Category: Speeches

  • Jim Shannon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Jim Shannon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-04-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent steps she has taken to prevent the growing of cannabis.

    Karen Bradley

    Growing cannabis, whether for personal use or organised supply, is illegal and those who do so can face significant jail sentences.

    The investigation and prevention of illegal cannabis cultivation is an operational matter for the police. The police use proactive operations and seizures to target dealers and the organised gangs behind illegal cannabis farms and promoting cooperation with all partners including the fire service, energy companies and the property sector.

    They are also working to continually improve their knowledge and understanding of the trade through activity-led intelligence gathering.

  • Liz McInnes – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Liz McInnes – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Liz McInnes on 2016-05-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what account his Department is taking of the substance of responses to Question 11 in the Government’s consultation on the future of the BBC published in July 2015, which are set out in Annex 7 of its White Paper, A BBC for the future: a broadcaster of distinction, published in May 2016, in formulating its policy on paying for access to BBC iPlayer services.

    Mr Edward Vaizey

    Responses to all questions in the BBC Charter Review public consultation were analysed and the results published in a Summary of Responses document in April. This document set out the strong support for the continued provision of the licence fee from consultation respondents, as well as significant support for reform or modernisation. On the basis of this, and wider consultation with stakeholders, the government has committed to modernise the licence fee to include BBC on-demand programmes.

  • John Pugh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    John Pugh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Pugh on 2016-06-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the cost benefit ratio was of each major railway scheme authorised by the Government since 2010.

    Claire Perry

    Benefit Cost Ratios are calculated at many points in time during the lifecycle of a project including to inform a number of specific decision points. Due to changes in appraisal guidance benefit cost ratios calculated at different points in time may not be directly comparable.

    The benefit cost ratios for major rail projects with a value over £1bn and currently in delivery are set out in the table. These are based on the BCR at final business case stage or more recently published information where available. The benefit cost ratio of these and other rail schemes will have changed since these assessments were undertaken.

    Scheme

    Benefit Cost Ratio (excluding Wider Economic Impacts)

    Date of Appraisal

    Crossrail

    1.97

    Jul-11

    IEP

    2.7

    Jan-12

    Thameslink

    1.42

    Mar-13
  • Hilary Benn – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Hilary Benn – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Hilary Benn on 2016-09-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to ensure that people with learning disabilities who have been sectioned have accessible information about their rights.

    David Mowat

    The Department commissioned some resources for people with learning disabilities to support the revised Mental Health Act Code of Practice to explain the Mental Health Act and people’s rights within it. This included a number of easy read factsheets which stated the type of information that should be provided when someone is sectioned. This includes what health professionals should and should not do, and what a person’s rights and choices are in this situation. The fact sheets are available at:

    http://www.nhs.uk/NHSEngland/AboutNHSservices/mental-health-services-explained/Pages/easy-read-mental-health-act.aspx

    “

  • Steve McCabe – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Steve McCabe – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2016-10-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 12 September 2016 to Question 44304, what information her Department holds on the number of language graduates who have entered the teaching profession in each of the last six years.

    Nick Gibb

    The information is not held in the format requested.

    Table 6a of the Initial Teacher Training Performance Profiles details the employment outcomes within six months of being awarded Qualified Teacher Status of those who were trained to teach modern and ancient foreign languages. This includes employment in all sectors: state, independent and sector not known.

    The data is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/initial-teacher-training-performance-profiles-2014-to-2015

    “

  • Catherine McKinnell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Catherine McKinnell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Catherine McKinnell on 2015-11-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to paragraph 8.1 of Transparency in Supply Chains etc: A practical guide, published by her Department on 29 October 2015, if she will provide a central database of slavery and human trafficking statements published by each organisation.

    Karen Bradley

    We are aware of a number of different proposals to create a central depository or database outside of government. Our priority is to ensure that the best possible platform is established.

  • Ian C. Lucas – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Ian C. Lucas – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian C. Lucas on 2015-12-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate his Department has made of the number of passengers using Manchester Airport in (a) 2015, (b) 2020 and (c) 2025.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    The last aviation forecasts made by the Department for Transport were produced in January 2013. These gave the following forecasts of passengers using Manchester Airport for the central demand case:

    (a) 2015 : 19.5 million

    (b) 2020 : 22.1 million

    (c) 2025 : 25.0 million

  • Tulip Siddiq – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Tulip Siddiq – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tulip Siddiq on 2016-01-19.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many and what proportion of ministerial letters have been signed on behalf of Ministers in their absence in the last 12 months.

    Matthew Hancock

    This information is not held and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

    In line with the guidance on handling Ministerial correspondence, the Cabinet Office ensures that all correspondence, wherever possible, is personally hand-signed by the appropriate responsible Minister.

    Guidance to Departments on handling correspondence is available on Gov.uk – https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/441892/Cabinet_Office_Guidance_on_correspondence.pdf

    “

  • Julian Sturdy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Julian Sturdy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Julian Sturdy on 2016-02-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the strength of diplomatic and economic relations between India and the UK.

    Mr Philip Hammond

    As, respectively, the world’s oldest and largest democracies, the United Kingdom and India have a strong friendship, which Prime Minister Modi’s visit has enhanced. We continue to work together to strengthen our defence and security partnership and expand trade and investment.

  • Baroness Scott of Needham Market – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Baroness Scott of Needham Market – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Scott of Needham Market on 2016-03-02.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government when they intend to publish their response to the consultation on extending the role of the Local Government Ombudsman to larger parish councils.

    Baroness Williams of Trafford

    We are considering the extension of the jurisdiction of the Local Government Ombudsman to larger parish and town councils in the context of the establishment of a single Public Service Ombudsman. It is our intention in the coming months to publish draft legislation making provision for a Public Service Ombudsman, including their jurisdiction, and accordingly we envisage indicating the Government’s response to the consultation when that draft legislation is published.