Category: Speeches

  • Roger Godsiff – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Roger Godsiff – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Roger Godsiff on 2016-03-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate he has made of the average number of hours of weekly respite or support family carers are able to access; and what targets his Department has for such provision.

    Alistair Burt

    We do not hold information on the average number of hours of weekly respite for carers. We are working with councils to improve data in this area for future iterations of the Short and Long Term Care data collection, including on respite care (also known as replacement care).

    The Government recognises the invaluable contribution made by unpaid carers and the importance of supporting them in their caring roles. That is why we continue to support implementation of the improved rights for carers enshrined in the Care Act 2014. This includes a right to an assessment on the appearance of needs for support that will look at a carer’s wellbeing and what support they may need in their caring role, including replacement care where appropriate. The Department has provided £104 million of funding to local authorities for these rights in 2015-16.

    We have also made an additional £400 million available to the National Health Service between 2011 and 2015 to provide carers with breaks from their caring responsibilities to sustain them in their caring role. The equivalent annual allocation of £130 million for carers breaks is now included in the Better Care Fund.

    The Department is also leading the development of a new cross-Government National Carers Strategy that will look at what more we can do to support existing carers and future carers.

  • Barry Gardiner – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Barry Gardiner – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Barry Gardiner on 2016-04-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans she has for public communications on the need to prepare for the effects of climate change.

    Rory Stewart

    The effects of climate change continue to be taken into account within policy making across Defra and all levels of Government and within the broad range of related communications activities. Targeted communications closely tied to specific climate threats help those affected to understand potential impacts and the practical actions that they can take to increase their resilience and adapt. For instance, the Environment Agency have been ‘geo-targeting’ people in specific high flood risk locations via Facebook and other services to promote the benefits of and sign up to the free flood warning service.

    Government will be publishing the second UK Climate Change Risk Assessment in 2017 to be followed by the second National Adaptation Programme report and will, as part of that process, consider the need for further public communications on the effects of climate change in the UK.

  • Lord Jopling – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Lord Jopling – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Jopling on 2016-05-18.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Price on 10 May (HL8062), whether that answer assumes that the United States Congress will accept a fast-track” procedure for ratifying the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership; and what assessment they have made of the likelihood of such a procedure being either endorsed or withdrawn by the new Congress in 2017.”

    Lord Price

    Legislation to re-authorise Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) – sometimes called “fast track” – the Bipartisan Congressional Trade Priorities and Accountability Act of 2015, was signed into law by President Obama on 29 June 2015. It will apply to certain international trade agreements – including the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership – if agreement is reached before 1 July 2018.

  • Daniel Kawczynski – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Daniel Kawczynski – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Daniel Kawczynski on 2016-07-13.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he is taking to support infrastructure development in the West Midlands.

    Mr David Gauke

    There are 40 schemes in the West Midlands in the infrastructure pipeline, with a total value of £7.6 billion. These include the £18m Midland Metro tram extension to Wolverhampton, due to open in 2019. Over 300 infrastructure schemes have been delivered in the West Midlands since 2010. HS2 Phase 1, due to open in 2026, will cut journey times between London and Birmingham by 35 minutes.

  • Tom Tugendhat – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Tom Tugendhat – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Tugendhat on 2016-10-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 13 September 2016 to Question 45646, when her Department plans to complete the assessment of local needs and value for money to inform decisions on how to allocate remaining funding from the £700 million uplift to flood defence and resilience measures.

    Dr Thérèse Coffey

    The assessment of local needs is an ongoing process. The Environment Agency and other risk management authorities are responsible for maintaining up to date assessments of local flood risk. This information, together with an assessment of options to reduce risk in each area, provides an ongoing pipeline of potential works.

  • Baroness Tonge – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Baroness Tonge – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Tonge on 2015-11-17.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of Israel about its decision to approve the construction of Israeli settlement units in Bethlehem and close to Ramallah.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    Officials from our Embassy in Tel Aviv raised the issue of settlement announcements with the Israeli Ministry of Defence on 17 November and the Israeli Deputy National Security Adviser on 18 November. The Government has repeatedly condemned settlement announcements, and we will continue to call on the Israeli authorities to cease all settlement building and to remove illegal outposts, as required under international law.

  • Neil Parish – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Neil Parish – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Neil Parish on 2015-12-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, if he will estimate the number of postmasters who have been penalised as a result of the Post Office Horizon computer system.

    George Freeman

    Information on the Post Office Horizon computer system is the operational responsibility of Post Office Limited.

    I have therefore asked Paula Vennells, the Chief Executive of Post Office Limited, to write to the Honourable Member on this matter. A copy of her reply will be placed in the libraries of the House.

  • Stephen Timms – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Stephen Timms – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2016-01-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many units of housing he expects to be built in the London borough of Newham in each year to 2020.

    Brandon Lewis

    The Department does not publish forecasts of house building. It is for local planning authorities to ensure that they plan for the full, objectively assessed housing needs in their area.

  • Derek Thomas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Derek Thomas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Derek Thomas on 2016-02-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what assessment his Department has made of the potential effect on the profit of convenience stores of proposals to devolve Sunday trading restrictions; and what the evidential basis for that estimate was.

    Anna Soubry

    My Department has carried out an assessment of the impacts of devolving the power to extend Sunday trading hours and this will be published shortly.

  • Mary Creagh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Mary Creagh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mary Creagh on 2016-03-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many inmates of Wakefield prison have been granted legal aid to pursue civil action in each of the last five years.

    Mr Shailesh Vara

    The information requested is not held centrally. The Legal Aid Agency (LAA) does not identify or record in its databases whether civil legal aid applicants are prisoners as this does not affect eligibility for legal aid funding.

    Information on how much in legal aid was granted to prison inmates within the prison law category of criminal legal aid in each of the last five years is published by the Ministry of Justice as part of the Legal aid statistics at the following link on the gov.uk website.

    https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/legal-aid-statistics-quarterly-july-to-september-2015

    “