Category: Speeches

  • 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 2016-07-21.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the (a) adequacy and (b) effectiveness of the level of consumer protection against misuse of consumer data in algorithm-driven applications; and what assessment she has made of the potential merits of ensuring that consumers are able to see how their data is used by such applications.

    Matt Hancock

    The Government Office for Science published an evaluation report on Distributed Ledger Technology: beyond block chain on 19 January 2016, which provides an assessment. In addition, the report recommends 8 actions for government to maximise the opportunities and reduce the risks of this new technology. A copy of the report is available at:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/492972/gs-16-1-distributed-ledger-technology.pdf

    Consumers’ rights with regard to the collection, processing and disclosure of their personal data are governed by the Data Protection Act 1998 (DPA). The DPA provides rights for individuals in respect of their personal data, including rights in relation to automated decision-making, the right of subject access, the right to prevent processing likely to cause damage or distress compensation for failure to comply with certain of the Act’s requirements, and the right to have data rectified, blocked, erased or otherwise destroyed in certain circumstances.

    There have been significant advances in digital technology since the DPA came into force nearly 20 years ago. The Government is reviewing the current regulatory framework to ensure it is fit for purpose for the digital age.

  • Jon Trickett – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Jon Trickett – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jon Trickett on 2016-10-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many residential properties were owned by private landlords in (a) 2010, (b) 2011, (c) 2012, (d) 2013, (e) 2014, (f) 2015 and (g) 2016.

    Gavin Barwell

    These data are published in Live table 104 here:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/519499/LT_104.xls

    “

  • Helen Jones – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Helen Jones – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Helen Jones on 2015-11-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many one-stop shops of medical experts for the assessment of children with disabilities are in place; and where those one-stop shops are located.

    Jane Ellison

    We are not aware of any one-stop shops for the clinical assessment of children with disabilities. Every local authority will have a published local offer of services for children and young people with disabilities, but these are information hubs, rather than clinical services.

  • Ann Clwyd – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Ann Clwyd – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ann Clwyd on 2015-12-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations his Department has made to the government of Kyrgyzstan about human rights, and the Kyrgyz seat on the UN Human Rights Council from January 2016.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    We engage with the Kyrgyz authorities regularly, both bilaterally and in multilateral fora, across a broad spectrum on governance and human rights issues. The UK participated actively in Kyrgyzstan’s UN Universal Periodic Review process in October 2014. On 18 December, the UK Chargé d’ Affaires, together with EU Delegation Officials, discussed human rights issues with the Chair of the Kyrgyz Parliamentary committee responsible for Human Rights. We welcome Kyrgyzstan’s election to the UN Human Rights Council. We hope it will be an opportunity for Kyrgyzstan to build on its achievements to date to ensure full respect for its international human rights commitments and the Constitution, including the right to protection against any kind of discrimination; and equality before the law.

  • Andy Slaughter – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Andy Slaughter – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andy Slaughter on 2016-01-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many prison officers have taken up the voluntary early departure scheme in each month since May 2010; how much has been paid in severance in each month to those prison officers; what average amount is paid in severance to those prison officers; and what the average continuous service was of those prison officers.

    Andrew Selous

    Information on the number of prison officers taking voluntary early departure has been published in PQ 25478. The total and average amount of severance they received and their average length of service in each month since May 2010 is contained in the table below. The severance amounts in the table relate to the payments made to the officers who left during the particular month and may not reflect the actual date that the money was received. For this reason the information will not match with accounting records.

    All prison officers who left on voluntary early departure had at least 24 months continuous service.

    Voluntary exit was used in the last Parliament as a result of the closure of uneconomic prison places. These prison closures and benchmarking reforms have delivered savings of £300 million a year, with the average cost per prison place falling in real terms by 19% since 2009/10.

