1-20 of 1,634 results for askedby:"Gerald Howarth"
Librarians' tools
- Search time
- 0.377 seconds
- Solr query time
- 0.007 seconds
- Search query
- askedby:"Gerald Howarth"
- We searched for
- tablingMember_ses:301291 OR askingMember_ses:301291
Type
House
Session
Year
Department
More
Member
More
Primary member
Answering member
More
Legislative stage
Legislation
Subject
More
Publisher
It has been an immense privilege to serve the people of Cannock and Burntwood and of Aldershot for the past 34 years. I arrived here in 1983, when one formidable and determined female Conservative Prime Minister was transforming the country’s economic fortunes, and I depart as another is determined to restore to this country the status of a sovereign nation state embracing the rest of the world. As I, too, bid my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister Godspeed for a resounding victory on 8 June, may Aldershot make one final plea in these troubled times: please will she ensure that Her Majesty’s armed forces are properly funded, manned, equipped and housed to defend and protect the people of this glorious sceptred isle, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
It has been an immense privilege to serve the people of Cannock and Burntwood and of Aldershot for the past 34 years. I arrived here in 1983, when one formidable and determined female Conservative Prime Minister was transforming the country’s economic fortunes, and I depart as another is determined to restore to this country the status of a sovereign nation state embracing the rest of the world. As I, too, bid my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister Godspeed for a resounding victory on 8 June, may Aldershot make one final plea in these troubled times: please will she ensure that Her Majesty’s armed forces are properly funded, manned, equipped and housed to defend and protect the people of this glorious sceptred isle, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
Once again, may I pay tribute to my hon. Friend for the work he has done in this House representing two different constituencies over 34 years? One of the underlying themes of his time in this House has been his passionate championing of, and consideration for, our armed forces, and I can assure him that on 8 June people will have a very clear choice between the Leader of the Opposition, who refuses to defend our country, and a Conservative Government who will continue to support our armed forces.
Is it not clear, though, that unless we do more to help our Ukrainian friends, Russia will continue with impunity to seek to destabilise Ukraine? Given that the western Ukrainian-owned businesses in Donbass have just been expropriated by so-called separatists, no doubt with the support of Russia, perhaps we should consider expropriating Russian assets in the United Kingdom, starting with football clubs.
Is it not clear, though, that unless we do more to help our Ukrainian friends, Russia will continue with impunity to seek to destabilise Ukraine? Given that the western Ukrainian-owned businesses in Donbass have just been expropriated by so-called separatists, no doubt with the support of Russia, perhaps we should consider expropriating Russian assets in the United Kingdom, starting with football clubs.
I am grateful for that suggestion. This country already leads the way in imposing sanctions on the Russians for their actions in Ukraine, and we continue to insist on those.
What assessment he has made of recent developments in eastern Ukraine.
What assessment he has made of recent developments in eastern Ukraine.
The causes of the conflict in Ukraine lie very much with the Russians, who bear the overwhelming responsibility for the considerable loss of life there. I was pleased to be able to raise the matter with my Polish counterpart, Witold Waszczykowski, during a visit to Kiev a few weeks ago. What is crucial to progress in Ukraine is not just for the Russians to
desist from supporting military activity in Donbass and pull out of Crimea, but for the Ukrainians themselves to make the reforms that will increase international confidence in Ukraine.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make an assessment of the implications for his policies of the finding of the British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association report on the economic impact of changes to the vehicle excise duty, published in February 2017, that those changes will...
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make an assessment of the implications for his policies of the finding of the British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association report on the economic impact of changes to the vehicle excise duty, published in February 2017, that those changes will...
The Government is fully committed to successful delivery of the VED reforms, which ensure that all cars other than ones which emit zero-emissions will contribute. At present, cars that emit less than 130g/km of carbon pay no VED in the first year. This is not sustainable at a time when the average new car emits 120g/km.
