First elected: 1st May 1997
Left House: 3rd May 2017 (General Election)
Speeches made during Parliamentary debates are recorded in Hansard. For ease of browsing we have grouped debates into individual, departmental and legislative categories.
These initiatives were driven by Fiona Mactaggart, and are more likely to reflect personal policy preferences.
MPs who are act as Ministers or Shadow Ministers are generally restricted from performing Commons initiatives other than Urgent Questions.
Fiona Mactaggart has not been granted any Urgent Questions
Fiona Mactaggart has not been granted any Adjournment Debates
A Bill to require retailers and manufacturers in the UK to make annual statements of measures taken by them to eradicate slavery and human trafficking and exploitation from their direct supply chains; to require large retailers and manufacturers to provide customers with information about measures taken by them to eliminate slavery and human trafficking and exploitation; to provide victims of slavery with necessary protections and rights; and for connected purposes.
Cosmetic Surgery (Standards of Practice) Bill 2016-17
Sponsor - Lord Beamish (Lab)
House of Lords Reform (Exclusion of Hereditary Peers) Bill 2015-16
Sponsor - Lord Hanson of Flint (Lab)
The Speaker's Committee is in regular dialogue with the Electoral Commission on matters concerning electoral fraud, most notably in advance of the Commission publishing its corporate plan on an annual basis.
The Commission provides advice to those who are involved on the frontline in identifying, investigating and prosecuting cases of electoral fraud. Before each set of elections the Commission provides advice to the police, electoral administrators and others on ways to prevent and detect electoral fraud, based on the best practice it has identified through working with partners across electoral administration and the justice system. Each year the Commission publishes data on allegations of electoral fraud that are reported to the police.
The Commission targets additional support for those on the front line in 18 areas in England where there is a higher risk of allegations of electoral fraud. This includes Slough and the Commission will be working again with these areas before the elections in May 2016 to build on what was done prior to the General Election. The Commission issued briefings to all honourable members in the last parliament on the work it was undertaking prior to the General Election to help tackle electoral fraud and will do so again before the elections in May 2016.
In its 2014 review of electoral fraud, the Commission recommended that voters in Great Britain should be required to produce ID at polling stations, although it is yet to receive a response to this recommendation from the Government. The Commission has submitted evidence to the review being undertaken by Sir Eric Pickles and hopes that he agrees with it and that the Government accepts the Commission’s recommendation.
The UK government has not put forward a candidate for election to the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women since signing the Convention in 1981. Whilst nominating a candidate has been considered, a variety of reasons such as the timing of the election and the resources required from across Government have meant that we have not yet done so.
The UK strongly supports the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination (CEDAW) against Women and it is committed to advancing women’s rights. We are fully committed to the CEDAW process, including submitting reports and participating in the oral examination, and are fully engaged with the UN and the Committee. UK nationals are well represented on other UN treaty monitoring bodies, such as the Human Rights Committee and the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
I have had no reports on the removal of people from the electoral register in Scotland on the grounds that they were additionally registered elsewhere.
People are free to register in more than one place if it appears to the relevant Registration Officers that they are resident in that area.
The Electoral Commission has produced guidance on this issue to assist Registration Officers in effectively carrying out their duties.
However, it is ultimately a matter for the local Registration Officer to determine whether an individual is resident at a particular address, taking into account relevant circumstances of the particular case.
The Coalition Government is committed to fighting fuel poverty through the installation of robust energy efficiency measures.
Statistics published this morning show that from the start of 2013 to the end of April 2014, 394,000 low-income and vulnerable consumers, or households in specified areas of low income, had benefitted from energy efficiency measures being installed under the new Energy Company Obligation.
The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.
The Department does not have a record of receiving this letter from the Hon Member. I would be pleased to provide a response upon receipt of a copy of the correspondence.
Improving access to culture for young people from low-income backgrounds remains a core part of this Government's strategy and our Culture White Paper.
The Government is improving cultural access through a number of schemes including:
through the Arts Council's Creative People and Places Programme.
My Department works closely with the Department for Education. Government believes all pupils should have access to a broad and balanced education, and the arts are an essential part of the National Curriculum.
The Home Office works to an agreement to confirm decisions on eligibility for student funding within 10 working days. Regulatory changes that created a new long residency category of customers made earlier in 2016 have resulted in an increase in numbers of customers being referred for checks with the Home Office. This has led to an increase in processing times for such checks. Extra resource has now been provided to increase the volume completed by 25% per day.
