Category: Speeches

  • Hugo Swire – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Hugo Swire – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Hugo Swire on 2016-07-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions she has had with BT on the pace of its commercial roll-out.

    Matt Hancock

    The Secretary of State for Culture, Media & sport recently met the Chief Executive of BT to discuss a range of issues, including BT’s progress in improving broadband connectivity through its commercial investments. This issue will be one of the priorities in the Department’s regular discussions with BT.

  • Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2016-10-11.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 10 October 2016 to Question 46494, whether his Department keeps a record of the number of people who have had their tax credits stopped and subsequently reinstated by Concentrix in each of the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement.

    Jane Ellison

    HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) does not keep records of the number of people who had their tax credits stopped and then re-instated by Concentrix. Only the number of awards that have been amended, which could be stopped, reduced or increased, is recorded.

    HMRC is currently focussed on resolving the outstanding cases but will be preparing analysis, which will be available in due course.

  • Hilary Benn – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Hilary Benn – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Hilary Benn on 2015-11-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what contact his Department has had with the US Atrocity Prevention Board.

    Mr Philip Hammond

    FCO officials regularly meet members of the board in the course of normal business, for example at Responsibility to Protect (R2P) meetings during this year’s United Nations General Assembly. The UK is also an active participant in the US-led informal grouping on atrocity prevention which meets every few months to discuss developments and policy priorities.

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

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

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Toby Perkins on 2016-01-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to promote local authority sub-contracting to small local businesses.

    Mr Marcus Jones

    The Government is committed to ensuring there is a simple and consistent approach to procurement across the whole public sector, including local authorities, so that small local businesses can gain better and more access to public sector contracts – either directly or sub-contracted.

    New reforms included in the Public Contract Regulations 2015 aim to make public contracts more accessible to businesses and in particular to small and medium enterprises. The reforms included the abolition of the pre-qualification questionnaire for low value tenders; advertising all contracts on Contracts Finder; and paying down the supplier chain in 30 days.

    Alongside these reforms we continue to work with the sector, the Local Government Association and the Crown Commercial Service to identify further ways to remove excessive burdens on small businesses and make the public sector procurement process faster, more transparent and less bureaucratic.

  • Victoria Borwick – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Victoria Borwick – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Victoria Borwick on 2016-02-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to help maintain access to local GPs for people in Central London.

    Alistair Burt

    This is a matter for NHS England.

    Where a single-handed general practitioner (GP) retires, it is the responsibility of NHS England to ensure the patients of that practice have continued access to National Health Service primary medical services.

    When a single-handed GP retires an assessment is made on a case by case basis taking into account a range of factors including the demographic profile of patients, alternative local GP capacity and quality, and, patient and stakeholder engagement. This assessment informs the decision as to whether to procure a new service provider or to facilitate patients to register with alternative local GPs.

    In terms of future planning NHS England and London Clinical Commissioning Groups are aware of the ages of GPs which may be an indication of future retirements, however, there is no set age for retirement. Capacity planning is constantly under review and considers both potential retirement as well as other factors such as population growth, premises and range of services to be provided which then informs commissioning strategy.

  • John Cryer – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    John Cryer – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Cryer on 2016-02-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many meetings he or other Ministers of his Department have had with representatives of Care UK, BUPA, Virgin Care, The Practice, United Health/Optum, Serco, Nestor Primecare, General Healthcare (BMI Netcare), Spire/Classic, HCA International, Ramsay and Capio in each month of (a) 2010, (b) 2011, (c) 2012, (d) 2013, (e) 2014, (f) 2015 and (g) 2016 to date.

    Ben Gummer

    Information regarding all meetings between Departmental Ministers and external organisations is included in the Transparency Data, published quarterly. This can be accessed at:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/publications?departments%5B%5D=department-of-health&publication_type=transparency-data.

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  • Richard Burden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Richard Burden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2016-03-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to his speech to the Inter-parliamentary Coalition for Combating Anti-Semitism on 15 March 2016, what legal changes he was referring to in that speech.

    Dominic Raab

    I refer the honourable member to the answer given to 31430 on 30th March 2016.

  • Andrew Rosindell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Andrew Rosindell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2016-04-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 29 February 2016 to Questions 28144 and 28086, if her Department will take into account, when making a decision on granting right to abode, the fact that the British-Hong Kong servicemen paid UK taxes to HM Treasury during their service, rather than local Hong Kong taxes.

    James Brokenshire

    The assessment of the request by former members of the Hong Kong Military Service Corps that they be granted right of abode in the UK is under consideration. This will take into account all available information.

  • Neil Gray – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Neil Gray – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Neil Gray on 2016-05-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if his Department will provide additional financial support to disabled people whose income will be reduced as a result of (a) changes in the employment and support allowance work-related activity group and (b) the universal credit work allowance as a result of provisions in the Welfare Reform and Work Act 2016.

    Priti Patel

    No existing Employment and Support Allowance or Universal Credit claimants will be affected by the change to the work-related activity or limited capability for work components. We have committed to providing £60m a year from 2016/17, rising to £100m a year by 2020/21, in new, practical support for claimants with limited capability for work to help them move closer to the labour market and, when they are ready, into work. If a disabled person in work is affected by the recent changes to work allowances, additional help has been made available to help them overcome specific barriers to increasing their earnings.

  • Stuart Andrew – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Stuart Andrew – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stuart Andrew on 2016-07-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how the planned early years workforce strategy will increase recruitment and improve retention of early years teachers.

    Caroline Dinenage

    The government recognises the importance of the early years workforce in improving quality and delivering better outcomes for children. That is why we are committed to publishing an early years workforce strategy. The strategy will set out how government will help to remove barriers to attracting, retaining and developing staff. As part of the strategy government will look at the barriers to growing the body of graduates in the workforce.

    The government wants to see more trained graduates in the workforce, and we are supporting this by providing funding for course fees and bursaries to eligible trainees, and also funding for employers to support trainees. Information about training routes is available on the Get into Teaching website at: https://getintoteaching.education.gov.uk/

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