Category: Speeches

  • David Lammy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    David Lammy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Lammy on 2016-05-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many gambling licenses were issued for premises in (a) Tottenham and (b) Greater London in each year between 2010 and 2016.

    David Evennett

    The requested information is not held centrally. Local authorities are responsible for the issuing of gambling premises licences, in accordance with the Licensing Objectives and their own Statement of Licensing Policy. Local Authority license registers listing the number of licences in each borough are available to access by the public. The Gambling Commission estimates there are around 2,800 licences in operation in the greater London area, based on feedback from Local Authorities. Haringey Borough Council’s licensing register can be found at the following address: http://www.haringey.gov.uk/business/licensing-and-regulations/licensing/licensing-register

  • Caroline Lucas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Caroline Lucas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2016-06-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will place in the Library a copy of the Rail Minister’s response to the letter of 20 June 2016 from the Chief Executive of the Campaign for Better Transport on the Thameslink, Southern and Great Northern franchise.

    Claire Perry

    No response has yet been issued.

  • Kate Osamor – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Kate Osamor – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kate Osamor on 2016-09-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many detainees currently in Yarl’s Wood Immigration Removal Centre who claim to have suffered persecution in their home country claim to have suffered (a) state and (b) non-state violence.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    Information on the reasons for a claim for asylum is not readily accessible from central statistical records and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost through a manual search of individual case files.

  • Will Quince – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Will Quince – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Will Quince on 2015-11-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what plans he has to revise the agreement reached with the National Housing Federation on right to buy to remove references to almshouses in the table of discretionary sales.

    Brandon Lewis

    Almshouses are exempt from the Right to Buy for council housing. This long-standing exemption will also apply to the extended Right to Buy for housing associations.

  • John Healey – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    John Healey – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Healey on 2015-12-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what plans he has to make decisions about changes to housing benefit entitlements for tenants of supported accommodation before the completion of research in this area which has been commissioned by the Department.

    Justin Tomlinson

    The Department has jointly commissioned an evidence review with DCLG looking at the size and scope of the supported housing sector. The results of this research will guide our consideration for future policy development.

  • Lord Wallace of Saltaire – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Lord Wallace of Saltaire – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Wallace of Saltaire on 2016-01-19.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many claims of diplomatic immunity were advanced in UK courts, or other legal procedures, between 1 January 2010 and 1 January 2016; how many of those were successful; and of which states those successful and unsuccessful claimants were citizens.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    A number of claims of diplomatic immunity have been advanced through the UK courts. However, statistics and details are not recorded centrally and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

  • Kwasi Kwarteng – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Kwasi Kwarteng – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kwasi Kwarteng on 2016-02-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether it is his policy to expand London’s transport zones to include (a) Spelthorne constituency and (b) other new areas inside the M25 orbital that do not use the oyster system.

    Claire Perry

    The Travelcard map, showing the zone in which each station falls, is set out as part of the Travelcard Agreement between the Train Operating Companies and Transport for London (TfL). Any changes to station zones must be proposed by a signatory to the Agreement and then agreed by the remaining signatories. The government is not a signatory to the Agreement and therefore has no role in proposing such changes to station zones.

    Once a change is proposed by TfL and the Train Operating Companies, the Department for Transport can approve or reject the change proposals. This decision is made by the Secretary of State for Transport, on the basis of a business case and other wider policy and initiatives that may be considered at the time. If the proposal does not represent good value for money, it would be unlikely to get approval. It would be inappropriate for the Government to promote or back any proposals outside of this established process.

    In the current rail franchising contracts there are commitments for train operators to bring forward proposals to extend Oyster and Contactless to Swanley, Epsom, Hertford North, Luton Airport Parkway and Welwyn Garden City. The Secretary of State will consider these proposals on their individual merits when they have been developed and submitted in accordance with the process set out above.

  • Lisa Cameron – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Lisa Cameron – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lisa Cameron on 2016-03-03.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what recent discussions he has had with Sir John Chilcot on the publication date of the Iraq Inquiry.

    Mr Oliver Letwin

    None.

  • Jim Shannon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Jim Shannon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-04-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when the epileptic drug Briviact will be available on the NHS.

    George Freeman

    Briviact (brivaracetam) became available on the National Health Service following its launch in the United Kingdom in February 2016. It is for clinicians to decide whether to prescribe it to patients.

    In the absence of guidance from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence it is for commissioners to make decisions on whether to fund new medicines based on an assessment of the available evidence, such as clinical trials or peer-reviewed publications.

  • Madeleine Moon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Madeleine Moon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Madeleine Moon on 2016-05-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the Answer of 9 May 2016 to Question 35843, whether chapels owned and administered by the Ministry of Defence are part of the pilot project exploring the registration of civil marriages and partnerships, including same-sex unions.

    Penny Mordaunt

    No chapels owned or administered by the Ministry of Defence (MOD) are part of the pilot project exploring the registration of civil marriages and partnerships or same-sex unions.

    The MOD supports same-sex marriage and is committed to ensuring that couples are not disadvantaged by their service. We have concluded a study of serving LGBT personnel to obtain their view on this matter.

    Should a same-sex military couple wish to have a civil marriage ceremony on the Defence Estate, it is a requirement that the same access must be granted to all members of the public. The project is attempting to indentify suitable sites for this purpose.

    Should a same-sex couple from the Armed Forces wish to get married in a military Chapel they must follow the rules surrounding the marriage of same sex couples (Military or Civilian) in Military chapels, which are laid out in ‘The Marriage of Same Sex Couples (Use of Armed Forces’ Chapels) Regulations 2014′. At present none of the Churches that send Chaplains to the Armed Forces have opted into the provision of marriage for same-sex couples. Some may seek to change their policy in the future.