Category: Speeches

Luciana Berger – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Luciana Berger on 2016-07-12.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how much funding from the (a) European Regional Development Fund and (b) European Social Fund was spent in (i) Liverpool, Wavertree constituency and (ii) each borough of the Liverpool City Region in each year since 2010.

Margot James

Information is not held for individual constituencies or boroughs. Figures are recorded for Merseyside and are from the 2007-13 programming period where projects could spend money up to the end of 2015, with some reimbursements taking place in 2016.

The figures for the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) are:

Year	£m Merseyside
2009	£77.30
2010	£25.00
2011	£28.80
2012	£27.00
2013	£29.70
2014	£21.60
2015	£33.50
2016	£20.75
Total	£263.65

For the European Social Fund (ESF) figures as follows:

Year	£m Merseyside
2010	£44.04
2011	£20.58
2012	£11.61
2013	£8.75
2014	£7.70
2015	£9.93
2016	£0.29
Total	£102.90

01/01/2023

Heidi Allen – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Heidi Allen on 2016-10-07.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what reports he has received on the case of the Syrian journalist, Zaina Erhaim.

Mr Tobias Ellwood

My officials have been in contact with the UK Border Force about this case. We are aware that the passport presented by Zaina Erhaim has been retained by UK Border Force officials. The passport was listed on an international database as lost or stolen. In such circumstances the Border Force will confiscate the document. Since the passport is listed as lost or stolen, it is no longer valid for travel to the UK or elsewhere and as such the Border Force is not able to return the passport to Ms Erhaim. The passport is therefore being retained by the British authorities.

01/01/2023
Mark Williams – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Williams on 2015-11-10.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, when his Department introduced the Welsh Language Scheme; when that scheme was last updated; and what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of that scheme.

Matthew Hancock

The Government is enthusiastically committed to the Welsh language and to providing Government services in the Welsh language where there is demand for them.

The Cabinet Office is improving the quality of service for Welsh speakers through user research, conducted jointly by the Wales Office and the Government Digital Service (GDS), as well as feedback from subject matter experts in governmental Welsh Language Units.

GDS has liaised with government departments on a user needs-based review of current Welsh-language content on GOV.UK. The content in Welsh will be more prominently promoted from the equivalent English-language pages.

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01/01/2023
Mark Williams – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Williams on 2015-12-15.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what information his Department holds on the number of communities of 5,000 people or more in England where there is no bank branch within a radius of three miles.

Harriett Baldwin

The Government does not hold the information requested.

Banks and building societies need to balance customer interests, market competition, and other commercial factors when considering their strategy. Decisions on the opening and closing of individual branches are taken by the management of each bank on a commercial basis without intervention from Government.

The Government welcomed the industry-wide Access to Banking protocol announced in March 2015. From the first of May this year, each participating bank has committed to carry out a number of steps if it is closing a branch, including the preparation of meaningful local impact assessments. There is a commitment to a review of the operation of the protocol after one year, and the Government looks forward to its conclusions.

The availability of alternative locations for accessing basic banking services is also important. The ongoing negotiation between the banks and the Post Office to agree a standard set of services – to be made available to personal and small business banking customers at Post Office counters across the country – remains vital. The Government is clear that completion of these negotiations should be a priority.

01/01/2023
Richard Burden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2016-01-26.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what steps he is taking to ensure effective enforcement of the National Minimum Wage in the maritime sector.

Nick Boles

My Department has worked with Maritime bodies to increase awareness of the National Minimum Wage (NMW) enforcement options available, including the ACAS helpline and HMRC enforcement operations. The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills is working with the sector to agree specific NMW guidance for seafarers. This guide will provide more information on the UK and International maritime law and raise awareness of enforcement measures in place to help anyone who needs them. The guide will advertise the ACAS helpline. I have also met with the hon Member for Gateshead (Ian Mearnes), Convenor of the RMT, to discuss the enforcement of the NMW and how we can raise awareness of enforcement action further.

01/01/2023
Baroness King of Bow – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness King of Bow on 2016-02-11.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether, under the provisions of the Welfare Reform and Work Bill, a claimant receiving Employment and Support Allowance support component prior to April 2017 who is reassessed after April 2017 and moved to the work-related activity group would have their benefit reduced to the level of Jobseeker’s Allowance.

Lord Freud

The changes as introduced to the House of Commons on 9^th July 2015 would mean that existing claimants, whether in the work-related activity group or the support group, who undergo a work capability assessment after April 2017 and are placed in, or remain in, the work-related activity group, will continue to receive the work-related activity component.

01/01/2023
Luciana Berger – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Luciana Berger on 2016-03-11.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will estimate the proportion of people aged (a) under and (b) over 18 who have a diagnosable mental health condition who access medical support.

Alistair Burt

No estimate has been made of the proportion of people under and over 18 years of age with a diagnosable mental health condition who access medical support as information held centrally is not sufficient for such an estimate to be made.

01/01/2023
Julie Cooper – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Julie Cooper on 2016-04-18.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the political situation in Kashmir.

Mr Hugo Swire

The British High Commission in Delhi is closely following the situation in Kashmir. I welcome the recent formation of a new State Government.

01/01/2023
Lord Oates – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Oates on 2016-05-18.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the signals that would be sent to the government of Zimbabwe were the IMF and other international financial institutions to resume financial assistance to Zimbabwe, in the light of the current activities of the Zimbabwe Republic Police and other elements of the security forces there.

Baroness Verma

Donors have consistently made clear that resumption of financial assistance to Zimbabwe from the international financial institutions would need to be based on the Government of Zimbabwe’s commitment to make significant process across a broad range of reforms, including rule of law and constitutional alignment. It is of course vital that the right signals are sent to both the government and the people of Zimbabwe.

01/01/2023
Andrew Stephenson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Stephenson on 2016-07-12.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what representations he has received on making refuges a statutory-funded service; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Marcus Jones

Domestic Abuse is a devastating crime and we are determined to ensure that everyone receives the support they need when they need it. This Government recognises the important role played by refuges in keeping victims of domestic abuse safe and we have made a clear commitment to secure a future for refuges.

Many refuges already receive public funding via housing benefit, local authorities and health services. In the Violence Against Women and Girls Strategy published on 8 March, we set out our ambition to improve services for women suffering from domestic abuse, committing to a new Statement of Expectations to set out for the first time what we expect from local areas. To support this, we are launching a new two year fund for refuges and other forms of accommodation based support and to help local areas take the steps they need to meet the expectations set out in the Statement.

01/01/2023