Category: Speeches

  • David Burrowes – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    David Burrowes – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Burrowes on 2016-02-24.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the uptake of the marriage tax allowance is; what steps he is taking to increase uptake of that allowance; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr David Gauke

    400,000 couples have successfully claimed Marriage Allowance. HM Revenue and Customers is continuing to extensively market Marriage Allowance, including through print, radio and billboard advertising. Eligible couples who haven’t already claimed for the tax year 2015/16 will not lose out as they have until 5 April 2020 to do so.

  • Rosie Cooper – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Rosie Cooper – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rosie Cooper on 2016-03-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether his Department has issued guidance to GP practices on waiting times for patients seeking telephone consultation appointments.

    Alistair Burt

    There is no central guidance to general practitioner (GP) practices on waiting times for telephone consultations.

    GPs can conduct telephone consultations with patients if they feel it is appropriate to do so. This could remove the need for the patient to go on to have a face to face consultation, however, it is for the GP to use his or her clinical judgement to decide if and when a face to face consultation should take place, and for the patient to decide if they wish to attend.

    This Government is committed to improving access to GP consultations and the Prime Minister’s GP Access Fund encourages practices in the schemes to use innovative methods to provide appointments to patients.

  • Jim Shannon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Jim Shannon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-04-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many Russian language (a) speakers, (b) interpreters and (c) translators are employed by his Department; and what steps he is taking to increase the number of such experts working in his Department.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    We have 163 Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) employees with some level of Russian capability, ranging from basic Russian to operational skills (equivalent to degree level) recorded centrally.

    Russian is a priority language for the FCO, and since 2010, we have increased the number of Russian-language speaker positions in our Russian and former Soviet Union Posts by 30% and increased the minimum duration for Russian-language training from 10 to 14 months.

    The FCO does not deploy UK-based staff overseas as translators or interpreters. British Embassy Moscow has one full time locally recruited translator/interpreter position. Our local staff overseas routinely assist with translation as part of their daily work.

  • Kevan Jones – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Kevan Jones – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kevan Jones on 2016-05-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the value was of the salvage expenses deducted by Odyssey Marine Exploration from the Government’s share of the silver recovered from SS Gairsoppa.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    Odyssey Marine Exploration deducted 29,228,972 US Dollars as salvage expenses from the total value of silver bullion recovered from the SS Gairsoppa.

    The question as to whether or not Odyssey Marine Exploration deducted excessive salvage expenses under the contract, which was awarded in January 2010, is disputed between the parties, and would accordingly need to be the subject of legal proceedings in the United Kingdom and possibly also in the United States of America to resolve. This issue is being kept under review.

  • Greg Mulholland – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Greg Mulholland – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Greg Mulholland on 2016-07-21.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 11 July 2016 to Question 41528, what discussions the Civil Service Chief People Officer, Rupert McNeil, has had with permanent secretaries of other government departments on meeting external organisations to discuss meeting temporary or permanent skills and staff needs.

    Ben Gummer

    The Civil Service constantly reviews its capabilities in order to deliver the Government’s agenda. Civil Servants regularly meet with external organisations and stakeholders to discuss how best to deliver that agenda, including seeking advice and assistance where appropriate. Following the decision to exit the European Union, Rupert McNeil, the Chief People Officer, is working closely with departments and functions across government to understand the capabilities required, including considering what new skills the Civil Service may require. To do that, he is in the process of meeting all Departmental Permanent Secretaries and Heads of Function.

    Work is on-going to establish the new Department for Exiting the European Union and the new Department for International Trade and all departments are currently reviewing their own structures and resources to ensure we get the best deal for the whole of Britain.

  • Mark Hendrick – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Mark Hendrick – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Hendrick on 2016-10-07.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many enquiries were made to the Tax Credit Office by each hon. Member on behalf of constituents in (a) July, (b) August and (c) September 2016.

