Category: Speeches

  • Stephen Timms – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Stephen Timms – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2016-02-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 26 January 2016 to Question 23063, on universal credit, if he will ensure that each notification will also state the claimant’s expected change in entitlement.

    Priti Patel

    Universal Credit entitlement is determined in arrears at the end of the assessment period. For that reason claimants are informed about their change in entitlements separately to the notification.

  • Lord Browne of Belmont – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Lord Browne of Belmont – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Browne of Belmont on 2016-02-25.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what has been the average cost to the public purse of a parliamentary by-election since 2010.

    Lord Bridges of Headley

    The average (mean) cost to the public purse of a Parliamentary by-election since 2010 is £228,964. This comprises two main elements: the costs incurred by Returning Officers in running the poll; and the cost of delivering election mailings produced by candidates. The costs of running the three most recent by-elections, for which the Returning Officer’s expenses have not yet been settled, have not been factored into this average figure.

  • Julie Cooper – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Julie Cooper – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Julie Cooper on 2016-03-21.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, with reference to the proposed closure of Calderstones Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, what plans the Government has for relocating medium security patients under the care of that trust.

    Alistair Burt

    These are matters for the National Health Service.

    It is for the local NHS, in conjunction with NHS England as specialised commissioners, to effect change.

    We are advised by NHS England that following authorisation as a foundation trust, Mersey Care NHS Trust intends to acquire Calderstones.

    We expect consideration of patients’ interests to be paramount. The re-provision of care will be considered on a case by case basis and we expect patients and their families to be supported throughout the transition process.

  • Dawn Butler – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Dawn Butler – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dawn Butler on 2016-04-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to promote habilitation training.

    Alistair Burt

    In 2013, Blind Children UK, previously the National Blind Children’s Society, received funding through the Department’s Voluntary Sector Investment Programme (Innovation, Excellence and Strategic Development Fund) for their three year project `Children and Young People’s Habilitation Service’.

    At a national level, the Department for Education has funded a partnership of charities through the National Sensory Impairment Partnership to help local authorities to compare their services, learn from the best in the country and make sure that services for blind children and their families (as well as those with other sensory impairments) are effective and meet local needs.

    My Department will consider with the Department for Education, which has responsibility for children’s social care, and where appropriate, with training and regulatory bodies, how we can highlight the value of habilitation workers.

  • Nigel Dodds – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    Nigel Dodds – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nigel Dodds on 2016-06-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what recent discussions she has had with the Police Service of Northern Ireland on financial resources and increasing levels of recruitment.

    Mrs Theresa Villiers

    PSNI’s main grant budget is provided through the block grant and is a matter for the Northern Ireland Department of Justice. Recruitment is an operational matter for the Chief Constable.

    The UK Government has provided the resources PSNI asked for to tackle the terrorist threat: £231million in Additional Security Funding between 2011 and 2016, and £160 million over this spending round.

    This is a significant funding package and is part of this Government’s commitment to tackling the terrorist threat and supporting the PSNI. As the Government’s Northern Ireland manifesto at the General Election made clear, we will always give our fullest possible support to the brave men and women of the PSNI who do such excellent work protecting the community.

  • Lisa Nandy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

    Lisa Nandy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lisa Nandy on 2016-09-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment his Department has made of the effects of recent changes in the value of the pound on the cost to the UK of electricity and gas imports.

    Jesse Norman

    The Department has not made an assessment of the recent changes in the value of the pound on cost to the UK of electricity and gas imports.

    Exchange rates are only one of the factors which influence the cost of electricity and gas imports.

    Market gas prices are also impacted by the availability and cost of a range of gas supplies, both regional and global, infrastructure constraints and global and regional demand. The cost of importing electricity to the UK through its interconnectors with other European countries is also influenced by the electricity generation mix in Europe and gas, coal and carbon prices and level of electricity demand in the UK and other European countries.

  • Jess Phillips – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Jess Phillips – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jess Phillips on 2016-10-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate she has made of the number of supply teachers working in schools.

    Nick Gibb

    The data requested is not available.

    Supply teachers play a valuable role in helping schools to address their teacher deployment needs. It is for individual head teachers to determine when it is appropriate to use a supply teacher.

  • Robert Jenrick – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Robert Jenrick – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Robert Jenrick on 2015-11-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many secondary school aged pupils living in the Newark area travel out of that area to attend secondary schools in (a) Tuxford, (b) Southwell, (c) Bingham, (d) Nottingham and (e) Lincolnshire.

    Nick Gibb

    The Department for Education publishes figures for the number of pupils who attend school in a local authority separate to that in which they reside. This information can be found at GOV.UK[1].

    The department does not, however, hold data on the movements of pupils between areas smaller than local authorities.

    Movements of pupils are a factor when considering the availability of school places.

    [1] https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/schools-pupils-and-their-characteristics-january-2015 – the cross border movement matrix tables have figures for each combination of home and school local authority.

    “

  • Paul Blomfield – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Paul Blomfield – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Blomfield on 2015-12-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what plans she has for her Department’s Future Fit Programme in each year between 2015-16 and 2019-20.

    Mr Nick Hurd

    The Future Fit initiative (2013-15) was an internal process to shape DFID’s response to climate change and resource scarcity in its development investments. Building on the lessons learnt through Future Fit, as set out in the new ODA strategy for the 2015 Spending Review DFID will have a greater focus on climate-smart development – particularly through investments in infrastructure, agriculture, cities, water and sanitation and health.

    Through the International Climate Fund to date, the UK has helped over 15 million people cope with the effects of climate change and given 2.6 million people access to clean energy. The Prime Minister recently announced that over the next five years the UK’s climate funding will increase by at least 50%.

  • Richard Burden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Richard Burden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2016-01-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, for what reasons the Government has not given financial and other support to British Airways’ Green Sky project; and what assessment his Department has made of the effect of the potential cancellation of that project on the aviation industry’s sustainable aviation agenda.

    Andrew Jones

    The Government recognises the strategic importance of supporting sustainable aviation fuels in order to reduce carbon emissions in the aviation sector, and drive the development of an advanced biofuels industry in the UK. Waste-derived fuels, such as those that the GreenSky project aim to produce, hold real potential for UK growth and jobs, as well as for our energy security and balance of payments.

    The GreenSky project was eligible to enter the Department’s recent Advanced Biofuel Demonstration Competition which has provided £25m of financial support to help develop sustainable biofuels. The competition attracted a wide range of strong proposals and following a thorough assessment process the GreenSky bid was unsuccessful.

    I have met with British Airways to discuss the GreenSky project. We will continue regular contact as British Airways pursue this excellent initiative to develop waste-derived jet fuel.

    The Transport Energy Taskforce, made up of a broad range of expert stakeholders, including British Airways, made recommendations last year, including making aviation biofuels eligible for rewards under the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation. We intend to include proposals on this in a public consultation this year.