Category: Speeches

  • Greg Mulholland – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Greg Mulholland – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Greg Mulholland on 2016-07-20.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 11 July 2016 to Question 41528, with which Government departments Rupert McNeil, the Chief People Officer, has met to discuss future skills and staff planning.

    Ben Gummer

    The Civil Service constantly reviews its capabilities in order to deliver the Government’s agenda. Following the decision to exit the European Union, Rupert McNeil, the Chief People Officer, is working closely with departments and functions across government to understand the capabilities required, and is in the process of meeting all Departmental Permanent Secretaries and Heads of Function to further inform this work.

    Work is also on-going to establish the new Department for Exiting the European Union and the new Department for International Trade and all departments are currently reviewing their own structures and resources to ensure we get the best deal for the whole of Britain.

  • Lord Brooke of Alverthorpe – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Lord Brooke of Alverthorpe – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Brooke of Alverthorpe on 2016-10-11.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether, in the light of Brexit, they are considering using a more flexible and variable approach to setting VAT and Excise duties for different goods and services to improve the nation’s health and wellbeing.

    Lord Young of Cookham

    Until the UK has left the EU, we will remain a member of the EU with all the rights and obligations that membership entails.

    The Government will work hard to get the best deal for Britain, including for VAT and excise, and is determined to make the most of the opportunities that are presented.

  • Adam Afriyie – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Adam Afriyie – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Adam Afriyie on 2015-11-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what estimate he has made of the contribution of (a) crowdfunding businesses, (b) peer-to-peer lending businesses and (c) big data businesses to the UK economy.

    Anna Soubry

    The state of equity investment in small businesses was assessed by the British Business Bank in March this year. Their report shows an overall increase in equity investment to small firms in each of the past four years, with both the number of deals and the total amount invested showing a clear upward trend. The contribution from crowdfunding has grown strongly since 2012. By the third quarter of 2014, deal numbers exceeded those of private equity, accounting for almost one-third of seed funding deals in the first half of 2014.

    The Peer-to-Peer Finance Association publishes quarterly performance data, which show net new lending to small businesses of £91m in Q3 2015. According to NESTA, peer-to-peer lending in the UK grew at a rate of 250% annually between 2012 and 2014. The growth of the UK peer-to-peer lending sector has been facilitated by a responsive and flexible regulatory regime that recognises the importance of a competitive and diverse market for business finance.

    The Centre for Economics and Business Research estimates that the big data market could benefit the UK economy by up to £216 billion between 2012 and 2017. Research by NESTA has also found that UK companies making greater use of online customer data are up to 13% more productive than their peers.

  • Baroness Gould of Potternewton – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Baroness Gould of Potternewton – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Gould of Potternewton on 2015-11-24.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the effect of the £200 million reduction in the Public Health Grant to local authorities for 2015–16 on (1) teenage pregnancy rates, and (2) rates of unintended pregnancy.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    The under-18 conception rate is an indicator within the Public Health Outcomes Framework and we continue to see a sustained reduction in teenage pregnancy, improved detection of sexually transmitted infections, and increasing access to the more effective long acting contraception.

  • John Woodcock – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    John Woodcock – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Woodcock on 2016-01-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what process his Department followed in awarding the lighting contracts for the Successor submarines.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    No contract has yet been awarded for the Successor primary lighting system.

  • Norman Lamb – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Norman Lamb – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Norman Lamb on 2016-02-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many bed days relating to delayed transfers of care out of tier four child and adolescent mental health services beds there were in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available.

    Alistair Burt

    Data from NHS England indicates that between November 2015 and February 2016 there were 1,834 bed days relating to delayed discharges. This represents the total number of days from when a patient should have been discharged until when they were, or until 1 February 2016 if the patient had not yet been discharged by this date.

    Data prior to November 2015 is inaccurate and no data exists prior to April 2013.

  • John Cryer – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    John Cryer – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Cryer on 2016-02-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many meetings he or other Ministers of his Department have had with representatives of the British Medical Association in each month of (a) 2010, (b) 2011, (c) 2012, (d) 2013, (e) 2014, (f) 2015 and (g) 2016 to date.

    Ben Gummer

    External meetings between the Secretary of State for Health and other Health Ministers are published quarterly on the Department’s website here:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/publications?departments%5B%5D=department-of-health&publication_type=transparency-data

    “

  • Charlotte Leslie – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Charlotte Leslie – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Charlotte Leslie on 2016-03-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the effect on jobseeker’s allowance claimants taking up volunteer work of the requirement for them to spend 35 hours each week searching for work; and whether that assessment was conducted prior to implementation of that policy.

    Priti Patel

    There is no requirement for Jobseekers Allowance claimants to undertake 35 hours of job search a week. Claimants must however be actively seeking work in each week of their claim. This means they are expected to do all that they reasonably can to give them the best prospects of securing employment.

    We recognise the benefits that volunteering can offer in enhancing a claimant’s prospects of finding suitable employment. Time spent volunteering may therefore be taken into account when considering whether a person has taken all appropriate steps to actively seek work each week.

  • David Morris – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    David Morris – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Morris on 2016-04-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the crime rate in Morecambe and Lunesdale in (a) 2015-16 and (b) 2014-15; and if she will make a statement.

    Mike Penning

    The Crime Survey statistics published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show that crime in England and Wales fell by 7% in the year to the end of December 2015 (the latest period for which data is available), and by 7% in the year to the end of December 2014. Over the same period, the number of crimes recorded by the police rose (including in the Lancaster Community Safety Partnership area, which covers Morecombe and Lunesdale). ONS have been clear that rises in police recorded crime are largely the result of more victims coming forward to report certain offences and improvements in police crime recording practices.

  • Stewart Malcolm McDonald – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Stewart Malcolm McDonald – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stewart Malcolm McDonald on 2016-05-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to help ensure that the independent testing of Vauxhall Zafiras meets the aims set out for that independent testing.

    Andrew Jones

    The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) is working closely with Vauxhall to ensure it discharges its responsibility to conduct investigations into the cause of any vehicle safety defects, as set out in the Code of Practice on Vehicle Safety Defects.