First elected: 7th May 2015
Left House: 3rd May 2017 (Defeated)
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 Tom Elliott, 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.
Tom Elliott has not been granted any Urgent Questions
Tom Elliott has not been granted any Adjournment Debates
Tom Elliott has not introduced any legislation before Parliament
Queen's Sapphire Jubilee Bill 2016-17
Sponsor - Andrew Rosindell (Con)
Unlawful Killing (Recovery of Remains) Bill 2016-17
Sponsor - Conor McGinn (Ind)
The amount of UK R&D expenditure performed by the business sector is set out in the table below1. Expenditure in this sector increased by £1.1 billion in cash terms, to £19.9 billion in 2014 compared with 2013.
Support for business through the R&D Tax Credit scheme has continued to grow, from 9,250 companies claiming £1.0 billion on £10 billion of expenditure in 2009/10 compared with nearly 18,200 companies claiming £1.75 billion on £14.3 billion of expenditure in 2013/14.
£ million | |||
2012 | 2013 | 2014 | |
UK Expenditure for R&D performed by Business Enterprise sector - current prices | 17,409 | 18,799 | 19,935 |
1 Figures are taken from the ONS publication on Business Enterprise Research and Development, 2014.The business sector figures exclude the private non-profit sector.
Innovation is a driver of productivity and the UK ranks among the best in the world in various indices. The Government is focussed on creating the best conditions for innovative businesses to flourish and is taking steps to ensure a range of finance options is available.
We are exploring the range of financial instruments available in a number of countries and will be conducting market research in the UK to better understand the needs of innovative businesses.
Energy is a devolved matter for Northern Ireland. Whilst that means that the Northern Ireland Executive can develop its own policies on onshore wind, it is this government’s position that any policy which results in additional support to onshore wind should not be funded by the GB consumers.
Decisions regarding the issuing of Renewables Obligation Certificates (ROCs) are matters for Northern Ireland’s Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment to determine in accordance with the Renewables Obligation Order (Northern Ireland) 2009.[1]
[1] S.R. 2009/154, as amended by S.R. 2010/134, S.R. 2011/169, S.R. 2013/116, S.R. 2013/174 and S.R. 2014/146.
Government has been clear that shale development must be safe and environmentally sound. In the UK, we have been regulating for gas and oil drilling, both onshore and offshore, for over 50 years and have tough regulations in place to ensure on-site safety, prevent water contamination, and mitigate seismic activity and air pollution.
Projects must be approved by the environmental regulator (in Northern Ireland, the Northern Ireland Environment Agency) and the Health and Safety Executive. Approval must also be sought from the relevant Mineral Planning Authority (MPA) through the planning system. MPAs are able to set the planning conditions they consider necessary, and some have already chosen to do so for site restoration.
In England, as part of the petroleum licensing process, and prior to awarding a licence, the Oil and Gas Authority (OGA) assesses whether a company has adequate financial capacity for its planned operations. The OGA also checks at the drilling and, where relevant, production stage that the company has sufficient funding and appropriate insurance. The licensing of oil and gas development is devolved to Northern Ireland.
BEIS officials are working with the industry’s trade body UK Onshore Oil and Gas to ensure that liabilities for shale wells are addressed in the rare circumstance where all of the companies on a licence became insolvent, and where no rescue mechanism for those companies could be found.
BEIS is guided by the Oil and Gas Authority’s (OGA) estimate of UK gas reserves. The 2016 range of estimates of UK gas reserves is from 207 billion cubic metres (bcm) to 446 bcm with a central estimate of 333 bcm. In addition, there are contingent resources in significant discoveries where development plans are under discussion. These are estimated to range between 26 bcm and 89 bcm. The OGA collects data directly from operators and also has access to proprietary estimates of remaining commercial reserves from specialist energy consultancy Wood Mackenzie.
The North-South interconnector is focused on increasing the integration of renewable energy between Ireland and Northern Ireland, and as such is a matter primarily devolved to Northern Ireland. Regarding the electricity supply between the island of Ireland and UK, imports into Scotland are constrained by wider constraints on the Scottish grid and on the border between Scotland and England. A number of measures are being taken to strengthen the Scottish grid and grid connections to England. These include the Western HVDC link, which is due for completion in mid-2017 and will provide an additional 2.2GW of capacity. The UK government welcomes interconnection where it is in the interests of UK consumers.
The Government is continuing to develop the Catapult network and has prioritised core funding support for the Catapult network in the 2015 Spending Review.
