Category: Speeches

  • Jamie Reed – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Jamie Reed – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jamie Reed on 2016-01-29.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how Government targets for the proportion of business created in supply chains for small and medium-sized enterprises (SME) under public procurement contracts apply to companies subject to mergers, acquisitions or other changes in status that take those companies out of the SME category.

    Matthew Hancock

    The Government has a target that 33% of central government business, by direct spend and through the supply chain, will go to small and medium businesses by 2020.

    We assess progress against the overall target on a regular basis, including an assessment of those companies identified as Small or Medium Sized Enterprises (SMEs). Where companies no longer meet the statutory definition of an SME at the time of assessment, they are no longer counted.

  • Andy Slaughter – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Andy Slaughter – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andy Slaughter on 2016-02-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with the Hungarian government on the sale of residency bonds through off-shore companies.

    Mr David Lidington

    The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond) has had no discussions with the Hungarian government on this issue.

  • Oliver Dowden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Oliver Dowden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Oliver Dowden on 2016-03-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, with reference to paragraph 1.233 of the March 2015 Budget, how much of the £1.25 billion funding for child and adolescent mental health services has been allocated.

    Alistair Burt

    Following the March Budget 2015 announcement of £1.25 billion additional funding for children and young people’s mental health services being available over the following five years, £143 million has been allocated for 2015-16. From this, £75 million has been allocated to clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) to work intensively with key partner agencies to transform local services through delivery of their Local Transformation Plans (LTPs) to improve children and young people’s mental health and wellbeing, and £68 million is being spent centrally on workforce and system development to support local transformation. For 2016-17, £119 million has been included in CCG baseline allocations. The profile of spending for future years has not yet been fully determined.

    The guidance for LTPs issued in August 2015, specified that plans had to be signed off by Health and Wellbeing Boards to ensure a shared ambition across all local partners, and included details of a robust bespoke assurance process for 2015-16, put in place by NHS England. This included the completion of detailed financial tracking templates, backed by a programme of regional and national support, to ensure that the additional money was spent for the purposes intended and that locally determined key performance indicators are being met. The intention from 2016-17 is to mainstream children and young people’s mental health as part of the normal NHS England planning cycle and to integrate LTPs into the new Sustainability and Transformation Plan.

  • Baroness Tonge – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Baroness Tonge – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Tonge on 2016-04-25.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many journalists have been imprisoned in the occupied Palestinian territories since October 2015 and what representations they have made to the government of Israel.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    As of the beginning of March 2016, we were aware of four Palestinian journalists from the West Bank arrested since October 2015. We are also aware of a Gazan journalist who was detained for seven hours at Erez crossing. We are clear that journalists should have the necessary protection to do their jobs in safety, and strongly believe freedom of the media is an important human rights principle.

  • Lord Berkeley – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Lord Berkeley – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Berkeley on 2016-06-06.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many train paths an hour will be freed up on the West Coast Main Line when HS2 Phase 1 is operational according to Network Rail’s West Coast Main Line Capacity Plus study, and when that study will be published.

    Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

    HS2 Phase 1 will add significant additional capacity to the London to West Midlands rail corridor, and this provides an opportunity for the industry to evaluate how best to make use of the released capacity on the southern section of the West Coast Main Line. Network Rail continues to develop the evidence base to support the Capacity Plus study. Train operating companies and freight operating companies, passenger transport executives and local authorities and High Speed 2 Ltd are supporting Network Rail in its ongoing work. Network Rail will use this work to inform the Initial Industry Advice for Control Period 6 which is expected to be published by the end of 2016.

  • Andrew Gwynne – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

    Andrew Gwynne – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Gwynne on 2016-07-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he is taking to support and develop the UK life sciences industry; and if he will make a statement.

    Joseph Johnson

    The Government remains committed to ensuring that the UK has one of the most competitive and productive life sciences sectors in the world, which is at the forefront of 21st century healthcare and technology. That is crucial to ensuring both improved health outcomes for patients and wider prosperity and economic growth.

