UKPOL.CO.UK

Tag: Mary Robinson

  • Mary Robinson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Mary Robinson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mary Robinson on 2016-02-29.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent reports he has received on the case of Bapu Surat Singh Khalsa; and if he will raise that case with his counterpart in the Indian government.

    Mr Hugo Swire

    We are aware of Surat Singh Khalsa’s hunger strike and continue to follow developments. The Prime Minister, my right hon. Friend the Member for Witney (Mr Cameron) discussed human rights with Prime Minister Modi during his visit to the UK in November 2015. Mr Modi assured him that his government in India remains committed to diversity and fundamental freedoms. Mr Modi also met a delegation of UK Sikh leaders during his visit and discussed a range of issues affecting the Sikh community in India. I discussed concerns about minority rights with the Indian Minister of State for External Affairs VK Singh in November 2015 and the British High Commission in India regularly discusses the treatment of minorities, including the Sikh community, with the Indian National Commission for Minorities and with state governments across India. Prime Minister Modi’s visit, including his address at Wembley, highlighted the contribution that Sikh and other religious minority communities make to India, and to UK-India relations. Relations between the Sikh community in India and the Indian government are ultimately an internal matter, but we encourage both parties to resolve their differences through dialogue.

  • Mary Robinson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Mary Robinson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mary Robinson on 2016-03-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to help people with disabilities with the cost of housing in the private rented sector.

    Justin Tomlinson

    There are a number of ways the Department helps people with disabilities who are entitled to Housing Benefit and are renting in the private sector.

    The enhanced package of Discretionary Housing Payments funding (£870 million over 5 years) will enable LAs to protect vulnerable claimants and support households affected by the Housing Benefit reforms.

    In addition to this, single disabled people under 35 years of age who are in receipt of the severe disability premium are exempt from the shared accommodation rate under the Local Housing Allowance scheme.

    Disabled people with overnight care needs may be eligible for an additional bedroom for a non-resident carer under the size criteria rules.

  • Mary Robinson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Mary Robinson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mary Robinson on 2016-03-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to promote trade and diplomatic connections between the UK and other Commonwealth countries.

    Mr Hugo Swire

    We are committed to strengthening our Commonwealth engagement and ties with Commonwealth allies. We continue to engage with organisations like the Commonwealth Enterprise and Investment Council to boost trade and increase prosperity within the Commonwealth. As part of these efforts, the UK and Malta will be co-hosting the first Commonwealth Trade Ministers meeting in March 2017.

  • Mary Robinson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Mary Robinson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mary Robinson on 2016-03-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to promote trade and diplomatic connections between the UK and other Commonwealth countries.

    Mr Hugo Swire

    We are committed to strengthening our Commonwealth engagement and ties with Commonwealth allies. We continue to engage with organisations like the Commonwealth Enterprise and Investment Council to boost trade and increase prosperity within the Commonwealth. As part of these efforts, the UK and Malta will be co-hosting the first Commonwealth Trade Ministers meeting in March 2017.

  • Mary Robinson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Mary Robinson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mary Robinson on 2016-09-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what provisions are available to local authorities for extending the eligibility criteria for the Blue Badge scheme to people with severe physical disabilities who are not automatically eligible.

    Andrew Jones

    Local authorities do not have powers to independently extend eligibility. The criteria are set by statutory instrument. The Disabled Persons (Badges for Motor Vehicles) (England) Regulations 2000 (as amended) contain a number of criteria covering those who do not qualify automatically, including a provision for any permanent and substantial disability that causes inability to walk or very considerable difficulty in walking. It is the responsibility of local authorities to assess whether applicants meet any of the criteria.

    People with autism are not excluded from being issued a badge. Any permanent and substantial disability that causes very considerable difficulty walking falls within the criteria. It is the responsibility of local authorities to assess the degree of difficulty and to issue badges accordingly. We have no plans to provide badges to carers.

  • Mary Robinson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Mary Robinson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mary Robinson on 2016-09-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if his Department plans to take steps to extend eligibility for the Blue Badge scheme to the parents of children with autism.

    Andrew Jones

    Local authorities do not have powers to independently extend eligibility. The criteria are set by statutory instrument. The Disabled Persons (Badges for Motor Vehicles) (England) Regulations 2000 (as amended) contain a number of criteria covering those who do not qualify automatically, including a provision for any permanent and substantial disability that causes inability to walk or very considerable difficulty in walking. It is the responsibility of local authorities to assess whether applicants meet any of the criteria.

    People with autism are not excluded from being issued a badge. Any permanent and substantial disability that causes very considerable difficulty walking falls within the criteria. It is the responsibility of local authorities to assess the degree of difficulty and to issue badges accordingly. We have no plans to provide badges to carers.

  • Mary Robinson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Mary Robinson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mary Robinson on 2015-11-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what steps his Department is taking to promote apprenticeships in the road haulage industry.

    Nick Boles

    Through our reforms, more than 1300 employers are designing new apprenticeships standards that are more responsive to the needs of business. 194 standards have been published with over 150 new standards in development, including the new Large Goods Vehicle Driver standard.

    Subject to final approval, this new apprenticeship standard will provide the sector with an excellent opportunity to develop a new generation of drivers in a way that meets their specific requirements.

    In addition, in June Jobcentre Plus and the Road Haulage Association launched “Driving Britain’s Future”. This 12-month scheme will identify 2,400 work experience placements for Jobcentre Plus customers with logistics employers.

  • Mary Robinson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Mary Robinson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mary Robinson on 2015-11-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to increase access to defibrillators near (a) community parks, (b) playing fields and (c) other open public spaces.