Northern Ireland (NI) is already benefitting from the Catapult Programme. The Digital Catapult has established local centres in Northern Ireland. It has just appointed a lead for its NI centres and is expecting the projects and activity to take shape and start in the coming months. The Precision Medicine Catapult will also be supported by a Centre of Excellence in Belfast.
A number of other Catapults also have strong links with business and academia in Northern Ireland. The Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult worked with a team at Queens University Belfast to define the path to commercialisation for a therapy to help treat retinal vein occlusion, a common cause of visual impairment and blindness affecting around 16.4 million people across the US, Europe, Asia and Australia.
The Northern Ireland Advanced Composites and Engineering Centre (NIACE) is a partner in the composites network with the National Composites Centre (NCC) of the High Value Manufacturing Catapult.
The High Value Manufacturing Catapult is also working with four industrial partners, including Bombardier Aerospace in Northern Ireland, on the VIEWS (Validation and Integration of Manufacturing Enablers for Future Wing Structures) Programme to bring promising wing design, manufacture and assembly technologies near to market readiness.
The Future Cities Catapult has been working closely with the City of Belfast to harness new technologies and help to fulfil their smart city ambitions and provide better services to its citizens by inviting SMEs to meet the challenge of increasing revenue from business rates across the city.
The Satellite Applications Catapult has a Knowledge Exchange Fellow based in Northern Ireland. This Fellowship, alongside funding from Invest Northern Ireland, is assisting an agricultural solutions business based in Northern Ireland to enhance its services through the utilisation of GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) technology.
When it comes to ensuring our families and businesses have secure, affordable and clean energy supplies they can rely on, the UK is better off being in Europe. The UK is leading the way in shaping EU energy and climate policies that strengthen our energy security, benefit consumers and help us tackle global climate change.
Being a leading member of the EU helps improve UK energy security by attracting foreign investment, promoting competition and facilitating efficient and reliable cross-border energy trade.
Unless the UK is prepared to be an EU rule-taker, keeping in lock-step with evolving EU energy and low carbon rules without any say on them, being outside the EU would create real and growing risks to energy security, consumer bills, and competitiveness.
We hold regular discussions with broadband providers about improving broadband speeds and coverage to all parts of the UK. Considerable progress has been made with only 1 per cent of all UK premises unable to access speeds of 2 Megabits per second or better in December 2016 compared to 11 per cent in 2010.
Through the Government’s Better Broadband Scheme, all homes and businesses can now access broadband speeds of at least 2 Megabits per second which is fast enough for everyone to be able to use government services online. These scheme vouchers can be aggregated amongst the community and used collectively as part of a community solution. Further information can be found at: https://basicbroadbandchecker.culture.gov.uk/,
Broadband providers are increasing their commercial investment guaranteeing higher speeds and extended coverage. They are also responding positively to community-led schemes designed to improve broadband speeds and coverage. Further information can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/community-led-broadband-schemes
The Department does not hold information on the funding invested by BT in its commercial activities.
BDUK estimate that currently just over 63% of premises have access to superfast broadband in the Fermanagh and South Tyrone constituency and that by the end of 2017 this is expected to rise to 65%. The Northern Ireland broadband project has further funding of over £3m to invest to support additional coverage. All premises with a broadband speed of less than 2Mbps can apply to the Better Broadband Scheme to gain an improved broadband service.
In addition, we are committed to introducing a new broadband Universal Service Obligation (USO) within this Parliament. The USO will give households and businesses the legal right to request a broadband connection with speeds of at least 10 Megabits, no matter where they live or work. Ofcom’s view is that 10Mbps is an appropriate minimum speed for a USO for now, given typical household use of digital services
BDUK do not hold information on BT's commercial investment in broadband roll-out in Northern Ireland.
Bee health is a devolved matter. In England, Defra supports beekeepers through the work of the National Bee Unit (NBU). NBU Bee Inspectors carry out inspections of over 5,000 apiaries each year looking for bee pests and diseases. Where key pests and diseases are found the inspectors take necessary statutory action for their control. They also provide beekeepers with free training and advice.
The trade in fertilisers is part of a global market and prices are determined by the market place. Defra monitors farmer input costs, which include fertilisers, and farmers have access to advice on the efficient use of these products under the industry-led Greenhouse Gas Action Plan.
We have not made any assessment of the potential effect of a UK withdrawal from the EU on the UK agriculture and fishing sectors.
Insurance companies determine the flood risk element of the premiums they charge. Insurers use a variety of models to identify flood risk which may differ by area and organisation and will depend on their approach to risk and their underwriting strategies. Insurance companies do not have to disclose the criteria they use. The criteria and data suppliers that insurers use is commercially sensitive information which, if made public, could serve to distort the effective operation of the market.
