Category: Speeches

Chloe Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chloe Smith on 2016-05-03.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if she will make an assessment of the implications for her Department’s policies on funding the UN Relief and Works Agency of the use of funding from that agency by a Palestinian NGO to organise a tree-planting ceremony honouring people including Palestinian terrorists.

Mr Desmond Swayne

We have raised this allegation with the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) who have confirmed that UNRWA has no present relationship with the NGO in question, Union of Agriculture Workers Committees (UAWC). In monitoring DFID support for UNRWA, we pay stringent attention to their neutrality policy and values of peace. We maintain a close dialogue with UNRWA on neutrality issues, and we take allegations of incitement very seriously indeed, raising them whenever appropriate.

01/01/2023
Nicholas Soames – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicholas Soames on 2016-06-07.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will commission research into the costs to the NHS of delayed discharges.

Alistair Burt

The Department and NHS Improvement are working together to implement Lord Carter’s recommendations on hospital productivity. As part of this the two organisations are working with providers to develop a richer dataset around all aspects of the patient pathway, including discharge.

At the same time, the Department continues to work closely with the National Health Service and local government to help local areas improve transfers out of hospital, share best practice, and reduce unnecessary delays.

01/01/2023
Rushanara Ali – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rushanara Ali on 2016-09-02.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether the Government was involved in the legal agreement drawn up in 1998 to transfer the estates involved in the Tower Hamlets Housing Action Trust to Old Ford Housing Association.

Gavin Barwell

We do not know whether Government was involved in drafting the legal agreement itself – this could only be determined at disproportionate cost – but the Government was involved in the development of, and preparatory work leading to, the transfer to Old Ford Housing Association.

01/01/2023
Tim Loughton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tim Loughton on 2016-10-13.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, at what (a) ministerial (b) official level the Government will be represented in the next round of the human rights dialogue with the Chinese authorities.

Alok Sharma

I intend to open the UK-China Human Rights Dialogue later this month. As in previous years, the UK delegation will be led by the Director of Asia Pacific Directorate in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

01/01/2023
Baroness Thomas of Winchester – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Thomas of Winchester on 2015-11-20.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the scoring system for the Personal Independence Payment assessment for enhanced rate mobility is compatible with enabling more disabled people to work, particularly in rural areas.

Baroness Altmann

The Government is committed to giving all disabled people the opportunity to fulfil their potential and achieve their ambitions. Work is an important part of this, which is why the Government has committed to halving the disability employment gap, requiring us to transform policy, practice and public attitudes.

Enhanced rate mobility payments within Personal Independence Payment are intended for those who face the greatest barriers to their mobility. We believe that the assessment criteria, which was designed in close consultation with disabled people and disability groups, achieve this by targeting support to those who need it most.

We currently have no plans to review how the PIP assessment for enhanced rate mobility is working.

Access to Work (ATW) provides practical and financial support with the additional costs faced by individuals whose health or disability affects the way they do their job. The type of support provided is tailored to an individual’s needs and can include travel to work, support workers and specialist aids and equipment.

01/01/2023
Lord Falconer of Thoroton – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Falconer of Thoroton on 2015-11-30.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government which department has overall responsibility for deradicalisation programmes in prisons.

Lord Faulks

Deradicalisation work in prisons forms part of the Government’s Prevent strategy, which is the responsibility of the Home Office. The delivery of this work in England and Wales is the responsibility of the Ministry of Justice, through the National Offender Management Service. In Scotland, responsibility for delivery lies with the Scottish Government, through the Scottish Prison Service.

01/01/2023

Liz Kendall – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Liz Kendall on 2016-01-12.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many people of each gender work in his Department.

Mr Robert Goodwill

The table below provides headcount figures for permanent staff in the Department for Transport including its Executive Agencies at 31 December 2015:

DfT Organisation	Men	Women	Total
DfT Centre	1,248	774	2,022
DVLA	2,416	3,722	6,138
DVSA	3,172	1,300	4,472
MCA	681	347	1,028
VCA	112	43	155
TOTAL	7,629	6,186	13,815

Note that in 2009/10 58.7% of the total DfT staff were male compared to 55.2% as at 31 December 2015.

01/01/2023

Andrew Gwynne – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Gwynne on 2016-02-01.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions (a) he and (b) the Minister for Public Health has had with Ministers in HM Treasury on the fiscal effect of an additional tax on soft drinks containing sugar.

Jane Ellison

There are ongoing discussions between the Department and other Government departments, including HM Treasury, to consider a range of options to reduce sugar consumption.

We will be launching our childhood obesity strategy in due course. It will look at everything, including sugar, that contributes to a child becoming overweight and obese.

01/01/2023
Jo Stevens – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jo Stevens on 2016-02-25.

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the average number of months has been between the tariff expiry date of prisoners (a) with life sentences and (b) imprisoned for public protection and the date of their first release by the Parole Board in each year since 2005.

Andrew Selous

I am unable to provide the data you have requested within the timescales for this parliamentary question. I will write to you in due course with such data as officials can collate from casework systems.

01/01/2023
Catherine West – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Catherine West on 2016-03-24.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what responsibility NHS England has to fund HIV prevention programmes.

Jane Ellison

From 2013, local authorities became responsible for the commissioning of most sexual health services, including the testing and treatment for sexually-transmitted infections and HIV testing and prevention. NHS England is responsible for commissioning of treatment for HIV.

01/01/2023