Category: Speeches

  • Chris Law – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Chris Law – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Law on 2016-06-07.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many times he has visited Scotland in an official capacity since the 2015 General Election; and what meetings were held on each such visit.

    Harriett Baldwin

    Treasury Ministers regularly visit all parts of the United Kingdom as part of their official duties.

    Details of ministerial and permanent secretary meetings with external organisations on departmental business are published on a quarterly basis and are available at:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/hmt-ministers-meetings-hospitality-gifts-and-overseas-travel

    “

  • Peter Bone – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Peter Bone – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Peter Bone on 2016-09-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what plans she has to open new prisons.

    Mr Sam Gyimah

    We have a big issue with prisons that are out of date and not fit for purpose, which makes it more difficult for our excellent governors and officers to manage them well. We have a £1.3 billion building programme. I want new modern prisons to be built in which prisoners will get the education and work they need to succeed in outside life and to close down some of our most dilapidated and out of date prisons. HM Prison Berwyn, a modern 2,106 place prison in Wrexham will open in 2017.

  • Baroness Warsi – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Baroness Warsi – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Warsi on 2016-10-13.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Williams of Trafford on 29 September (HL1969), whether they will place in the Library of the House a list of civil society organisations funded by the Home Office under the Prevent strategy for the years 2011 to 2016.

    Baroness Williams of Trafford

    The Home Office works with a broad range of community groups and civil society organisations who deliver community based projects and counter narrative campaigns to safeguard against radicalisation.

    Headline statistics are reported annually through the CONTEST Annual Report. In 2015, 130 community based projects were delivered reaching over 25,300 participants and counter narrative products developed in partnership with groups generated over 15 million online viewings.

  • Chi Onwurah – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Chi Onwurah – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chi Onwurah on 2015-11-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 16 October 2015 to Question 11786 and the Answer of 12 October 2015 to Question 10360, on universal credit, whether a box for universal credit exists on NHS charges claim forms.

    Alistair Burt

    Some NHS Help with Health Costs claim forms, for example HC5 refund claim forms, have been amended to include a specific tick box to enable Universal Credit recipients to claim entitlement.

    Form HC1 (NHS Low Income Scheme application form) has been amended to include a sentence about Universal Credit, to advise those applying that until 31 October 2015, anyone in receipt of Universal Credit does not need to complete the form, as they will already be entitled to Help with Health Costs.

    Other forms, including: NHS prescription forms (FP10); dental treatment claim forms (FP17) and claims for NHS funded sight tests (GOS 1) and for vouchers for glasses or contact lenses (GOS 3) will be amended to include a Universal Credit box in due course.

    A patient can make a claim for entitlement by ticking the “gets income based Jobseekers Allowance” on relevant forms. Guidance for both the public and healthcare practitioners (such as pharmacists, dentist and opticians) has been included on NHS Choices with links from the Universal Credit webpages on Gov.uk.

  • Baroness Randerson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Baroness Randerson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Randerson on 2015-11-30.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government in what year they estimate that the electrification of the rail line from Cardiff to Swansea will be completed.

    Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

    Sir Peter Hendy’s report to the Secretary of State on the 25 November 2015 outlined the re-profiling of the electrification of Great Western Route, and confirmed the electrification of the rail line from Cardiff to Swansea is expected to be completed within Control Period 6. This project is at an early stage of development and no single option has been identified. Network Rail continues to develop this vital scheme.

  • Robert Jenrick – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Robert Jenrick – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Robert Jenrick on 2016-01-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the level of funding per pupil at Southwell Minster School has been in each year since 2010.

    Mr Sam Gyimah

    We do not estimate budgets at an individual school level for future years as they are subject to change depending on pupil numbers, characteristics and the LA funding formula. We do not hold the information requested, but we do publish the allocations at individual school level for the current academic year every October.

    The following table details the individual school budget and the per pupil funding rates for Southwell Minster School in Newark. These have been sourced wherever possible up to 2012-2013 from published Section 251 statements, which detail local authority spending at school level, and from published school and academy allocations for 2013-14, 2014-15 and 2015-16.

    Minster Southwell School

    Total pupils

    Total Funding (£)

    Per pupil (£)

    2010-11

    1,645

    6,701,451

    4,074

    2011-12

    1,623

    7,097,554

    4,373

    2012-13

    1,599

    7,172,496

    4,486

    2013-14

    1,622

    7,397,407

    4,561

    2014-15

    1,611

    7,187,045

    4,461

    2015-16

    1,591

    7,093,649

    4,459

  • Chi Onwurah – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Chi Onwurah – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chi Onwurah on 2016-02-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what funding the Government plans to allocate to Tech North in (a) 2015-16, (b) 2016-17 and (c) 2017-18; and who decides on what that funding is spent.

    Mr Edward Vaizey

    Tech North has received funding of £2m in 2015-16. In addition the 2015 Spending Review allocated funding for Tech North of £2m in 2016-17 and £2m in 2017-18. This funding is provided via Tech City UK. An annual delivery plan for Tech North, to be agreed with DCMS, will determine how its funds are spent for each year it has funding.

  • Emily Thornberry – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Emily Thornberry – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Emily Thornberry on 2016-02-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to paragraph 3.58 of the 44th Report of the Armed Forces Pay Review Body, published in March 2015, when the review of military commitment bonuses was completed; and if he will publish that review.

    Penny Mordaunt

    Following our initial evidence to the Armed Forces Pay Review Body (AFPRB) in 2014 we undertook to conduct a more fundamental review of commitment bonuses during 2015, once New Employment Model proposals had matured. Our intention was to submit further evidence to the AFPRB. However, as announced on 23 November 2015, and detailed in the Government’s National Security Strategy and Strategic Defence and Security Review 2015, a decision was taken as part of this wider review to phase out commitment bonuses. This decision reflected the view that there was insufficient evidence to prove a tangible retention benefit from these payments. All such payments will now cease from 1 April 2021, providing affected personnel time to adjust their financial plans to take account of any payments for which they are no longer eligible.

  • Ronnie Cowan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Ronnie Cowan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ronnie Cowan on 2016-04-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans his Department has for the future role of the merchant navy.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    The Government appreciates the role played by the merchant navy and recognises the need for an adequate supply of UK maritime expertise to meet the nation’s economic and strategic requirements. This includes the demand for experienced seafarers in the shore-based maritime services sector.

    The Department continues to provide support for the training of officers and ratings through the £15m Support for Maritime Training (SMarT) scheme.

    Apprenticeships are at the heart of the Government’s drive to give people of all ages the skills employers need to grow and compete. Maritime is a key part of this with the Maritime Trailblazer which is employer led and has one approved standard for deck ratings and a further three in development for maritime mechanic, maritime caterer and onboard services.

    The Maritime Growth Study, chaired by Lord Mountevans and published on 7 September 2015, recognised the need for more proactive action to replenish and develop the skills needed to maintain the UK position as a world-leading maritime centre. The Government has accepted the recommendations. We have already let a research contract to Oxford Economics to establish the requirement for trained seafarers in the UK. This will assist both government and industry to plan ahead and to make efforts to address priority shortages where gaps are identified. We are also working to address the other skills recommendations including conducting a review of SMarT funding, better links into schools teaching and enlarging the awareness programme to encourage entry into the merchant navy.

  • Owen Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Owen Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Owen Smith on 2016-04-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to universal credit, what his estimate is of Government spending on transitional protection where entitlement is lower in each year until 2018-19.

    Priti Patel

    Our estimates of Government spending on transitional protection over the Spending Review period are: £120 million in 2018/19. The national implementation of managed migration is not planned to start before June 2018, and so transitional protection will not start until then.