It is the responsibility of individual students to provide the necessary evidence in support of their application. My officials are working with the Home Office to explore what additional support or alternative solutions can be provided to increase the speed of immigration status checks.
The Home Office works to an agreement to confirm decisions on eligibility for student funding within 10 working days. Regulatory changes that created a new long residency category of customers made earlier in 2016 have resulted in an increase in numbers of customers being referred for checks with the Home Office. This has led to an increase in processing times for such checks. Extra resource has now been provided to increase the volume completed by 25% per day.
It is the responsibility of individual students to provide the necessary evidence in support of their application. My officials are working with the Home Office to explore what additional support or alternative solutions can be provided to increase the speed of immigration status checks.
As of 13 December 2016, 1,342 customers are awaiting an immigration status check with the Home Office before their eligibility can be decided.
The Home Office works to an agreement to confirm decisions on eligibility for student funding within 10 working days. Regulatory changes that created a new long residency category of customers made earlier in 2016 have resulted in an increase in numbers of customers being referred for checks with the Home Office. This has led to an increase in processing times for such checks. Extra resource has now been provided to increase the volume completed by 25% per day.
It is the responsibility of individual students to provide the necessary evidence in support of their application. My officials are working with the Home Office to explore what additional support or alternative solutions can be provided to increase the speed of immigration status checks.
Teach First currently has two cohorts of trainees participating in its two year Leadership Development Programme in Slough. They are placed in the following schools:
Foxborough Primary School
Marish Primary School
Montem Academy
St Anthony's Catholic Primary School
St Ethelbert's Catholic Primary School
Slough and Eton Church of England Business and Enterprise College
Wexham Court Primary School
Willow Primary School
The Government attaches high priority to ensuring that unaccompanied asylum seeking children and trafficked children who arrive in the UK are safe and well cared for. Responsibility for this rests with local authorities.
On 15 December 2015, the Minister for Immigration and Ico-hosted a round table with key local authority representatives to discuss how this responsibility can be shared more evenly between local authorities, in order to relieve pressure on children’s services in those areas with a disproportionately high number. We believe that sharing out this responsibility will benefit both the children involved and other children already in the care of those authorities. Ensuring that unaccompanied asylum seeking children are safe and well supported will remain of paramount importance for any new arrangements arising out of these discussions.
Funding to local authorities for both primary and secondary schools is calculated on the basis of pupil numbers recorded in the Schools Census in October of the previous year. This lagged funding system allows local authorities to set firm school budgets before the financial year starts, which helps schools’ financial planning. The lagged funding system means that institutions experiencing growth in-year will not ordinarily see increases in their funding until the following financial year.
Local authorities do have the freedom to top slice the dedicated schools grant to form a growth fund, which can be used to support schools and academies suffering financial difficulty due to growing pupil numbers in their area. It is for local authorities to decide whether to set up a growth fund, and which schools in their areas should benefit from this fund.
Data on the number of pupils enrolled at all maintained schools, academies (including free schools, studio schools and university technical colleges) and non‑maintained special schools, is collected through the school census.
Pupil numbers for individual schools are included within the underlying data of the ‘Schools, pupils and their characteristics: January 2014’[1] statistical first release.
A table listing all primary schools with more than 600 pupils is attached to this answer.
[1] www.gov.uk/government/statistics/schools-pupils-and-their-characteristics-january-2014
A school’s total Schools Block funding will change between the two years depending on the number of pupils registered at the school and their characteristics as well as the schools funding formula determined by the local authority.The minimum funding guarantee ensures that no school should see a reduction in their Schools Block per-pupil funding in 2014-15 of more than 1.5% compared to the previous year.
Data on the pupils enrolled at all maintained schools, academies (including free schools, studio schools and university technical colleges) and non‑maintained special schools, is collected via the school census. Data is collected for all schools regardless of growth in pupil numbers or date of opening of the school. The school census captures a wide range of information including pupil headcount, special educational needs, eligibility for free school meals, first language and ethnicity (though not pupil nationality).