The implications of exiting the EU for the devolution settlements will require discussion with the devolved administrations. The Prime Minister has made clear her intention to engage with the devolved administrations, and the Joint Ministerial Committee (EU Negotiations) has been established to provide a forum for the discussion of issues stemming from the negotiation process.
DFID supports refugee camps in many different countries as part of our wider programming to assist those displaced by conflict, persecution and fear. It is not possible to say how much is spent on each individual camp.
The UK has increased its bilateral spend on water and sanitation year on year since 2004, from £31.2million (2004/05) to £180.8million (2014/15). The Department for International Development does not allocate a set proportion of the aid budget to water and sanitation. The UK Aid strategy commits the UK to helping at least 60 million people get access to water and sanitation by 2020. We will allocate the resources required to achieve this to the relevant programmes.
The Department for International Development is committed to reaching 60 million people with water and sanitation by 2020. As part of the bilateral aid review we have ensured that DFID has concrete plans in place to deliver this commitment. We reached 62.9 million people between 2011 and 2015. We are the largest bilateral donor for basic water and sanitation in low-income countries
To date, we have allocated £561 million to support people inside Syria. By May 2016, this had provided 16.3 million food rations; access to clean water for 2 million people; 3.5 million medical consultations; 5.1 million relief packages; and 8.3 million sanitation and hygiene activities.
Improving access to education and the quality of learning for all children – especially those who are most disadvantaged - is a priority for the Department. The UK supported 11 million children in school between 2010 and 2015. We have again committed to support 11 million children in the poorest countries gain a decent education by 2020. Having children in school and learning enhances economic growth and contributes to better governance, peace and democracy.
Terrorist activities from Boko Haram and other groups have killed more than 15,000 people and caused a major humanitarian crisis. There are an estimated 2.2 million internally displaced people, most of them in host communities, putting an additional pressure on what is already a fragile social environment. Around 6.4 million people are in need of humanitarian support due to disruption of food supply, limitation of livelihood activities, and destruction of basic service facilities like health centres or schools. An estimated 600,000 children are out of school.
Boko Haram violent extremism has destroyed the economy in the North East. Local chambers of commerce in the North East report that business activity has dropped by 80% over the past three years. The national economy is also affected. Major trade routes for the Nigerian market and with neighbouring countries have been disrupted. And the need for the Government of Nigeria to spend significant additional resources on emergency response and defence has reduced funds available for economic and social investments.
In response to this crisis, DFID is providing a substantial package of security, development and humanitarian support to Nigeria including a £6.5 million in humanitarian programme and a £5.4 million development portfolio in Yobe state. This is complemented by a £12.1 million funding through the Conflict, Stability and Security Fund (CSSF) for programmes implemented by DFID and other departments to mitigate conflict and enhance security forces capability. During my visit to Nigeria in October, I saw first-hand the interfaith peace clubs supported by DFID to build community cohesion and the excellent work the UK military is doing in training the Nigerian army in the fight against Boko Haram.
Under European Union regulations airport slot allocation in the UK is managed by a designated co-ordinator which is independent of the Government, the Civil Aviation Authority and other interested parties.
The Government will consider how all UK airports, including those in the South East, can best utilise their existing runways to allow the growth of both domestic and international connectivity as part of the new Aviation Strategy. This will be an ambitious programme of work, and we will be consulting widely throughout 2017, leading to publication of an Aviation Strategy White Paper at the end of 2018.
The draft Airports National Policy Statement, currently out for consultation, sets out that expansion at Heathrow would be an opportunity to not only strengthen the frequency of existing domestic routes, but also to develop new domestic connections, including to regions currently unserved. Government would expect Heathrow to add at least six more domestic routes by 2030 bringing the total to 14.
The Driver and Vehicle Agency (DVA) is part of the Northern Ireland Executive’s Department for Infrastructure and the staff there are part of the Northern Ireland Civil Service. The Department for Transport and the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency do not hold information on the number of staff employed by the DVA in Northern Ireland.
The Government supports the TEN-T programme and its successor (from 2014) the Connecting Europe facility (CEF), as a means of providing funding for transport infrastructure projects on the TEN-T network.
It is unclear what would happen with funding to EU programmes, particularly if the UK were to leave the EU in the middle of the EU budget cycle (2014-2020).
At the February European Council, the Government negotiated a new settlement, giving the United Kingdom a special status in a reformed European Union. The Government's position, as set out by the Prime Minister to the House on 22 February, is that the UK will be stronger, safer and better off remaining in a reformed EU.
