Category: Speeches

  • Dan Jarvis – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Women and Equalities

    Dan Jarvis – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Women and Equalities

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dan Jarvis on 2016-01-28.

    To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what the Government’s timetable is for introducing measures to implement a gender pay gap reporting among (a) public sector, (b) private sector and (c) voluntary sector employees.

    Caroline Dinenage

    Eliminating the gender pay gap is a key priority for this government. We will shortly seek views on the draft regulations requiring large private and voluntary sector employers in Great Britain to publish information about differences in the pay and bonuses paid to male and female employees. The government wants to commence these regulations at the earliest opportunity. We have also pledged to extend these requirements to the public sector. Public bodies will be covered by different regulations, following a further consultation that we will issue soon.

  • Emily Thornberry – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Emily Thornberry – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Emily Thornberry on 2016-02-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many people in receipt of a war disablement pension are also in receipt of the (a) age-related tax allowance, (b) allowance for lowered standard of occupation and (c) unemployability supplement.

    Mark Lancaster

    The Ministry of Defence does not hold information on how many people in receipt of a War Pension are also in receipt of the age-related tax allowance, as this is administered by Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs. However, as at 31 March 2015 (the latest date information is available) there were 41,470* disablement pensioners born before 6 April 1938 who may meet the eligibility criteria to receive age-related tax allowance.

    As at 31 March 2015 (the latest date information is available) there were 116,050 disablement pensioners in receipt of an ongoing pension under the War Pension Scheme. Of these, 10,195 were in receipt of an allowance for lowered standard of occupation, and 6,250 were in receipt of unemployability supplement. All payments made under the War Pension Scheme are tax free.

    These figures can be found on the Gov.uk website at the following link:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/war-pension-recipients-index

    * In line with Defence Statistics’ Rounding Policy for War Pension Scheme data, all figures of five or more have been rounded to the nearest five.

  • Jeffrey M. Donaldson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Jeffrey M. Donaldson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jeffrey M. Donaldson on 2016-03-22.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what funding he plans to allocate to the Royal Irish Aftercare Service in the next financial year.

    Mr Julian Brazier

    The Ulster Defence Regiment and The Royal Irish Regiment (Home Service) Aftercare Service provides a vital service to support all veterans and dependants of those Regiments as well as sick and wounded personnel who leave the Armed Forces and wish to settle in Northern Ireland. Around £900,000 has been allocated to deliver this service in financial year 2016-17. Looking ahead as part of our commitment to deliver the most effective and efficient services to our veterans the Ministry of Defence is considering integrating the Aftercare Service into the MOD’s broader veterans welfare organisation, Veterans UK.

  • Jon Trickett – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Jon Trickett – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jon Trickett on 2016-04-21.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will bring forward proposals to introduce a national heart condition screening programme using a minor non-intrusive test for all young people between the ages of 14 to 35.

    Jane Ellison

    The UK National Screening Committee reviewed the evidence for screening for the major causes of sudden cardiac death in young people between the ages of 12 to 39 in 2015 and recommended that screening should not be offered. The Committee is scheduled to review the evidence again in 2018-19, and will only consider bringing this forward if significant new peer reviewed evidence emerges.

  • Ms Diane Abbott – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Ms Diane Abbott – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ms Diane Abbott on 2016-06-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, whether the Government will be allocating official development assistance to Sri Lanka in response to the appeal by the Sri Lankan government for international finance for reconstruction following the floods in that country.

    Justine Greening

    The UK provides funding to the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF), which was established by the UN and other leading donors to enable rapid emergency response. The CERF is doing an assessment of the situation following the rainfall and landslips in Sri Lanka.

  • John Mann – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    John Mann – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Mann on 2016-09-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many partnerships have been adversely affected by section 75 employer debt in pension funds; how many such partnerships have been (a) converted to limited liability and (b) declared insolvent; and what advice his Department has provided to partnerships facing potential section 75 employer debts.

    Richard Harrington

    We do not have any information about numbers of employers who may be liable for a section 75 debt. This is a matter between the employer and the scheme.

    The Department does not provide advice to any employers about potential section 75 debts. The Pensions Regulator provides a range of information and guidance on all matters related to pensions scheme funding. However, employers or former employers should take their own professional and legal advice about their liabilities.

  • Kerry McCarthy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Attorney General

    Kerry McCarthy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Attorney General

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kerry McCarthy on 2016-10-10.

    To ask the Attorney General, how many people were (a) prosecuted for and (b) convicted of offences under the Deer Act 1991 in 2015; and if he will make a statement.

    Robert Buckland

    The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) does not maintain a central record of the number of people who have been charged with, and prosecuted for, offences brought by way of the Deer Act 1991. This information could only be obtained by examining CPS case files, which would incur disproportionate cost.

    Although it is not possible to identify the number of people charged with particular offences, records are held showing the overall number of offences in which a prosecution commenced in the magistrates’ courts. The table below shows the number of offences, rather than defendants, charged by way of the Deer Act 1991 during 2015. A single defendant may be charged with more than one offence.

    2015

    Deer Act 1991

    20

    Data Source: CPS Case Management Information System

    “

  • Richard Burden – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Richard Burden – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2015-11-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Statement of 10 November 2015, HCWS301, (a) how many Volkswagon vehicles have been retested to date, (b) how many such vehicles he expects to be retested and (c) what the findings were of the retest in relation to discrepancies in (i) nitrogen oxide and (ii) carbon dioxide emission figures; what recent estimate he has made of the cost of the retest programme; and if he will make a statement.

    Andrew Jones

    Two Skoda vehicles (from the Volkswagen Group), of a type identified by the manufacturer as having defeat devices fitted, have been tested. These tests were to determine the potential for a wider test programme to identify the presence of a defeat device.

    We are not planning to retest any further Volkswagen group vehicles that are known to have defeat devices fitted but the Vehicle Certification Agency will test vehicles presented by Skoda (and at Skoda’s expense) to verify that the technical solution proposed ensures that the affected vehicles operate in accordance with the regulatory requirements.

    We do not have firm numbers for these preliminary tests in relation to nitrogen oxide and carbon dioxide as they were not designed to provide absolute measurement, but to validate a test procedure for the wider programme.

    We have approved a budget of £675,000 from public funds to ensure that this important work can proceed. However, we have agreed with ministers in Germany and in France that we will collaborate to avoid duplication of testing and secure best value for the taxpayer.

  • Maria Eagle – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Maria Eagle – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Maria Eagle on 2015-11-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to page 33 of the Strategic Defence and Security Review 2015, what estimate he has made of how many serving members in each branch of the armed forces are likely to be affected by the new pay model for members of the armed forces.

    Penny Mordaunt

    We will provide further updates on Armed Forces Pay Reform in 2016.

  • Karl McCartney – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Women and Equalities

    Karl McCartney – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Women and Equalities

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Karl McCartney on 2016-01-11.

    To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what steps the Government is taking to reduce the number of men who die as a result of suicide.

    Caroline Dinenage

    Every death by suicide is a tragedy. That is why we asked local areas to support an ambition to work towards ‘zero suicides’.

    We will continue to drive the implementation of the National Suicide Prevention Strategy to address the rise in suicides, focusing on high risk groups such as men.

    The Department of Health is working with partner organisations to look at ways of strengthening the National Strategy.