Data for individual schools is included within the underlying data of the series listed below: ‘Schools, pupils and their characteristics’[1] and ‘Special educational needs in England’.[2]
[1] www.gov.uk/government/collections/statistics-school-and-pupil-numbers
[2] www.gov.uk/government/collections/statistics-special-educational-needs-sen
Following a request from the Government of the Bahamas the Royal Fleet Auxiliary Lyme Bay was deployed to provide humanitarian assistance to the worst affected of the Family Islands. During its deployment, working in close coordination with the Bahamas National Emergency Management Agency and the Royal Bahamian Defence Force, the RFA Lyme Bay was able to distribute approximately 60 tonnes of emergency stores on behalf of the Caribbean Disaster and Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA) and to provide evacuation, clean-up, repair and other immediate emergency assistance on Acklins Island, Long Island, Long Cay and Crooked Islands. The RFA Lyme Bay was also able to offer valuable support for the international rapid assessment mission by accommodating on board the 19 person strong CDEMA assessment teams from 6-8 October and facilitating their access to the most affected islands.
No UK-funded development projects have been demolished or damaged by the Israeli authorities in East Jerusalem or the West Bank in the last five years.
No such discussions have taken place. The UK remains deeply concerned about demolitions of Palestinian property, which cause unnecessary suffering to ordinary Palestinians, are harmful to the peace process and, in all but the most limited circumstances, are contrary to international humanitarian law. The UK and the EU are currently engaging with the Israeli authorities in order to accelerate the approval of UK-funded masterplans for Palestinian communities in Area C of the West Bank. These plans provide the basis for sustainable development in Area C and reduce the risk of demolition.
More than half of DFID’s £3million Rapid Response Facility is supporting the provision of health and psycho-social care for women and children. DFID also supports the UN Relief and Works Agency, who are deploying counsellors to all Gaza shelters to mitigate the impact of psychological trauma sustained by civilians.
I refer the hon Member for Slough to the answer I gave to the hon Member for Knowsley on 23 November, UIN: 53322.
The UK is clear that Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories are illegal under international law. We firmly believe that the occupation is unacceptable and unsustainable. We are determined to see a just and lasting resolution that ends the occupation and delivers peace for both Israelis and Palestinians. The UK remains focused on achieving a two-state solution and we continue to believe that the best way to achieve this is through negotiations between the parties.
The UK and Israel have a strong and important trading relationship. We are supportive of the current EU-Israel Association Agreement. Whilst it would be wrong to set out unilateral positions on trade deals at this stage, we are committed to working towards a smooth transition for businesses to minimise disruption to exports and investment as we leave the EU.
Expansion at Heathrow will enable businesses to take advantage of new destinations, extra seats and more frequent services.
It is expected that in 2040 alone, businesses from all over the UK will make an extra 6 million trips through an expanded Heathrow. Making use of this greater international connectivity would help boost trade and productivity, and the UK economy.
Not only will greater connectivity enable business travel, the significant increase in flights, especially to long haul destinations, represents a big increase in the capacity available to the air freight industry, helping to lower costs and increase trade.
An additional runway at Heathrow will also deliver a significant boost in local employment and opportunities for businesses. Analysis suggests that an additional runway at Heathrow would deliver up to 77,000 local jobs by 2030. Expansion is also expected to benefit businesses located around the expanded airport, further boosting productivity.
I have had no discussions about vehicle leasing but I do meet with both Accredited Trade Associations in the private parking sector - the British Parking Association and the Independent Parking Committee – as do officials in my Department.
The department is unable to comment on individual cases.
The information requested is not collected.
The sanctions system is designed to encourage claimants to comply with the reasonable requirements placed upon the receipt of their benefit. A very small minority of JSA claimants have ever received a three year sanction and the vast majority engage positively with the support designed to help them get back into work.
Three year sanctions only apply where claimants have consistently and deliberately breached their most important requirements at least three times within a year. This includes failing to take up a job when it is on offer or being dismissed for misconduct from a previous job.
If a sanction is applied, claimants are able to apply for hardship payments.
The information requested is not readily available and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.
The information requested, in respect of all three questions above, is not readily available and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.
The information requested, in respect of all three questions above, is not readily available and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.
All National Health Service trusts and foundation trusts are subject to the Public Sector Equality Duty and must annually publish evidence of compliance. NHS Improvement is currently undertaking a data collection exercise which will enable it to begin publishing information about the diversity of trust boards later this year.
We want everyone to have the same opportunity to have a long and healthy life, whoever they are, wherever they live and whatever their social circumstances.
Local areas are rightly placed to determine the health needs of their local populations and that is why the Government will give £16 billion to local government over the course of this Parliament for public health.
There have been no such discussions.