    Prison Officers Taking VEDS, May 2010 to September 2015

    Year

    Month

    VEDS Leavers

    Total Severance Received (£)

    Average Severance Received (£)

    Average Length of Service of VEDS leavers (Years)

    2010

    May

    ~

    ~

    ~

    ~

    June

    ~

    ~

    ~

    ~

    July

    ~

    ~

    ~

    ~

    August

    70

    £2,132,290

    £29,209

    17.6

    September

    ~

    ~

    ~

    ~

    October

    ~

    ~

    ~

    ~

    November

    ~

    ~

    ~

    ~

    December

    ~

    ~

    ~

    ~

    2011

    January

    ~

    ~

    ~

    ~

    February

    ~

    ~

    ~

    ~

    March

    ~

    ~

    ~

    ~

    April

    30

    £1,108,573

    £38,227

    17.1

    May

    ~

    ~

    ~

    ~

    June

    ~

    ~

    ~

    ~

    July

    ~

    ~

    ~

    ~

    August

    ~

    ~

    ~

    ~

    September

    ~

    ~

    ~

    ~

    October

    20

    £617,345

    £38,584

    22.7

    November

    ~

    ~

    ~

    ~

    December

    10

    £360,949

    £36,095

    21.8

    2012

    January

    ~

    ~

    ~

    ~

    February

    ~

    ~

    ~

    ~

    March

    ~

    ~

    ~

    ~

    April

    ~

    ~

    ~

    ~

    May

    ~

    ~

    ~

    ~

    June

    ~

    ~

    ~

    ~

    July

    ~

    ~

    ~

    ~

    August

    30

    £1,257,194

    £41,906

    21.1

    September

    ~

    ~

    ~

    ~

    October

    ~

    ~

    ~

    ~

    November

    ~

    ~

    ~

    ~

    December

    40

    £1,121,641

    £30,315

    14.6

    2013

    January

    ~

    ~

    ~

    ~

    February

    ~

    ~

    ~

    ~

    March

    180

    £6,204,024

    £33,718

    19.5

    April

    ~

    ~

    ~

    ~

    May

    ~

    ~

    ~

    ~

    June

    180

    £6,353,177

    £35,100

    20.3

    July

    170

    £7,010,396

    £40,290

    19.7

    August

    ~

    ~

    ~

    ~

    September

    720

    £25,920,953

    £35,802

    18.9

    October

    130

    £4,964,209

    £37,608

    20.8

    November

    ~

    ~

    ~

    ~

    December

    40

    £1,298,680

    £29,515

    17.2

    2014

    January

    100

    £3,152,467

    £32,838

    20.0

    February

    10

    £425,167

    £38,652

    24.5

    March

    30

    £1,308,937

    £39,665

    19.8

    April

    ~

    ~

    ~

    ~

    May

    ~

    ~

    ~

    ~

    June

    ~

    ~

    ~

    ~

    July

    ~

    ~

    ~

    ~

    August

    ~

    ~

    ~

    ~

    September

    ~

    ~

    ~

    ~

    October

    ~

    ~

    ~

    ~

    November

    ~

    ~

    ~

    ~

    December

    ~

    ~

    ~

    ~

    2015

    January

    ~

    ~

    ~

    ~

    February

    ~

    ~

    ~

    ~

    March

    ~

    ~

    ~

    ~

    April

    ~

    ~

    ~

    ~

    May

    ~

    ~

    ~

    ~

    June

    ~

    ~

    ~

    ~

    July

    ~

    ~

    ~

    ~

    August

    ~

    ~

    ~

    ~

    September

    ~

    ~

    ~

    ~

    Notes:

    All figures are rounded to the nearest 10, with numbers ending in 5 rounded to the nearest multiple of 20 to prevent systematic bias. As with all HR databases, extracts are taken at a fixed point in time, to ensure consistency of reporting. However the database itself is dynamic, and where updates to the database are made late, subsequent to the taking of the extract, these updates will not be reflected in figures produced by the extract. For this reason, HR data are unlikely to be precisely accurate, and to present unrounded figures would be to overstate the accuracy of the figures. Rounding to 10 accurately depicts the level of certainty that is held with these figures.

