Category: Speeches

  • Sharon Hodgson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Sharon Hodgson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sharon Hodgson on 2015-11-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions his Department has had with its UN and EU member counterparts on the reform of Standard Industrial Classification codes in order more accurately to measure the growth of the video games industry.

    Mr Edward Vaizey

    Opportunity to review how the ONS SIC code system captures the computer games industry only occurs when the UN considers revising the overall SIC system. The UN last considered a revision in 2015, and decided against it.

    DCMS is working with trade bodies across the Creative Industries, in particular with Ukie and Nesta, to build the case for change when the next opportunity to review the SIC codes arises in 2017. DCMS also continues to work with ONS to lobby for these changes.

  • Diana Johnson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Diana Johnson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Diana Johnson on 2015-12-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will list the makes and models of cars bought by the Government Car Service in each of the last five years; and what the carbon dioxide output of each of those cars is.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    The attached table lists the make, model, and carbon dioxide emissions for cars procured by the Government Car Service in the last five years.

  • David Anderson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    David Anderson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Anderson on 2016-01-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether any personnel from UK Reaper Squadrons have been deployed to (a) Libya, (b) Kenya and (c) Somalia in the last three years.

    Penny Mordaunt

    UK Reapers are currently operational in Iraq and Syria. No UK Reapers have been deployed to Libya, and no personnel from UK Reaper Squadrons have been deployed to Libya, Kenya or Somalia in the last three years.

  • David Hanson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    David Hanson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Hanson on 2016-02-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what the average hourly earnings of (a) female, (b) male, (c) full-time and (d) part-time employees of his Department were in each of the last five years.

    Mr Edward Vaizey

    The information requested is already in the public domain. The Office for National Statistics publishes average salary information for each Civil Service Department by gender, and by working pattern. These figures are published as an annual salary.

    The Civil Service statistics can be found at:

    http://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/publicsectorpersonnel/datasets/civilservicestatistics

    “

  • Ian Austin – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Ian Austin – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Austin on 2016-03-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 11 February 2016 to Question 26338, on EU grants and loans, on what the £71 million European Social Fund monies have been spent.

    Mr Sam Gyimah

    For the period December 2013 to July 2015 (2007-2013 European Social Fund programme extended to 2015), European Social Fund monies were used to support young people aged 14-19 who were not in education, employment or training or, who were at risk of being so to remain in or, re-engage in education, employment and training.

    Providers who were contracted to deliver support to young people were required to do so through delivery of activities designed to help young people gain a greater understanding of their own abilities, learning needs and the range of opportunities available with the establishment of clear progression routes for the young people concerned. Providers were also required to deliver innovative programmes to give young people experience of success in learning and, increase their commitment and motivation to achieve.

    The Skills Funding Agency which administered the funds on behalf of the Education Funding Agency is currently undertaking an evaluation of the above European Social Fund programme. The evaluation will be published later this year and will provide greater detail on the activities undertaken by young people.

  • Lord Cashman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Lord Cashman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Cashman on 2016-04-11.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will support the key objectives of the Global LGBTI Human Rights Conference that will take place in Uruguay from 13 to 15 July, which include the protection and promotion of LGBTI rights around the world.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    As I set out to the House on the 21 March, and in my answers of 5 April, and the noble Baroness Verma’s answer of 31 March, the British Government will send a delegation to the Global Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and/or Intersex (LGBTI) Human Rights Conference taking place in Montevideo in July.

    The Government is clear in its belief that human rights are universal and should apply equally to all people everywhere. We are opposed to all forms of discrimination and work to uphold the rights and freedoms of LGBTI people in all circumstances. We support the key objectives of the conference: to provide an important opportunity to share information, best practice and lessons learned with partners and to discuss how to better coordinate international efforts to support the promotion and protection of the rights of LGBTI people worldwide. We are committed to working with those countries that will be represented at the conference, and others, to better coordinate work to combat discrimination and violence against LGBTI people. This forms an important part of our wider international human rights work.

    Precise composition of the UK delegation to the conference remains to be confirmed. With the exception of the co-hosts, the Governments of the Netherlands and Uruguay, we judge it likely that countries will be represented at official level.

  • Margaret Ferrier – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Margaret Ferrier – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Margaret Ferrier on 2016-05-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, whether her Department will implement the recommendations made by the Committee on Climate Change in its report of November 2015, The fifth carbon budget – The next step towards a low-carbon economy.

    Andrea Leadsom

    This Government remains firmly committed to meeting our climate change target of an at least 80% emissions reduction by 2050. The fifth carbon budget, which covers the period 2028-2032, is an important step on the way to 2050.

    Discussions on this budget are continuing and we will make an announcement as soon as those discussions conclude.

  • Natalie McGarry – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Natalie McGarry – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Natalie McGarry on 2016-07-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what recent assessment he has made of the effect of welfare reform on health inequalities in (a) Glasgow, (b) Scotland and (c) the UK.

    Nicola Blackwood

    The policy responsibility for welfare reform sits with the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). The Department of Health (DH) has not made a separate assessment of the effect of welfare reform on health inequalities in England or Scotland. It is for the Scottish Government to assess the impact of welfare reform in Scotland.

    Although no assessment has been made in England, DWP has engaged across government on its proposals for welfare reform. DH has been involved in discussions on the introduction of Universal Credit and its impact on health inequalities for programmes such as Healthy Start and Help with Health Costs.

    Healthy Start is a United Kingdom-wide statutory benefit, funded by DH, which aims to provide additional support to improve the diets of low income pregnant women and families with children under the age of four years. Currently, regulations are being put in place which will enable the scheme to function under Universal Credit. An equality analysis, which will include a consideration of the impact on health inequalities, will be published shortly.

    Help with Health Costs is a set of arrangements which provide help with the cost of a range of National Health Services for example free NHS prescriptions or NHS dental treatment. On 1 November 2015, DH put in place criteria to determine entitlement to Help with Health Costs to those in receipt of Universal Credit. An equality analysis was produced to inform these changes, outlining the potential impact, including on health inequalities, on groups affected by the change from the previous benefits and tax credits exemption arrangements to the new criteria for Universal Credit exemption. A copy of the equality analysis is attached.

  • Lord Blencathra – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Lord Blencathra – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Blencathra on 2016-09-13.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the use in Florida of the organophosphate insecticide Naled, which is banned in the EU, what advice they are giving to British citizens intending to visit Florida; and what steps they are taking to place that advice on the Foreign and Commonwealth Office website.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    The method of mosquito control in other countries is not a matter routinely covered by FCO travel advice. Currently, specific UK health travel advice for Florida and the wider US is supplied by the National Travel Health Network and Centre, to which the FCO website country pages have links.

  • Liz McInnes – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Liz McInnes – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Liz McInnes on 2015-11-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the change in the number of firefighter posts was in the Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service in 2013-14.

    Greg Clark

    I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave her on 6 November 2015, PQ 13946.