    The Government has created a supportive life sciences environment, including through significant support for research and development, both through the Research Councils and the National Institute for Health Research; support for innovation via Innovate UK; and support for exporters from the Department for International Trade. In 2014 UK Government spend on health research and development stood at just over £2.2bn[1].

    The Government’s investment in life sciences benefits many areas of the UK. For example, Government has invested £20m in a joint fund between Greater Manchester and Cheshire & Warrington Local Economic Partnerships, through Growth Deals.

    [1] ONS UK Government Expenditure on Science, Engineering and Technology, http://www.ons.gov.uk/economy/governmentpublicsectorandtaxes/researchanddevelopmentexpenditure/datasets/scienceengineeringandtechnologystatisticsreferencetables

    “

  • John Glen – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    John Glen – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Glen on 2016-10-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that asfotase alfa is available on the NHS to all patients who may benefit from it.

    Nicola Blackwood

    The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is currently evaluating the costs and benefits of asfotase alfa (Strensiq) for treating paediatric-onset hypophosphatasia to determine whether it can be recommended for national commissioning by NHS England.

    There has not yet been an opportunity for stakeholders to appeal NICE’s recommendations on the use of asfotase alfa for treating paediatric-onset hypophosphatasia. NICE published a second iteration of draft guidance for consultation on 22 September 2016 and the closing date for comments was 13 October 2016. NICE’s independent Evaluation Committee will now consider the comments received in response to the consultation before deciding on the next steps for the evaluation.

  • Richard Burden – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Richard Burden – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2015-11-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Office of Road and Rail (ORR) monitoring framework; and what guidance he has provided to the ORR as it develops its enforcement plan.

    Claire Perry

    In terms of rail, Ministers and Department for Transport officials regularly discuss the regulation of Network Rail and the railways with the Office of Rail and Road (ORR).

    In 2015 ORR has carried out consultations on both its railways and Highways Monitoring enforcement policies. DfT responded to both consultations. I understand ORR will publish revised policies in due course.

    In relation to monitoring Highways England, the Infrastructure Act 2015 conferred the monitoring function on ORR and Highways England was appointed as a Strategic Highways Company on 1 April 2015.

    The ORR Highways Monitor has been provided with statutory guidance to develop its enforcement plan. This statutory guidance was jointly issued with HM Treasury on 20 March 2015 and can be found on the gov.uk website.

  • Ian C. Lucas – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Ian C. Lucas – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian C. Lucas on 2015-11-26.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what proportion of payments of (a) income tax and (b) National Insurance by employees (i) within and (ii) outside the UK were made correctly in each of the last three years.

    Mr David Gauke

    Estimates of the proportion of payments of (a) income tax and (b) National Insurance by employees (i) within and (ii) outside the UK that were correctly made are not available.

    Estimates of the value of under-declared income tax and national insurance liabilities resulting from incorrect returns are published in chapter 6 of ‘Measuring Tax Gaps 2015.’ These are produced for both small and medium enterprise (SME) employers (table 6.7) and large employers (table 6.9).

    https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/measuring-tax-gaps

    “

  • Gareth Thomas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Gareth Thomas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gareth Thomas on 2016-01-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, whether the Ross Fund will include funding to tackle HIV/AIDS; and if she will make a statement.

    Mr Nick Hurd

    Whilst the Ross Fund is not directly focused on HIV and AIDS, the UK continues to invest in research on HIV and AIDS. This includes research into understanding the structural drivers that can increase HIV (including gender inequality, stigma and limited livelihood opportunities), HIV prevention technologies (such as microbicides and vaccines) and studies to identify cost-effective ways to deliver HIV services.

    The Ross Fund will target infectious diseases including malaria, diseases with epidemic potential, neglected tropical diseases which affect over a billion people globally, and antimicrobial resistance which poses a substantial and growing threat to global health. The goal of the Ross fund is to develop, test and deliver a range of new products (including vaccines, drugs and diagnostics) to help combat these diseases in developing countries.