accidents are given a breath test as the total number of drivers involved in accidents is unknown.

  • Alex Cunningham – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Alex Cunningham – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alex Cunningham on 2015-11-20.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how his Department is monitoring the implementation of the family test across Government.

    Mr Oliver Letwin

    The Family Test was announced by the Prime Minister in August 2014 and introduced in October 2014, through the publication of guidance for officials – which can be found online at: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/368894/family-test-guidance.pdf. Consideration of the Family Test takes place as part of the usual policy making process within departments.

    “