Category: Speeches

  • Steve McCabe – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Steve McCabe – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2016-04-11.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, in how many public private partnerships in (a) the UK and (b) Birmingham the Government is involved as a (i) party to the contract and (ii) statutory actor.

    Greg Hands

    HM Treasury collects and publishes data on centrally supported PFI and PF2 (the UK Government’s main form of PPPs) projects. The most recent collection recorded projects as at 31st March 2015. This can be found at:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/private-finance-initiative-and-private-finance-2-projects-2015-summary-data. This publication has the information requested on projects in the UK and Birmingham.

    HM Treasury does not hold information on ‘statutory actors’ in PFI and PF2 projects, however the published data does show the contracting parties, equity holders and special purpose vehicle responsible for managing the project.

  • Peter Kyle – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Peter Kyle – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Peter Kyle on 2016-05-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, with reference to the Answer of 4 May 2016 to Question 36124, if he will make an assessment of the potential effect of the apprenticeship levy on apprenticeship completion rates.

    Nick Boles

    The apprenticeship levy is part of a range of reforms which we are introducing to increase investment in apprenticeships, raise their quality and make them more relevant to employers’ needs.

    High quality training that is more relevant to the needs of employers will encourage apprentices to complete their apprenticeships so that they are fully competent in their occupations.

    Information on apprenticeship achievement rates in England is published in the Statistical First Release: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/learner-participation-outcomes-and-level-of-highest-qualification-held

    “

  • Maggie Throup – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Maggie Throup – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Maggie Throup on 2016-06-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of the introduction of small scale DAB licensing for community radio stations.

    Mr Edward Vaizey

    The ten small scale DAB technical trials funded by DCMS have been positive with more than 80 smaller commercial and community radio stations broadcasting on DAB for the first time, including some new services. We are looking at options for new legislation to license small scale DAB multiplexes.

  • Holly Lynch – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Holly Lynch – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Holly Lynch on 2016-09-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the effect of the severity of sentencing on deterring assaults of police officers; and if she will take steps to ensure that people who assault police officers receive the toughest possible sentences.

    Brandon Lewis

    I want to be clear that an assault of any kind on a police officer or police community support officers is wholly unacceptable. Chief Constables, working with directly elected police and crime commissioners, have a duty to manage and support the police workforce effectively, ensuring the welfare of all officers and staff.

    The College of Policing develops standards and guidance for policing and works with forces to manage and prevent assaults.

    Last year we published figures on assaults on police officers for the first time since 2009/10 and developed this further in 2016. We continue to work with forces to improve the data.

    Sentencing guidelines already provide for assault on a police officer to be treated more severely in appropriate cases. The courts need to be able to take into account all the circumstances of each case.

  • Lord Alton of Liverpool – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Lord Alton of Liverpool – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool on 2015-11-17.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact on the North Korean population of implementing targeted human rights sanctions against named North Korean politicians and officials.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    Our policy of smarter sanctions requires that any new sanctions measures must consider broader policy objectives in parallel with the impact of any new sanctions on the general population. We would also consider carefully our ability to defend the legality of the sanctions decision under EU law. Existing UN and EU sanctions against the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) are based upon UN Security Council Resolutions prohibiting the further development of the DPRK’s nuclear and ballistic missile programmes. Any introduction of sanctions on human rights grounds would require the establishment of a new sanctions regime at UN or EU level. A key consideration would be the potential to improve the human rights situation in the DPRK weighed against the potential impact on the activity of non-governmental organisations undertaking important humanitarian activities inside the DPRK to assist some of the most vulnerable members of DPRK society.

  • Bill Wiggin – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Bill Wiggin – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Bill Wiggin on 2015-12-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when she intends to meet the hon. Member for North Herefordshire to discuss Brockhampton school.

    Nick Gibb

    The Secretary of State met the hon. Member for North Herefordshire last Wednesday 9th December. Department for Education officials are investigating the concerns raised about Brockhampton Primary School. We will follow up with options as quickly as possible. We will keep the hon. Member for North Herefordshire informed on developments.

  • Lord Storey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Lord Storey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Storey on 2016-01-20.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government which local authority has taken the longest amount of time to assess and decide on an Education, Health and Care plan.

    Lord Nash

    Information on statements of special educational needs and statutory Education, Health and Care (EHC) plans maintained by local authorities is collected in the annual SEN2 data return from local authorities in January each year. The latest available data shows there were 4,205 statutory EHC plans maintained by local authorities, as of January 2015.

    The Department does not collect information on which local authority has taken the longest amount of time to assess and decide on an EHC plan. Data is collected in the annual SEN2 return on the number of EHC plans which were issued within the 20 weeks set out in regulations.

    Of the new EHC plans issued in 2014, 64.3% were within the 20 weeks when excluding exception cases. Including exception cases; 61.5% were issued within the 20 weeks. However, these figures cover EHC plans issued in the first four months of the transitional period where local authorities are beginning to implement the new reforms within 20 weeks.

    This information was published in the statistical first release ‘Statements of SEN and EHC plans: England 2015’, in May 2015. Data for January 2016 is expected to be published in May 2016.

  • Paul Monaghan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Paul Monaghan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Monaghan on 2016-02-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what diplomatic steps he is taking to tackle the refugee crisis on the Turkish-Syrian border.

    Mr David Lidington

    The UK continues to work closely with the Turkish government, including through implementation of the EU-Turkey Action Plan, to ensure that refugees continue to receive support and protection. We welcome Turkey’s generosity in hosting more than 2.5 million Syrian refugees in Turkey, and the ongoing support it is providing bilaterally to refugees amassing at its border with Syria. On 4 February 2016, the Prime Minister, my right hon. Friend the Member for Witney (Mr Cameron) announced that the UK will more than double our total pledge to the Syria crisis from £1.12 billion to over £2.3 billion. This is the UK’s largest ever response to a single humanitarian crisis.

  • Caroline Flint – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Caroline Flint – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Flint on 2016-03-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what proportion of her Department’s invoices for goods and services supplied by (a) private companies and (b) small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) have been completed on time in the last year for which figures are available; and what proportion of the (i) number and (ii) value of contracts between her Department and private companies are held by SMEs.

    George Eustice

    Core Defra’s prompt payment reports do not distinguish between invoices from private companies and invoices from small and medium-sized enterprises.

    Information on Defra’s prompt payment performance in respect of all supplier payments in 2015-16 is available at:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/defra-prompt-payment-performance-report.

    The latest information on the expenditure Defra bodies have with SMEs is available at:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/482524/Central_Government_Direct_and_Indirect_Spend_with_SMEs.csv/preview.

    The information on the number of contracts core Defra has with SMEs could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

    “

  • Douglas Chapman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Douglas Chapman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Douglas Chapman on 2016-04-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with which countries the UK has signed a defence (a) treaty, (b) formal agreement, (c) Memorandum of Understanding and (d) Letter of Intent in each year since 2011.

    Mr Julian Brazier

    The Ministry of Defence has signed several hundred Treaties, Agreements, Memoranda of Understandings and Letters of Intent with foreign governments since 2011. These agreements are a key part of our defence engagement work and a list of the countries that are party to these agreements will be deposited in the Library of the House shortly.