Category: Speeches

  • Lilian Greenwood – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Lilian Greenwood – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lilian Greenwood on 2016-06-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 8 June 2016 to Question 39089, on railway signals, what the scope of work covered by the installation programme is for the (a) Wales and (b) Romford Rail Operating Centre.

    Claire Perry

    The scope of works covered by the installation programme at the two Rail Operating Centres includes:

    • procurement & installation of hardware and software
    • training simulator
    • maintenance support
    • interface with train control

  • Gordon Marsden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Gordon Marsden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gordon Marsden on 2016-09-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will hold discussions with HM Treasury on the potential to fully fund apprenticeships for 16 to 18 year olds from savings accrued as a result of the introduction of the Apprenticeship Levy.

    Robert Halfon

    The department and HM Treasury have worked closely together on the development of the apprenticeships funding policy and plans for implementation of the Levy, including the digital apprenticeship service.

    Our proposals for how apprenticeships will be paid for in England in the future will simplify the current complex funding system by introducing a single funding cap for individual apprenticeship framework pathways, regardless of the age of the learner or geographic location.

    We expect the proposals will also include incentives for employers taking on younger apprentices – funding 100 per cent of apprenticeship training costs for small employers (with fewer than 50 staff) that don’t pay the levy when they employ 16-18 year old apprentices; and providing a £1,000 cash payment to both the employer and training provider to help with the extra costs of supporting apprentices in this age group.

  • Harriet Harman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Women and Equalities

    Harriet Harman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Women and Equalities

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Harriet Harman on 2016-10-18.

    To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, when she expects to reply to the letter of 14 September 2016 from the Rt hon. Member for Camberwell and Peckham on the contract for future delivery of the Equality Advisory Support Service.

    Caroline Dinenage

    We are aware of the Rt Hon. Member’s letter of 14 September 2016 regarding the contract for future delivery of the Equality Advisory Support Service. I regret that we were not able to respond by her deadline of 10 October 2016 but assure the Rt Hon Member that the response has now been sent to her, as of Friday 21 October.

  • Paul Monaghan – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Paul Monaghan – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Monaghan on 2015-11-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what the (a) volume, (b) gross capital and (c) gross revenue costs of planned purchases of renewable energy is from other European countries.

    Andrea Leadsom

    We continue to make progress towards our renewable energy target of 15% final energy consumption by 2020. Provisional figures show 6.3% of final energy consumption came from renewable sources for 2013 and 2014, against a target of 5.4%.

    Progress on renewable electricity generation has been particularly strong with over a quarter of electricity generated, between April and June this year, coming from renewable sources.

    The Spending Review will be announced on 25th November, and a Department for Transport consultation will be running next year on increasing the amount of renewable transport fuel. We will carefully consider the impacts of both on the UK’s progress towards the renewables target of 15%, including whether there will be a role for trading.

  • Callum McCaig – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Callum McCaig – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Callum McCaig on 2015-12-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what assessment her Department made of the value for money of the carbon capture and storage project bids.

    Andrea Leadsom

    The provision of ring-fenced capital support for CCS was judged against other Government funding priorities as part of the Spending Review. We are currently engaging with both bidders regarding the implications of this decision on their Bids.

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

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

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tim Loughton on 2016-01-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what contingency arrangements his Department has made for the eventuality of a majority leave vote in the upcoming EU referendum.

    Brandon Lewis

    I refer my hon Friend to the answer given to him by my rt. hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 14 January to PQ 21952.

  • Lord Browne of Belmont – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Lord Browne of Belmont – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Browne of Belmont on 2016-02-03.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether a record is kept of persons employed in Northern Ireland whose primary addresses are in the Republic of Ireland, and what steps they have taken to ensure that such data are collected and updated regularly.

    Lord O’Neill of Gatley

    Salaries, wages and other similar remuneration from an employment is normally taxed in the country where it is earned, so the primary address of an employee is not relevant. As such the information is not held in the format requested.

  • Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead on 2016-02-29.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of whether action on the promotion of women’s rights and social justice has been made central to the Post-2015 Development Agenda, and of whether women, as key stakeholders, are able to promote and negotiate their own development goals.

    Baroness Verma

    The UK was a leading voice in the Global Goals for Sustainable Development negotiations and insisted that that that these goals must start by empowering girls and women, and tackling discrimination. A key priority was to ensure a strong and explicit commitment to gender equality through a standalone goal, and further gender mainstreaming throughout the framework. These were both successfully included in the final set of global goals.

  • Christian Matheson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Christian Matheson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Christian Matheson on 2016-04-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department issues guidance to bus operators on air pollution control and leaving bus engines running idle while at a bus stand.

    Andrew Jones

    The Government fully recognises the potential hazards to health and the environment that pollutant emissions from motor vehicles can cause, including when vehicle engines are left idling. Whilst the Government has not issued specific guidance on the subject of idling by bus operators, under Regulation 98 of the Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986, as amended, it is an offence to cause emissions or noise by leaving a vehicle’s engine running unnecessarily whilst stationary on the road – other than when in traffic. Local authorities also have powers under the Road Traffic (Vehicle Emissions) (Fixed Penalty) (England) Regulations 2002 to issue fixed penalty notices for this offence.

    We are committed to improving the UK’s air quality, reducing health impacts and fulfilling our legal obligations. Our air quality plan for nitrogen dioxide, published on 17 December 2015, sets out a comprehensive approach to meeting our ambition for the UK to have some of the cleanest air in the world, including by implementing a new programme of Clean Air Zones. Under the Plan, by 2020 the most polluting vehicles, including older polluting buses, will be discouraged from entering the centres of Birmingham, Leeds, Southampton, Nottingham and Derby. As part of the plan, London also has a well-developed strategy for improving air quality, including the implementation of an ultra-low emission zone by 2020 – which will cover a range of vehicles, also including buses.

  • William Wragg – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    William Wragg – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by William Wragg on 2016-04-27.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many additional staff have been employed to work on EU-related matters in which Government Departments (a) over the last 12 months and (b) since January 2016.

    John Penrose

    I refer the hon. Member to the answers I gave to the hon. Member for Harwich and North Essex on 11 February to UIN: 26361, and to the hon. Member for Clacton on 18 April to UIN: 33727.