Category: Speeches

  • Sir David Amess – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Sir David Amess – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sir David Amess on 2016-04-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to his Department’s Written Statement of 10 March 2016, HCWS605, on Air Cadet Aviation Re-launch, whether a decision has been taken to close MDP Wethersfield airfield; and if he will make an assessment of the potential contribution of that facility to supporting 614 Volunteer Gliding Squadron operations in the future.

    Mr Julian Brazier

    I refer the hon. Member to the Written Statement made by my hon. Friend the Minister for Defence Personnel, Welfare and Veterans (Mark Lancaster) on 24 March (Official Report, column 75WS) which confirmed the release of MOD Wethersfield. It is intended that the site will close before this Parliament ends in 2020.

    All units based at the site, including 614 Volunteer Gliding Squadron, will be provided for elsewhere.

    Work to identify the potential future location for these units will be completed later this year.

  • Julian Knight – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Julian Knight – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Julian Knight on 2016-05-10.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he plans to take to offer public financial advice on Lifetime ISAs.

    Mr David Gauke

    The new Lifetime ISA will provide savers with the flexibility to save towards a first home and retirement at the same time.

    From April 2017, people aged 18 to 40 will be able to save up to £4,000 each year into a Lifetime ISA and receive a 25% bonus from the Government.

    The Government is engaging with the industry on the detail of implementation, regulation and advice on the Lifetime ISA. Further details will be announced when the Government brings forward legislation to enact the Lifetime ISA in the autumn.

  • Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh on 2016-06-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many re-assessments for people already receiving disability living allowance for children have been conducted in the last three years for which figures are available.

    Justin Tomlinson

    For Disability Living Allowance children are given fixed term awards and it is the responsibility of the parent to make a new application once the award ends if the child still has additional needs as a result of disability. If a relevant change of circumstances is reported then the claim could be reassessed.

    The table below shows the number of Renewal decisions cleared on an existing award and the number of Supersession decisions cleared which relate to a change of circumstance on an existing award, for the last three years.

    Disability Living Allowance

    2013/14

    2014/15

    2015/16

    Child Renewals total clearances

    54,772

    68,148

    69,436

    Child Supersessions total clearances

    17,339

    16,275

    19,588

    Total Child Supersessions + Renewals

    72,111

    84,423

    89,024

    Source: Department of Work and Pensions, Disability Living Allowance Computer System – RDA 80123 report

    This type of internal management information does not form part of the official statistics outputs that are released by the Department in accordance with the UK Statistics Authority’s Code of Practice and should be used with caution.

  • Daniel Zeichner – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

    Daniel Zeichner – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Daniel Zeichner on 2016-09-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, for what reason the Government’s £60 million investment in Reaction Engines to help support the development of SABRE, as announced on 16 July 2013, has been delayed.

    Joseph Johnson

    The announcement in July 2013 was an in principle decision to fund, subject to the development of a suitable business case. The reason the funding was not disbursed sooner was because Reaction Engines had not produced a business case that met the Government’s requirements.

    The funding for SABRE was confirmed to Reaction Engines as a grant in December 2015, and milestone payments began in April 2016.

  • Baroness Redfern – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Baroness Redfern – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Redfern on 2015-11-10.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what progress has been made in reducing the number of young people not in employment, education, or training; and how they intend to support local authorities in reducing that number during this Parliament.

    Lord Nash

    The number of 16- to 18-year-olds who are not in employment, education or training (NEETs) is at its lowest level since 1994. This number has fallen by 51,900 since 2011. The government is determined to do more to encourage young people to participate in education and training, and to continue reducing the proportion who are NEET. That is why the government is investing £7 billion in 2015-16 to fund a place in education or training for every 16- to 19-year-old who wants one.

    Under Raising the Participation Age (RPA), all young people are required to continue in education or training until at least their eighteenth birthday. The Department is working closely with local authorities to support and challenge them in implementing RPA and meeting their duties to track and support young people. This support includes collecting and analysing local authorities’ data and sharing good practice.

    There are also a number of central initiatives which support local authorities in their work to reduce the number of young people NEET. These include a package to help improve the prospects of over 9,600 vulnerable young people through the Youth Engagement Fund and the Fair Chance Fund; the Youth Contract which continues to be available until March 2016 to support vulnerable young people; Jobcentre Plus pilots which are delivering in over 30 local authority areas to support 16- and 17-year-olds who are NEET; and provision funded by the European Social Fund which targets those who are NEET or at risk of being NEET. Broader work includes curriculum and qualifications reform, the 16-19 Bursary Fund, and improvements in the quality of careers advice and guidance.

    These initiatives will help to continue reducing the number of young people NEET by removing barriers to participation and ensuring that young people are able to gain the skills and qualifications they need for their future employment or continuing education.

  • Emily Thornberry – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Emily Thornberry – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Emily Thornberry on 2015-12-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, with reference to paragraph 1.149 of the Spending Review and Autumn Statement 2015, what steps his Department plans to take to assist local authorities for which the cost of providing temporary accommodation exceeds their pre-allocated share of funding.

    Mr Marcus Jones

    The Spending Review and Autumn Statement announced that funding of the Temporary Accommodation management fee will be devolved to local authorities from 2017/18, giving them more freedom and flexibility in how they use this funding. Current levels of funding will be maintained and, in addition, councils will receive £10 million a year more. The Department for Communities and Local Government will set out the precise detail of how the new funding will be distributed in 2016/17. The Department will work closely with local authorities and other partners to ensure that funding will be allocated in order to most effectively help councils tackle homelessness.

  • 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 2016-01-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what funding is available for programme making and special events licence users to encourage them to leave the 700 MHz band.

    Mr Edward Vaizey

    Ofcom have published a consultation outlining alternative spectrum bands for PMSE users. The PMSE community have been involved in the process to identify alternative suitable spectrum. We are currently working closely with Ofcom to look at how PMSE users can be supported if they need to purchase new equipment.

  • Philip Davies – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Philip Davies – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Philip Davies on 2016-02-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many (a) women and (b) men held in prison in each of the last five years had been born in a prison.

    Caroline Dinenage

    The National Offender Management Service does not routinely collect this information.

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

    John Baron – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Baron on 2016-03-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 29 January 2016 to Question 24375, when his Department plans to publish the data on eligibility for and uptake of the bowel cancer screening programme.

    Jane Ellison

    The National Bowel Cancer Screening Programme continues to analyse the data collected and will be publishing data in the annual report which is due later this year.

  • Julie Cooper – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Julie Cooper – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Julie Cooper on 2016-04-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to paragraph 1.37 of her Department’s White Paper, Educational Excellence Everywhere, published in March 2016, when she plans to convene leading headteachers and other experts to design the new voluntary National Professional Qualifications for leadership roles.

    Nick Gibb

    To develop a reformed suite of National Professional Qualifications, which better prepare new leaders for the full range of leadership roles, the Department for Education anticipates convening a group of leading experts, including school leaders, in the coming months.