Category: Speeches

  • Baroness Parminter – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

    Baroness Parminter – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Parminter on 2016-10-19.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what figure should be included for carbon dioxide emissions from wood, per unit of fuel, in the background data for fuel consumption used for the UK Greenhouse Gas Inventory 1990–2014, given that there is no figure for wood included in the table on the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs website.

    Baroness Neville-Rolfe

    Emissions of carbon dioxide from using biomass, including wood, in the energy sector are not reported within the national totals in the UK Greenhouse Gas Inventory because they are offset by the carbon dioxide absorbed by fast-growing bio-energy sources. The carbon stock they represent is reported in the land use change and forestry sector, in line with international guidelines set out by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).

  • Andrew Percy – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Andrew Percy – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Percy on 2015-11-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what steps his Department is taking to promote the development of healthcare assistants in primary care by means of apprenticeships.

    Nick Boles

    Provisional 2014/15 data show that there were 105,800 apprenticeships starts in the healthcare sector.

    We are committed to delivering employer-led apprenticeship reforms, and will continue working with employers, developing more high quality apprenticeships that are responsive to the needs of business.

    The Healthcare Trailblazer, supported by Skills for Health, NHS Trusts and private organisations, has published two new healthcare apprenticeship standards, and more are in development.

  • Barry Sheerman – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Barry Sheerman – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Barry Sheerman on 2015-11-30.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether sixth form colleges participating in the first wave of area reviews will be able to apply for academy status.

    Nick Boles

    Sixth form colleges participating in the first wave of area reviews will be able to apply for academy status.

    The Joint Area Review Delivery Unit will work with sixth form colleges in the first wave of reviews to ensure that they have the opportunity to apply as part of the review in their area, and to prepare applications in advance of the publication of detailed criteria in February 2016.

  • Lord Sharkey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Lord Sharkey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Sharkey on 2016-01-11.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what written assessments of the advantages and disadvantages of not publishing the Financial Conduct Authority’s report on banking culture outlined in its Business Plan 2015–16 were considered, and when; and who wrote those assessments.

    Lord O’Neill of Gatley

    No Treasury Minister or official had any discussions with the FCA before the FCA took its decision to discontinue the review of banking culture included in its 2015-16 Business Plan.

    The FCA has published (in response to the Noble Lord’s Freedom of Information request) the dates when it communicated its decision to discontinue this review to other organisations. This response is available on the FCA website.

  • Chris Davies – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Chris Davies – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Davies on 2016-02-03.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the cost was of guidance published on the gov.uk website in each of the last five years; what the mean and range costs are of producing each piece of advice; and how many pieces of guidance were produced in each of the last five years.

    Matthew Hancock

    The costs for GOV.UK are accounted for with other costs for the Government Digital Service and published in the Cabinet Office Report and Accounts as part of the Efficiency and Reform Group.

    Departments also produce and publish their own material onto GOV.UK so some costs will rest with them.

  • Gordon Marsden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Gordon Marsden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gordon Marsden on 2016-02-24.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 12 February 2016 to Question 25976, whether the proceeds from the £227 million fine imposed on Deutsche Bank will be specifically applied to a new new three-year fund to create 50,000 apprenticeships.

    Greg Hands

    As we have said previously, this government will be spending twice as much in cash terms on apprenticeships by 2020 compared to 2010. Spending on apprenticeships in England will be £2.5bn in 2019-20. The BIS spending review settlement for apprenticeships reflects the government’s commitment regarding the proceeds of the Libor fine the FCA announced in April 2015. Further announcements that support the government’s commitment to delivering employment opportunities for young people will be announced in due course.

  • Peter Grant – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Wales Office

    Peter Grant – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Wales Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Peter Grant on 2016-03-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what representations he has received from the Welsh Government on the fuel duty rebate scheme.

    Guto Bebb

    I have received no recent representations.

    All areas that met the strict criteria around pump price, population density and the cost of fuel transportation were included in the extension to the rural fuel rebate scheme introduced in April 2015.

    There are currently no plans to extend the scheme beyond the qualifying areas.

  • Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead on 2016-04-28.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many Eritrean nationals were required to pay fees for their asylum appeals in (1) 2013, (2) 2014, and (3) 2015.

    Lord Faulks

    The numbers of Eritrean nationals who lodged an asylum appeal in the UK or from overseas in the three years up to December 2015 are:

    Total

    Within the UK

    Outside the UK

    2013

    122

    122

    0

    2014

    241

    240

    1

    2015

    1,856

    1,854

    2

    The numbers of Eritrean nationals who were required to pay a fee for their asylum appeal in the three years up to December 2015 are:

    Total

    2013

    1

    2014

    2

    2015

    23

    Notes to tables:

    1. Figures include Asylum, Protection and Revocation of Protection appeals.

    2. Figures provided are taken from internal management information and not subject to the same quality checks as Official Statistics.

  • Adam Afriyie – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Adam Afriyie – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Adam Afriyie on 2016-06-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he has taken to increase the range of statistics that his Department collects on income mobility.

    Justin Tomlinson

    The Department for Work and Pensions (as well as the Office for National Statistics) publishes a wide range of information looking at the income distribution. We have announced we will be producing a new publication, Income Dynamics in February/March 2017, which will look at income mobility, including a measure of persistent low income, based on new data from the Understanding Society survey.

  • Deidre Brock – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Trade

    Deidre Brock – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Trade

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Deidre Brock on 2016-09-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what support the Government offers to UK-based companies involved in investor-state disputes with other nations.

    Mark Garnier

    The Government does not provide legal advice to UK investors involved in investor-state disputes. Ministers or officials may raise them with the relevant authorities, but the decision on whether or not do so is made on a case by case basis.

    Her Majesty’s Government posts overseas offer investment and political information to UK businesses; provide assistance where necessary to resolve problems such as customs or port clearance or those arising from any local practices that are potentially discriminatory against British business; and information to ensure compliance with local laws and regulations.