Category: Speeches

  • Emma Lewell-Buck – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Emma Lewell-Buck – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Emma Lewell-Buck on 2016-02-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what discussions he has had with the Secretaries of State for Work and Pensions and Health on transferring responsibility for attendance allowance to local authorities.

    Mr Marcus Jones

    The Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government announced to the House of Commons on 17 December 2015, Official Report, Column 1722, that the Government is considering giving more responsibility to support older people with care needs to local authorities in England and in Wales, including people who, under the current system, would be supported through Attendance Allowance. Officials have started to explore the potential options and will shortly begin working with stakeholders on a broad and open basis to understand how any devolution would best work.

  • Andrew Percy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Andrew Percy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Percy on 2016-03-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what discussions he has had with the Minister for the Cabinet Office on encouraging public procurement for British Steel.

    Anna Soubry

    BIS Ministers and officials have worked closely with my right hon. Friend the Minister for the Cabinet Office and Crown Commercial Service officials in developing the set of measures delivered through the Steel Procurement Working Group, including the issuing of steel-specific procurement guidance, the mapping of indicative quantities of steel for key projects and the updating of British standards for steel. This close working continues in the implementation of these measures, reporting to the Steel Council. On 3 April we announced we would extend the guidance to the wider public sector and we are setting up an approved list of steel suppliers.

  • Stephen Gethins – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Stephen Gethins – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Gethins on 2016-04-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what consultation there has been with the Scottish Government on the implementation of the Polar Code from 1 January 2017.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    The Government has not yet implemented the Polar Code which is due to enter into force next year. However, we will formally consult all stakeholders, including the Scottish Government, before we introduce the UK Regulations.

  • Richard Burden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Richard Burden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2016-05-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to page 18 of the Motoring Services Strategy consultation, what (a) criteria, (b) process and (c) timeframe his Department plans to use to explore the possible privatisation of practical driving tests.

    Andrew Jones

    The Motoring Services Strategy was published on 12 May. As this document explains, we are exploring whether other models of service delivery might offer a better and more flexible range of services to road users, either as alternatives to the current arrangements or to complement them, including involving the private sector in delivering some or all of the services.

    This is in line with the Government’s wider agenda to ensure that the driver testing and training regime prepares new drivers for a wide range of real life driving conditions and situations.

    No decision has been taken about the preferred option or range of options, and we are committed to ensuring that, whatever model may eventually be chosen (including the option of retaining the present system), current standards of propriety and testing will be maintained. We are clear that road safety is our top priority and therefore the high quality and integrity of the UK’s driver testing regime must not be compromised by any changes to the delivery model.

    We will work with DVSA, stakeholders and customer groups to assess the viability of those options with the aim of improving road safety.

  • Nigel Evans – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Nigel Evans – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nigel Evans on 2016-07-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department has taken to reduce the likelihood of future flooding in Whalley, Ribchester and surrounding areas.

    Rory Stewart

    The Environment Agency (EA) has spent approximately £750,000 on flood defence schemes in the villages of Slaidburn and Bolton by Bowland over the last decade.

    Since the December 2015 flooding, the EA has given one-to-one help and advice to over 100 residents. As part of the works to repair bank erosion at Whalley Bridge, the EA is contributing £20,000 to reduce flood risk by removing gravel from the river channel.

    Currently there is a review of flood risk in the Lower Calder which will develop options and predicted costs to address the Main River flooding. The EA aims to report at the end of the year. In 2017, a review of flood risk in Ribchester will commence.

    Lancashire County Council is currently bidding for £2 million in Grant in Aid to address surface water flooding in Whalley and Billington. The Environment Agency’s flood and coastal erosion risk management investment programme is refreshed annually to accommodate change, maximise opportunities and integrate new projects. The Regional Flood and Coastal Committee will endorse changes and new additions to the programme, which are then prioritised nationally according to the partnership funding process.

  • Baroness Redfern – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Baroness Redfern – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Redfern on 2016-09-15.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have plans to revise the boundaries of Clinical Commissioning Groups in the light of regional devolution deals.

    Baroness Chisholm of Owlpen

    NHS England has no plans to revise the boundaries of clinical commissioning groups in light of regional devolution deals.

  • – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by on 2015-11-18.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what further consideration they have given to whether amending the Equality Act 2010 to include the word caste” would change or clarify the legal position

    Baroness Williams of Trafford

    This Government has been giving consideration to the legal position on caste discrimination in light of the Tirkey v Chandhok Employment Appeal Tribunal judgment which suggests there is an existing legal remedy for claims of caste-associated discrimination under the ‘ethnic origins’ element of Section 9 of the Equality Act 2010.

    Our consideration of the research report commissioned by the coalition Government, designed to determine the feasibility of conducting a national survey to quantify the extent of caste discrimination in Britain, is part of this process.

    We remain mindful of the Open Government Action Plan published by the Coalition Government in 2013, to the extent that this concerns the results of commissioned research.

  • Wayne David – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Wayne David – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Wayne David on 2015-12-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how much was spent from the public purse on Christmas parties across the prison estate in each of the last five years.

    Andrew Selous

    This information is not held centrally.

    There are no centralised funds available for Christmas parties within the prison estate.

  • Laurence Robertson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Laurence Robertson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Laurence Robertson on 2016-01-21.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has taken to reduce the number of unnecessary customer calls to HMRC telephone lines.

    Mr David Gauke

    HM Revenue and Customs has deployed a Demand Management approach since 2010 to reduce unnecessary telephony demand. This approach includes reengineering business processes, improving forms and guidance to provide greater clarity for customers and introducing a “Once and Done” approach on calls, where possible.

  • Kevan Jones – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Kevan Jones – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kevan Jones on 2016-02-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many UK armed forces personnel have received region-specific culture training at the Defence Centre for Languages and Culture in each year since 2013; and to which regions such training related.

    Penny Mordaunt

    The Defence Centre for Languages and Culture (DCLC) has delivered specific cultural training to over 621 military students since 2013. This information is not available by year.

    The DCLC has provided cultural training for the Middle East, North Africa and specific courses on Afghan, Kurdish, Gulf States and Moroccan culture; cultural training is also incoporated into all of the DCLC language courses.