Category: Speeches

  • Rachel Reeves – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Rachel Reeves – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rachel Reeves on 2015-11-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether Docetaxel chemotherapy medication is available from the Cancer Drugs Fund.

    George Freeman

    Docetaxel has not been made available through the national Cancer Drugs Fund (CDF) list. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has recommended docetaxel for the treatment of hormone-refractory metastatic prostate cancer (where the disease becomes unresponsive to hormone treatment). Commissioners are legally required to fund drugs and treatments recommended in NICE technology appraisal guidance.

    NHS England will consider Individual CDF Requests for cancer medicines not on the CDF list and not recommended by NICE to treat individuals whose clinician can demonstrate clinical exceptionality.

  • Diana Johnson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Diana Johnson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Diana Johnson on 2015-12-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how much his Department spent on (a) travel, (b) first or business class flights for officials, (c) first or business class flights for Ministers, (c) first class train travel for officials and (d) first class train travel for Ministers in 2014-15.

    Mr David Lidington

    The FCO ensures value for money in all its expenditure to help reduce the overall costs of Government. Staff are expected to find alternatives to overseas travel where possible, including by making use of video conferencing facilities.

    Where travel is necessary, FCO policy is that staff should ensure maximum efficiency, remembering that it is public money being spent. Unless there are exceptional circumstances, FCO officials may fly business class only if the flying time is ten hours or longer.

    All FCO staff are directed to use standard class for rail travel unless there are exceptional circumstances e.g. illness, disability or where first class facilities are essential for working while travelling. In these exceptional circumstances, prior line management approval must be given.

    In 2014-15 the FCO’s spend on air and train travel originating in the UK and booked through the Government’s nominated travel agency in the UK totalled £10,879,831 and £365,145 respectively.

    For comparison, in 2009-10 the equivalent figures were £14,503,576 and £328,184 respectively. This represents a 25% reduction in expenditure on air travel and a 11.3% increase on train travel since 2009-10.

    In 2014-15 the figures break down to £6,838 on first class flights (exceptions were made to ensure attendance at the funeral for a Head of State and for officials to attend crucial talks on Libya), £4,501,110 on business class flights, £6,371,883 on economy and premium economy flights, £3,057 on first class rail travel and £362,088 on standard rail travel.

    For comparison, in 2009-10 the figures break down to £11,852 on first class flights, £11,307,923 on business class flights, £3,183,801 on economy and premium economy flights, £195,447 on first class rail travel and £132,737 on standard rail travel.

    It is not possible to provide a detailed breakdown of expenditure on either air or rail travel by Ministers and by officials: disaggregating the class of travel from all the individual journeys taken by ministers and officials could only be carried out at disproportionate cost.

  • Kevin Brennan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Kevin Brennan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kevin Brennan on 2016-01-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what recent assessment he has made of the differences in the ability of the Green Investment Bank to invest in higher risk emerging green technologies as a (a) public and (b) private sector bank.

    Anna Soubry

    The Government’s position on this matter was set out in paragraphs 31 – 36 of our November 2015 policy statement on the future of the UK Green Investment Bank (GIB) which can be found on the GIB pages of the GOV.UK website.

    This makes clear that GIB’s remit has always been to invest in green projects on fully commercial terms to help demonstrate green investment can be profitable and attract additional private sector investment into green sectors from mainstream finance providers. GIB will continue to perform that role in private ownership.

    There are other Government policy mechanisms in place aimed at promoting investment in more high risk projects and early stage technologies.

  • Tom Elliott – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Tom Elliott – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Elliott on 2016-02-19.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he plans to take to ensure that all UK-registered companies are subject to the same tax provisions as their UK competitors providing the same services to the same customer base regardless of the official locations of the European subsidiaries of such companies.

    Mr David Gauke

    Along with most major economies in the world, the UK has a territorial tax system that charges corporation tax on profits earned from economic activity carried out here.

    The UK cannot tax profits arising from sales in the UK to the extent that those profits are generated by activities carried on outside the UK.

    Multinational companies’ profits are taxed in accordance with internationally agreed principles. The current international tax rules were first developed in the 1920s and the UK is playing a leading role in updating them so they are fit for purpose in today’s modern globalising economy.

    Tax avoidance and aggressive tax planning by multinationals requires a coordinated approach to come up with effective solutions.

    The UK will continue to be at the forefront of multilateral action through the G20, the Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD) and the EU to reform the international tax standards to prevent aggressive tax planning by multinationals.

  • Lord West of Spithead – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Lord West of Spithead – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord West of Spithead on 2016-03-16.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether there is sufficient funding in the navy budget to enable full manning, provision of spares and logistics support, and the appropriate training necessary for the new ships, aircraft and equipment being delivered to the Royal Navy in the next five years.

    Earl Howe

    As set out in the Strategic Defence and Security Review, Spending Review 2015 provided the investment necessary to deliver the most modern navy in the world. This programme has sufficient funding in the budget to enable full manning, provision of spares and logistics support, and appropriate training for the next five years.

  • Nia Griffith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Wales Office

    Nia Griffith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Wales Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nia Griffith on 2016-04-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, when he plans to publish the draft Wales Bill.

    Alun Cairns

    On 29 February, my predecessor announced the Government’s intention to introduce the Wales Bill early in the second session.

  • Stephen Timms – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Stephen Timms – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2016-05-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many UK nationals have been on the staff of the European Court of Auditors in each year since 2010.

    Mr David Lidington

    The European Court of Auditors (ECA) does not publish figures relating to its staff numbers and nationality. According to our own internal records, the following number of UK nationals have been on the staff of the ECA since 2010:
    2010: 51
    2011: 50
    2012: No records held
    2013: 50
    2014: 50
    2015: 49
    2016: 50

  • Tom Watson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Tom Watson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Watson on 2016-07-18.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many extended Ministerial offices have been shut down since 13 July 2016.

    Ben Gummer

    There have been a number of Ministerial and government appointments announced recently. Administrative support for those appointments has yet to be concluded.

  • David Winnick – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    David Winnick – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Winnick on 2016-10-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, for what reasons the hon. Member for Walsall North did not receive a written response to his letter of 25 May 2016 on a constituent’s concern about personal independence payments, ref NM580509C/PIP 10531938/101; when a reply will be received to that letter and the follow-up letter of 3 October 2016; and for what reasons those delays occurred.

    Penny Mordaunt

    The Department for Work and Pensions apologises for any delay in responding. We have been investigating the issues raised in your Parliamentary Question but unfortunately there is no trace of your stated correspondence within the department. Therefore we are unable to respond at this time. The department requests that the honourable gentleman for Walsall North sends in duplicate copies, to enable the department to understand the content, investigate further and provide an appropriate response.

  • Greg Knight – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Greg Knight – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Greg Knight on 2015-10-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the level of democratic oversight of road safety partnerships; and if he will make a statement.

    Andrew Jones

    None. This is a matter for the partnerships concerned.