Asked by: Robbie Moore (Conservative - Keighley and Ilkley)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking with Cabinet colleagues to support veterans.
Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)
The Prime Minister’s announcement last week of an additional £3.5 million to combat veteran homelessness demonstrates that veterans are at the forefront of the highest office of this Government.
Both my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence and I continue to work across Government, the Devolved Administrations, and the third sector to strengthen the support we offer to our veterans.
Asked by: Robbie Moore (Conservative - Keighley and Ilkley)
Question to the Wales Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what discussions she has had with the Welsh Government on road building projects in Wales.
Answered by Jo Stevens - Secretary of State for Wales
This government is committed to resetting the relationship and working collaboratively with the Welsh Government to improve transport infrastructure.
I am pleased to see the Welsh Government redesigning and delivering new road schemes like the Llanharan link road in a way that is cheaper, reduces embedded carbon, minimises impact on the environment, and delivers better public transport connectivity.
Asked by: Robbie Moore (Conservative - Keighley and Ilkley)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what steps his Department is taking to promote Northern Ireland's place in the Union.
Answered by Chris Heaton-Harris
This year my Department has led the Government’s programme to mark the 25th anniversary of the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement, which demonstrated the progress Northern Ireland has made as an integral part of the United Kingdom to people across this country and around the world.
Next week’s landmark Investment Summit will showcase the expertise and talent that exists in Northern Ireland and highlight its global attractiveness as a place to invest or start a business - both in its own right and as an integral part of the United Kingdom.
Asked by: Robbie Moore (Conservative - Keighley and Ilkley)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to ensure the quality of bathing waters.
Answered by Rebecca Pow
Our Storm Overflows Discharge Reduction Plan requires water companies to improve all storm overflows discharging into or near designated bathing waters by 2035. The Environment Secretary has also demanded an action plan on every storm overflow in England.
The Environment Agency monitors all bathing waters in England with action plans in place at all ‘poor’ waters. Last year 93% of bathing waters were classified as ‘good’ or ‘excellent’, up from 76% in 2010.
Asked by: Robbie Moore (Conservative - Keighley and Ilkley)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what steps his Department is taking to mark the anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement.
Answered by Chris Heaton-Harris
The 25th anniversary of the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement heralds an extraordinary achievement for Northern Ireland.
We have already announced the first part of our anniversary programme: an education initiative with the National Archives to inform young people across the UK of the journey to the Agreement and Northern Ireland’s transformation since.
The Government is committed to marking this historic occasion appropriately and sensitively, in a manner that speaks to the whole community and that enables us to look forward to a more peaceful and prosperous future.
Asked by: Robbie Moore (Conservative - Keighley and Ilkley)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
What recent discussions she has had with her international counterparts on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Answered by James Cleverly
UK is leading the international campaign to rally support for Ukraine, condemn Russia’s invasion, debilitate the Russian economy, cripple Putin’s war machine and isolate Russia on the world stage. Since the invasion, the Foreign Secretary has used NATO and G7 meetings to push for more defensive and economic support for Ukraine and broader and deeper sanctions to ensure that Putin fails.
Asked by: Robbie Moore (Conservative - Keighley and Ilkley)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he is taking to support the UK’s manufacturing sector.
Answered by George Freeman
Decisions about investment are for private enterprise, with government support through initiatives like Made Smarter and Help to Grow. We are providing a competitive business environment for British manufacturers – attracting investment and securing new high-value jobs in our industrial heartlands.
Asked by: Robbie Moore (Conservative - Keighley and Ilkley)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
What recent discussions he has had with the Sentencing Council on sentencing guidelines for violent and sexual offences.
Answered by James Cartlidge - Shadow Secretary of State for Defence
The Secretary of State meets with the Chairman of the Sentencing Council periodically to discuss a range of relevant matters, and has a representative attend Council meetings.
The Council has issued sentencing guidelines for a wide range of violent and sexual offences. While the Council is independent of Government, it is required to consult the Lord Chancellor on guideline development.
Asked by: Robbie Moore (Conservative - Keighley and Ilkley)
Question to the Scotland Office:
What steps his Department is taking to strengthen the Union.
Answered by Alister Jack
This Government has always stressed the importance of the Union.
The recent spending review showed this Government’s commitment to investing in all parts of the UK, from city and growth deals, to driving the development of innovative technologies across Scotland.
Asked by: Robbie Moore (Conservative - Keighley and Ilkley)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
What steps HM Courts and Tribunals Service is taking to tackle the backlog of criminal court cases.
Answered by Chris Philp - Shadow Home Secretary
COVID-19 has been an unprecedented challenge for the criminal justice system but HMCTS has worked closely with the judiciary to keep courts open and cases flowing through the system.
HMCTS has led the way internationally in continuing justice; restarting jury trials ahead of all other comparable systems.
We continue to make significant progress on Criminal Courts Recovery. Since August, magistrates’ courts have been consistently completing more cases than they are receiving, dealing with over 21,000 cases each week and tackling the backlog.
In the Crown Court, we’re listing over 150 jury trials and conducting thousands of other hearings each week.