Category: Speeches

  • Jeremy Lefroy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Jeremy Lefroy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jeremy Lefroy on 2016-04-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many farmers in Stafford constituency who are eligible for payments under the Basic Payments Scheme 2015 had not been paid by 31 March 2016.

    George Eustice

    As of 31 March 2016, the Rural Payments Agency had paid 168 (80%) of the 211 eligible Basic Payment Scheme 2015 claims received in Stafford constituency. To date 191 had been paid and the agency has announced that those customers who do not receive a claim payment in April will be provided a bridging payment. Bridging payments will be around half of their claim value.

  • Lord Hain – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Lord Hain – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hain on 2016-05-18.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the remarks by Baroness Neville-Rolfe on 19 April (HL Deb, col 614), whether they will write to the Welsh Government Minister for Public Services setting out in full their argument that those sections of the Trade Union Bill applying only to devolved public services in Wales are nevertheless reserved matters, and if so, whether they will place a copy of that letter in the Library of the House.

    Baroness Neville-Rolfe

    Ministers have engaged with the Devolved Administrations on the Trade Union Act.

    As part of our engagement, Nick Boles, the policy Minister for the Trade Union Act, has received four letters from Leighton Andrews, Minister for Public Services in the Welsh Government. These letters related to specific aspects of the Act and the Welsh Government position on their applicability in Wales. On 5th February 2016 Nick Boles had a telephone conversation with Leighton Andrews on the Act; and on 4 March, he replied to the letters and has placed a copy of the correspondence in the Library.

    As set out throughout its parliamentary passage, the Act is about employment and industrial relations law, which are reserved matters. It will apply consistently across Great Britain, including to public services in Wales.

  • Luciana Berger – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Luciana Berger – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Luciana Berger on 2016-07-12.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many and what proportion of people in (a) Liverpool, Wavertree constituency, (b) the Liverpool City Region and (c) England are paid less than the Living Wage Foundation’s living wage.

    Chris Skidmore

    The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.

  • Andy Slaughter – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Andy Slaughter – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andy Slaughter on 2016-10-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what the Government’s policy is on preventing the execution of UK nationals sentenced to death abroad.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    ​The UK Government is opposed to the death penalty in all circumstances. Whenever there is a case of a British national on death row, provided that individual wants assistance from the UK Government, we make political representations at many levels to the government of the country in question. There is no one-size-fits-all approach; we will tailor our interventions on a case-by-case basis in a way that we judge to be most effective to prevent executions being carried out. Beyond political representations by Her Majesty’s Government, other interventions might include: engaging local and UK-based Non-Governmental Organisations to provide support to British nationals facing the death penalty; liaising closely with the British national’s legal team to ensure any lobbying actions we take complement their ongoing legal activity; and working closely with international partners to encourage wider lobbying.

  • Mark Pritchard – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Mark Pritchard – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Pritchard on 2015-11-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when he will publish a timetable for the refurbishment of Wolverhampton train station.

    Claire Perry

    The refurbishment of Wolverhampton train station is part of the Wolverhampton Interchange Scheme, which is being driven forward by a partnership of Wolverhampton City Council, Centro, Neptune, Network Rail, Virgin Trains and the Canal and River Trust. The Department is not leading on this project.

  • Jo Stevens – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Jo Stevens – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jo Stevens on 2015-12-15.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much the apprenticeship levy is expected to raise in (a) 2017-18, (b) 2018-19 and (c) 2019-20.

    Greg Hands

    The Apprenticeship Levy is expected to raise:

    • £2,730m in 2017-18;
    • £2,845m in 2018-19;
    • £2,970m in 2019-20.

      These figures are published in table 3.1 of the Spending Review and Autumn Statement 2015 document which is available on gov.uk.

  • Phil Boswell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Phil Boswell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Phil Boswell on 2016-01-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how much funding has been allocated to apprenticeships in each year since 2010.

    Nick Boles

    The following table shows actual spending figures for apprenticeships in England for Financial Years 2010-2014

    £K

    FY2010-11

    FY2011-12

    FY2012-13

    FY2013-14

    FY2014-15

    16 to18 inclusive

    744,870

    758,966

    670,211

    717,575

    783,198

    19 and over

    450,880

    624,602

    753,886

    737,022

    776,573

    TOTAL

    1,195,750

    1,383,568

    1,424,097

    1,454,597

    1,559,771

    Responsibility for the Apprenticeship Programme is shared between the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills which funds adult apprenticeships (19+) and the Department for Education which funds 16-18 year olds.

    The apprenticeships levy will put apprenticeship funding on an even more sustainable footing and improve the technical and professional skills of the workforce, which is an important component of productivity.

  • Baroness King of Bow – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Baroness King of Bow – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness King of Bow on 2016-02-11.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether, under the provisions of the Welfare Reform and Work Bill, a claimant receiving Employment and Support Allowance prior to April 2017 who had to re-apply after April 2017 due to a change in their condition would have their benefit reduced to the level of Jobseeker’s Allowance if they were found to be entitled to the work-related activity component.

    Lord Freud

    The changes as introduced to the House of Commons on 9th July 2015 would mean that existing claimants, whether in the work-related activity group or the support group, who undergo a work capability assessment after April 2017 and are placed in, or remain in, the work-related activity group, will continue to receive the work-related activity component.

  • Luciana Berger – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Luciana Berger – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Luciana Berger on 2016-03-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 10 March 2016 to Question 30123, on prescriptions: learning disability, what he plans to include in the programme of work to reduce inappropriate prescribing; and what the timetable for that programme is.

    Alistair Burt

    I am planning to meet NHS England officials in April to discuss action to reduce the inappropriate prescribing of medication for people with a learning disability. The work programme and timeframe have not yet been agreed.

  • Julie Cooper – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Julie Cooper – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Julie Cooper on 2016-04-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many times he has attended public meetings with the Health Committee since his appointment.

    Jane Ellison

    Attendance at Committee meetings is a matter of public record and is dependent on a request from the Committee. My Rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State has attended five public meetings with the Health Committee.