Category: Speeches

  • Tom Brake – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Tom Brake – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Brake on 2016-03-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what information his Department holds on whether Passenger Service Performance by the TSGN has exceeded the Default Performance Level for any benchmark for any (a) three consecutive reporting periods, (b) four reporting periods within a period of 13 consecutive reporting periods or (c) any five reporting periods within a period of 26 consecutive reporting periods except in relation to any reporting periods falling within a no breach reporting period.

    Claire Perry

    The Department receives information on each franchised operators’ performance against respective benchmarks every four weeks. Delays and Peak Short formations have not exceeded the Default Performance level as defined in the Franchise Agreement. However, GTR exceeded the breach performance level for cancellations last year and the Secretary of State issued Govia Thameslink Railway with a Remedial Plan Notice requiring them to set out the measures they will take in order to improve performance. Subsequently, the Secretary of State has accepted the Remedial Plan that sets out the steps the operator is taking to improve their performance.

  • Paula Sherriff – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Paula Sherriff – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paula Sherriff on 2016-04-29.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions officials in his Department have had with Public Health England on the potential effects of minimum unit pricing of alcohol on liver disease health outcomes in England.

    Jane Ellison

    There have been no meetings specifically to discuss the potential effects of minimum unit pricing on liver disease health outcomes in England.

  • Fiona Bruce – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Fiona Bruce – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Fiona Bruce on 2016-06-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will issue a response to Early Day Motion 1150 of Session 2015-16, Legal protection for unborn children.

    Jane Ellison

    The Government has no plans to repeal the Infant Life Preservation Act 1929, or sections 58 and 59 of the Offences Against the Person Act 1861.

  • Andrew Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Andrew Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Smith on 2016-09-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what consultation her Department has undertaken on the draft adults at risk policy for vulnerable people detained under immigration powers.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    Stephen Shaw carried out a comprehensive consultation in preparing his report of his review of the welfare of vulnerable people in immigration detention and the adults at risk policy, which will come into force on 12 September 2016, forms part of the Government’s response to Mr Shaw’s review. The Government has seen no reason to duplicate this in developing the adults at risk policy. However, when the draft policy was published on 26 May 2016, the Government wrote to a wide range of relevant non-governmental organisations and offered them the opportunity to discuss it. Subsequently Home Office officials held meetings with a number of interested organisations, and received written representations, and the views of these organisations have been taken into account as the policy has been developed further.

  • Lord Wigley – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

    Lord Wigley – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Wigley on 2016-10-19.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they are planning to publish a route map for the development of small modular nuclear reactors in the UK.

    Baroness Neville-Rolfe

    Policy development for small modular reactors, including plans in respect of publishing a Roadmap, remains on-going. We are drawing on the findings of the independent Techno-Economic Assessment, the Phase One expressions of interest documents, the meetings held by officials over the summer with 32 technology vendors, service providers and potential investors, and our continuing discussions with regulators.

  • Lord Hylton – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Lord Hylton – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hylton on 2015-11-05.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to remind the government of Turkey of its undertakings contained in the Dolmabahçe Declaration of 27 February.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    We welcomed previous steps taken by the Turkish government to take forward the Kurdish peace process, including through discussions with Abdullah Öcalan and his representatives. We understand that the Government of Turkey did not commit itself to specific undertakings following the talks at the Dolmabahçe Palace in February. We have been very clear that the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) violence must end and that the peace process should be resumed, in the interests of Turkey and the wider region. The UK stands ready to help in any way it can.

  • Bridget Phillipson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Bridget Phillipson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Bridget Phillipson on 2015-11-30.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 17 November 2015 to Question 15582, whether he has commissioned legal advice on the findings of the Quality Contract Scheme Board and the consequences for buses.

    Andrew Jones

    The Quality Contract Scheme Board’s report concerns a proposal under existing legislation. The Department has considered the report internally but has not sought any external legal advice on the findings of the Quality Contract Scheme Board.

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

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

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by on 2016-01-12.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government how they calculated the amount of funding required for the 100 sink estates” that they have identified for regeneration projects

    Baroness Williams of Trafford

    Funding has been agreed through the Spending Review which considered requirements for ongoing commitments and scope for supporting new proposals for estate regeneration. We are clear that government funding will be one element of support for estate regeneration going forward and that other investment from the public and private sectors will be needed. We are looking to engage with as many estates as possible to encourage new ideas, innovation and partnerships in regenerating estates.

    My noble Friend, the rt. hon. Lord Heseltine, is leading an Advisory Panel on estate regeneration which will establish an Estates Regeneration Strategy, explore what schemes can come forward and identify barriers that the Government can help remove which hold back estate regeneration.

  • Andrew Gwynne – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Andrew Gwynne – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Gwynne on 2016-02-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether the childhood obesity strategy will be published before 23 June 2016.

    Jane Ellison

    I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 2 February 2016 to Question 24826

    “

  • Baroness Armstrong of Hill Top – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Baroness Armstrong of Hill Top – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Armstrong of Hill Top on 2016-02-24.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government when the national consultation on the future of children’s centres will be launched, and what is the timetable for responses to be received and for them to announce their proposals following the consultation.

    Lord Nash

    The government is considering its future policy on children’s centres as part of the development of the cross-Government Life Chances Strategy, and plans to publish details in the summer. At that point we will make it clear how stakeholders and members of the public can contribute.