    Jane Ellison

    Following our 2015 Budget commitment on defibrillators, we have awarded the British Heart Foundation £1 million to make public access defibrillators and coronary pulmonary resuscitation training more widely available in communities across England.

  • Mary Robinson – 2022 Speech on Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Bill

    Mary Robinson – 2022 Speech on Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Bill

    The speech made by Mary Robinson, the Conservative MP for Cheadle, in the House of Commons on 13 October 2022.

    It is a pleasure to be called to speak on Second Reading of this important Bill.

    To maintain the UK’s role and reputation as an international banking and business hub, we must have a transparent system with robust defences against money laundering and fraud, backed up by legislation. As we have heard, the Bill introduces vital reforms to Companies House and to limited partnerships. It also brings forward measures to ensure that law enforcement is equipped to handle the modern challenge of cryptoassets. We have to keep pace with the inevitable changes that result from the development and recognition of cryptocurrency as it moves from niche technology to the mainstream. It is a policy area that poses a unique challenge to law enforcement, with constantly evolving technology creating intangible assets that are largely unregulated and increasingly used to hide and move the proceeds of crime and enable malign states.

    The value of losses from crypto-related scams reported to Action Fraud more than doubled over the previous year to £190 million in 2021. All fraud costs the UK economy £190 billion annually, with money laundering constituting an additional £100 billion.

    This is money from hard-working individuals and businesses taken by criminals and used to perpetrate wars and terrorism, and technology is only making that easier for them. The Bill’s stated objective, which I welcome, is as follows:

    “Strengthen the UK’s broader response to economic crime, in particular by giving law enforcement new powers to seize cryptoassets and enabling businesses in the financial sector to share information more effectively to prevent and detect economic crime.”

    Increased powers will bolster the National Crime Agency and Serious Fraud Office, as well as the regulatory bodies, and are welcome. However, the Bill misses an opportunity to refer to and support the important role of whistleblowers in the fight against financial crime. The impact assessment produced by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy references PricewaterhouseCoopers’ global economic crime and fraud survey 2022, which found that the UK has a higher than average proportion of serious fraud carried out by an external perpetrator at 57% versus 39% globally. It notes that fighting external perpetrators is distinct from handling internal fraud, with external forces being “immune” to traditional fraud detection and prevention tools—including workplace frameworks and whistleblowing procedures.

    The Government are in the process of reviewing whistleblowing guidance, which is welcome. However, the reality is that existing legislation applies only to employees— not to contractors, trustees, volunteers or many others who might hold vital information. It is estimated that just over 40% of fraud is detected through whistleblowing tips, and only half of those disclosures come from employees.

    By their very nature, money laundering and economic crime are more often than not linked to serious organised crime gangs and hostile states. Without adequate protections, the stakes for an informed insider blowing the whistle are simply too high. With cryptoassets existing outside the realm of a centralised or governed system, it is unlikely that anyone with information about financial crime involving them will be employees, and therefore they will not be covered by the provisions of the Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998, which is the one that oversees the protections of whistleblowers.

    If protections are not to be afforded in this Bill, I hope the Government will support the aims of the all-party group on whistleblowing, which I chair, to create an office of the whistleblower to provide overarching protection for the very people we need to speak out and uncover the criminal activities that this Bill aims to curtail.

    I welcome this important Bill, and I know that it will receive support. There are changes that could be considered, particularly with regards to whistleblowing, so I look forward to seeing the Bill go through to Committee.

  • Mary Robinson – 2022 Tribute to HM Queen Elizabeth II

    Mary Robinson – 2022 Tribute to HM Queen Elizabeth II

    The tribute made by Mary Robinson, the Conservative MP for Cheadle, in the House of Commons on 10 September 2022.

    It is with immense sadness that I rise to pay tribute to, and give thanks for the life of, our late Queen Elizabeth. On behalf of my family and the people of Cheadle, I want to send heartfelt condolences to King Charles and the entire family, who remain in our thoughts and prayers at this sad time.

    The Queen has been hailed as a golden thread which binds countries and people together, and her reign has been the single thread of continuity throughout my life and the lives of many people across the world who have known no other sovereign. I did not get to meet her, but the wonderful personal and moving tributes following the death of our beloved Queen allow us to glimpse the human face behind the monarch. Many stories relate the meetings and audiences that some privileged people were allowed to attend, while others describe those brilliant occasions when a visit would lead to a chance encounter with a few warm words and gestures forever imprinted on memories, to be retold to children and grandchildren.

    For our parents and grandparents and those who lived through or fought in the second world war, it was the photos of the young princess in her ATS uniform that showed her steadfast spirit and her solidarity with them, and were an example of her desire to serve, which later came to exemplify her reign. Indeed, the appetite to see the Queen, not just in the newspapers but live on screen, set off a surge in sales of televisions, with millions of people gathering to watch the Coronation in 1953 on newly purchased, or rented, grainy black and white screens. Since then, her life of public duty—and her personal family life too—has been streamed directly into people’s front rooms, and that personal connection remained throughout her decades of service. We may not have met Her Majesty personally, but we knew her and welcomed her into our hearts and into our homes, especially at Christmas when our families gathered together and we heard her Christmas message, in which she was always perceptive, compassionate, guiding, sharing her wisdom and her love of God. As we have heard, on her 21st birthday she declared that her

    “whole life whether it be long or short shall be devoted”

    to our service. Her Majesty was happily blessed with a long life, and as a nation we have been blessed by her service.

    We are experiencing a profound sense of loss as we mourn our Queen. We will miss having her in our lives. But the golden thread of duty, love and service that knits our communities and nations together will pass unbroken to her heir, King Charles III. God bless her Majesty. May she rest in peace, and God save the King.