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Tag: Seema Kennedy

  • Seema Kennedy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Seema Kennedy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Seema Kennedy on 2016-01-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will support the increase of infrastructure for onboard wifi along the West Coast rail line.

    Claire Perry

    We recognise intermittent internet access is a frustration felt by many rail passengers. I have met with Virgin Trains to discuss their ambitions to improve internet connectivity on both West Coast and East Coast main lines. I recognise that this is an important issue for West Coast passengers and that we need to find a solution where all passengers can benefit.

    Free Wi-Fi is being introduced on all Department for Transport-controlled rail franchises in England and Wales. All train operators bidding for new franchises and direct award agreements will have to present a phased implementation plan for free Wi-Fi. The West Coast franchise is being tendered this year with the new contract commencing in 2018, which will include this obligation.

    On-train Wi-Fi addresses some of the issues, however we recognise that there is more to do that will require enhancements to trackside infrastructure. That’s why we are working with the rail and telecommunications industries to reach a shared understanding of the technical and commercial challenges, and seek out potential solutions.

  • Seema Kennedy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Seema Kennedy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Seema Kennedy on 2016-01-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of enforcement powers for court orders relating to child custody.

    Caroline Dinenage

    The Government has not made any recent assessment. The family court has a wide range of enforcement powers to secure compliance with a child arrangements order.

    Where a person named in a child arrangements order breaches it without good reason, the court may make an enforcement order requiring that person to carry out unpaid work. The court may also order that person to pay financial compensation for any loss suffered by another person named in the child arrangements order. These sanctions are in addition to the general powers of the court to treat the breach of a court order as a contempt of court, which is punishable by a fine or imprisonment. The court may alternatively vary the terms of the child arrangements order (reconsidering the provisions made) if it considers this necessary to make the arrangements work in the best interests of the child.

  • Seema Kennedy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Seema Kennedy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Seema Kennedy on 2016-02-10.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions his Department has had with the financial sector and employer groups on workplace money management and workplace payroll savings schemes.

    Harriett Baldwin

    The government is committed to supporting savers, and government officials meet regularly with the Chartered Institute of Payroll Professionals to discuss the role that payroll deduction can play in promoting workplace saving, particularly in relation to the credit union movement. The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is funding a £38m project to enable participating credit unions to expand their services to many more consumers, including to employees via workplace payroll savings. DWP is also looking into providing payroll savings facilities for their staff who are members of a credit union.

  • Seema Kennedy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    Seema Kennedy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Seema Kennedy on 2016-04-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what steps the Government is taking to tackle organised crime in Northern Ireland.

    Mrs Theresa Villiers

    The Fresh Start Agreement created a Joint Agency Task Force to identify strategic priorities and co-ordinate joint operations against those involved in cross-border organised crime.

    Tackling organised crime in Northern Ireland is primarily a matter for the devolved Department of Justice, under the auspices of the Organised Crime Task Force.

  • Seema Kennedy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Seema Kennedy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Seema Kennedy on 2016-04-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what steps he is taking to address skills shortages in the workforce.

    Joseph Johnson

    This Government is committed to giving young people the skills they need to succeed in life.

    We are supporting 3 million more apprenticeships in this Parliament, and we are ensuring that employers play a leading role in the design of our new Degree Apprenticeships. Following our Higher Education Green Paper, we will be launching a technical consultation on the Teaching Excellence Framework, which will ensure our universities continue to focus on helping their students into employment.

  • Seema Kennedy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Seema Kennedy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Seema Kennedy on 2016-09-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what progress has been made on implementing the recommendations of the independent Mental Health Taskforce set out in the Five Year Forward View of February 2016.

    Mr Jeremy Hunt

    An implementation plan for the Five Year Forward View for Mental Health was published in July which will see Mental Health spending increase by £1billion by 2020.

  • Seema Kennedy – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Seema Kennedy – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Seema Kennedy on 2015-10-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to ensure the pilot resettlement scheme for Chagos Islanders meets their requirements.

    Grant Shapps

    The Government is carrying out a public consultation exercise, seeking the views of Chagossians and other interested parties, about a potential resettlement of the British Indian Ocean Territory. The consultation is scheduled to last 12 weeks, concluding on 27 October. I am pleased that an estimated five hundred Chagossians in the UK, Seychelles, and Mauritius have joined meetings with members of the British Indian Ocean Territory Administration to talk through the consultation document. Though we have been clear that this document is not a statement of UK Government policy, as no decision has yet been taken, it sets out the most realistic hypothetical scenario in which possible resettlements, including a pilot option, could take place. The consultation period will help us understand Chagossians’ aspirations and the level of demand for the options set out. This consultation continues the conversation with Chagossian communities as part of our review of resettlement policy started in 2012, which included an independent feasibility study, which concluded at the end of January 2015.