The Government appreciates this will affect car buyers such as rental companies who may sell vehicles in less than a year. The rules around VED refunds have not changed compared to the current system.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to ensure that the network of 108 remaining licensed General Aviation airfields in the UK are maintained and enhanced.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to ensure that the network of 108 remaining licensed General Aviation airfields in the UK are maintained and enhanced.
The government is seeking to better define a strategic network of General Aviation airfields and is engaging with the General Aviation Strategic Forum to do this.
While I welcome this Government’s commitment to health, may I invite my right hon. Friend to take a leaf out of President Trump’s book and increase defence expenditure by 10%, funded from the bloated overseas aid budget?
While I welcome this Government’s commitment to health, may I invite my right hon. Friend to take a leaf out of President Trump’s book and increase defence expenditure by 10%, funded from the bloated overseas aid budget?
Although, as you say, Mr Speaker, there may perhaps have been a slightly tenuous link with the question, it was still a predictable question from my hon. Friend the Member for Aldershot (Sir Gerald Howarth). We are delivering on the 2%-plus expenditure commitment on defence, and we are increasing defence spending in real terms. Again, it is important that we have a strong economy so that we can properly fund our defence.
I welcome my right hon. Friend’s commitment to NATO, but does he not find it as depressing as I do that while other EU countries are completely obsessed with creating an EU defence identity,
they are failing miserably to meet their NATO requirement of spending a minimum of 2% of their GDP on defence? Is not the foot-dragging by Germany, the richest country in Europe, and its refusal to honour that commitment until 2024 particularly perverse?
I welcome my right hon. Friend’s commitment to NATO, but does he not find it as depressing as I do that while other EU countries are completely obsessed with creating an EU defence identity,
they are failing miserably to meet their NATO requirement of spending a minimum of 2% of their GDP on defence? Is not the foot-dragging by Germany, the richest country in Europe, and its refusal to honour that commitment until 2024 particularly perverse?
We continue to make it clear that nothing should cut across NATO’s role as the cornerstone of European defence. Other parties’ contributions being fairly distributed to NATO would make sure that NATO can remain the force it needs to be.
What plans he has for co-operating with EU countries on defence policy after the UK has left the EU.
What plans he has for co-operating with EU countries on defence policy after the UK has left the EU.
We are strongly committed to European scrutiny and will remain so after we leave the EU. NATO remains the cornerstone of our defence, and we will continue to play our full part in supporting European security, particularly in eastern Europe.
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what measures his Department has put in place to tackle fraud and abuse related to the Right to Buy scheme.
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what measures his Department has put in place to tackle fraud and abuse related to the Right to Buy scheme.
This Government takes fraud extremely seriously. The Prevention of Social Housing Fraud Act 2013 increased the deterrent to tenants considering cheating the system, ensuring those who do cheat are detected more easily and punished more severely, and encourages social landlords to take a more proactive approach to tackling tenancy fraud.
We also provided £19 million funding to help councils tackle tenancy fraud as part of over £35 million government funding to tackle fraud across local government.
The findings and recommendations of the Government’s Right to Buy fraud working group will be published in due course.
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what additional safeguards the Government's Right to Buy working group has identified to tackle fraud and abuse of that scheme.
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what additional safeguards the Government's Right to Buy working group has identified to tackle fraud and abuse of that scheme.
This Government takes fraud extremely seriously. The Prevention of Social Housing Fraud Act 2013 increased the deterrent to tenants considering cheating the system, ensuring those who do cheat are detected more easily and punished more severely, and encourages social landlords to take a more proactive approach to tackling tenancy fraud.
We also provided £19 million funding to help councils tackle tenancy fraud as part of over £35 million government funding to tackle fraud across local government.
The findings and recommendations of the Government’s Right to Buy fraud working group will be published in due course.
In my right hon. Friend’s discussions, did he mention Chancellor Merkel’s call for the remaining EU 27 to engage in closer military co-operation? Does he agree that it would be extremely dangerous and damaging to NATO if such co-operation was within the confines of the EU alone, and that co-operation between European countries should be in the context of NATO, not the EU?
