Category: Speeches

  • Angus Brendan MacNeil – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Angus Brendan MacNeil – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Angus Brendan MacNeil on 2015-12-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, whether her Department has assessed the potential use of gas-driven heat pumps as part of its review of the Renewable Heat Incentive.

    Andrea Leadsom

    We intend to reform the RHI to improve value for money and reduce costs; improve cost control and budget management; and explore the best way to support less able to pay households. Ofgem will continue to run the RHI under the current rules, while we consider the reform of the scheme. Officials have begun discussions with stakeholders, and we plan to consult on the changes early in 2016.

  • Ruth Smeeth – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Ruth Smeeth – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ruth Smeeth on 2016-01-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what proportion of the tableware used in his Department is made in the UK.

    Joseph Johnson

    The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has 2 suppliers of restaurant services in the core Department buildings: EC Harris and Baxter Storey.

    EC Harris

    Currently, 40% of tableware supplied by EC Harris is manufactured in the UK. The policy is to buy UK manufactured tableware to replace existing tableware. The 60% of tableware not manufactured in the UK has been inherited from previous suppliers.

    Baxter Storey

    Currently, 70% of tableware supplied by Baxter Storey is manufactured in the UK and the remaining 30% is Chinese.

  • Susan Elan Jones – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Susan Elan Jones – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Susan Elan Jones on 2016-02-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what steps he is taking to improve access to parental leave for self-employed people.

    Nick Boles

    In July 2015 my Rt hon Friend the Prime Minister appointed Julie Deane OBE to look at what more could be done to support the self-employed. Julie Deane’s report ‘Self-Employment Review’ was published on 14th February and can be viewed at https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/500358/ind-16-2-self-employment-review.pdf

    The Government is reviewing her recommendations in regard to this area carefully.

    “

  • Lord Stunell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Lord Stunell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Stunell on 2016-03-16.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will review animal welfare policy and regulations, in particular with regard to the welfare of ducks in the production of foie gras overseas that is then imported and sold within the UK.

    Lord Gardiner of Kimble

    Foie gras using force feeding gives rise to serious welfare concerns, which is why its production is banned in the UK under the Animal Welfare Act 2006. The EU has already introduced controls on the production of foie gras and, therefore, as a matter of EU law, any further action must be taken at an EU level, and not individually by Member States. Additionally we have to be mindful of our obligations under the EU Treaty in relation to the free movement of goods. Ultimately, it is for the consumer to decide whether or not to purchase foie gras.

  • Richard Burden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Richard Burden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2016-04-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the projected cost savings are from the proposed closure of the Marine Offices in (a) Beverley, (b) Orpington and (c) Harwich in 2018; and what the value is of (i) land and (ii) buildings on each site.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    (a) The projected savings from the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) operating out of their own facility at Bridlington and closing Beverley Marine Office would be £90K per annum.

    The only value to the MCA is the value of the lease. The value of (i) land and (ii) building assets reside with the landlord.

    (b) The projected savings from stopping operation from Orpington Marine Office would be £75K per annum.

    The only value to the MCA is the value of the lease. The value of the (i) land and (ii) building assets reside with the landlord.

    (c) Stopping the survey functions from the Harwich Marine Office, based at Walton-on-the Naze, will introduce minimal cost savings to the MCA. Moving to a new location in the Ipswich area would improve survey and inspection service capability to customers and is a better option for support to Her Majesty’s Coastguard Coastal Safety management teams.

    The Harwich site has a book value of (i) £184K for the land and (ii) £530K for the building.

  • Tim Farron – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Tim Farron – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tim Farron on 2016-05-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many police officers in Cumbria Constabulary are absent from work as a result of sickness or injuries caused by violence inflicted on them in the course of their duties.

    Mike Penning

    The Home Office collects data on the number of full-time equivalent (FTE) officers on certified long-term sick leave as at 31 March each year. This can be broken down by those on long-term sick leave as a result of assault, and those on long-term sick leave for other reasons. Long-term sick includes officers on leave for 28 days or more.

    The latest published data shows that there were 16 officers (FTE) on long-term sick leave in the Cumbria Constabulary, as at 31 March 2015. None of these were following assaults.

    Data on the number of officers on short/medium-term absence due to sickness are published by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary, and show that 16 officers were on short/medium-term sick leave as at 31 March 2015. These data do not identify the reasons for the absence.

  • Lord Howarth of Newport – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

    Lord Howarth of Newport – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Howarth of Newport on 2016-07-18.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will take action to support users of software that is no longer supported by the original vendor, for example by requiring the release of the source code of unsupported software to a third party.

    Baroness Neville-Rolfe

    Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 software must be of satisfactory quality, which includes durability for a period a consumer can reasonably expect. If it is not, the consumer may be entitled to a remedy under the Act, for example, a repair or replacement of the software or, if this is not possible, the right to demand some money back. The Government has no plans to require the release of the source code of unsupported software to a third party.

  • Matthew Pennycook – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Matthew Pennycook – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Matthew Pennycook on 2016-10-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent assessment he has made of the performance of Access to Work; and what steps his Department is taking to ensure that (a) deafblind people and (b) people with complex needs receive the appropriate levels of support to help them into work.

    Penny Mordaunt

    The Government wants all disabled and people with a long term health condition to fulfil their potential and achieve their aspirations. Every individual should to have the opportunity to work and share in the economic and health benefits that work brings, regardless of their health condition or disability.

    Deafblind customers and customers with complex needs are not recorded separately in Access to Work data, so it is not possible to assess the scheme’s performance with them. However, Access to Work has specialist teams to provide a dedicated service to particular groups of customers including both deaf customers and customers with a visual impairment. People who are deafblind are normally assisted by the Visual Impairment team

    Last year, Access to Work helped over 36,000 people to take up or remain in employment. Access to Work figures may be subject to change. Official Statistics have recently been subject to a detailed methodology review which identified some technical issues. We will release a revised publication once these issues have been resolved.

    We will soon publish a Green Paper on work and health and conduct a consultation aimed at disabled people, their representative organisations and a wide range of other stakeholders, who all have an important part to play in making the transformative changes needed.

  • Mary Glindon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Mary Glindon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mary Glindon on 2015-11-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of child maintenance cases in the 1993 and 2003 legacy schemes which were in receipt of regular ongoing maintenance being paid to the non-resident or receiving parent and which were subject to forced closure did not migrate to the 2012 Child Maintenance Scheme.

    Priti Patel

    Child Support Agency (CSA) cases from the 1993 and 2003 schemes are not automatically transferred / migrated to the Child Maintenance Service (CMS) 2012 Scheme. All existing CSA cases are being closed gradually as part of the CSA Case Closure process.

    Before an application can be made to the CMS, they must speak with the Child Maintenance Options Service where they are encouraged to make their own family based arrangement. Where this is not possible, or appropriate, they are able to apply to the CMS.

  • Greg Mulholland – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Greg Mulholland – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Greg Mulholland on 2015-12-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what representations he has received on the potential effect on the costs of elderly care of the introduction of the national living wage.

    Alistair Burt

    A number of representations were received from the adult social care sector and local government as part of the Spending Review process. These covered a range of issues, including the potential costs of the implementation of the national living wage. All representations were fully considered as part of the process and were fed into the eventual outcome as announced on 25 November 2015.

    Additionally, I regularly meet with representatives of local government and the care home industry to discuss topics including adult social care funding, and will continue to do so.