Category: Speeches

  • Alan Brown – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Alan Brown – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alan Brown on 2015-11-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what steps her Department is taking to identify locations for potential electricity storage schemes that would best supplement the existing National Grid system.

    Andrea Leadsom

    The Department has recently commissioned a study to assess the level of system flexibility (e.g. electricity storage, interconnection, demand side response) that may be required in the future. This study will consider how much and what type of flexibility is both least regrets and optimal for our energy system. This study is expected to conclude in the spring.

    In addition, with support from a DECC innovation grant, a UK pumped hydro storage developer has assessed the potential viability of new pumped hydro sites around Great Britain. They concluded that up to 15GW of potential additional pumped storage capacity was available, using various criteria such as the presence of existing or potential reservoirs, grid connection distance and whether the site was in an environmentally sensitive area. Other pumped storage developers have independently identified over 1 GW of additional potential storage capacity.

  • Luciana Berger – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Luciana Berger – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Luciana Berger on 2015-11-30.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many Specialist Training 4 psychiatry posts were filled in each year since 2010.

    Ben Gummer

    The information requested, which has been provided by Health Education England, can be found in the attached document. The Department does not hold data prior to 2011.

  • Baroness Tonge – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Baroness Tonge – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Tonge on 2016-01-11.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what core and non-core contributions were made by the Department for International Development to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, the International Planned Parenthood Federation, Marie Stopes International, and Women and Children First (UK) in (1) 2013–14, and (2) 2014–15.

    Earl of Courtown

    The UK provides support to a range of Civil Society Organisations to help deliver our commitments across a range of priority areas. This includes policy around universal access to sexual and reproductive health and rights, working to save lives from Malaria and ending preventable child and maternal deaths. This supports the UK national interest by leading to a healthier, more prosperous world.

    DFID made core contributions of £543 million in 2013/14 and £285 million in 2014/15 to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.

    The International Planned Parenthood Federation directly received core funding of £8.6 million per year during 2013/14 and 2014/15 through a Programme Partnership Arrangement (PPA) but were not in receipt of any other funding during the same period. During financial year 2013/14 and 2014/15, Marie Stopes International (MSI) directly received core funding through a PPA of £4.35 million per year, In addition, MSI directly received other non-core funding of approximately £12.5 million in 2013/14 and £13.4 million in 2014/15.

    DFID works with MSI and IPPF to improve sexual and reproductive health and rights, including access to modern family planning methods, to give women in developing countries the reproductive health choices they want and need.

    Women and Children First UK received funding of £177,638 in 2014/15 through the Global Poverty Action Fund (GPAF) which was a demand-led fund to support small and medium sized Civil Society Organisations (CSOs to reduce poverty through service delivery, livelihoods, empowerment, accountability and peace, security and justice.

  • Stephen Doughty – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Stephen Doughty – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Doughty on 2016-02-03.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many complaints from members of the public were received by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) relating to the closure of the HMRC enquiry centre in Cardiff in the last 18 months.

    Mr David Gauke

    HM Revenue and Customs does not hold this information.

  • Kate Hollern – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Kate Hollern – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kate Hollern on 2016-02-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 22 February 2016 to Question 26801, if he will create a central register of contracts and contract information for the Successor submarine programme.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    There is no intention to create a central register as described.

  • Lord Moynihan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Lord Moynihan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Moynihan on 2016-03-23.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the answer by Baroness Neville-Rolfe on 9 July 2015 (HL Deb, col 243), what action the City of London Police and Action Fraud have taken to enforce the ticket touting controls set out in the Consumer Rights Act 2015; and what action is being taken in cases where the law is being broken.

    Lord Keen of Elie

    The City of London Police is working closely with the Society of Ticketing Agents and Retailers and is actively part of a number of initiatives they are taking to raise standards within the ticketing industry. They are also engaging directly with organisers of major ticketing events in an attempt to stop ticketing touts obtaining tickets on a large scale and proactively search for new websites set up to sell tickets which are in high demand. The City of London Police is also actively engaged with the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills in their review of secondary ticketing platforms.

    All ticketing fraud reports received through Action Fraud, where viable lines of enquiry can be identified and links between cases can be seen, are disseminated by the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau to the local police force for investigation.

  • Richard Burden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Richard Burden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2016-04-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the remit of the Cross-Government Working Group on drones is; when it has met; and who has attended each meeting of that group.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    I refer the Honourable Member to my answer give on 25 January UIN 23389

    (http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-questions-answers/?page=1&max=20&questiontype=AllQuestions&house=commons%2clords&uin=23389).