In my right hon. Friend’s discussions, did he mention Chancellor Merkel’s call for the remaining EU 27 to engage in closer military co-operation? Does he agree that it would be extremely dangerous and damaging to NATO if such co-operation was within the confines of the EU alone, and that co-operation between European countries should be in the context of NATO, not the EU?
Yes, I agree with hon. Friend. At the Warsaw summit in July last year, all NATO members agreed to improve collaboration between NATO and the European Union, particularly in areas such as hybrid warfare and strategic communications. EU Ministers have subsequently resisted the call for unnecessary duplication with what NATO is already doing.
Last weekend, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence made a welcome visit to Ukraine, where he said that freedom and democracy are not tradeable commodities. As we mark the 25th anniversary of relations between our two Parliaments, may I invite my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister to declare the continuing support of the United Kingdom for the maintenance of an independent sovereign state in Ukraine, which has been subjected to the most outrageous annexation of part of its property by Russia?
Last weekend, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence made a welcome visit to Ukraine, where he said that freedom and democracy are not tradeable commodities. As we mark the 25th anniversary of relations between our two Parliaments, may I invite my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister to declare the continuing support of the United Kingdom for the maintenance of an independent sovereign state in Ukraine, which has been subjected to the most outrageous annexation of part of its property by Russia?
I am very happy to join my hon. Friend in confirming our commitment to the independent sovereign state of Ukraine. The Foreign Secretary has been doing a lot of work with other Foreign Ministers on this issue. We provide significant support to Ukraine, and I hope to be able to meet President Poroshenko soon and talk about the support we provide.
My right hon. Friend is aware that my family are extensive farmers in the Scottish borders. Does he not agree that Brexit presents the United Kingdom with a magnificent opportunity to fashion an agriculture policy that is required not by French farmers, but by British farmers, and will he assure the House that hill farmers in Scotland and elsewhere in the United Kingdom will be given proper consideration?
My right hon. Friend is aware that my family are extensive farmers in the Scottish borders. Does he not agree that Brexit presents the United Kingdom with a magnificent opportunity to fashion an agriculture policy that is required not by French farmers, but by British farmers, and will he assure the House that hill farmers in Scotland and elsewhere in the United Kingdom will be given proper consideration?
I can absolutely give that undertaking. I hope that, in conjunction with the Scottish Government, we can move forward to shape a new basis of support for Scottish agriculture, especially for those who farm in less-favoured areas. There have been multiple complaints about the operation of the common agricultural policy and its need to take into account farming practices across the continent. We now have the opportunity to have our own support mechanism and we need to work to shape it.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the average GCSE score is of students currently enrolled at (a) sixth form colleges and (b) school and academy sixth forms in England.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the average GCSE score is of students currently enrolled at (a) sixth form colleges and (b) school and academy sixth forms in England.
The requested information for pupils at the end of Key Stage 5 in the academic year 2014/15 is given in the following table:
Average GCSE Attainment[1],[2] of pupils at the end of key stage 5 in 2015 by school type | |||
School type | Number of eligible pupils[3] | Average capped[4] GCSE and equivalents point score per pupil | Percentage of students achieving 5A*-C in English and mathematics GCSEs including equivalents |
Sixth form colleges | 64,579 | 381.2 | 81.7 |
All state-funded schools[5] | 181,223 | 390.8 | 84.1 |
Source 16-18 attainment data
[1]In 2013/14, two major reforms were implemented which affect the calculation of key stage 4 performance measures data: 1) Professor Alison Wolf’s Review of Vocational Education recommendations which: restrict the qualifications counted; prevent any qualification from counting as larger than one GCSE; and cap the number of non-GCSEs included in performance measures at two per pupil, and 2) an early entry policy to only count a pupil’s first attempt at a qualification, in subjects counted in the English Baccalaureate. Consequently, the numbers supplied prior to 2013/14 are not comparable with those from 2013/14 onwards.
