Category: Speeches

Victoria Borwick – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Victoria Borwick on 2016-02-24.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to support disabled people affected by the changes to employment and support allowance work-related activity group.

Priti Patel

We are providing new funding for additional practical support for claimants with limited capability for work from April 2017, when the removal of the work-related activity component will come into effect, rising from £60 million in 2017/18 to £100 million a year in 2020/21.

In addition to this, we also plan to provide additional funding of £15 million in 2017/18 to increase the local Jobcentre Flexible Support Fund.

01/01/2023
Chris Evans – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Evans on 2016-03-21.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will bring forward legislative proposals to ban the sale of puppies under eight weeks old; and if she will make a statement.

George Eustice

We are reviewing certain local authority licensing schemes, including the breeding and selling of dogs. The public consultation on this issue closed on 12 March. The consultation proposed that anyone in the business of breeding and selling dogs, or who breeds more than two litters in a twelve month period, would need a licence.

We also proposed to prohibit the sale of puppies under eight weeks of age in all cases. We are currently analysing the 1,500 or so responses before making any firm decisions.

01/01/2023
Alex Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alex Cunningham on 2016-04-19.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the current average waiting time is for the completion of pre-employment checks by the Disclosure and Barring Service involving (a) Cleveland Police and (b) the Metropolitan Police Service.

Karen Bradley

Performance data for the Disclosure and Barring Service for March 2016 indicates that average processing time for DBS applications was 14.8 days. Certificates dispatched to applicants by the DBS in March 2016 involving (a) Cleveland Police and (b) the Metropolitan Police Service took an average of (a) 24 days and (b) 122 days.

Protecting the public is a priority for this Government and it is important that checks undertaken are thorough; a proportion of the applications received by the DBS must be referred to one or more police forces as part of the enhanced disclosure process. In the vast majority of cases these checks are completed within target. The DBS is working closely with the small number of forces, including the MPS, whose performance does not meet turnaround time targets. The performance of police disclosure units is an operational issue for individual police forces and the MPS has established a Gold Group to oversee the recovery plan which they have in place to reduce the time taken. I have made clear to the MPS that its current delays must be addressed as a matter of priority and I continue to maintain close oversight of the progress being made.

01/01/2023
FALSE – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by FALSE on 2016-05-25.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what consultations have taken place between the Home Office and other relevant government agencies with reference to the 2015 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting communiqué in which Heads recalled the importance to the people of the Commonwealth for legitimate and temporary reasons in order to benefit from stronger economic

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

The Home Office regularly consults with other Government departments and agencies about all aspects of the UK immigration system including with regard to those visiting the UK from the Commonwealth.

The UK continues to contribute to the Commonwealth Secretariat led group looking at the movement of Commonwealth citizens and how that can be improved taking due regard to the requirement in the Communiqué that the actions should “not conflict with national legislation and international obligations.”

01/01/2023
Gloria De Piero – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gloria De Piero on 2016-07-21.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when she plans to introduce the national funding formula for schools in England; and what plans she has for how that formula will be implemented.

Nick Gibb

We recently announced that the new national funding formulae for schools and high needs will apply from 2018-19. We are determined to introduce this landmark reform and to get it right. It is important that there is wide and full consultation with schools and the education sector. We will bring forward proposals for full consultation in the autumn and we will work closely with the education sector over the coming months to understand their views and priorities for the national funding formula.

The written Ministerial statement from the Secretary of State for Education is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/schools-funding

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01/01/2023
David Simpson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Simpson on 2016-10-07.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what research her Department has undertaken or assessment on links between the use of technology and (a) human behaviour and (b) productivity.

Matt Hancock

DCMS commissioned the UK Broadband Impact Study from SQW consultants, formerly known as Segal Quince Wicksteed, in 2013, which examined the impact of broadband rollout on the UK economy. The Link can be found here https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/257006/UK_Broadband_Impact_Study_-_Impact_Report_-_Nov_2013_-_Final.pdf

01/01/2023
Lord Alton of Liverpool – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool on 2015-10-27.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the answer by Baroness Anelay of St Johns on 22 October (HL Deb, GC53–4), what response they have received from the government of Bangladesh following the representations they have made about the murder of secularists and upholding rights of freedom of belief set out in Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

The Government has been unequivocal in its condemnation of the murder of four secular bloggers in Bangladesh this year, and in calling for the Government of Bangladesh to protect those who face threats to their lives because of the views they have expressed. The Bangladesh authorities continue their investigations to find the perpetrators and a number of arrests have been made. The UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief, Heiner Bielefeldt, visited Bangladesh from 31 August to 9 September. We look forward to his report at the UN Human Rights Council in March 2016 and we will encourage the government to consider all its recommendations carefully.

