Category: Speeches

  • Baroness Smith of Basildon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Baroness Smith of Basildon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Smith of Basildon on 2016-09-09.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many prosecutions for female genital mutilation have been taken, or are pending, under the Female Genital Mutilation Act 2003 in each year from 2005 to date.

    Baroness Mobarik

    There has been one prosecution under the Female Genital Mutilation Act 2003 since it came into force.

    The Crown Prosecution Service is unable to report data on pre-charge decisions by offence, because the applicable offence(s) are only confirmed when a defendant is charged and the case proceeds to a first hearing in court.

  • Jim Cunningham – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Jim Cunningham – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2015-11-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 10 November 2015 to Question 14616, what estimate her Department has made of the number of signatories to the (a) Cortauld Commitment 3, (b) Electrical and Electronic Equipment Sustainability Action Plan, (c) Hospitality and Food Service Agreement and (d) Sustainable Clothing Action Plan in each of the last five years.

    Rory Stewart

    The number of signatories to the voluntary agreements in the last five years is as follows:

    Courtauld Commitment 2/3 (signatories):

    • 53 from Aug 2011

    ESAP Electrical and Electronic Equipment Sustainability Action Plan (signatories):

    • 50 at launch, Nov 2014;
    • 70 at Nov 2015.

    Hospitality and Food Service Agreement (signatories plus supporters*):

    • 73 at launch in Jun 2012;
    • 171 in Nov 13;
    • over 200 in Dec 14
    • 226 in Nov 2015.

    SCAP 2020 Commitment (signatories plus supporters*):

    • 22, at launch in Jun 2013;
    • 68 at Dec 2014;
    • 82 at Nov 2015.

    *Supporters also take an active role in promoting activities which support the Commitments

  • Holly Lynch – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Holly Lynch – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Holly Lynch on 2015-12-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if his Department will take steps to ensure that all rail users have access to rail fares data which can help them find the cheapest split-ticket fares.

    Claire Perry

    Rail fares information for all journeys on the national rail network is available on Train Operating Company and the National Rail Enquiries website. This also includes journey planning information. This can be used by anyone to check fares and find any split ticket opportunity.

    The Association of Train Operating Companies (ATOC) who represent the rail industry make the underlying data available, free of charge, under the terms of a licence arrangement. There are now a number of websites which offer a service to search for split ticket combinations.

  • Stephen Timms – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Stephen Timms – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2016-01-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the contribution by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State in the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills on 5 November 2015, Official Report, column 1834, what steps he has taken to exploit the opportunities arising from future international services at Stratford International Station, once Crossrail arrives at that station.

    Claire Perry

    Crossrail services will serve Stratford domestic station, rather than the Stratford International station which is operated by HS1 Ltd. The Department for Transport has no powers to specify that an international operator – whether current or future – must stop at Stratford International station.

    It is possible that an international operator may be able to produce a positive business case for using Stratford International station with the arrival of Crossrail. If this is the case, that operator would need to discuss their proposal with, amongst others, HS1 Ltd.

  • Neil Gray – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Neil Gray – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Neil Gray on 2016-02-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many civilians are employed by the (a) Ministry of Defence and its trading bodies and (b) contractors at (i) AWE Aldemaston; (ii) AWE Burghfield; (iii) BAE Systems Maritime-Submarines at Barrow-in-Furness; (iv) Babcock at Devonport and (v) Rolls-Royce at Raynewsay, Derby; and how many such employees are employed by AWE Management Limited.

    Michael Fallon

    The number and average wage of civilians employed by the Ministry of Defence (MOD) at the listed sites is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

    MOD does not hold figures relating to the employees of contractors by site. The number of civilians employed by the consortium AWE Management Ltd is 155.

  • Nic Dakin – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Nic Dakin – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nic Dakin on 2016-03-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what discussions her Department has had with the Department of Health on implementation of the Ross Fund.

    Mr Nick Hurd

    I refer the Honourable Member to the answer I gave on 7 March to question number 28791

  • Caroline Lucas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Caroline Lucas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2016-04-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will designate NHS Improvement as a public authority for the purposes of the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

    Ben Gummer

    NHS Improvement is the operational name for an organisation that brings together Monitor and the NHS Trust Development Authority. It is a combination of the continuing statutory functions and legal powers vested in these organisations. Both these bodies are public authorities for the purposes of the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act, and so NHS Improvement will continue to be subject to FOI requirements.

  • Andrea Jenkyns – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Andrea Jenkyns – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrea Jenkyns on 2016-05-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what estimate his Department has made of the amount of (a) regional development funds and (b) structural funds that the UK is due to receive in each year to 2020 under the current EU Multi-Annual Financial Framework.

    Anna Soubry

    The amounts allocated by year for each operational programme for the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and European Social Fund (ESF) in the UK for the 2014-2020 Multiannual Financial Framework is set out in table 1.6 of the United Kingdom’s Partnership Agreement with the European Commission which can be found on GOV.UK at ‘European Structural and Investment Funds: UK Partnership Agreement’. The table is attached. Each annual allocation needs to be spent within three years.

  • Lord Taylor of Warwick – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Lord Taylor of Warwick – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Taylor of Warwick on 2016-06-29.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the findings of the study by Carnegie Mellon’s Tepper School of Business that gender diversity benefits do not materialise in organisations where internal competition is prevalent.

    Baroness Williams of Trafford

    We are grateful to Lord Taylor for raising this; officials are considering the findings within the wider evidence base on women in business. We know that supportive workplace cultures are an important factor in progressing female career development.

    Our voluntary initiative Think, Act, Report promotes gender equality at work and has created a vast community of best practice on maximising female talent in the workplace. 300 businesses representing organisations of all sizes and sectors across Britain are signed up to the principles it embodies; collectively they employ over 2.5 million people.

  • Lord Eames – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union

    Lord Eames – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Eames on 2016-09-08.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what consultations they have had with the government of the Republic of Ireland on a special arrangement for the land border between the EU and the UK as a result of Brexit.

    Lord Bridges of Headley

    There has been a range of engagement with the Irish Government, including a meeting between the Prime Minister and the Taoiseach in London on the 26 July and meetings between the Secretary of State for Exiting the EU and Irish Ministers in Dublin on 8 September. We have had a Common Travel Area between the UK and the Republic of Ireland many years before either country was a member of the European Union. There is a strong will in the UK Government, the Irish Government and the Northern Ireland Executive to preserve it, and it remains our intention to do so.