Category: Speeches

Gregory Campbell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gregory Campbell on 2016-06-07.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what steps he is taking to (a) improve the transparency of car hire firms and (b) ensure people hiring cars are not incorrectly charged for damage to such cars.

Nick Boles

There is already consumer protection legislation in place that protects consumers when dealing with traders, including car hire firms. The Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 (CPRs) prohibit traders from engaging in unfair commercial practices, such as providing false or deceptive information or descriptions to consumers or leaving out material information.

Local authority trading standards services and the Competition and Markets Authority enforce the CPRs, and breaches of the legislation can be reported to the Citizens Advice consumer helpline on 03454 04 05 06 in the first instance.

In addition, the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013 (CCRs) require traders entering into distance and online contracts to provide consumers with a range of pre-purchase information in a clear and comprehensive manner, including any additional costs and how they will be calculated.

Finally, the Consumer Rights Act 2015 (CRA) provides a wide range of protections for consumers, including restricting the use of unfair terms in consumer contracts. Under the CRA, an ‘unfair term’ is defined as one which, contrary to the requirements of good faith, causes a significant imbalance in the parties’ rights and obligations under the contract to the detriment of the consumer. If a court decides a term is unfair, it will not be binding on the consumer.

A term, such as the price and the main subject matter, may be exempted from the assessment of fairness if it is transparent and prominent (expressed in plain and intelligible language and legible) and brought to the consumer’s attention in such a way as the average consumer would be aware of it.

The consumer protection legislation referred to implements EU legislation which applies in all other member states.

01/01/2023
David Simpson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Simpson on 2016-09-05.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps the Government plans to take to (a) reduce the number of patients receiving an incorrect initial heart diagnosis and (b) provide the correct diagnosis and treatment for those patients.

David Mowat

Swift diagnosis and treatment of heart attack are key to ensuring the best outcomes for patients. Action being taken by NHS England includes:

― increasing awareness of the signs and symptoms of heart attack amongst the public and healthcare professionals as this will help speed up diagnosis;

― prioritisation of rapid treatment for heart attack by the urgent and emergency care networks, which are responsible for providing urgent care and emergency care across England; and

― improving tests for more accurately diagnosing heart attack so that correct treatment can be given as quickly as possible.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has also published guidance on diagnosing heart attacks.

01/01/2023
Grant Shapps – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Grant Shapps on 2016-10-14.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of accelerating the Small Modular Reactor Competition process.

Jesse Norman

Since launching the first phase of the competition in March, we have been exploring the potential of different Small Modular Reactor (SMR) designs and routes to commercialisation. In doing so we have drawn on the findings of the independent Techno-Economic Assessment, the Phase One expressions of interest documents, the meetings held by officials over the summer with 32 technology vendors, service providers and potential investors, and our continuing discussions with regulators. This evidence is being used to inform the future of the competition. The timings for any future competition phases is being kept under review, in line with wider SMR policy development.

01/01/2023

Graham Jones – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Graham Jones on 2015-11-03.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what proportion of its annual income has been held in reserve by Hertfordshire police in each of the last five years.

Mike Penning

It is up to Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) and Chief Constables to decide how to allocate their resources, including the efficient use of reserves, based on local priorities. The total amount of revenue funding received by each PCC (formerly Police Authorities) and the total amounts of usable reserves, taken from publically available force area accounts are included in the table below. This includes total core Government funding area from the Home Office, Legacy Council Tax Grants and locally raised precept income. It excludes specific grants such as the Innovation Fund and other locally raised income.

Hertfordshire Police Authority/PCC reserves

Year	Reserves £m	Total revenue funding £m	Reserves as % of government grant+precept
31 Mar 2011	19.4	197.4	9.8%
31 Mar 2012	24.9	191.5	13.0%
31 Mar 2013	28.0	189.7	14.8%
31 Mar 2014	36.7	185.2	19.8%
31 Mar 2015	47.9	181.1	26.5%

Lancashire Police Authority/PCC reserves

Year	Reserves £m	Total revenue funding £m	Reserves as % of government grant+precept
31 Mar 2011	20.1	285.6	7.0%
31 Mar 2012	26.3	273.5	9.6%
31 Mar 2013	27.5	273.5	10.1%
31 Mar 2014	35.8	266.0	13.4%
31 Mar 2015	49.3	258.9	19.1%

Thames Valley Police Authority/PCC reserves

Year	Reserves £m	Total revenue funding £m	Reserves as % of government grant+precept
31 Mar 2011	41.1	395.0	10.4%
31 Mar 2012	48.2	383.4	12.6%
31 Mar 2013	45.8	382.2	12.0%
31 Mar 2014	49.1	375.9	13.1%
31 Mar 2015	51.4	369.7	13.9%

01/01/2023

Lord Falconer of Thoroton – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Falconer of Thoroton on 2015-11-30.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what were the monthly sales figures for (1) e-cigarettes, and (2) tobacco products, in prison shops in the past year.

