Category: Speeches

  • Kate Green – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Kate Green – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kate Green on 2015-11-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many of his Department’s policies have been assessed against the family test; what steps he has taken to publish the outcome of such assessments; and if he will make a statement.

    Priti Patel

    The Family Test is an integral part of the policy making process and is applied in a proportionate way in the development of all new policy in line with the Family Test guidance. While the guidance states that departments should consider publishing assessments carried out under the Test, there is no requirement to do so.

  • Lord Scriven – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Lord Scriven – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Scriven on 2015-12-09.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Prior of Brampton on 9 December (HL4036), what assessment they have made of whether it is appropriate for the Chief Executive of NHS England to take part in a political debate programme, and of whether doing so is consistent with the requirement for senior public servants to remain politically neutral; and whether they plan to issue new guidance to NHS England on the basis of that assessment.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    The Chief Executive of NHS England, Simon Stevens, is not a civil servant and it is for him to take decisions on invitations received. There are no plans to issue guidance to NHS England.

  • Greg Knight – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Greg Knight – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Greg Knight on 2016-01-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when he plans to bring into force the provisions in the Deregulation Act 2015 to allow for special permits to be issued for on-road racing; and if he will make a statement.

    Andrew Jones

    Government will implement as soon as possible subject to the priorities set out in the British Road Safety Statement.

  • Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb on 2016-02-08.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of how much revenue would be raised if aviation fuel were subject to the same rate of tax as fuel for motor vehicles.

    Lord O’Neill of Gatley

    In accordance with its bilateral Air Service Agreements, the 1944 Chicago Convention and EU law, the UK does not tax aviation fuel. Consequently, no such assessments have been made.

  • Tom Watson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Tom Watson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Watson on 2016-03-03.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many officials in his Department have responsibility for examining the resilience of the UK’s infrastructure.

    Matthew Hancock

    The Cabinet Office role on infrastructure resilience is focused on providing a co-ordination and assurance function for infrastructure resilience. Other departments have staff working directly on infrastructure resilience according to sector.

    There are currently fifteen officials in the Cabinet Office who spend a significant amount of their time working on infrastructure resilience.

  • Lord West of Spithead – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Lord West of Spithead – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord West of Spithead on 2016-04-12.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Earl Howe on 23 March (HL7103), why HMS Dauntless and HMS Lancaster are being placed alongside if there are sufficient people, spares and logistics support to run the Royal Navy.

    Earl Howe

    HMS DAUNTLESS entered the engineering training ship programme in February this year. Engineer training ships, generally in a period prior to undergoing a refit or an upgrade, are used to deliver training and provide accommodation alongside.

    HMS LANCASTER is presently alongside in Portsmouth and is being maintained with a minimal crew onboard until her refit. The Royal Navy has determined that HMS LANCASTER is not required as a training platform ahead of her refit, therefore a number of her crew have been redeployed in support of operational units and tasks.

    Such planned programming enables the Royal Navy to optimise the use of its ships and personnel through the operational cycles.

  • Alex Chalk – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Alex Chalk – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alex Chalk on 2016-05-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what progress the Government has made on its target to plant 11 million trees by 2020.

    Rory Stewart

    The Forestry Commission publishes progress against the 11 million trees target quarterly. The latest report shows that over 640,000 trees have been planted towards meeting the 11 million target in 2015. This reflects the fact that we are at the opening stage of a new grant scheme. We are confident that more trees will be planted in the next phases of the scheme.

  • Tom Blenkinsop – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Tom Blenkinsop – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Blenkinsop on 2016-06-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to improve health outcomes in the North East.

    Jane Ellison

    Under the Health and Social Care Act 2012 statutory duties, Public Health England (PHE) works with local authorities to improve the health of local populations and provide services including drug and alcohol misuse as well as sexual health services.

    PHE works very closely with local authorities, and are undertaking a number of projects in the North East to improve health and address health inequalities.

  • Catherine West – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union

    Catherine West – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Catherine West on 2016-09-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, when he expects to have a permanent address for his Department.

    Mr David Jones

    The Department is permanently headquartered at 9 Downing Street.

  • Grahame Morris – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Grahame Morris – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Grahame Morris on 2015-11-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many staff in the Health and Safety Executive have worked on processing safety case assessments from installation operators in the oil and gas industry in each of the last five years.

    Justin Tomlinson

    A part of the work of all inspectors and support staff working on offshore issues involves the processing of Offshore Safety Cases; scientists and others working at the Health and Safety Laboratories also contribute. From 2010 onwards representative annual offshore staffing levels were 112; 115; 116; 129 and 131. Current numbers for 2015 -16 are 148