Category: Speeches

  • Peter Kyle – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Peter Kyle – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Peter Kyle on 2015-11-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, with reference to the Spending Review and Autumn Statement 2015, by how much the Government plans to increase the funding per place for apprenticeships.

    Nick Boles

    At the Autumn Statement, my Rt hon Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced the Government will establish a new employer-led body to set apprenticeship standards and ensure quality. The body will be independent of Government and will also advise on the level of levy funding each apprenticeship should receive. Our expectation is that funding caps will be significantly higher for programmes which have high costs and are of high quality.

  • Ben Howlett – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Ben Howlett – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ben Howlett on 2016-01-11.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will reduce the level of VAT applicable to construction companies involved in the conversion of non-residential buildings to residential use.

    Mr David Gauke

    The sale of, or long lease in, non-residential buildings that have been converted to residential use is, subject to certain criteria, zero-rated for VAT.

  • Daniel Zeichner – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Daniel Zeichner – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Daniel Zeichner on 2016-01-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to evaluate the progress of his Department’s ultra-low emission vehicle communications strategy.

    Andrew Jones

    The Go Ultra Low campaign, which we run in conjunction with eight major vehicle manufacturers and that is intended to explain the benefits of ultra low emission vehicles to fleet and consumer audiences, is subject to a programme of ongoing evaluation. We survey the campaign’s audiences at key campaign milestones to test its performance. To date, Go Ultra Low has exceeded government and industry campaign benchmarks on key measures. Of those surveyed who recalled seeing campaign activity, 71% have taken action as a result of having seen our advert, and the campaign’s website is now averaging 51,000 visitors a month following a four-fold increase in 2015 compared to 2014. The Go Ultra Low campaign is an important part of the UK’s programme to support the uptake of ultra low emission vehicles, leading to market growth of 94% in 2015.

  • Michael Dugher – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Michael Dugher – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Michael Dugher on 2016-02-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how many businesses have signed agreements with the Business Growth Service in each local authority area in the UK.

    Anna Soubry

    The attached table shows the number of businesses that have signed agreements with the Business Growth Service in each local authority area in the UK since the service launched in December 2014.

  • Royston Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the House of Commons Commission

    Royston Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the House of Commons Commission

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Royston Smith on 2016-03-23.

    To ask the Rt. hon. Member for Carshalton and Wallington representing the House of Commons Commission, how much it costs to post a franked envelope from the House of Commons.

    Tom Brake

    The cost of postage for a bespoke DL sized pre-paid envelope, supplied to Members through the House provided stationery budget, is as follows:

    1st class – £0.64
    2nd class – £0.55

    The cost of postage on a pre-paid envelope is the same as a stamp. Franked mail, used by departments of the House, is cheaper than pre-paid envelopes as franking is paid for in bulk and in advance which generates a slight discount to the price; costs are:

    1st Class small envelope under 100g – £0.52
    2nd Class small envelope under 100g – £0.39

    1st Class large envelope under 100g – £0.81
    2nd Class large envelope under 100g – £0.65

    However, there are restrictions on where this can be sent from. 30 items or less can be sent from a standard post box but must be bundled and separated from standard mail; in excess of 30 items must be sent via a Post Office, Royal Mail Centre or Delivery Office or Business Post Box.

    The list below details the different postage costs for envelopes which are available to Members through the bespoke stationery catalogue.

    HC23-244S

    £0.55

    HC23-245

    £0.55

    HC23-146S

    £0.64

    HC23-246S

    £0.55

    HC23-147S

    £0.64

    HC23-247S

    £0.55

    HC23-149WS

    £0.64

    HC23-249WS

    £0.55

    HC23-150

    £5.50

    HC23-151

    £2.85

    HC228

    £0.55

    HC129

    £1.27

    HC229

    £1.20

    HC130

    £1.27

    HC230

    £1.20

    HC3-16

    £0.64

    HC85

    £0.55

    HC86A

    £0.55

    HC23-146EU

    £1.05

  • Lord Alton of Liverpool – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Lord Alton of Liverpool – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool on 2016-04-21.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they consider that non-judicial bodies such as the European Parliament, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, and the US House of Representatives are competent to make a declaration that a genocide is underway; and whether they consider that the UK Parliament can do so, and if not, why not.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    The Government believes that recognition of genocide should be a matter for judicial decision. It should be a legal, rather than political determination, decided by judges after consideration of all the evidence available in the context of a credible judicial process. Political pronouncements on whether genocide has occurred, such as the European Parliament resolution, are not legally binding and do not create legal obligations on member states.

  • Louise Haigh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Louise Haigh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Louise Haigh on 2016-06-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many civil servants in his Department are paid through limited companies.

    Mark Lancaster

    No civil servants employed by the Ministry of Defence are paid through limited companies.

  • Caroline Lucas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Caroline Lucas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2016-09-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she plans to respond to the concluding observations and recommendations of the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights on the UK’s sixth periodic report in relation to welfare support for asylum-seekers; and if she will make a statement.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    The report recommends that the cash allowance provided to destitute asylum seekers, currently set at £36.95 per week, is raised. The level of the allowance is reviewed regularly to ensure that it is sufficient to cover essential living needs of individual asylum seekers and we will announce the result of this year’s review later this year.

  • Lord Harris of Haringey – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Lord Harris of Haringey – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Harris of Haringey on 2015-11-17.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, for each of the last three years, in how many instances people have been imprisoned for defaulting on payment of their council tax.

    Lord Faulks

    Data showing how many people were imprisoned for non-payment of council tax in 2012, 2013 and 2014 are presented in the table below:

    Year

    Total

    2012

    107

    2013

    108

    2014

    89

    Notes:

    These data are sourced from the Libra Management Information System (MIS). As such this data set is not subject to the same levels of quality assurance as national statistics

    In extracting this data only offences of complaint for council tax committal application have been included where the court hearing date occurred within each year reported (i.e. between 1 January and 31 December).

    It should also be noted that, although committals to prison are reported as occurring within a particular financial year, the non-payment of council tax itself may relate to a previous financial year or even a period covering more than one financial year.

    Committal to prison for non-payment of council tax can be challenged through a judicial review in the High Court. The table below shows the number of judicial reviews relating to imprisonment for non-payment of council tax in 2012, 2013 and 2014, and the outcomes.

    Year

    Number of Judicial Reviews

    Upheld

    Refused

    2012

    0

    0

    0

    2013

    0

    0

    0

    2014

    2

    0

    2

    Notes:

    These data were obtained from a manual check of judicial reviews carried out specifically to answer this question.

  • Rachel Reeves – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Rachel Reeves – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rachel Reeves on 2015-11-26.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the effect on the household income of a family with one earner and two children which becomes a new claimant of universal credit and is not migrating from a legacy benefit of the Government’s proposed changes to universal credit announced in the Summer Budget 2015 in each of the next four financial years.

    Damian Hinds

    This issue is a matter for the Department for Work and Pensions. I understand that the Minister for Work and Pensions has responded to an identical question tabled by the hon Member.