Category: Speeches

  • Lord Touhig – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Lord Touhig – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Touhig on 2016-10-17.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the answer by Earl Howe on 13 September (HL Deb, col 1389), when a Royal Navy vessel requires repair and on-board engineers are unable to resolve the problem without the help of other, more specialist, engineers how this will be achieved without the support of RFA Diligence.

    Earl Howe

    Should on-board engineers be unable to resolve a problem with any ship or submarine, there is a range of ways in which operational maintenance and repair can be delivered. This can include the deployment of a Royal Navy repair and maintenance party, or utilising well-established commercial arrangements and international agreements, such as the use of other countries’ bases and facilities. This is particularly the case where resources and facilities are not available within the Ministry of Defence or are more effectively provided by a third party.

  • Rosie Cooper – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Rosie Cooper – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rosie Cooper on 2015-11-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the proposals on the provision of court and tribunal estate in England and Wales published by his Department on 16 July 2015, when the decision was taken to include Ormskirk Magistrates’ Court and Family Court in the list of courts to be considered for closure.

    Mr Shailesh Vara

    A Written Ministerial Statement announcing the consultation on the closure of 91 courts in England and Wales was laid on 16 July 2015. Until that announcement, no final decision had been made on courts being considered for closure.

  • Neil Coyle – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Neil Coyle – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Neil Coyle on 2015-11-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how he plans for the two per cent council tax precept to fund care services to be monitored to ensure funds raised are used for disabled people, older people, and carers seeking social care and support from local authorities.

    Mr Marcus Jones

    Details of how the two per cent social care precept will operate will be confirmed alongside the provisional local government finance settlement in due course.

  • Christian Matheson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Women and Equalities

    Christian Matheson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Women and Equalities

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Christian Matheson on 2016-01-11.

    To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what progress the Government is making on negotiating the removal of VAT on women’s sanitary products.

    Mr David Gauke

    I have written to the European Commission and other Member States setting out our strong view that Member States should have full discretion over what rate of VAT they can apply to sanitary products, and that this should be considered in the context of the Commission’s Action Plan on VAT, which is now expected to be published in March 2016.

  • Lord Alton of Liverpool – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Lord Alton of Liverpool – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool on 2016-01-28.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Prior of Brampton on 27 January (HL5040), what assessment they and the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) have made of the case for all women and their children receiving equal protections; and what recommendations the HFEA has made to the Department of Health on that issue.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    The Human Fertilisation and Embyrology Authority has not made an assessment of the case for women who obtain sperm in a private arrangement (and any resulting children) to have the same protections as women who obtain sperm through a licensed clinic, for the reasons set out in the response to the Noble Lord on 27 January (HL5040).

  • Kerry McCarthy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Kerry McCarthy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kerry McCarthy on 2016-02-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 22 February 2016 to Question 26611, whether the Clean Growth Committee has met to discuss air quality.

    Rory Stewart

    The inter-Ministerial group on Clean Growth considers issues relating to air quality and decarbonisation where these have a cross-Departmental aspect. To protect the integrity of the policy making process, we do not comment on what was discussed at a specific meeting.

  • Nick Herbert – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Nick Herbert – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nick Herbert on 2016-03-22.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the level of goods exports to the EU from (a) Scotland, (b) Wales, (c) Northern Ireland and (d) each English region as a proportion of (i) total exports and (ii) GVA from each of those areas.

    Mr David Gauke

    HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) publish data on the total value of the UK’s import and export trade in goods by region:

    https://www.uktradeinfo.com/Statistics/RTS/Pages/default.aspx

    The latest data for 2015 shows that the value of goods exports to the EU as a proportion of total goods exports is as follows:

    Region

    Goods exports to the EU (£000s)

    Total goods exports (£000s)

    %

    North East

    7,001,603

    12,141,343

    57.7

    North West

    11,578,566

    24,838,093

    46.6

    Yorkshire

    7,785,133

    16,575,590

    47.0

    East Midlands

    8,684,722

    19,318,347

    45.0

    West Midlands

    12,035,888

    28,964,501

    41.6

    East of England

    11,411,149

    21,327,266

    53.5

    London

    12,727,129

    32,428,175

    39.2

    South East

    19,003,485

    40,521,161

    46.9

    South West

    9,718,023

    15,272,223

    63.6

    Wales

    5,024,163

    12,200,136

    41.2

    Scotland

    6,719,840

    17,467,865

    38.5

    Northern Ireland

    3,462,494

    6,327,320

    54.7

    The ONS publish regional GVA on an annual basis. The latest data available is for 2014: http://www.ons.gov.uk/economy/grossvalueaddedgva/bulletins/regionalgrossvalueaddedincomeapproach/december2015

    The value of goods exports to the EU in 2014 as a proportion of GVA is as follows:

    Region

    Goods exports to the EU (£m)

    Gross Value Added (£m)

    %

    North East

    6,989

    47,702

    14.7

    North West

    13,474

    149,869

    9.0

    Yorkshire

    8,456

    106,467

    7.9

    East Midlands

    8,883

    95,178

    9.3

    West Midlands

    11,529

    114,755

    10.0

    East of England

    13,958

    138,801

    10.1

    London

    12,292

    364,310

    3.4

    South East

    19,899

    239,698

    8.3

    South West

    8,180

    121,070

    6.8

    Wales

    5,761

    54,336

    10.6

    Scotland

    8,364

    123,543

    6.8

    Northern Ireland

    3,630

    34,384

    10.6
  • Lord Colwyn – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Lord Colwyn – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Colwyn on 2016-04-27.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether, in the light of the reported rise in expenditure by NHS Ambulance Trusts, they intend to extend agency spending caps to private ambulance services.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    The Government has already taken decisive action to support the National Health Service to be the most efficient health system in the world. That is why a series of tough financial controls were introduced last year to help the NHS tackle some of the extortionate rates charged and overspending on agency staff.

    In November 2015, hourly price caps were introduced limiting the amount the NHS can pay to an agency for temporary staff. These were reduced gradually over a number of months and will apply to all ambulance trusts and ambulance foundation trusts from 1 July 2016.

  • Gordon Marsden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Gordon Marsden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gordon Marsden on 2016-06-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what projections have been made of the number of EU students in receipt of student loans likely to be studying in England in (a) 2020, (b) 2030 and (c) 2040.

    Joseph Johnson

    The latest estimate of the number of EU students in England in receipt of undergraduate full and part-time fee loans is 45,000 in 2015/16.

    The Government recognises the important contribution that international students make to the UK. Their presence brings an international outlook and diversity to UK university campuses, benefiting UK students and long term UK links post-graduation.

  • Roberta Blackman-Woods – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Roberta Blackman-Woods – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Roberta Blackman-Woods on 2016-09-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to his oral contribution of 20 July 2016, Official Report, column 849, when his Department will make an announcement on the exemption of specialist supported housing from changes to housing benefit.

    Caroline Nokes

    The Secretary of State has confirmed that the Government expects to make an announcement on the way forward for supported housing in early autumn.