For those whose spouse or civil partner dies on or after 6 April 2017 we are replacing the current suite of bereavement benefits with a single benefit known as Bereavement Support Payment. The Regulations setting out the details of Bereavement Support Payment were debated in the House of Lords on 21 February 2017 and in the House of Commons on 27 February 2017.
At the time of the Pensions Act 2011 the government introduced a concession worth £1.1 billion to limit the impact of the rising state pension age on those most affected. The concession capped the maximum delay that anyone would face in claiming their State Pension to 18 months rather than two years, relative to the previous timetable. The Government has no plans to introduce further transitional arrangements.
It is not necessary for HSE to commission new research in order to be confident that it can regulate the shale industry effectively, due to the broad range of shale research already available and HSE's existing knowledge of oil and gas extraction.
I have asked HSE to keep the situation under review.
The 100,000 Genomes Project is making good progress. The project is at the leading edge of global science, developing ground breaking new techniques and protocols.
The Northern Ireland Department of Health and Medical Research Council have provided £3.3 million funding for the Northern Ireland Genomic Medicine Centre which received approval to go live in February 2017, becoming the first of the devolved nations to do so. Recruitment of participating patients has commenced and is on schedule to meet project targets. Sequencing will be performed by Genomics England and the results will be passed back to clinical experts at the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust.
Genomics England has developed semi-automated bioinformatics to analyse genomic data to find the cause of disease. To date, over 29,000 whole genomes have been sequenced and reports are already being returned to the National Health Service who are responsible for discussing clinical interpretations and next steps with patients.
The project is already changing the lives of patients with a rare disease – providing many patients with diagnoses for the first time, often after years of uncertainty and distress whilst helping to reduce considerable costs to health and social care budgets.
Genomics England and NHS England are actively developing a fast track pipeline for patients with cancer who are participating in the Project. We are aiming to reduce the time from sample acquisition to the return of a report to four weeks. This will increase the utility of the service to clinicians and patients alike.
The current National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidance recommends genetic cascade testing for familial hypercholesterolaemia as highly cost effective. This guidance is currently under review, due to be issued in May 2017, and will take into account the latest changes to the costs of drugs and genetic tests in its revised economic modelling.
NHS England is conducting a post-implementation consultation on the Accessible Information Standard, which all organisations that provide National Health Service care or publically funded social care have been required to follow since 1 August 2016. The consultation will enable NHS England to assess the impact of the Standard and to ensure that it is, and will be, fit for purpose.
Information is not collected centrally on the number of people prescribed medicines. Information is available on the number of prescription items dispensed for desiccated thyroid.
The number of Levothyroxine Sodium and Liothyronine prescription items written in the United Kingdom and dispensed in the community in England in 2015, by drug name 1 | |
Drug | Items (000’s) |
Armour Thyroid | 3.8 |
Efra Thyroid | 0.5 |
Levothyrox/Liothyronine | 0.1 |
Nature Thyroid | 0.2 |
WP Thyroid | - 2 |
Total 3 | 4.6 |
Source: Prescription Cost Analysis system data provided by NHS Digital
Notes:
1 Desiccated thyroids are a combination product which contain the active ingredients ‘levothyroxine sodium & liothyronine’ which are both thyroid hormones. Different brands and strengths of desiccated thyroids are currently prescribed in England.
2 Less than 50 prescription items dispensed.
3 Total figure may not sum due to rounding.
The additional funding referred to in the Prime Minister’s announcement of 11 January 2016 is part of the Department’s overall Spending Review settlement, as announced in the Autumn Statement on 25 November 2015.
The Spending Review also set out the block grant allocations for the Devolved Administrations in line with the application of the Barnett Formula to United Kingdom Government spending.
The actual allocation of public expenditure between the services under the control of the devolved administrations, including health, is for the devolved administrations to determine.
The warrant for the arrest of Saif al-Islam Qadhafi, Colonel Qadhafi's son, was issued by the Pre-Trial Chamber of the International Criminal Court (ICC) on 27 June 2011 on two counts of crimes against humanity: murder and persecution, allegedly committed in 2011 in Libya. On 10 December 2014 the Appeals Chamber of the International Criminal Court confirmed that the case of Saif al-Islam Qadhafi was still admissible before the ICC, despite his detention in Zintan. United Nations Security Council Resolution 1970 (2011) requires Libya to cooperate fully with the International Criminal Court and to provide any necessary assistance to the ICC and the ICC Prosecutor.
