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Category: Speeches

  • Mary Creagh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Mary Creagh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mary Creagh on 2016-01-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many and what proportion of UK railway stations have steps but no lift access.

    Claire Perry

    Information on the facilities available at individual stations is collected and held by the Association of Train Operating Companies, rather than the Department. However, we understand that around 460 stations in the UK have step free access to and between all platforms. I also note that both railway stations in the Hon Member’s constituency – Wakefield Westgate and Wakefield Kirkgate – are now step free.

  • Lord Harrison – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Lord Harrison – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Harrison on 2016-02-02.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what consideration they have given to the finding of the report by the Fair Admissions Campaign and the British Humanist Association last year An Unholy Mess that a significant number of religiously selective schools are still interviewing prospective pupils, despite this being banned in 2006.

    Lord Nash

    Admission authorities for all state-funded schools, including schools with a religious designation, are required to comply with the mandatory provisions of the School Admissions Code and other admissions law.

    Where an objection is made to the Schools Adjudicator, if the arrangements are found to be unfair or fail to comply with the Code, the admission authority must make changes to ensure their arrangements are compliant without undue delay. Where an admission authority fails to implement decisions of the adjudicator, the Secretary of State may direct the admission authority to do so.

    We continue to keep the Code under review, and, where we consider any changes are necessary to make the admissions system work more effectively for parents, these will be subject to a full public consultation.

  • Kevan Jones – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Kevan Jones – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kevan Jones on 2016-02-29.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many UK armed forces personnel are currently deployed in Ukraine; and from which units they are drawn.

    Penny Mordaunt

    In addition to the three members of the UK Armed Forces permanently based in Ukraine, as at 29 February 2016, there were 53 UK military personnel deployed in Ukraine providing training to the Ukrainian Armed Forces. The majority of these personnel, 40, are from the 1st Battalion, the Mercian Regiment. The remaining personnel are drawn from a number of different Army units.

    The number of UK personnel in Ukraine will vary dependent on the specific training, visits and exercises we may be conducting at the time.

  • Paul Blomfield – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Paul Blomfield – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Blomfield on 2016-03-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how much his Department spent on upgrading its IT systems in 2014-15.

    Joseph Johnson

    The Department spent £38m on upgrading IT systems in 2014-15, including both software and equipment development. This includes around £31m for internally developed software, predominantly within delivery bodies of the department such as the Student Loans Company. It also includes the Core Department roll out of a new ICT system, Evolve, for use by all staff. This replaced the previous IT service. The total cost of the Evolve rollout was £3.5 million.

  • Sue Hayman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Sue Hayman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sue Hayman on 2016-04-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to ensure that the Rural Payments Agency learns the lessons of the introduction of the Basic Payment Scheme.

    George Eustice

    The Rural Payments Agency has learnt a number of lessons following the introduction of the Basic Payment Scheme in 2015, in particular, allowing farmers and their agents the opportunity to apply online and on paper for 2016. In addition the online application process has been simplified for 2016.

  • Gavin Shuker – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Gavin Shuker – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gavin Shuker on 2016-06-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what estimate she has made of the weekly cost of the deferment of the opening of St Helena Airport.

    Sir Desmond Swayne

    The St Helena Airport was certificated by Air Safety Support International on 10 May 2016 and is open.

  • Jim Shannon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Jim Shannon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-09-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions he has had with the Royal Colleges on the use of simple home-cooked food to reduce diabetes.

    Nicola Blackwood

    There have been no discussions with the royal colleges on the use of simple, home cooked food to reduce diabetes.

    Current dietary advice to people who have diabetes is the same as for the general population – that they should enjoy a healthy, balanced diet based on theeat well plate, the national healthy eating guide.

  • Lord Teverson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Lord Teverson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Teverson on 2016-10-18.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of Home Office research indicating that only one per cent of foreign students fail to leave the country once they have completed their course, whether they intend to encourage more such students to study in the UK.

    Baroness Williams of Trafford

    There remains no limit on the number of genuine international students who can come to study in the UK and visa applications from international students to study at British universities are up by 14% since 2010.

  • Daniel Zeichner – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Daniel Zeichner – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Daniel Zeichner on 2015-11-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the reasons for the increase in the amount paid in road user compensation claims by local authorities in England outside London from 2012-13 to 2013-14.

    Andrew Jones

    The management and defence of insurance claims on the local highway network is entirely a matter for local highway authorities.

    The Department for Transport’s road condition statistics for 2013-14 suggest an improvement to the local road network, since 2012-13.

    The Department supports local authorities to manage their road networks efficiently and effectively, with record funding of £6billion from 2015 to 2021. Also, from 2016-17, the Department is introducing a Local Highways Maintenance Incentive Fund, to reward those authorities who are demonstrating good practice in this regard. The assessment of local authorities’ eligibility for this Fund includes scoring of the effectiveness of their asset management and risk management approaches.

  • Jim Fitzpatrick – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Jim Fitzpatrick – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Fitzpatrick on 2015-12-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he plans to increase UK Ship Register fees in the next financial year.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    The Maritime and Coastguard Agency is discussing potential increases in its fees, including the UK Ship Register fees, with other government departments ahead of a consultation exercise with the shipping industry and other stakeholders.