    Noting that the first meeting in 2016 took place in March not February and the below additions to the membership of the group:

    Department for International Development

    Surveillance Commissioner

    UK Fire Service

    Police

    Border Force

    “

  • Baroness Young of Hornsey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Baroness Young of Hornsey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Young of Hornsey on 2016-06-13.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of how many corporate uniforms in the UK could be diverted from landfill or incineration if the tax regime relating to permanent branding were changed.

    Lord O’Neill of Gatley

    There is an income tax deduction available where an employer provides corporate uniforms, or where an employee must purchase such clothing. To be considered a uniform clothing must meet certain criteria. The clothing must be: specialised, recognisable as a uniform and intended to identify its wearer as having a particular occupation. These requirements ensure that the tax deduction is used as intended.

    No assessment has been made of how many corporate uniforms in the UK could be diverted from landfill or incineration if these tax rules were changed. No assessment has been made of the financial implications of changing these taxation requirements.

  • Steve McCabe – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Steve McCabe – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2016-09-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what plans he has to (a) reduce delays in minor planning applications and (b) increase the number of homes built by local building firms.

    Gavin Barwell

    In the Budget, the Government announced £3 billion of loans to house builders. The fund will consist of £2 billion in long term loans and £1 billion in short term loans. The long term element is focused on delivering infrastructure to support a strong future pipeline of housing supply, and will help unlock 160,000 – 200,000 homes. The short term element aims to diversify and support innovation in the house building industry by supporting small and medium builders, custom builders, and the use of innovative methods of construction.

    In July, the Government launched the £100 million Housing Growth Fund, a partnership between the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) and Lloyds Banking Group to help smaller builders access the finance they need to build more homes and grow their businesses. The Fund is a £100 million vehicle capitalised by Lloyds and the HCA and is supporting the growth of SME house builders and expansion in the UK housing stock. The Government has also created the British Business Bank which has facilitated £782 million of new lending and investment in 2013/14 and aims to unlock up to £10 billion of financing for smaller business over the next 5 years.

    Small builders will soon be able to apply to their local planning authority for ‘permission in principle’ which will enable them to gain more upfront certainty on the suitability of small sites for housing-led development, before they need to develop detailed and often costly development proposals. This will reduce the risk for small local builders to enter the market.

    Through the Neighbourhood Planning Bill introduced on 7 September, the Government proposes to reform and speed up the planning process by minimising delays caused by unnecessary or overly burdensome planning conditions. The Bill measures will ensure that pre-commencement planning conditions are only used by local planning authorities where they are absolutely necessary, and that applicants are in agreement before they are imposed.

    The Government took powers in the Housing and Planning Act 2016 to enable us to extend to non-major planning applications the successful performance regime for major applications, which has seen the proportion of major applications determined on time rising from 57% in July to September 2012, the quarter in which the performance regime was first announced, to 82% in the most recent quarter, the highest figure on record.

  • David Crausby – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    David Crausby – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Crausby on 2016-10-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent discussions he has had with the Royal British Legion on the Count Them In campaign.

    Mark Lancaster

    The Ministry of Defence (MOD) continues to support the aspiration of the Royal British Legion’s (RBL) ‘Count Them In’ campaign to include a veteran’s marker in the 2021 census to provide information to better support the commitment to the Armed Forces Covenant. In June this year I wrote to John Pullinger, the National Statistician, to request that the position set out in the Office for National Statistics’ (ONS) response to the census consultation was revisited. Following discussions this has been agreed and further work is being taken forward. The ONS and the MOD have established a working group to review the decision not to record veterans in the 2021 census. To date it has met six times. The working group is developing a number of themes which have allowed us to develop a good understanding of each other’s needs, including those of other Government Departments, Local Authorities and the charitable sector. The latest ONS statement on this issue can be found at the following address: https://www.ons.gov.uk/census/censustransformationprogramme/consultations/the2021censusinitialviewoncontentforenglandandwales/updateonmeetinginformationneedsonthearmedforcescommunityveterans The ONS will be inviting key stakeholders from across Government, Local Authorities and the charitable sector to a meeting this autumn to seek their further input on this issue. In addition, the MOD and the ONS met with the RBL in July this year to explain the work that both Departments are taking forward.