Category: Speeches

  • Lord Hylton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Lord Hylton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hylton on 2016-03-01.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they plan to make representations to the governments of other European countries that riot police should not normally be used to control refugees and migrants in Europe.

    Lord Bates

    Our consistent focus has been on encouraging a comprehensive solution to the current migratory situation in Europe. This includes strengthening the EU’s external border and enhanced cooperation with Turkey and Western Balkans countries, as well as short and long term work with countries of transit and origin further upstream, and efforts to combat the people smugglers and traffickers who take advantage of the situation to put lives at risk.

    Public order is a matter for national governments and we expect all our international partners to ensure that migrants’ human rights are fully respected.

    We continue to work closely with our European partners to address all aspects of the current situation as it continues to develop. For those in genuine need, we are clear that protection in the region of origin is often the best solution and that those reaching the EU should claim asylum in the first Member State they enter (as per EU rules) rather than seeking to travel further across Europe to their destination of choice.

  • Paul Flynn – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Paul Flynn – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Flynn on 2016-04-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether he plans to require companies registered in the British Virgin Islands to publish details of all significant and beneficial owners and to place all such information on an online searchable register.

    James Duddridge

    Our priority for all the Overseas Territories that function with financial centres such as the British Virgin Islands has been for them to hold accurate and current beneficial ownership information on island in central registers or the equivalent, where they do not already do so, and to allow for UK law enforcement to access that information. The arrangement signed with the British Virgin Islands achieves this and represents a significant step forward in our ability to counter criminal activity and should be welcomed.

    As the Prime Minister, the Member for Witney (Mr Cameron) said in the House on 11 April, only about three countries in the world, including Britain, are implementing publically accessible central registers of company beneficial ownership information. If we had tried to push that on to the British Virgin Islands and other Overseas Territories straightaway, we would not have got nearly as far as we have. The actions taken by the British Virgin Islands and the other Overseas Territories puts them well ahead of many of our international partners.

  • Henry Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Henry Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Henry Smith on 2016-05-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans her Department has to bring forward legislative proposals for the labelling of ritually slaughtered meat products.

    George Eustice

    I refer the hon. Member to the reply previously given on 22 June 2015, PQ UIN 2954.

  • Tim Loughton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Tim Loughton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tim Loughton on 2016-06-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what human rights objectives the Government set for the state visit of President Xi Jinping to the UK in October 2015; and what progress has been made on achieving those objectives.

    Mr Hugo Swire

    One of our objectives for the State Visit was to ensure that the UK and China could continue detailed expert exchanges on human rights and rule of law. Agreement on this issue was reflected in the leaders’ press conference and joint statement. Our broader objectives on human rights in China are set out in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s annual report on human rights and democracy, most recently published on 21 April. That report notes that in 2015 China continued to face human rights challenges, and that we have raised our concerns both bilaterally and in multilateral fora.

  • Madeleine Moon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Madeleine Moon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Madeleine Moon on 2016-09-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to ensure that apprenticeships and training programmes are adequately supported through current and future defence procurement (a) guidance and (b) programmes; and if he will make a statement.

    Mark Lancaster

    The Ministry of Defence is proud to be the single largest provider of quality apprenticeships in the UK, having delivered more than 150,000. We therefore play an important role in helping the Government meet its commitment to reaching three million apprenticeship starts in England by 2020.

    We work closely with colleagues across Government and industry to help maintain and develop the essential skills needed to deliver defence outputs. That includes working with industry partners to develop new world-class apprenticeship standards. Where we know that specific skills are needed for the effective delivery of defence capability, our procurement policies allow for consideration of these skills in our tendering activity, and their continued development through the life of relevant contracts.

  • Greg Knight – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Greg Knight – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Greg Knight on 2016-10-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answer of 18 October 2016 to Question 48050, if her Department will make representations to Ofcom on introducing a cap on the amount of spectrum each mobile operator can hold.

    Matt Hancock

    Ofcom is still considering the rules for the forthcoming auction. We will await their findings.

  • Kate Green – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Kate Green – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kate Green on 2015-11-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to implement the family test.

    Brandon Lewis

    Officials in my Department have liaised with the Department for Work and Pensions as the lead Department for the Family Test to embed it into the policy process. This has included training officials on applying the Test and disseminating relevant evidence, learning materials and best practice.

  • Barry Sheerman – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Barry Sheerman – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Barry Sheerman on 2015-12-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much his Department has invested in cycling in each of the last three years.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    In the last three years, the Department for Transport (DfT)’s budgets for cycling programmes were:

    DfT budgets: (million)

    2012-13

    2013-14

    2014-15

    Cycle-Rail

    £7.0

    £7.5

    Bikeability

    £11.7

    £11.7

    £11.7

    Junction safety

    £30.0

    £5.0

    Linking Communities

    £8.0

    £7.5

    Cycling Ambition – Cities/National Parks

    £46.6

    £46.6

    Highways Agency

    £4.8

    LSTF- Cycling

    £37.8

    £37.8

    £37.8

    Total DfT

    £94.5

    £120.9

    £96.1

    In 2014-15, the Department’s dedicated cycling programmes were Bikeability, Cycle Ambition Cities, Cycling in National Parks and the Highways Agency’s cycling programme. The Department funds cycling programmes through the Local Sustainable Transport Fund, with around 28% of the LSTF being spent on cycling. The Department secures a range of match funding contributions from local authorities for these programmes: the LSTF secured 99% match funding.

  • Lord Tunnicliffe – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Lord Tunnicliffe – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Tunnicliffe on 2016-01-18.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, for each year since 2010, what assessment they have made of the percentage of clients who, once they have received debt management advice and successfully proceeded to implementation, have required further debt management advice in the same financial year.

    Lord O’Neill of Gatley

    These questions have been passed on to the Money Advice Service (MAS). MAS will reply to directly to the Noble Lord by letter. A copy of the letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

  • Nigel Evans – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Nigel Evans – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nigel Evans on 2016-02-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the effect on that region of recent violence in Israel and the West Bank.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    We are deeply concerned by the recent violence in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories. Since the start of the current violence, Ministers and officials have spoken regularly to both the Israeli government and the Palestinian Authority on the urgent need to de-escalate the tensions. We understand, and share, the deep frustration on all sides at the lack of progress on the Middle East Peace Process. The current violence underlines that a just and lasting resolution that ends the occupation and delivers peace for both Israelis and Palestinians is long overdue.