Category: Speeches

  • Maggie Throup – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Maggie Throup – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Maggie Throup on 2016-06-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment she has made of the potential effect of the outcomes of the Anti-Corruption Summit in May 2016 on developing countries.

    Sir Desmond Swayne

    The commitments agreed at the London Summit could potentially achieve major benefits for developing countries including preventing their resources from being stolen and hidden abroad; ensuring international systems recover these funds whilst punishing perpetrators; and helping citizens have greater opportunities to seek justice against corruption.

  • Matthew Pennycook – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

    Matthew Pennycook – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Matthew Pennycook on 2016-09-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent assessment he has made of the effect of further delays to the DCC go-live date on the effectiveness of smart meter rollout.

    Jesse Norman

    The Data and Communications Company is in the final stages of testing the national new data and communications infrastructure for smart metering. It is important to get this right to ensure a good consumer experience from the outset.

    In parallel, the roll out continues to make good progress. Consumers are able to receive smart meters ahead of the national infrastructure going live and more than 3.6 million smart meters are already operating in homes and businesses across the country.

  • Emily Thornberry – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Emily Thornberry – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Emily Thornberry on 2015-11-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to his Department’s press release, Prison building revolution announced by Chancellor and Justice Secretary, published on 9 November 2015, which prisons the Government plans to sell to property developers; and what estimate he has made of the value of land on each of those sites.

    Andrew Selous

    On 9 November the Chancellor and Secretary of State announced their intention to build a prison estate which allows prisoners to be rehabilitated, thereby enabling them to turn away from a life of crime. This will involve building nine new prisons and closing old and inefficient prisons which do not support the aims of a redesigned estate. No decisions have yet been made on where new prisons will be built.

    We are currently considering which of our old and inefficient prisons will close. We will engage with stakeholders during the process of sale including valuation experts and potential developers in order to maximise the value achieved.

    Any relocation of prisoners will be done with careful planning. Where staff are affected they will be managed through the process of change using processes deployed during previous closures.

  • Chi Onwurah – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Chi Onwurah – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chi Onwurah on 2015-12-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, which suppliers will accept rural satellite broadband vouchers.

    Mr Edward Vaizey

    Four suppliers are currently providing access to satellite broadband through the government’s subsidy scheme: Avonline, Corsat, Digiweb, and Primetech. Further suppliers are in the process of seeking to join the scheme.

  • Stephen Doughty – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Stephen Doughty – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Doughty on 2016-01-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the security situation in Burkina Faso since the recent terrorist attacks in that country.

    James Duddridge

    The Government is concerned about the security situation in Burkina Faso and the wider Sahel region. We condemn the shocking attack that took place in Ouagadougou on 15-16 January, and offer our heartfelt sympathies to the families affected by this terrible act of terrorism. This is the first ever terrorist incident in Ouagadougou, though there have been incidents near the Malian border over the past year. We will continue working with our international partners to support stability and development in the Sahel region.

  • Stephen Doughty – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Stephen Doughty – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Doughty on 2016-02-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how many civil servants were loaned or seconded from the (a) Department for International Development to the Ministry of Defence, (b) Ministry of Defence to the Department for International Development, (c) Department for International Development to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, (d) Foreign and Commonwealth Office to the Department for International Development, (e) Department for International Development to the Department of Energy and Climate Change, (f) Department of Energy and Climate Change to the Department for International Development, (g) Cabinet Office to the Department for International Development and (h) Department for International Development to the Cabinet Office in each of the last six years.

    Mr Nick Hurd

    The data below shows the numbers of civil servants on loan or secondment during each of the periods indicated. Civil servants may have been on loan or secondment for part or all of the periods indicated. Some civil servants may have been on secondment/loan for more than one year. DFID HR system does not hold historical loan/secondment data, this information has therefore been manually collated.