Lord Faulks

For prisons in England and Wales monthly sales (number of units sold[1]) for the period December 2014 to November 2015 were as follows:

	TOBACCO & CIGARETTES	SUNDRIES[2]	E CIGARETTE
DECEMBER 2014	318,300	252,500	310
JANUARY 2015	352,500	284,200	140
FEBURARY 2015	283,600	228,300	80
MARCH 2015	291,700	228,400	20
APRIL 2015	344,100	282,500	40
MAY 2015	290,800	230,100	60
JUNE 2015	286,000	216,000	60
JULY 2015	350,400	268,400	40
AUGUST 2015	286,900	220,400	6,500
SEPTEMBER 2015	280,200	219,100	5,600
OCTOBER 2015	344,200	268,700	3,000
NOVEMBER 2015	278,400	220,200	1,500

It should be noted that some of the variation in monthly sales is due to months having four weekly accounting periods and other months having five.

From December 2014 to mid-August 2015 e-cigarettes were only available in prisons in Wales plus the three Public Sector Prison establishments in England, (Eastwood Park, Stocken, and Preston) hence the relatively low sales. From 17 August 2015 all public sector establishments offered an e-cigarette on their Local Product List (prison shop form). The decrease in e-cigarette sales since August is thought to be due to an initial peak in sales when these products were first introduced.

[1] Rounded to the nearest 100, or nearest 10 when sales are less than 1,000.

[2] Sundries include, for example, rolling papers, lighters, matches, filter tips and rolling machines.

01/01/2023

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

The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Healey on 2016-01-06.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps he plans to take to ensure that the new town of Northstowe will be developed to schedule.

Brandon Lewis

We are committed to the first housing starts on the land owned by the Homes and Communities Agency at Northstowe by the end of 2018, following the necessary infrastructure and other preparatory works. We envisage around 400 homes being started by March 2020 and the cumulative total rising to around 3,000 by March 2025. The detail of the tenure mix will be confirmed following the conclusion of negotiations with the local authority but there will be a very strong focus on the delivery of starter homes.

01/01/2023
Lord Crisp – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Crisp on 2016-02-01.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the Department for International Development will value mental health equally with physical health in its funding decisions.

Baroness Verma

The UK has lobbied hard to make sure the Global Goals cover the areas not covered by the Millennium Development Goals, to make sure nobody is left behind, including in health, which is a significant step forward. DFID’s principal approach to supporting the Global Goal for health is to strengthen health services, improving coverage, access and quality so that services better address all major causes of ill health including mental health. The UK has played a key role in creating a set of goals that are universal and inclusive and focused on ending chronic poverty forever, for everyone, everywhere. The UK has been a strong and consistent supporter of the need to achieve Universal Health Coverage.

We also support research, together with specific work on mental health. For example, in Ghana, addressing mental health is a specific focus within DFID’s health sector support programme as well as under the Health Partnership Scheme, DFID is helping to establish a community-based programme of mental health care in Malawi to improve care of people with common and severe mental health illnesses. DFID is also providing support for mental health services for Syrian refugees, including those traumatised by the conflict.

01/01/2023
Roger Godsiff – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Roger Godsiff on 2016-02-25.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether any of his Department’s advisors received a pay rise of more than one per cent in the last two financial years.

Harriett Baldwin

I refer the Honourable member to the answer given my Rt Hon. friend the Minister for the Cabinet Office (26025)

Like any employer, HM Treasury does not discuss individual personnel matters, however details on the remuneration of Special Advisers appointed in the current Government and information on the remuneration of Special Advisers during the Coalition Government are available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/special-adviser-data-releases-numbers-and-costs

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01/01/2023
Richard Burden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2016-04-08.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the total cost to Highways England was of its contract with Amey for services in Area 7; and which other companies bid for that contract.

Andrew Jones

The contract awarded by Highways England was for a value of £422,720,000 over 15 years. This is the maximum spend allowable through this contract and includes for inflation over its duration. Other companies that bid for the contract were: –
- Carillion Construction Ltd
- Colas Ltd
- Costain Ltd
- Martin & McCann Ltd
- Ringway Infrastructure Services Ltd
- Skanska Construction Ltd
- GC Landscapes Management Ltd
01/01/2023
Cat Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Cat Smith on 2016-04-26.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 26 April 2016 to Question 34987 and the Answer of 25 April 2016 to Question 34792, how much of the £10 million LIBOR fines funding has been allocated to mental health in total; and whether that allocation was made in October 2014 or October 2015.

Mike Penning

The LIBOR funding allocated to support emergency services staff and volunteers was allocated to a variety of charities covering all the emergency services. £4million was allocated to the charity Mind specifically for mental health issues to cover financial years 2014/15 and 2015/16. There were a number of other charities supported who will provide care for a variety of mental and physical symptoms however information is not held centrally on how they allocate their resources.

01/01/2023