Category: Speeches

  • Lord Empey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Lord Empey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Empey on 2016-03-01.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions they have had with the EU, UN, and Interpol with regard to the pursuit of criminal gangs that exploit refugees and migrants in Europe.

    Lord Bates

    The Government takes a system-wide approach to tackling organised immigration crime and we are working with international partners to smash the criminal gangs that are fuelling this terrible trade in people. The UK has been at the forefront of calls in the EU for a robust approach to tackling organised immigration crime, including through Europol and encouraging all Member States to contribute intelligence to its Joint Operations Team Mare initiative.

    In June 2015 the Prime Minister announced the creation of the Organised Immigration Crime Taskforce bringing together officers from the National Crime Agency, Border Force, Immigration Enforcement and the Crown Prosecution Service to exploit every opportunity at source, in transit countries and in Europe to tackle organised crime groups criminal operations. The Taskforce funding was subsequently expanded in November 2015 to increase resources to 100 dedicated officers until 2020. The Taskforce is working with international partners actively sharing intelligence and progressing criminal investigations.

  • Grahame Morris – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Grahame Morris – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Grahame Morris on 2016-04-08.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what representations he has (a) received and (b) made on the introduction or piloting of a system of automatic electoral registration.

    John Penrose

    I have considered a range of proposals from local authorities and civil society organisations that could change how registration is currently delivered. The Government is committed to further modernising and improving electoral registration, building on the successful transition to Individual Electoral Registration (IER). We are keen to explore further possibilities in this area but are concerned there may be tension between some forms of automatic registration and the principles underpinning IER, namely individual responsibility and ownership over registering to vote.

  • Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2016-05-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate she has made of the cost to the public purse of the Troops to Teachers scheme in each year since that scheme began; and if she will make a statement.

    Nick Gibb

    The amount spent on the Troops to Teachers scheme by financial year is listed below:

    Financial years

    Amount spent on the Troops to Teacher scheme

    2013/14

    £1.7m

    2014/15

    £976,000
  • Stephen Timms – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Stephen Timms – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2016-06-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, which Commissioner would make the decision in a case where a multi academy trust operating in one region wished to expand by adding a school in another region.

    Edward Timpson

    The National Schools Commissioner allocates a lead Regional Schools Commissioner (RSC) to Multi Academy Trusts (MATs) and sponsors who are operating across more than one region.

    The lead RSC ‘owns’ the relationship with the MAT, and is responsible for negotiating any strategic decisions, such as expansion, which has an impact on multiple regions.

    Where a MAT wants to operate across more than one region, the lead RSC would meet with the trust and agree to the expansion in principle. The formal decision concerning the individual academy or free school joining the MAT is taken by the RSC for the region in which the school is located. The decision is informed by the lead RSC’s view of the MAT’s capacity and capability.

    For national trusts, that have a relationship with the National School Commissioner, decisions by RSCs about MAT expansion are informed by the views of the National Schools Commissioner who has a national view of the trust’s capacity.

    This information is publicly available and can be found in the RSC decision-making framework on GOV.UK at: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/517565/RSC-Decision-Making-Framework.pdf

    “

  • Natalie McGarry – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Natalie McGarry – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Natalie McGarry on 2016-09-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what recent steps she has taken to increase the participation of people living with disabilities in (a) sports and (c) the arts.

    Tracey Crouch

    Government recognises the importance of sport and physical activity to disabled people who take part at both grassroots and the elite level. Our new sport strategy, ‘Sporting Future: A New Strategy for an Active Nation’, published in December 2015, emphasises the importance of getting people active, particularly those groups currently under-represented, including disabled people.

    Between 2011 and 2017 Sport England is investing over £170 million to get more disabled people playing sport. It published its own strategy for England,Towards an Active Nation on 19 May, which sets out how it intends to deliver against the government’s sport strategy. This includes a specific focus on disabled people who are less likely to regularly take part in physical activity.

    We believe that everyone should have access to arts and culture – having a disability should not be a barrier to enjoying Britain’s awe-inspiring cultural treasures. That is why we are working with venues and organisations representing disabled people to identify barriers to access. Arts Council England has also made a significant change in its approach to diversity by launching The Creative Case for Diversity, which asks the organisations it funds to make themselves and their work more reflective of the communities they serve. As part of Arts Council’s investment in diversity and The Creative Case, four new strategic funds for diversity were announced in December 2015, totaling £8.6 million. This included a new £2.6 million Change Makers fund to build long-term relationships between National Portfolio Organisations and aspiring arts leaders from the BME and deaf and disabled communities, and Unlimited, which will support the development of a range of new work by deaf and disabled artists.

  • Gareth Thomas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Gareth Thomas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gareth Thomas on 2016-10-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of current levels of local authority funding to meet the demands for local authority services.

    Mr Marcus Jones

    The Government has provided a long-term funding settlement, including a £3.5 billion social care package, over the lifetime of this parliament. Councils have continued to balance their budgets while reducing council tax in real terms and maintaining public satisfaction with services.

  • Grahame Morris – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Grahame Morris – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Grahame Morris on 2015-11-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what discussions he has had about reducing the time taken by the Valuation Office Agency to consider rating assessment appeals.

    Mr Marcus Jones

    The Government is committed to delivering a quicker and more efficient business rates appeals system in England, so that businesses can be confident they are paying the right amount of business rates and any refunds can be paid quickly. Details of our proposals are set out in the consultation paper Check, Challenge, Appeal: Reforming Business Rates Appeals, available at https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/reforming-business-rates-appeals-check-challenge-appeal. Enabling legislation is being taken forward in the Enterprise Bill.

    “

  • Andy Slaughter – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Andy Slaughter – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andy Slaughter on 2015-12-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what (a) consultants, (b) non-executive directors and (c) associates have been employed by Just Solutions International since it was established; when each such person was appointed; and what the remuneration of each such person has been.

    Andrew Selous

    This information was provided to the House on 17 March 2015. As I told the house then, Just Solutions International (JSi) was a brand within the National Offender Management Service (NOMS) that the Agency adopted in early 2013. The Ministry of Justice contracted with PriceWaterhouseCoopers (PwC) for the provision of support for the development by NOMS of a business model to generate commercial income through the provision of advice and support to other governments on prison and probation issues. The contract was awarded to PwC in September 2012 and was for a period of 8 months from January to August 2013. The amount paid for the provision of services was £101,179 excluding VAT.

    Through JSi, NOMS also worked with PwC in Pakistan supporting reform of Punjab prisons. This project was funded by the Foreign and Commonwealth office, which paid PwC £7,308.40 excluding VAT.

  • Lord Hunt of Kings Heath – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Lord Hunt of Kings Heath – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath on 2016-01-18.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether, as a result of the review of the NHS Commissioning Board’s policy on the autonomy of Commissioning Support Units (CSUs), CSUs that want to become staff enterprises or staff mutuals will have access to working capital on the same basis as other options open to CSUs.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    It will be for NHS England’s Commissioning Committee to decide, in due course, whether to offer Clinical Support Units (CSUs) who apply to become autonomous, access to working capital and if so, on what terms.

  • Tim Loughton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Tim Loughton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tim Loughton on 2016-02-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, who sits on the Child Protection Task Force; and if she will publish dates and minutes of meetings of that body to date.

    Edward Timpson

    Membership of the Child Protection Implementation Taskforce can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/news/pm-announces-new-taskforce-to-transform-child-protection

    Information relating to the proceedings of recent meetings of Implementation Taskforces is not disclosed as to do so could harm the frankness and candour of internal discussion.

    “