Category: Speeches

  • George Howarth – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    George Howarth – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by George Howarth on 2015-11-03.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, when he expects there to be an announcement on the extension of the Mersey Gateway free travel scheme to residents and businesses in Cheshire; and if he will make a statement.

    Greg Hands

    As announced at the Summer Budget, we have asked the Department for Transport to look at extending the Mersey Gateway local discount scheme to residents of Chester West & Chester and Warrington, as well as looking at help for small businesses. This work is ongoing.

  • Louise Haigh – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Louise Haigh – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Louise Haigh on 2015-12-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many civil servants in his Department are in the redeployment pool.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    The Foreign and Commonwealth Office does not have a redeployment pool.

  • Matthew Offord – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Matthew Offord – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Matthew Offord on 2016-01-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, with reference to the Executive Summary of the HMG Strategy for Abolition of the Death Penalty 2010-2015, as revised in October 2011, what steps his Department is taking to help impose further restrictions on countries which continue to practise the death penalty as part of their judicial process; and what progress on the imposition of such restrictions has been made to date.

    Mr David Lidington

    The British Government published in 2014 “Guidance on Overseas Security and Justice Assistance” which controls and restricts the supply of justice sector assistance to countries which retain the death penalty. The Government has also successfully urged the European Commission to introduce regulations banning the export of any equipment or chemicals intended to carry out executions.

  • Alex Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Alex Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alex Cunningham on 2016-02-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will make it his policy to send prisoners returned to jail having broken their licence conditions to a different prison than the one from which they were released.

    Andrew Selous

    Prisoners recalled to custody having breached the conditions of their licence will be arrested by the police and then taken to the nearest local prison for the area in which they were arrested. Prisoners who, prior to release had been held in the closed training estate or in an open prison, will not therefore be returned to the same prison from which their release took place. Those prisoners who had been held in a local prison prior to release on licence, may be returned to the same establishment if that is the nearest local prison for the area in which they were arrested.

    Once returned to a local prison, prisoners will be re-assessed and a decision made on which prison is best suited to their needs, taking into account all factors in the case including the risks they present and other security issues. Prisoners recalled for short periods may remain in the local prison until release unless there are specific reasons, including security reasons, why they should be transferred elsewhere.

  • Lilian Greenwood – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Lilian Greenwood – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lilian Greenwood on 2016-02-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse in 2016 of (a) raising regulated national rail fares by the retail price index and (b) removing train operators’ flexibility to vary regulated fare levels within the basket of fares in 2016.

    Claire Perry

    We know that passengers are concerned about the cost of fares. That is why we have capped regulated fares at the level of the Retail Price Index (RPI) for three years running, and will continue to do so for the life of this parliament. We have also removed the flex which allowed train operators’ flexibility to vary regulated fare levels within the basket. The estimated cost to the Department in 2016 is, £30.4 million (in nominal prices) for capping regulated rail fares at RPI+0%, and £6 million (in nominal prices) for removing the flex.

  • Nicholas Soames – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Nicholas Soames – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicholas Soames on 2016-03-21.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the trained strength of the Royal Navy is by (a) officers and (b) non-commissioned ranks.

    Mark Lancaster

    The trained strength of the Royal Navy by officers and non-commissioned ranks as of 1 February 2016 is as follows.

    Officers

    Ratings

    Royal Navy

    5,130

    17,650

    Royal Marines

    770

    6,170

    Total

    5,900

    23,820

    All totals are rounded in accordance with the Defence Statistics rounding policy; therefore totals may not equal the sum of their parts. All numbers are rounded to the nearest 10 with numbers ending in 5 rounded to the nearest multiple of 20 to avoid bias.

    These figures were published on 10 March 2016 in the Royal Navy and Royal Marine Situation Report at: www.gov.uk

  • Hilary Benn – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Hilary Benn – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Hilary Benn on 2016-04-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent representations he has made to the Indian government on the release from prisons of the five Britons working for the AdvanFort Security Company.

    Mr Philip Hammond

    We continue to make representations on behalf of the six British men in this case. On 1 April the Prime Minister, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Witney (Mr Cameron), raised this case for the fourth time with the Indian Prime Minister at a summit in Washington. During April it has been raised again with both the Indian Minister of External Affairs and the Indian Foreign Secretary and with the State Government during the 27-28 April visit to Chennai of the new High Commissioner.

  • Steve McCabe – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Steve McCabe – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2016-06-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, with reference to the Answer of 15 April 2016 to Question 33132, when he plans to publish details of NHS support funding for community pharmacies under the Pharmacy Access Scheme.

    Alistair Burt

    We expect to publish further details on the Pharmacy Access Scheme at the beginning of July.

  • Helen Goodman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Helen Goodman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Helen Goodman on 2016-09-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, when the Government plans to issue a commencement order for section 67 of the Serious Crime Act 2015 on sexual communication with a child.

    Sir Oliver Heald

    The Government remains committed to commencing section 67 of the Serious Crime Act 2015 and will do so in due course.

  • Danny Kinahan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Danny Kinahan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Danny Kinahan on 2016-10-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions she has had with devolved administrations on the operation of the Apprenticeship Levy.

    Robert Halfon

    Department for Education officials hold regular discussions with their counterparts in the devolved administrations to consider the implications of the apprenticeship levy on their own apprenticeship programmes and for cross-border employers.

    We want to ensure that apprenticeship funding works for employers and learners, wherever they are in the UK.