[2] In 2014/15, early entry policy, under which only a pupil’s first attempt at a qualification is counted in performance measures, was extended to all subjects.
[3] Covers students at the end of advanced level study who were entered for at least one substantial advanced level academic or vocational qualification in the 2014/15 academic year: substantial advanced level academic or vocational qualifications are defined as qualifications that are at least the size of an A level (180 guided learning hours per year), such as a BTEC subsidiary diploma level 3. If a vocational or academic qualification is similar in size to 2 A levels it will be counted as 2 substantial level 3 qualifications. In order to be included in this table, pupils also needed a valid end of key stage 4 record, therefore the number of eligible pupils is lower than that published in the key stage 5 SFR.
[4] Average capped point scores are calculated using the best 8 GCSE or equivalent results.
[5] Includes school and academy sixth-forms
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what proportion of students enrolled at (a) sixth form colleges and (b) school and academy sixth forms in December 2016 were eligible for free school meals at the age of 15.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what proportion of students enrolled at (a) sixth form colleges and (b) school and academy sixth forms in December 2016 were eligible for free school meals at the age of 15.
Eleven per cent of academic aged 16-18 year olds who studied their highest qualification in 2014/15 at a sixth form college, were eligible for free school meals at academic age 15. The equivalent figure for school and academy sixth forms was ten per cent. Data for December 2016 is unavailable.
Note: This proportion is based on those where the FSM status at 15 is known.
Source: Department for Education’s Young Person’s Matched Administrative Dataset.
It is not just a question of the IHAT inquiry and the disgraceful behaviour of the disreputable solicitor Phil Shiner; we are now faced with the prospect of hundreds of British soldiers who served in Northern Ireland again being brought before the court, as the hon. Member for North Antrim (Ian Paisley) has just said. It is wholly unacceptable that nearly half a century on, men who have served their country to the best of their ability should face possible prosecution. Does my right hon. Friend accept that it is not good enough to say that this is a matter for the Police Service of Northern Ireland? This is a matter of public policy, for which Ministers must personally be accountable.
It is not just a question of the IHAT inquiry and the disgraceful behaviour of the disreputable solicitor Phil Shiner; we are now faced with the prospect of hundreds of British soldiers who served in Northern Ireland again being brought before the court, as the hon. Member for North Antrim (Ian Paisley) has just said. It is wholly unacceptable that nearly half a century on, men who have served their country to the best of their ability should face possible prosecution. Does my right hon. Friend accept that it is not good enough to say that this is a matter for the Police Service of Northern Ireland? This is a matter of public policy, for which Ministers must personally be accountable.
We must make sure that if the police decide—I repeat that this is for the police to decide—that they need to investigate something, they can do so. As we bring forward proposals, we will help the police, but we will also ensure that we protect as much as possible those who have served their country—alongside me and other colleagues—throughout the years.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many RAF crews there are embedded in the New Zealand military on maritime patrol aircraft duties; how many such crews were so embedded in (a) 2010, (b) 2011, (c) 2012, (d) 2013, (e) 2014 and (f) 2015; and how many members...
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many RAF crews there are embedded in the New Zealand military on maritime patrol aircraft duties; how many such crews were so embedded in (a) 2010, (b) 2011, (c) 2012, (d) 2013, (e) 2014 and (f) 2015; and how many members...
The information is not held in the format requested.
However, the number of RAF personnel embedded with each nation’s military on Maritime Patrol Aircraft (MPA) duties as part of the Seedcorn Initiative and Exchange Officer programme, on 1 April each year, is set out in the table below:
Year | Number of Personnel Embedded | |||
| US | Canada | Australia | New Zealand |
2010 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
2011 | 1 | 7 | 2 | 1 |
2012 | 1 | 7 | 4 | 6 |
2013 | 21 | 7 | 4 | 6 |
2014 | 21 | 7 | 3 | 5 |
2015 | 21 | 5 | 3 | 5 |
2016 | 20 | 5 | 3 | 5 |
The number of RAF personnel who were embedded in each nation’s military on MPAs from 2010 to 2016, who no longer serve in the British Armed Forces, is set out below:
US 1
Canada 1
Australia 0
New Zealand 1
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many RAF crews there are embedded in the Australian military on maritime patrol aircraft duties; how many such crews were so embedded in (a) 2010, (b) 2011, (c) 2012, (d) 2013, (e) 2014 and (f) 2015; and how many members of...
