Category: Speeches

  • David Burrowes – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    David Burrowes – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Burrowes on 2016-07-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department plans to publish the number of applications for refugee family reunion which were granted outside the rules in its quarterly migration statistics.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    The Home Office does not currently plan to change the data that is published on this category of applications. The question covers a number of different casework operations and the information is not recorded in a way which can be reported directly.

    The Home Office keeps under review the statistics that are published in line with the Code of Practice for Official Statistics, balancing user needs against burdens on data suppliers.

  • Angela Eagle – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Angela Eagle – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Angela Eagle on 2016-10-07.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many tax credits claims have been reinstated by HM Revenue and Customs as a result of (a) adjustments and (b) cancellations by Concentrix in (i) Wallasey constituency, (ii) Wirral and (iii) Merseyside.

    Jane Ellison

    HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) does not hold data broken down specifically by constituency areas.

    HMRC is currently focussed on resolving the outstanding cases but will be preparing regional analysis, which will be available in due course.

  • Drew Hendry – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Drew Hendry – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Drew Hendry on 2015-10-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment his Department has made of the potential effect of benefit sanctions on mental health.

    Priti Patel

    I refer the Hon. Member to the answer I gave on 2 November 2015 to Questions 901923, 901929 and 901937.

  • Louise Haigh – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Louise Haigh – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Louise Haigh on 2015-11-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what estimate she has made of the cost of using external agencies for recruitment to Senior Civil Service posts in her Department in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

    Andrea Leadsom

    The cost of SCS recruitment from 2010 to 2015 can be found in the table below. Data is taken from central finance records. Every effort has been made to exclude non SCS recruitment costs from the figures but where the grade recruited cannot be identified these figures have been included. Costs include charges provided by recruitment agencies and executive search agencies.

    As part of its long-term economic plan, this Government has reduced the size of the Civil Service by 22%, adjusting for Machinery of Government changes that moved staff into and out of the Civil Service since the 2010 General Election, representing a significant increase in efficiency and productivity that helped save taxpayers £2.8 billion last year alone.

    Year

    Cost £

    2010-11

    84,338.00

    2011-12

    267,268.90

    2012-13

    306,901.53

    2013-14

    365,847.87

    2014-15

    176,080.25

  • John Pugh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    John Pugh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Pugh on 2015-12-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, which local authorities have received how many Syrian refugees.

    Richard Harrington

    My rt. hon. Friend, the Prime Minister announced on 16 December that we have delivered on the promise to resettle 1,000 vulnerable Syrian refugees before Christmas. We can also confirm that as of the beginning of December 2015, 55 local authorities across the UK had signed up to participate in the Syrian Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Scheme and made confirmed offers of places.

    In order to help protect the privacy of those arriving, we will not be giving a running commentary on location or numbers of persons resettled. Notwithstanding, the Home Office is committed to publishing data in an orderly way as part of the regular quarterly Immigration Statistics. The next set of figures will be in the quarterly release in February 2016 and will cover the period October-December 2015. This adheres to the standard practice for the release of information about the work of the Department, ensuring statistics are published properly in a way which is open and accessible to all.

  • David Anderson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    David Anderson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Anderson on 2016-01-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, on what grounds Experts by Experience was not considered under TUPE arrangements when Remploy took over its contracts.

    Ben Gummer

    The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has advised that it has taken into account the application of Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 2006 in the new contracts with Choice Support and Remploy Ltd.

    The CQC issued a press release on 28 January 2016 on this matter. It advised that the CQC’s contractual discussions with Remploy Ltd and Choice Support are still ongoing. The CQC understand that Remploy has now written to Experts by Experience confirming they will pay an hourly rate of £15 for the first six months of the contract – commencing 1 February 2016.

    Departmental Ministers have not received any representations about the importance of Experts by Experience in the National Health Service or the level of payments by Remploy to Experts by Experience.

    The Department has not received any direct correspondence about the importance of Experts by Experience in the NHS or the level of payments by Remploy to Experts by Experience. We are, however, aware of one email on this subject that the Department has been copied into that was sent to the CQC.

  • Gareth Thomas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Gareth Thomas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gareth Thomas on 2016-02-24.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions he has had with the Swedish government over their decision to end the production of coins containing nickel; whether he plans to further investigate the health risks posed to those who suffer from nickel allergy of the decision to switch to steel nickel-plated 5p and 10p coins in 2012; and if he will make a statement.

    Harriett Baldwin

    Nickel has been used in UK coinage for over 60 years and nickel-plated coins introduced in the UK in 2012 were already in use in Canada, New Zealand and other countries around the world.

    Independent tests have concluded that there is no increased risk to people from handling the nickel-plated steel five pence and ten pence coins compared to coins made of cupronickel alloy.

  • Justin Madders – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Justin Madders – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Justin Madders on 2016-03-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much funding was allocated to Heathwatch England in each of the last three years; and how much such funding will be allocated in 2016-17 in cash terms and real terms.

    Ben Gummer

    Healthwatch England was allocated £4.083 million in 2013/14, £4.157 million in 2014/15, and £4.5 million in 2015/16. The figures are a combination of funding for core running costs and additional non-recurrent funding.

    A final allocation for 2016/17 is yet to be finalised.

  • Andrew Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Andrew Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Smith on 2016-04-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the timetable and process is, including parliamentary scrutiny, for ratification by the UK of the EU-Israel Civil Aviation Agreement.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    The EU-Israel Aviation Agreement was signed on 10 June 2013. Prior to this it was subject to UK parliamentary scrutiny (EM 16502/12 & 16650/12 dated 4 December 2012). Scrutiny clearance was received from the European Scrutiny Committee on 12 December 2012 and the UK government therefore agreed to the Council Decision to sign the Agreement at the Council held on 20 December 2012.

    The Agreement is currently being amended due to the accession of Croatia to the European Union. The Decision to sign the amendment was agreed by Council on 8 October 2014 and is currently being considered by the European Parliament. Once this is complete, the Agreement and the amendment will then be concluded at a later date. The amendment will not be subject to UK parliamentary scrutiny as the European Scrutiny Committees of both Houses have agreed to waive parliamentary scrutiny of all amendments to EU-3rd country agreements, where the sole purpose of the amendment is to accede Croatia to an agreement.

  • Stewart Malcolm McDonald – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Stewart Malcolm McDonald – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stewart Malcolm McDonald on 2016-05-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many meetings he has had with representatives of Volkswagen to discuss diesel emissions in 2016 to date.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    The Secretary of State met with Paul Willis, Managing Director of VW UK, and other representatives of Volkswagen to discuss diesel emissions in May. Ministers have written to Volkswagen on several occasions in 2016. Department for Transport officials hold regular meetings with Volkswagen.