Category: Speeches

  • Gareth Thomas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Gareth Thomas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gareth Thomas on 2016-06-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she has taken to improve the ability of Border Force to gather and exploit information to improve its performance in enforcing general maritime security; and if she will make a statement.

    James Brokenshire

    Border Force works very closely with law enforcement partners to harness the collective knowledge of risks associated with maritime and aviation security. This includes intelligence flows to Border Force and partner agencies from overseas partners, the maritime and aviation industries, voluntary organisations and the public. Border Force also works with the NCA through a series of Joint Border Intelligence units to share and develop intelligence across all modes including maritime and aviation.

    The National Maritime Information Centre (NMIC), for which Border Force provides the executive lead, acts as the focal point for all agencies maritime information and provides the UK with unified maritime situational awareness to assist in countering potential threats to UK Maritime Security.

  • Rebecca Long Bailey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Rebecca Long Bailey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rebecca Long Bailey on 2016-09-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people have transferred to universal credit since its implementation; and how many of those people have challenged the payment accredited to them.

    Damian Hinds

    No existing legacy benefit claimant has yet been moved onto Universal Credit. The managed migration of existing legacy benefit claimants will commence in July 2019 and be completed in March 2022.

  • Helen Goodman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Helen Goodman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Helen Goodman on 2016-10-10.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he has received any reports that Concentrix has used postcode areas to target tax credit claimants with allegations that they have provided incorrect claim information.

    Jane Ellison

    Concentrix’s workload is delegated by HM Revenue and Customs. Using postcode areas for selection criteria is outside the scope of Concentrix. Information about the use of profiling techniques can be found in section A10.1 of the Concentrix contract at: https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/85d1b730-5e4e-4be8-ae4c-3ac1f359afc7“

  • Jo Stevens – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Jo Stevens – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jo Stevens on 2015-10-29.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make representations to the Federal Minister of Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth in the German government on meeting with the Thalidomide Trust’s National Advisory Council on financial compensation for people with thalidomide.

    Mr David Lidington

    Following representations by the Government, senior representatives from the German government travelled to London to meet with the Trust in July. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office continues to provide support to the Thalidomide Trust’s National Advisory Council to enable them to further their dialogue with the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens and Youth, including through another meeting.

  • Oliver Heald – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Oliver Heald – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Oliver Heald on 2015-11-26.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps the Government is taking to ensure that all young people who wish to participate in the National Citizen Service are able to do so.

    Mr Rob Wilson

    We are committed to expanding NCS, which is why the Chancellor announced our ambition that 300,000 young people participate in NCS every year by 2019/20 so that they can learn new skills and give back to their communities.

    We take great care to ensure that all young people, regardless of background, can take part, providing bursaries and additional support where necessary.

  • Sadiq Khan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Sadiq Khan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sadiq Khan on 2016-01-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what proportion of total health spending in (a) London and (b) each London borough was allocated to general practice in each year since 2010.

    Alistair Burt

    The information requested is not available for the period prior to the establishment of NHS England.

    We are advised that general practices in London held budgets as a percentage of total clinical commissioning group and direct commissioning budgets (excluding specialised commissioning held on a provider basis), according to the following proportions: 8.2% in 2013/14 and 2014/15, and 8.3% in 2015/16.

  • Gregory Campbell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    Gregory Campbell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gregory Campbell on 2016-01-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what progress is being made through the British-Irish Council on tackling alcohol misuse throughout the British Isles.

    Mr Ben Wallace

    I have been asked to reply on behalf of the Home Office who are the lead Department.

    The British-Irish Council facilitates and fosters collaboration among member administrations and provides a forum where issues, such as substance misuse, can be discussed. The use and misuse of alcohol was the theme of the British-Irish Council Ministerial Summit hosted by the Irish Government in June 2015 on which the following communiqué was issued: http://www.britishirishcouncil.org/sites/default/files/communiqu%C3%A9s/24%20-%20Twenty%20Fourth%20Summit%20-%20Dublin%20-%2019%20June%202015.pdf

    “

  • Jeffrey M. Donaldson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Jeffrey M. Donaldson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jeffrey M. Donaldson on 2016-02-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what progress his Department has made on the Gateway Project for armed forces veterans; and what plans he has to include Northern Ireland within the scope of that project.

    Mark Lancaster

    The Ministry of Defence has explored options for the development of a veterans gateway service to provide a single cross-sector point of access for all veterans. The Armed Forces Covenant Reference Group has recently directed that the Covenant Fund prioritise funding for a pilot project to set up a 24 hours a day single point of contact veterans gateway service in financial year 2016-17 and this will be formally announced shortly. The project’s reach will extend across the UK, including Northern Ireland.

  • Stephen Doughty – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Stephen Doughty – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Doughty on 2016-03-22.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what (a) training, (b) financial and (c) materiel support his Department is providing to the Somali National Army.

    Penny Mordaunt

    UK support to the Somalia National Army (SNA) totalled £17million in 2015-16, funded through the Conflict Stability and Security Fund (CSSF). This is intended to increase to £20million in 2016-17. This includes Defence mentoring support to the development of the SNA in Mogadishu, delivered both bilaterally and through UK personnel embedded in the EU training mission, and Defence oversight of a non-lethal equipment programme (including tents, computers, generators, vehicles). It also includes the provision of stipends; infrastructure support; and a £3million HMG donation to the SNA Trust Fund operated by the UN Support Office in Somalia (UNSOS). HMG is looking to deliver an enhanced programme in 2016-17.

  • Lisa Cameron – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Lisa Cameron – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lisa Cameron on 2016-04-21.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assistance the Government has provided to the Nigerian government in the search for the Chibok schoolgirls who were kidnapped in April 2014.

    James Duddridge

    In response to the abduction of the Chibok girls the UK, together with the US and France, provided a range of military and intelligence support to help the Nigerian government in their search for the missing girls, and to address the long-term challenges of terrorism.

    Since 2014 the UK has significantly increased our military, intelligence and development support to Nigeria. This includes training and advice for Nigerian units deploying against Boko Haram. Last year almost 1000 Nigerian military personnel benefited from UK training to prepare them for counter-insurgency operations in the north east. We have also provided £5million to support the Multinational Joint Task Force set up by Nigeria and its neighbours to tackle the insurgents. Through our development assistance, the UK supports the Government of Nigeria’s Safe Schools Initiative which has helped over 90,000 displaced children to return to school and we have increased our humanitarian support to help deliver food, water and emergency healthcare to those affected by the conflict.

    We remain fully committed to supporting Nigeria in its fight against Boko Haram and to help find all those who are missing, including the Chibok girls.