Category: Speeches

  • Lord Taylor of Warwick – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Lord Taylor of Warwick – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Taylor of Warwick on 2016-07-07.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to strengthen the British pound in the light of the result of the referendum on the UK’s membership of the EU.

    Lord O’Neill of Gatley

    The UK does not have an exchange rate target. The UK’s monetary policy framework gives operational responsibility for monetary policy to the independent Monetary Policy Committee (MPC). The MPC has the primary objective of maintaining price stability, defined as an inflation target of 2 per cent as measured by the twelve month increase in the Consumer Prices Index. Under the Government’s macroeconomic framework, the exchange rate is allowed to adjust flexibly, and movements in sterling are determined by market forces.

    Action by the government and the Bank of England over the last six years has substantially strengthened the resilience of the financial system. The contingency plans that the Treasury, Bank and Financial Conduct Authority put in place prior to the referendum have proved effective to date, and we will continue to monitor financial markets closely.

  • Baroness Quin – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Baroness Quin – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Quin on 2016-10-03.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they intend to hold meetings with representatives of the audio-visual industry about the effects of the UK leaving the EU; and if so, which government departments will be involved in such meetings.

    Lord Ashton of Hyde

    The Government is determined to ensure the UK audio-visual industry thrives outside of the EU. The Secretary of State held a roundtable with key stakeholders to discuss implications for the industry, and over the coming weeks and months government will be engaging in further discussions with the businesses and key stakeholders.

  • Luciana Berger – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Luciana Berger – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Luciana Berger on 2015-11-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will respond to the Cabinet Office funded report relating to early deaths among people with mental health problems.

    Alistair Burt

    We know that people with severe mental illness can die 15-20 years earlier than the general population and that for too long this particular health inequality has had insufficient attention paid to it. We have committed NHS England through the NHS Mandate to take action to reduce premature death for people with mental illness. We are also investing more than ever before in mental health services, we have put into legislation that mental health should have equal priority to physical health and we are improving access to services by implementing the first ever waiting times for mental health services.

    We will consider the findings of the report and respond in due course.

  • Jim Cunningham – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Jim Cunningham – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2015-12-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what forecast his Department has made of how much it will spend on the starter homes fund in the next financial year; and if he will make a statement.

    Brandon Lewis

    The Spending Review announced £2.3 billion would be made available to support the delivery of Starter Homes over the Spending Review period. Further details about the use of this funding will be announced shortly.

  • Baroness King of Bow – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Baroness King of Bow – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness King of Bow on 2016-01-21.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many people in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets currently receive Universal Credit.

    Lord Freud

    The latest published statistics show that, as at December 2015, there were 1,409 Universal Credit claimants in Tower Hamlets.

  • Lord Rowlands – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Lord Rowlands – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Rowlands on 2016-02-10.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what information they have on how many European Arrest Warrants were sought by individual member states in 2015, and how many were executed.

    Lord Bates

    Figures for 2015 calendar year are not yet available. They will be released by the National Crime Agency when they have been verified later in the year. Figures for previous years are publically available at the National Crime Agency’s website at: http://www.nationalcrimeagency.gov.uk/publications/european-arrest-warrant-statistics

  • Lord Jones of Cheltenham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Lord Jones of Cheltenham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Jones of Cheltenham on 2016-03-07.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Altmann on 2 March (HL6343), why Canada was excluded from the list of countries in Annex A, and what figure for the number of people in Canada in receipt of a frozen UK state pension should have been included.

    Baroness Altmann

    The information requested can be found at page 2 of Annex A, at line 5 of the table provided in the answer I gave on 3 March to (HL 6343). I attach that here at Annex A for convenience.

  • Luciana Berger – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Luciana Berger – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Luciana Berger on 2016-04-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, with reference to the principles to underpin reform in the Five Year Forward View for Mental Health report from the Independent Mental Health Taskforce to the NHS in England, published in February 2016, what steps his Department plans to take to integrate care spanning people’s physical, mental and social needs.

    Mr Marcus Jones

    The Spending Review set out an ambitious plan so that health (including mental health) and social care are integrated across the country by 2020. My Department is working closely with the Department of Health and others on delivering this ambition. Every part of the country must have a plan for achieving integration in 2017, implemented by 2020.

    The Government has provided a package of support of up to £3.5 billion to ensure councils are able to support some of their most vulnerable residents. This includes an extra £1.5 billion funding through the improved Better Care Fund, which will continue to bring together funding and services across health and social care to support the provision of integrated care for vulnerable people.

  • Nick Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Nick Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nick Smith on 2016-05-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the annual budget is for food produced for her Department’s offices; and what proportion of food produced for her Department was sourced from British producers in the last period for which figures are available.

    Karen Bradley

    The Home Office does not set a budget for food produced for its offices. Catering services are provided by private companies under contract at Home Office buildings and provided to staff without subsidy. Details of the proportion of food produced for the Home Office that was sourced from British producers could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

  • Chi Onwurah – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Chi Onwurah – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chi Onwurah on 2016-07-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what estimate he has made of the cost to the economy of the (a) UK and (b) North East of the UK leaving the EU and British digital industries therefore being unable to access the Digital Single Market.

    Mr Edward Vaizey

    I refer the hon Member to the answer to her own Parliamentary Question UIN 41682.

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