    ~ denotes suppressed values of 5 or fewer or calculations based on a population of 5 or fewer. Low numbers are suppressed, in conjunction with the rounding policy to prevent disclosure in accordance with the Data Protection Act, 1998.

    Information in the table relates to cases of voluntary exits where payment information is available. In a small number of cases information on severance payments does not reflect the reason for leaving held on the central reporting system and may vary slightly from leavers figures published from that source in the NOMS Workforce Bulletin.

  • Stephen Metcalfe – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Stephen Metcalfe – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Metcalfe on 2016-02-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, for what reasons Highways England have not held consultation events on the proposals for a new Lower Thames Crossing in Stanford-le-Hope, Langdon Hills, Laindon, Dunton and other areas affected by those proposals.

    Andrew Jones

    The locations, venues and timings for the public consultation events (including five events held on a Saturday) were chosen to ensure that they were accessible to as many people as possible near to the potentially affected areas and the proposed route.

    A suitable venue was not available at the required time in Laindon and there was not a suitable venue in Stanford-le-Hope. However, there are public consultation events being undertaken nearby at Basildon and West Horndon. To note, Dunton is within 6 1/2 miles of Basildon and within 5 miles of West Horndon. Likewise, Langdon Hills is within 5 miles of Basildon and within 6 miles of West Horndon. To accommodate as many attendees as possible, the events are two weeks apart, with the events at both West Horndon and Basildon being 17 February 2016 and 1 March 2016 respectively.

  • Michelle Donelan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Michelle Donelan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Michelle Donelan on 2016-03-21.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what support her Department provides to farmers who are waiting to receive a single farm payment.

    George Eustice

    The Rural Payments Agency (RPA) started paying Basic Payment Scheme claims from the opening of the payment window on 1 December 2015. As of 21 March 2016, the RPA has paid 72,807 claimants approximately £1.15 billion and remains focused on paying the remainder of claims as promptly as possible.

    The RPA has an established financial hardship process and is working with a range of farming help organisations to see what further support could be offered. Following hardship case referrals from these organisations, over 420 farmers have received RPA hardship payments, amounting to more than £6.8 million.

  • Thangam Debbonaire – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Thangam Debbonaire – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Thangam Debbonaire on 2016-04-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, on what grounds her Department grants exemptions from (a) the life in the UK written test and (b) the language requirements of an application for UK citizenship; and if she will make a statement.

    James Brokenshire

    The Secretary of State may waive the Knowledge of Language and Life in the UK requirement for British citizenship on the basis of a person’s age, physical or mental condition.

    A person will normally be exempted from this requirement if they provide evidence from an appropriate medical practitioner that their condition is so severe that it prevents them from being able to learn English or prepare for or sit an English test or the Life in the UK test. Each application is considered on its own merits.

    Information cannot be obtained from UKVI data systems to show how many exemption requests were made and granted. This information could only be obtained from looking at individual records at disproportionate cost.

  • Lord Lester of Herne Hill – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Lord Lester of Herne Hill – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Lester of Herne Hill on 2016-05-25.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have evaluated the possible risks to national security and social cohesion of the spread of the Wahhabi ideology.

    Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

    HM Governement’s Counter Extremism Strategy and Counter – Terrorism strategy, CONTEST, set out approach to tackling the full range of factors that allow extremist and terrorist groups to grow and flourish. These include directly challenging ideologies, including those which have a theological basis.

  • Tim Loughton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Tim Loughton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tim Loughton on 2016-07-21.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she plans to release local authority children’s services departments from their safeguarding children responsibilities.

    Edward Timpson

    There are no plans to release local authority children’s services departments from their safeguarding responsibilities. The Children and Social Work Bill proposes a power for local authorities to test different ways of working. This power is not about questioning the fundamentals of what local authorities need to do in relation to children’s safeguarding, but about exploring how things could be done better. We are seeking to create a controlled, time-limited space to test new ways of working before seeking to make any wider changes to the legislative framework. Accountability for safeguarding will remain the same even if exemptions are being tested.