We understand that Saif al-Islam Qadhafi, Colonel Qadhafi's son, remains detained in Zintan, outside of the control of the Libyan government authorities. The UK supports the call from the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) for the Libyan authorities to do everything possible to ensure transfer to the ICC of Saif Al-Islam Gaddafi, and to consult with the Court to address any problems that might impede his transfer to The Hague.
The six-monthly report to the House from the Foreign Secretary, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Uxbridge and South Ruislip (Boris Johnson), published on 24 February, sets out the Government's latest assessment on developments in Hong Kong. The report makes clear the Government's view that the 'One Country, Two Systems' framework established by the Sino-British Joint Declaration continues to function well in the vast majority of areas. The report also highlights those areas where challenges have arisen or on which we have had concerns.
The six-monthly report can be found at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/six-monthly-report-on-hong-kong-july-to-december-2016
Despite the signing of the Libyan Political Agreement (LPA) in December 2015, the political and security situation in Libya remains fragile. A number of players continue to obstruct full implementation of the LPA. The UK remains committed to the LPA and is supportive of current efforts to amend it in order to secure support from those Libyans who have hitherto opposed it. An inclusive government which brings together Libyans from across the country is the best way to restore unity, rebuild the economy and tackle the threats posed by Daesh and illegal migration. The Government of National Accord (GNA) has made some progress, such as agreeing emergency budget measures with the Central Bank and completing operations against Daesh in Sirte. The UK and US co-hosted a meeting on Libya in London on 31 October 2016, where the Foreign Secretary, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Uxbridge and South Ruislip (Mr Johnson), met with Libyan Prime Minister Fayez Serraj. Whilst our Embassy has yet to reopen, our Ambassador to Libya is now making regular visits to Libya to engage the GNA and political leaders from across the country.
The Government has no plans to amend the UN Security Council Resolution governing the freezing of Libyan assets in the UK. There is no legal basis upon which the UK could seize frozen assets or withhold Libyan assets once the relevant Libyan entities are delisted and the assets unfrozen. Once these assets are released they belong to the people of Libya and by law have to be returned for their benefit.
We have however made clear to the Libyan authorities that resolution of legacy issues remains a priority for us. I raised the issue of compensation in my meetings with Prime Minister Serraj and Deputy Prime Minister Maiteq during the London Ministerial on 31 October 2016. We will continue to encourage the Libyan authorities to engage with UK victims, and their legal representatives, seeking redress, including those seeking compensation.
The Government position remains that it is not able to negotiate with the Libyan government on individual compensation claims, as these are not government-to-government claims. These are private matters best pursued directly with the Libyan authorities. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office provides facilitation support to victims, their representatives and campaign groups, where it has been requested and is appropriate.
Acting in concert with NATO and EU partners, the UK is taking action through the Enhanced Forward Presence (helping to provide security for all three Baltic states), regular communications activities and continued dialogue.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) Prosecutor set out some of the complicated issues involved in the ICC investigating Daesh in her press statement of 8 April 2015. We continue to discuss with international partners, including those on the UN Security Council all legal possibilities for investigating Daesh. On 21 July, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Uxbridge and South Ruislip (Boris Johnson), announced that the United Kingdom will work with our international partners to drive a global campaign to hold Daesh to account for its crimes.
For details of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s communications work on travel insurance in general I refer the Honourable Member to the answer I gave on 12 January 2016 to Parliamentary Question 21029.
An important part of this work is underlining to British nationals intending to travel overseas the need to take out insurance that is right for their trip, including for any winter or extreme sports activities. We produce specific guidance for travellers on winter sports holidays and we are currently running a ‘Know Before You Go’ campaign focusing on this issue, working in partnership with the Association of British Travel Agents and British four-time Winter Olympic skier Chemmy Alcott. The headline message of the campaign is for those taking a winter sports holiday to take out appropriate travel insurance. More information can be found at https://www.gov.uk/guidance/winter-sports-stay-safe-on-the-slopes and https://www.gov.uk/government/news/winter-sports-a-third-left-on-thin-ice-without-appropriate-insurance.
I refer the Honourable Member to the answer I gave on 12 January 2016 to Parliamentary Question 21029. Encouraging the take-up of adequate travel insurance through our ‘Know Before You Go’ communications campaign which will remain a priority in 2016.
We are fully committed to help Nigeria combat Boko Haram and fight terrorism. The UK is providing a substantial and increasing package of UK military, intelligence and development support to Nigeria. This includes increased counter-terrorism cooperation and capacity building, training and advice to units deployed against Boko Haram, £5 million to support a regional taskforce for the North East, as well as humanitarian and development aid to support communities affected by the conflict.