Patients cannot be prevented from travelling to China but should be aware of the risks, including possible prosecution, poor donor care, poorer graft survival, infection and in extreme cases, death.
The Government supports the establishment of lawful and ethical organ donation and transplantation programmes to address the world-wide shortage of organs for transplant and a range of action to discourage organ trafficking, transplant tourism and commercialism. The United Kingdom formally signed the Council of Europe Convention Against Trafficking in Human Organs on 25 March 2015 and has laws and protocols in place to ensure well-regulated practice to prevent organ trafficking in the UK.
We continue to engage the Chinese authorities on our concerns surrounding their organ transplant programme. I opened the UK-China Human Rights Dialogue on 27 October, where my officials raised these concerns, and also allegations of forced organ removals, with the Chinese delegation. My officials have raised the issue separately with the Chinese Embassy and our Embassy in Beijing has received information from the National Health and Family Planning Commission in China about their handling of organ transplants.
As my Rt Hon Friend the Member for Rutland and Melton (Sir Alan Duncan MP), the Minister for Europe and the Americas, stated in a Westminster Hall debate on 11 October 2016: "Although I do not doubt the need to maintain close scrutiny of organ transplant practices in China, we believe that the evidence base is not sufficiently strong to substantiate claims about the systematic harvesting of organs from minority groups. Indeed, based on all the evidence available to us, we cannot conclude that this practice of "organ harvesting" is definitely happening in China."
India and the UK have a rich, wide-ranging and mature bilateral relationship. We will discuss a broad spectrum of issues during Prime Minister Modi's visit.
The UK raises a range of human rights matters with India, including religious freedom and the treatment of ethnic minorities, both bilaterally and through the EU. This includes meeting Union and State level government institutions, such as the Indian National Commission for Minorities, which the British High Commission in New Delhi met earlier this month. The High Commission also stays in regular contact with civil society organisations and senior faith leaders working on religious freedom across India.
The Government stands firmly against torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. We recommended that the Indian government expedite ratification of the UN Convention Against Torture (UNCAT) during India’s Universal Periodic Review in May 2012. The issue was also raised at the EU-Indian Human Rights Dialogue in December 2013. We will continue to encourage India and all countries to sign and ratify UNCAT and its Optional Protocol.
We have serious concerns about demolitions of Palestinian property by the Israeli authorities. We are currently engaged in discussions with EU partners, including Belgium, on what the EU response should be if EU-funded structures in the Occupied Palestinian Territories are demolished.
During my visit to Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories between 5-8 October, on 6 October I discussed with the Israeli Justice Minister my strong concerns about the recent land expopriation, she noted my concerns.
During my visit to Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories between 5-8 October, I was informed by the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs that Israel is letting around 400 trucks of humanitarian aid from Israel into Gaza every day. The number of businessmen being allowed from Gaza to the West Bank is up to 200 per day. 1,500 Gazans had travelled to the West Bank, East Jerusalem and Israel for Eid this week. Fishing goods and agricultural goods were now being transferred for sale in the West Bank. While this is a start to the progress of lifting the restrictions, the current ceasefire provides a critical window of opportunity for reaching a comprehensive agreement that tackles the underlying causes of the conflict, which should ensure that Israel lifts its restrictions fully as we have been calling Israel to do.
I raised strong concerns over the plans to move the Bedouin population from Area C with the Israeli Justice Minister on 6 October during my visit to Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories between 5-8 October.
The UK deplores Israel’s decision to expropriate 988 acres of land near Etzion and Bethlehem. The UK, along with a number of EU counterparts, and the European External Action Service, continues to urge the Israeli authorities to reverse this decision. Discussions are continuing with EU partners about what more can be done to discourage Israeli settlement activity.
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office in London and our Embassy in Dubai have provided full consular assistance to Mr Hasnain Ali since we were informed of his detention, and throughout his trial. This has included regular prison visits by Consular Officials, assisting family members to visit and attending court hearings. On 15 April 2014, Mr Hasnain Ali was found innocent and his court case concluded. Consular officials are providing ongoing assistance as Mr Hasnain Ali prepares to leave Dubai.
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office does not comment on individual cases. However, we take all allegations of the mistreatment of British nationals extremely seriously. With an individual's permission, we take up any complaint about ill-treatment with the relevant authorities.
HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) refunds tax to individual customers for different types of taxes throughout the year. HMRC endeavours to refund tax as soon as practicable after they identify tax is to be refunded.