    1. DFID to MoD

      1/1/2011-31/12/2011 0

      1/1/2012-31/12/2012 0

      1/1/2013-31/12/2013 0

      1/1/2014-31/12/2014 1

      1/1/2015-31/12/2015 0

      1/1/2016-31/12/2016 1

    2. MoD to DFID

      1/1/2011-31/12/2011 0

      1/1/2012-31/12/2012 0

      1/1/2013-31/12/2013 1

      1/1/2014-31/12/2014 1

      1/1/2015-31/12/2015 2

      1/1/2016-31/12/2016 2

    3. DFID to FCO

      1/1/2011-31/12/2011 9

      1/1/2012-31/12/2012 14

      1/1/2013-31/12/2013 16

      1/1/2014-31/12/2014 32

      1/1/2015-31/12/2015 52

      1/1/2016-31/12/2016 44

    4. FCO to DFID

    1/1/2011-31/12/2011 0

    1/1/2012-31/12/2012 3

    1/1/2013-31/12/2013 11

    1/1/2014-31/12/2014 17

    1/1/2015-31/12/2015 19

    1/1/2016-31/12/2016 12

    1. DFID to DECC

    1/1/2011-31/12/2011 0

    1/1/2012-31/12/2012 0

    1/1/2013-31/12/2013 0

    1/1/2014-31/12/2014 0

    1/1/2015-31/12/2015 0

    1/1/2016-31/12/2016 0

    1. DECC to DFID

      1/1/2011-31/12/2011 0

      1/1/2012-31/12/2012 2

      1/1/2013-31/12/2013 3

      1/1/2014-31/12/2014 5

      1/1/2015-31/12/2015 8

      1/1/2016-31/12/2016 3

    2. CABINET OFFICE TO DFID

      1/1/2011-31/12/2011 0

      1/1/2012-31/12/2012 1

      1/1/2013-31/12/2013 1

      1/1/2014-31/12/2014 2

      1/1/2015-31/12/2015 3

      1/1/2016-31/12/2016 3

    3. DFID TO CABINET OFFICE

      1/1/2011-31/12/2011 1

      1/1/2012-31/12/2012 2

      1/1/2013-31/12/2013 3

      1/1/2014-31/12/2014 3

      1/1/2015-31/12/2015 3

      1/1/2016-31/12/2016 2

  • Rebecca Long Bailey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Rebecca Long Bailey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rebecca Long Bailey on 2016-03-01.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the Government’s memorandum submitted to the Lords Secondary Legislation Committee on 28 January, how many of the 800,000 tax credit claimants with a reduced award to an income rise above the new level of disregard are women.

    Damian Hinds

    From April 2016, the income rise disregard – the amount by which a tax credit claimant’s income can increase within a year before their tax credit award is adjusted – will be reduced from £5,000 to £2,500.

    The only people who will be affected by this will be those who see an increase in their in-year income by more than £2,500. There will be no net cash losers because their income will have increased.

    In the subsequent tax year, a claimant’s tax credits award will be calculated in the usual way, using their full annual income for the previous year to determine their tax credit entitlement. This means that after the change in the tax year, whether the claimant’s increase in income was above or below the disregard level, their tax credit award for the following year will be adjusted to what it would have been had no disregard existed.

  • Grahame Morris – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Grahame Morris – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

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

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to reduce litter on UK beaches.

    George Eustice

    The UK Marine Strategy Part Three, published in December last year, sets out the actions we are taking to improve the marine environment. It covers measures that contribute to reducing sources of marine litter, including sources of beach litter, and to remove what has already reached our beaches. Actions related specifically to UK beaches include Defra-funded beach cleaning schemes on priority beaches.

    In addition, Defra and the Department for Communities and Local Government are working in partnership to develop a National Litter Strategy. This will promote concerted, coordinated and effective actions to reduce litter and littering on land, which in turn should lead to a reduction in the amount of litter reaching the marine environment, including our beaches.

  • Ronnie Campbell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Ronnie Campbell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ronnie Campbell on 2016-05-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many fatalities have occurred on the railway network in Great Britain since 2014.

    Claire Perry

    Rail is a safe mode of travel and the frequency of train accidents involving passenger or workforce fatalities in the UK is at its lowest ever level with 2015-16 being the ninth year in succession without any such fatalities.

    The following non-crash related fatalities have occurred on the rail network since 2014:

    2014/15

    2015/16 (provisional)

    Passengers

    3

    6

    Workforce

    3

    0

    Public (non-trespass)

    12

    8

    Public (trespass)

    25

    30

    Suicide

    289

    252

    Total

    332

    296

  • Jonathan Ashworth – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Jonathan Ashworth – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jonathan Ashworth on 2016-06-14.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will publish the terms of reference for the Inter-Ministerial Group on Anti-Corruption.

    Matthew Hancock

    This is available on www.gov.uk