Category: Speeches

  • David Anderson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    David Anderson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Anderson on 2016-05-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what measures she is putting in place to minimise the number of Notifications of Inadequate System Margin issued by the National Grid; and if she will make a statement.

    Andrea Leadsom

    A Notice of Inadequate System Margin is one of the tools National Grid use to maintain margins in the system and can happen at any time for a variety of reasons. Issuing a NISM does not mean that demand is about to outstrip supply: it is a notice to the market to bring forward further capacity. National Grid issue NISMs ahead of dispatching capacity from its supplementary balancing reserve, which will include 3.5GW of dispatchable generating capacity next winter. This will give any remaining capacity in the market first opportunity to respond but does not signal any significant risk of shortages. National Grid’s objective is to secure supplies and the NISM is an important tool to achieve that objective with minimum distortion to the market.

  • Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2016-07-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent representations she has received from music and sport event organisers on security at large events; and if she will make a statement.

    Mr Ben Wallace

    The Home Office regularly receives correspondence from organisations about major events taking place in the UK including music festivals, sports and other events. The policing of major music festivals, sports events and other large temporary events are dealt with through operational policing efforts. Advice on security, including counter-terrorism, is undertaken by specially trained police Security Coordinators (SecCos), who provide protective security advice and plans to police command teams prior to an event.

    Where appropriate SecCOs draw on the advice of police specialist Counter Terrorism Security Advisers (CTSAs), who assess sites and provide recommendations on appropriate and proportionate mitigating security measures to address the terrorism threat.

  • Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh on 2016-10-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what research has been (a) commissioned and (b) carried out by his Department in the last three years on the reputation of the UK abroad; and if he will make a statement.

    Alok Sharma

    The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has not commissioned any research on the UK’s global reputation.

    The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has a network of 268 Posts in 168 countries and territories, including 9 multilateral organisations, who regularly report on the relationship with the UK in their host countries and organisations.

  • Harriet Harman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Harriet Harman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Harriet Harman on 2016-10-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has made an assessment of the effect on the preparedness of complainants to report rape of the use of complainants’ previous sexual history in evidence in rape trials; and if she will make a statement.

    Sarah Newton

    This Government has made protecting women and girls from violence and supporting victims and survivors of sexual violence a key priority.

    The most recent Crime Statistics published on 20 October by the Office for National Statistics show that police recorded rape increased by 16% (to 36,438) in the year ending July 2016 compared with the previous year. The ONS state that the increases are believed to result from an improvement in the recording of sexual offences by the police and an increased willingness of victims to come forward and report these crimes to the police. In addition, the Crown Prosecution Service annual Violence Against Women and Girls Report, published in September 2016, shows the highest volumes ever recorded of charged defendants, prosecutions and convictions for rape.

    We welcome the fact that more victims of rape are coming forward and reporting these crimes to the police. Victims must have the confidence to report these crimes, knowing that they will get the support they need to go through the criminal justice process and that everything will be done to bring offenders to justice.

    Section 41 of the Youth Justice and Criminal Evidence Act 1999 places a statutory restriction on introduction of evidence and questioning of complainants about their sexual history. Section 41 was introduced to protect complainants in proceedings for sexual offences, introducing a presumption that such evidence and questioning will only be allowed in exceptional circumstances.

  • Chi Onwurah – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Chi Onwurah – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chi Onwurah on 2015-11-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the current guidance is on how data required to be retained by communications companies for investigations undertaken or authorised by the Government is to be stored.

    Mr John Hayes

    The retention systems of communications service providers who retain data under existing legislation are accredited by independent security experts and the security of these systems is overseen by the Information Commissioner. Current guidance on the retention of communications data by communications service providers is contained in the Retention of Communications Data Code of Practice 2015. Equivalent standards for retained data are replicated in the draft Investigatory Powers Bill and will be included in subsequent codes of practice.

  • Andy Slaughter – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Andy Slaughter – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andy Slaughter on 2015-12-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, with reference to the statement of 1 December 2014, HC Deb, 46W, what assessment he has made of the performance of the pilot scheme allowing individuals to be summoned rather than arrests being made at night.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    On 2 June, the Minister of State, my noble Friend, The Rt Hon Baroness Anelay of St Johns DBE met the Israeli Military Advocate General and discussed the pilot scheme allowing individuals to be summoned rather than be arrested at night. We understand that the scheme has functioned well and has been used in a significant proportion of arrests. Officials from our Embassy in Tel Aviv continue to push for further progress on the issue of children held in military detention with Israeli officials. On 23 November, an official from our Embassy in Tel Aviv met Israel’s Chief Prosecutor and discussed the issue of child detention and on 27 August, our Ambassador to Tel Aviv lobbied the Israeli Military Advocate General on Children in Detention where the issue of child detention was also discussed.

  • Maria Eagle – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Maria Eagle – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Maria Eagle on 2016-01-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people employed by the Metropolitan Police Service are former employees of News International.

    Mike Penning

    The Home Office does not hold data centrally on the number of people employed by the Metropolitan Police Service who were former employees of News International.

    Individual police forces in England and Wales are responsible for deciding when and how they run their recruitment and selection processes.

    Decisions on whether to recruit individuals are for the chief officer of the police force concerned.

  • 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 2016-02-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the staffing complement is of the office of each regional schools commissioner; and what the staff grade is of each post in each such office.

    Edward Timpson

    At present, each RSC office employs between 8 and 10 members of staff. In line with the Department’s commitment to greater transparency, staffing structure information for each RSC office, including staff count for each grade, pay scale and location, is published on GOV.UK at: http://reference.data.gov.uk/gov-structure/organogram/?pubbod=department-for-education

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  • Ian Paisley – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Ian Paisley – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Paisley on 2016-03-10.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of when the tax optimisation for cigarettes will be reached.

    Damian Hinds

    The government believes that cigarette duty achieves a balance between its two fiscal goals on tobacco; to raise revenue and to protect public health.

    In considering fiscal impacts of duties, the illicit trade is an important consideration. The government is committed to tackling illicit tobacco, which undermines health and tax policy objectives and harms legitimate business. HMRC and Border Force have an established and effective strategy for tackling tobacco fraud which has seen the illicit market reduce significantly since the strategy was first launched in 2000. This has meant that, since the introduction of the tobacco duty escalator, the size of the illicit market has continued to fall.

  • Julie Cooper – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Wales Office

    Julie Cooper – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Wales Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Julie Cooper on 2016-04-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, how many times he has attended public meetings of the Welsh Affairs Committee since his appointment.

    Alun Cairns

    I have not been required to attend any meetings with the Welsh Affairs Committee since my appointment.