Category: Speeches

  • Chi Onwurah – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Chi Onwurah – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chi Onwurah on 2016-04-21.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessments he has made of the role of libraries in reducing digital exclusion.

    Mr Edward Vaizey

    Libraries play a significant role in supporting digital engagement, by providing computers and WiFi to enable people to access the internet and digital services, as well as offering digital skills training and support.

    Thanks to Government funding, free WiFi is available in 99% of public libraries in England. DCMS and the Leadership for Libraries Taskforce are working with national partners to develop the role of libraries in improving digital engagement. From 1 October 2015 to 31 March 2016, The Tinder Foundation, in partnership with the Taskforce, carried out a Libraries Digital Inclusion Action Research Project. This supported 16 library authorities across England to pilot and assess new approaches to build digital engagement in socially excluded, hard to reach groups. The Foundation published interim findings in February 2016, and a final report is due in this summer that will help inform future digital engagement activity for libraries.

  • Philip Davies – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Philip Davies – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Philip Davies on 2016-06-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what information his Department holds on the proportion of people in the UK (a) who smoke and (b) from other EU member states who smoke.

    Jane Ellison

    The Department considers a range of published statistics relating to smoking prevalence in England. These are drawn together in the Health and Social Care Information Centre report Statistics on Smoking, England, which is available at the link below:

    http://www.hscic.gov.uk/catalogue/PUB20781

    The Integrated Household Survey gives figures for the other United Kingdom countries and is available at the link below:

    http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/dcp171778_418136.pdf

    Information on smoking prevalence in European countries is available from the World Health Organization European Region Tobacco Control Database at the link below:

    http://data.euro.who.int/Tobacco/

    “

  • Daniel Zeichner – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Daniel Zeichner – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Daniel Zeichner on 2016-09-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the reasons are for changes to the level of funding available through the electric vehicle homecharge scheme for householders wishing to install ultra-low emission vehicle charging technology at home.

    Mr John Hayes

    As the market for plug-in vehicles grows we have reduced the level of grant available under the Electric Vehicle Homecharge Scheme reflecting falling costs, so that Government support can be maintained and more motorists can benefit.

  • The Lord Bishop of St Albans – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The Lord Bishop of St Albans – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by The Lord Bishop of St Albans on 2016-10-10.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of Pakistan about the imminent appeal hearing for Asia Bibi at the Pakistani Supreme Court on the charge of blasphemy.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    On 13 October the Supreme Court in Pakistan postponed Ms Asia Bibi’s appeal hearing indefinitely. I remain concerned about Ms Bibi and continue to follow developments in her case closely. We raise regularly our concerns about misuse of the blasphemy laws with the Pakistani Government, and continue to urge Pakistan to adhere to its international obligations and uphold the rule of law. During his visit to Pakistan in March, the former Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond), made clear our concerns about minority communities and misuse of the blasphemy laws.

    The UK supported the EU statement of October 2014 following the decision of the Lahore High Court to uphold the conviction of Ms Bibi. We will continue to work with our EU and other international partners to ensure our views are made clear to the Pakistani authorities.

  • Christopher Chope – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Christopher Chope – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Christopher Chope on 2015-10-29.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 21 October 2015 to Question 12248, what the gross cost to the Planning Inspectorate was of the examination into the planning consent application for the Navitus Bay Wind Park; and how much of that cost was paid by Navitus Bay Development Ltd.

    James Wharton

    The gross cost to the Planning Inspectorate of the examination into the planning consent application for the Navitus Bay Wind Park was £995,660. Navitus Bay Development Ltd paid £565,660 of those costs.

  • Sadiq Khan – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Sadiq Khan – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sadiq Khan on 2015-11-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many assaults there have been on staff working for (a) London Underground, (b) London Overground, (c) London buses, (d) Docklands Light Railway and (e) Tramlink in each year between 2010 and 2014.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    The Department for Transport does not collect this information.

    However, I am able to say that the British Transport Police will shortly be launching Project Servator, which aims to detect and deter crime on the railways. It deploys highly visible and unpredictable police patrols to prevent a range of criminal activity, from pickpocketing and theft to more serious crimes including terrorism.

  • Rushanara Ali – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Rushanara Ali – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rushanara Ali on 2016-01-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, how much funding her Department received from the International Climate Fund in (a) 2012, (b) 2013, (c) 2014 and (d) 2015.

    Andrea Leadsom

    The Department of Energy and Climate Change was allocated the following annual budgets as its share of the International Climate Fund:

    2011/12 = £140m

    2012/13 = £240m

    2013/14 = £400m

    2014/15 = £220m

    2015/16 = £329m

  • Paul Blomfield – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Paul Blomfield – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Blomfield on 2016-01-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the effect of the £35,000 minimum income threshold on the numbers of migrant workers in the adult social care workforce who will be eligible to stay in the UK from April 2016 onwards.

    Alistair Burt

    Skills for Care, the partner in the sector skills council for social care, in England, collects information on the adult social care workforce in England.

    Skills for Care estimates show that between 1,500 and 2,500 migrant workers in adult social care regulated professional roles may not have an income sufficient for settlement. However, the vast majority of these roles are registered nurses who are exempt from the requirement to earn £35,000 whilst the role is or has been on the shortage occupation list.

  • Grahame Morris – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Grahame Morris – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Grahame Morris on 2016-02-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps he has taken to ensure that local authorities meet their obligation under the National Planning Policy Framework to meet the housing needs of disabled people requiring wheelchair accessible homes.

    Brandon Lewis

    Local authorities are best placed to understand the housing needs in their area. We expect them to work closely with key partners and their local communities in deciding what type of housing is needed.

    National policy sets out clearly the need for local authorities to plan for the housing needs of all members of the community and that planning should encourage accessibility. The introduction of optional requirements for accessibility in the Building Regulations provides local authorities with the tools needed to ensure that new homes are accessible and that in particular the needs of disabled people are met.

    Local authorities are held accountable for their housing delivery via their Local Plans which are tested by local independent planning inspectors and are scrutinised via yearly Authority Monitoring reports which set out progress on delivery against Local Plan targets. In addition local authorities must determine individual decisions in line with the development plan and other material considerations, such as the National Planning Policy Framework and having regard to viability considerations.

  • Philip Davies – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Philip Davies – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Philip Davies on 2016-03-22.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, if she will seek evidence from (a) the NUM, (b) Unite, (c) Hargreaves Services plc, (d) Banks Mining, (e) Celtic Energy and (f) Miller Agent in her Department’s consultation on the future of coal-fired power stations; and if she will make a statement.

    Andrea Leadsom

    All interested parties including the NUM, Unite, Hargreaves Services plc, Banks Mining, Celtic Energy and Miller Agent are encouraged to engage and respond to the consultation.