01/01/2023
Iain Stewart – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Iain Stewart on 2015-11-24.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what contribution the Road Investment Strategy has made to increasing the housing supply.

Andrew Jones

The Road Investment Strategy (RIS), announced in December 2014, is the biggest upgrade to England’s motorways and major ‘A’ roads in a generation. As part of the RIS, a new £100 million fund dedicated to Growth and Housing was announced. This allows Highways England to help accelerate the progress of key housing and mixed-use sites that have secured planning consent but are not progressing due to the strategic road infrastructure improvements they require.

In addition, many of the major schemes announced in the RIS support economic and housing growth. These include the A5-M1 Link Road, a new Junction 10a on the A14 at Kettering and the A14 Cambridge to Huntingdon scheme. Together, these two A14 schemes support delivery of over 20,000 homes.

01/01/2023

Andrew Gwynne – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Gwynne on 2016-01-06.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many portions of milk have been reimbursed by his Department under the nursery milk scheme in each month of the last 10 years.

Jane Ellison

The Nursery Milk Scheme allows for the reimbursement of the cost of providing portions of one-third of a pint of milk per day to children under the age of five attending childminders or private and local authority nurseries for at least two hours a day. The Scheme covers England, Scotland and Wales; Northern Ireland has its own arrangements. The Department holds information relating to the number of portions of milk reimbursed in respect of claims from eligible settings in Great Britain since January 2009 and this information is in the following table.

Date	Total Portions (1/3 pints) Claimed
January 2009	18,123,707
February 2009	17,637,807
March 2009	21,558,309
April 2009	17,371,970
May 2009	16,221,249
June 2009	13,432,093
July 2009	15,464,454
August 2009	11,467,147
September 2009	16,389,034
October 2009	20,382,597
November 2009	16,079,212
December 2009	17,391,428
January 2010	15,680,452
February 2010	24,496,820
March 2010	33,011,644
April 2010	22,567,652
May 2010	17,782,066
June 2010	21,798,146
July 2010	21,923,309
August 2010	23,117,196
September 2010	15,810,902
October 2010	20,081,579
November 2010	23,160,564
December 2010	20,662,622
January 2011	23,048,244
February 2011	25,351,169
March 2011	26,415,006
April 2011	22,494,397
May 2011	18,211,857
June 2011	24,807,226
July 2011	24,435,096
August 2011	20,694,290
September 2011	15,889,141
October 2011	20,655,967
November 2011	21,672,552
December 2011	24,047,889
January 2012	23,045,503
February 2012	25,555,512
March 2012	29,047,089
April 2012	26,723,281
May 2012	21,223,680
June 2012	23,990,408
July 2012	23,634,192
August 2012	23,634,192
September 2012	10,813,985
October 2012	18,973,780
November 2012	22,527,849
December 2012	21,635,603
January 2013	20,907,751
February 2013	27,996,321
March 2013	23,764,641
April 2013	23,390,936
May 2013	20,100,589
June 2013	21,982,896
July 2013	23,393,113
August 2013	22,317,209
September 2013	13,218,322
October 2013	22,600,819
November 2013	25,334,664
December 2013	24,340,053
January 2014	20,978,012
February 2014	26,176,219
March 2014	26,673,043
April 2014	22,229,447
May 2014	20,175,242
June 2014	22,182,139
July 2014	26,207,194
August 2014	20,259,095
September 2014	13,121,733
October 2014	22,573,963
November 2014	26,413,799
December 2014	24,221,524
January 2015	24,901,748
February 2015	25,079,913
March 2015	25,432,666
April 2015	25,831,561
May 2015	19,519,236
June 2015	23,815,213
July 2015	27,758,159
August 2015	20,262,151
September 2015	16,068,770
October 2015	25,258,995
November 2015	26,127,900
December 2015	28,076,574

01/01/2023

Daniel Zeichner – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Daniel Zeichner on 2016-01-27.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with which private bus operators his Department has discussed the planned Buses Bill.

Andrew Jones

The Department for Transport held a series of seven bus reform workshops, in five locations (Birmingham, London, Leeds, Manchester and Bristol) in September and October 2015. The workshops were attended by bus operators and other interested stakeholders to share their views on the Buses Bill. We have also had detailed discussions with the Confederation of Passenger Transport (CPT) and the Association of Local Bus Company Managers (ALBUM).

Information about the bus reform workshops including a list of organisations represented have been published by the department. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/bus-reform-workshops-background-information

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01/01/2023