Category: Speeches

  • Paul Flynn – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Paul Flynn – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Flynn on 2015-11-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, which (a) organisations and (b) individuals responded to the public online consultation his Department held on the National Security Strategy and the Strategic Defence and Security Review (SDSR); and for what reasons the SDSR does not mention such responses.

    Michael Fallon

    The Government received more than 2,000 full responses from members of the public to the online form, as detailed in section 7.5 of the Strategic Defence and Security Review (SDSR). All comments were considered by officials as part of the SDSR process.

  • Andy Slaughter – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Andy Slaughter – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andy Slaughter on 2015-12-16.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether his Department plans to use any of its statutory regulatory powers to ensure that there is the reduction in the cost of car insurance referred to in paragraph 1.143 of the Spending Review and Autumn Statement 2015.

    Harriett Baldwin

    The pricing of insurance products is a commercial matter for individual insurers in which the Government does not seek to intervene. The motor insurance market is intensely competitive and the Government therefore expects that the insurance industry will pass on savings to consumers.

    Some insurers have already committed to pass on all savings to consumers as a result of the proposed changes.

  • Maria Eagle – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Maria Eagle – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Maria Eagle on 2016-01-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how many successful convictions were secured by the Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit in (a) 2013-14, (b) 2014-15 and (c) 2015-16.

    Mr Edward Vaizey

    Figures for the years in question are as follows;

    (a) 2013-14, 16 arrests, 2 cautions

    (b) 2014-15, 33 arrests, 11 cautions

    (c) 2015-16, 13 arrests, 1 caution, 1 conviction

    Securing convictions is not the sole aim of the unit. Equally important in the fight against IP crime is the Unit’s work on taking down infringing websites and pursuing broader disruptive activity.

  • Charlotte Leslie – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Charlotte Leslie – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Charlotte Leslie on 2016-02-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many officials of his Department had an operational level (C1) examination pass in which languages in (a) 2001 and (b) 2010.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    I refer my right hon. Friend to my answers of 10 February 2016 (PQs 23665 and 25484). We only record current C1 passes, valid for five years after the date of the exam, and therefore do not have pre-2010 data.

  • Paul Flynn – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Paul Flynn – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Flynn on 2016-03-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether GEO received full payment for its contracted services to run Harmondsworth Removal Centre for each year of that contract.

    James Brokenshire

    The Home Office has not pursued legal action against GEO for its performance in managing Harmondsworth immigration removal centre (IRC). Under the terms of the contract signed on 20th January 2009, deductions were made from payments to GEO for performance-related service credits and dilapidation costs.

  • Royston Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Royston Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Royston Smith on 2016-04-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to increase capacity in UK medical schools to enable an increase in the number of UK-trained doctors entering the NHS.

    Ben Gummer

    The Government makes a significant investment in educating and training doctors. Health Education England (HEE) has oversight in determining overall medical school place numbers as the Department only funds places for the numbers of doctors needed to work in the National Health Service in the future.

    The Government’s Mandate to HEE for 2015/16, required them to “take a strategic role in relation to those healthcare professions where number controls are, or may in the future be, determined nationally, including medicine, dentistry and pharmacy. HEE’s objective is to take a leading role in working with partners in higher education to keep medical, dental training and other healthcare numbers under review.”

    HEE is undertaking a review of medical undergraduate numbers which will be published in due course. Where number controls are determined nationally, HEE will need to agree any changes with the Department of Health in discussion with other relevant Government departments, such as the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.

    HEE’s Commissioning and Investment Plan for 2016/17 forecasts an increase in the available supply of doctors to the NHS workforce by 2020 of 14.6% above 2015 figures. This includes doctors in general practice.

  • Stephen Timms – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Stephen Timms – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2016-05-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment his Department has made of the potential effect of the loss of local authorities’ access to housing benefit claim data on their ability to target services and support tenants effectively; and if he will make a statement.

    Justin Tomlinson

    Local authorities are the data owners of Housing Benefit data. DWP shares customer data with local authorities in order for them to assess claims more effectively and quickly and to help them to keep claims right. We have contingency arrangements in place, should those interfaces fail.

  • Jeremy Lefroy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Jeremy Lefroy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jeremy Lefroy on 2016-07-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, which infrastructure projects were funded through or supported by the Private Infrastructure Development Group (PIDG) between 1 January 2010 and 30 June 2016; how much funding for each such project was (a) provided through PIDG and (b) leveraged from other sources; and whether each such project is operational.

    Rory Stewart

    The table attached shows all PIDG supported projects. The table indicates whether the support for projects was initiated before or after 01 January 2010. As support for many projects initiated before 2010 will have continued into the timeframe set out in the question, we have also listed all projects where support was started before 01 January 2010. There is no other straightforward way to filter the data. Further information is also available online (http://data.pidg.org/) .

    “

  • Helen Goodman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Helen Goodman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Helen Goodman on 2016-10-07.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many tax credit claimants whose claim was wrongfully stopped then reinstated have not had the full value of money returned; and what the total amount outstanding still owed is in such cases.

    Jane Ellison

    Where a tax credit award has been re-instated following a gap in payment, the claimant may receive the payment as a lump sum. This depends on the exact circumstances of the case, taking into account the revised entitlement compared to the monies already received. All future payments will also be adjusted to account for the revisions to the award. Provisions are in place to make arrears payments to customers suffering financial hardship.

  • Douglas Carswell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Douglas Carswell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Douglas Carswell on 2015-10-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether the benefits cap applies to Syrian migrants.

    Justin Tomlinson

    Syrians entering the UK under the Vulnerable Persons Relocation Scheme are able to work and have access to some benefits on arrival. Like other claimants they will be subject to the benefit cap.