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many RAF crews there are embedded in the Australian military on maritime patrol aircraft duties; how many such crews were so embedded in (a) 2010, (b) 2011, (c) 2012, (d) 2013, (e) 2014 and (f) 2015; and how many members of...
The information is not held in the format requested.
However, the number of RAF personnel embedded with each nation’s military on Maritime Patrol Aircraft (MPA) duties as part of the Seedcorn Initiative and Exchange Officer programme, on 1 April each year, is set out in the table below:
Year | Number of Personnel Embedded | |||
| US | Canada | Australia | New Zealand |
2010 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
2011 | 1 | 7 | 2 | 1 |
2012 | 1 | 7 | 4 | 6 |
2013 | 21 | 7 | 4 | 6 |
2014 | 21 | 7 | 3 | 5 |
2015 | 21 | 5 | 3 | 5 |
2016 | 20 | 5 | 3 | 5 |
The number of RAF personnel who were embedded in each nation’s military on MPAs from 2010 to 2016, who no longer serve in the British Armed Forces, is set out below:
US 1
Canada 1
Australia 0
New Zealand 1
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many RAF crews there are embedded in the US military on maritime patrol aircraft duties; how many such crews were so embedded in (a) 2010, (b) 2011, (c) 2012, (d) 2013, (e) 2014 and (f) 2015; and how many members of...
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many RAF crews there are embedded in the US military on maritime patrol aircraft duties; how many such crews were so embedded in (a) 2010, (b) 2011, (c) 2012, (d) 2013, (e) 2014 and (f) 2015; and how many members of...
The information is not held in the format requested.
However, the number of RAF personnel embedded with each nation’s military on Maritime Patrol Aircraft (MPA) duties as part of the Seedcorn Initiative and Exchange Officer programme, on 1 April each year, is set out in the table below:
Year | Number of Personnel Embedded | |||
| US | Canada | Australia | New Zealand |
2010 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
2011 | 1 | 7 | 2 | 1 |
2012 | 1 | 7 | 4 | 6 |
2013 | 21 | 7 | 4 | 6 |
2014 | 21 | 7 | 3 | 5 |
2015 | 21 | 5 | 3 | 5 |
2016 | 20 | 5 | 3 | 5 |
The number of RAF personnel who were embedded in each nation’s military on MPAs from 2010 to 2016, who no longer serve in the British Armed Forces, is set out below:
US 1
Canada 1
Australia 0
New Zealand 1
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many RAF crews have been embedded in the Canadian military on maritime patrol duties in each year since 2010; and how many of those crew members no longer serve in the UK armed forces.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many RAF crews have been embedded in the Canadian military on maritime patrol duties in each year since 2010; and how many of those crew members no longer serve in the UK armed forces.
The information is not held in the format requested.
However, the number of RAF personnel embedded with each nation’s military on Maritime Patrol Aircraft (MPA) duties as part of the Seedcorn Initiative and Exchange Officer programme, on 1 April each year, is set out in the table below:
Year | Number of Personnel Embedded | |||
| US | Canada | Australia | New Zealand |
2010 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
2011 | 1 | 7 | 2 | 1 |
2012 | 1 | 7 | 4 | 6 |
2013 | 21 | 7 | 4 | 6 |
2014 | 21 | 7 | 3 | 5 |
2015 | 21 | 5 | 3 | 5 |
2016 | 20 | 5 | 3 | 5 |
The number of RAF personnel who were embedded in each nation’s military on MPAs from 2010 to 2016, who no longer serve in the British Armed Forces, is set out below:
US 1
Canada 1
Australia 0
New Zealand 1