    Jane Ellison

    HM Revenue and Customs does not hold data showing the individual breakdown of enquiries by each hon. Member. The number of enquiries made to the Tax Credit Office by hon. Members on behalf of constituents between July and September 2016 were as follows:

    Telephone Enquiries

    Written Enquiries

    July

    642

    527

    August

    1169

    414

    September

    3172

    1838

    Total

    4983

    2779
  • Baroness Jones of Whitchurch – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Baroness Jones of Whitchurch – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Jones of Whitchurch on 2015-10-28.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the World Health Organization research showing that eating processed meat increases the risk of cancer.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    The World Health Organization published its conclusions on the carcinogenicity of eating red and processed meat on 26 October. The detailed evaluations will be published in the future; until these are available, we cannot assess them in detail.

  • Craig Whittaker – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Craig Whittaker – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Craig Whittaker on 2015-11-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent representations he has received from the government of Argentina on the status of the Falkland Islands.

    Mr Hugo Swire

    I have received no such recent representations from the Argentine government.

  • Maria Eagle – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Maria Eagle – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Maria Eagle on 2015-12-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, from which organisations his Department received bids under its proposal to make the Defence Infrastructure Organisation government-owned contractor-operated.

    Mark Lancaster

    The Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO) has been led by a Strategic Business Partner (SBP) since September 2014. The SBP contract allowed for the Ministry of Defence (MOD) to instruct the incorporation of DIO as a Government-owned company (GovCo), subject to a value for money review.

    I announced the conclusions of the review in my written statement of 10 December 2015 (Official Report, columns 55-56WS). The GovCo model would have been led by the SBP but 100% owned by the Secretary of State for Defence. A GovCo is distinct from a Government-owned contractor-operated organisation (GOCO) which has a different legal construct. The MOD has never proposed for the DIO to become a GOCO.

  • Sadiq Khan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Sadiq Khan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sadiq Khan on 2016-01-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many parcels of NHS land were for sale in each health trust area in London on 1 January 2010.

    George Freeman

    The Department has only collected data on surplus land sales since 2011. Since then the National Health Service has sold 26 London sites. The names of the sites sold are given in the following table. The Department does not hold information about whether or not sites were sold on the open market, or the final sale price. The Department does not hold information centrally about the number of housing units or affordable homes that have been built.

    NHS trust

    Site

    West London Mental Health NHS Trust

    69 Oakley Square

    West London Mental Health NHS Trust

    Gunnersbury Day Hospital

    South West London and St George’s Mental Health NHS Trust

    Henderson Hospital

    West London Mental Health NHS Trust

    Manor Gate Mental Health Resource Centre

    St George’s Healthcare NHS Trust

    Wolfson Medical Rehab Centre

    Camden and Islington NHS Foundation Trust

    St Lukes Hospital

    West London Mental Health NHS Trust

    Broadmoor Hospital Plot 1

    South West London and St George’s Mental Health NHS Trust

    Newland House, Twickenham

    South West London and St George’s Mental Health NHS Trust

    Roselands Resource Centre, New Malden

    West London Mental Health NHS Trust

    St Bernards Wing 1

    Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust

    Upney Lane Health Centre,

    Camden and Islington NHS Foundation Trust

    16a Cleveland Street

    South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust

    78 London Road, Croydon

    Camden and Islington NHS Foundation Trust

    Ashley Road

    North East London NHS Foundation Trust

    Hedgecock Centre 1

    South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust

    Hubert Grove

    South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust

    Lennard Lodge

    North East London NHS Foundation Trust

    Mascalls Park

    West London Mental Health NHS Trust

    Southall/ Norwood Mental Health Resource Centre

    West London Mental Health NHS Trust

    St Bernards Wing 2

    Central and Northwest London NHS Foundation Trust

    17 Paddington Green London

    North East London NHS Foundation Trust

    Stonelea (Langthorne Hospital)

    Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust

    Barnet General Hospital

    Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust

    Coppett’s Wood

    South West London and St Georges Mental Health NHS Trust

    Part Springfield Hospital

    Barts Health NHS Trust

    The London Chest Hospital