  • Seema Kennedy – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Seema Kennedy – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Seema Kennedy on 2015-10-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when she expects the Drinking Water Inspectorate to announce the findings of its investigations into the causes of the recent cryptosporidium water contamination.

    Rory Stewart

    The Drinking Water Inspectorate (DWI) holds the statutory responsibility to investigate and report on drinking water quality incidents that affect public water supplies in England and Wales. It continues to carry out a detailed and thorough investigation into the recent cryptosporidium outbreak in Lancashire. Once the final report is completed, it will be made publicly available.

  • Seema Kennedy – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Seema Kennedy – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Seema Kennedy on 2015-10-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps (a) her Department and (b) the Drinking Water Inspectorate are taking to ensure that utility companies take all reasonable measures to resolve efficiently and effectively (i) water contamination issues and (ii) cryptosporidium contamination.

    Rory Stewart

    Water companies are required to provide safe supplies of drinking water to the public. Where contamination of a public water supply occurs, whether by cryptosporidium or by any other cause, the water company involved is expected to take all appropriate measures to ensure that the public remains safe, and that a safe supply of drinking water is restored. The DWI has a rigorous independent regulatory and inspection regime, and holds enforcement powers to ensure that the likelihood of such an event is minimised, and, when they do occur, that the measures taken to resolve any issues are in interests of the customer.

    Defra is the sponsor department for the water industry and is responsible for setting the legal and policy framework for the regulatory regime as applied by Ofwat (the economic regulator) and the DWI (the drinking water quality regulator). When the DWI produces its report on the recent cryptosporidium incident in Lancashire, Defra will consider, with other stakeholders, what wider lessons can be learnt about the effectiveness of the current regime.

  • Seema Kennedy – 2019 Statement on a Fair Immigration System

    Below is the text of the statement made by Seema Kennedy, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department, in the House of Commons on 16 October 2019.

    People from all over the world have come to the UK and helped make this nation what it is today, and this Government welcome the contribution migrants make to the UK’s economy, society and culture.

    Leaving the EU allows us to introduce a new points-based immigration system and we have commissioned the independent Migration Advisory Committee to conduct a review of the Australian immigration system and other international comparators, as the first step in creating our new fairer immigration system.

    The new immigration system will be a single system, where it is people’s skills that matter, not where they come from. For example, our new graduate route will be open to international students who have successfully completed a course of study in any subject at undergraduate level or above at an approved UK higher education provider. It will build on action to help recruit and retain the best and brightest global talent.

    But a fair system also means a controlled system. My right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister, has confirmed he is not getting into a numbers game in respect of migration, but it is only fair to those who play by the rules and everyone else that those working, living and accessing public services are doing so legally. It is right that the system distinguishes effectively between those with lawful status and those here illegally.

    In that respect, we are keen to ensure that the experiences of the Windrush generation are not repeated. One of the key lessons we have learnt is that declaratory systems do not work. The EU settlement scheme means that, in years to come, EU citizens will always have the evidence that they need to continue living in the UK as they do now. Simply to grant all EU citizens a status in law, and not require them to obtain evidence of this, would significantly increase the risk of another Windrush.

    The EU settlement scheme, is a fair, simple and straightforward system for EU citizens to secure their immigration status in UK law. The system is working well, and the latest internal figures show we have received two million applications and are processing up to 20,000 a day.

    Settled and pre-settled status reflects the residence rights that EU citizens currently have under EU free movement rules. EU citizens resident in the UK for less than five years can get pre-settled status, which protects their current rights to live, work, receive benefits and access services, qualifying for settled status once five years residence is complete.

    Fairness also means ensuring we provide protection to those most in need of it. This Government have great respect for human rights and has evidenced this through ​a long and proud history of supporting refugees and other vulnerable people. Over 75,000 individuals have been granted some form of protection since 2010.

    In 2015 we committed to resettle up to 20,000 refugees affected by the conflict in Syria by 2020—and we are well over three-quarters of the way there, resettling over 17,000. We have re-affirmed this commitment to resettlement beyond the current commitments by creating a new consolidated global resettlement scheme, resettling in the region of 5,000 refugees in its first year of operation.

    Immigration is a reserved matter and this Government believe it is right that it stays that way, but we do recognise the need for some regional variation, which is why Scotland already benefits from a separate shortage occupation list.

    It is also why, earlier this year, we commissioned the MAC to advise on issues concerning potential future salary thresholds.

    This Government believe that a controlled immigration system that serves the best interests of the whole of the UK, that rewards hard work and talent, that is based on a person’s skills and what they have to offer rather than where they come from; and that provides protection to the most vulnerable, is a system that constitutes fairness. That is the system this Government are working to deliver.