Category: Speeches

  • Phil Boswell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Phil Boswell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Phil Boswell on 2016-01-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, pursuant to the Answer of 12 January 2016 to Question 20474, how much funding has been allocated to apprenticeships in the retail and commercial enterprise sector subject area since 2010.

    Nick Boles

    The table below shows estimated funding values for apprenticeships in the Retail and Commercial Enterprise sector subject areas between academic year 2009/10 and 2014/15.

    Figures for estimated funding come from the Individualised Learner Record and provide an indication of the level of government funding. They should not be treated as actual spend, since spending is not reported by sector subject area.

    Table 1: Estimated Funding for Apprenticeships in Retail and Commercial Enterprise, 2009/10 to 2014/15

    Academic Year

    Estimated Funding (£millions)

    2009/10

    179

    2010/11

    211

    2011/12

    230

    2012/13

    217

    2013/14

    212

    2014/15

    211

    Notes:

    1) Figures show estimated (notional) funding and should not be treated as actual spend.

    3) Figures do not include estimated (notional) funding for LEOP, EOP or apprenticeship standards, which is not available

  • Andrew Rosindell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Andrew Rosindell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2016-02-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she has had discussions with her EU counterparts during the renegotiation of the terms of the UK’s membership of the EU on the Common Agricultural Policy; and if she will take steps to secure a better outcome for the British farmers within that policy.

    George Eustice

    The Government is fighting hard to fix the aspects of our EU membership which can cause so much frustration in the UK. The Prime Minister has set out the UK’s priorities that will deliver a better deal for the UK and secure our future. The Government is focused on driving forward a successful renegotiation; it believes it can and will succeed in reforming and renegotiating our relationship with the EU.

    Separately, the UK continues to make the case in Europe for improvements to the Common Agriculture Policy (CAP) so that it is simpler and more effective. Reducing the administrative burden of the CAP on farmers is a necessary part of increasing the competitiveness of our food and farming industries.

  • Tulip Siddiq – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Tulip Siddiq – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tulip Siddiq on 2016-02-29.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the female genital mutilation reporting duties under Section 5B of the Female Genital Mutilation Act 2003 apply to professionals who (a) are members of any of the professional bodies on the Accredited Voluntary Register and (b) work in sectors where there is no statutory requirement to be members of a professional body and who themselves are not members of professional bodies.

    Karen Bradley

    Female genital mutilation (FGM) is a crime and it is child abuse.

    The new FGM mandatory reporting duty requires specified professionals to report known cases of FGM in under 18s to the police. It applies to teachers and health and social care professionals regulated by a body which is overseen by the Professional Standards Authority for Health and Social Care (with the exception of the Pharmaceutical Society of Northern Ireland) in England and Wales.

    The duty does not apply to non-regulated professionals. This includes non-regulated professionals who are members of bodies on the Accredited Voluntary Register. However, our guidance on the duty is clear that such professionals also have a responsibility to take appropriate action in relation to any identified or suspected case of FGM, in line with wider safeguarding frameworks and guidance, including the multi-agency guidance on FGM which we are putting on a statutory footing.

    Where professionals fail to comply with the duty, this should be dealt with in accordance with professional bodies’ existing disciplinary procedures.

  • Royston Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the House of Commons Commission

    Royston Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the House of Commons Commission

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Royston Smith on 2016-03-24.

    To ask the Rt. hon. Member for Carshalton and Wallington representing the House of Commons Commission, what the annual catering bill is for the House of Commons.

    Tom Brake

    Income from sales by catering services for the financial year 2014/15 was £9.4 million against costs of £11.8 million, which represents a net total cost for the annual catering bill for the House of Commons of £2.4 million. Figures for 2015/16 will be published in July 2016.

  • 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 2016-05-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps he is taking to help small businesses benefit from cloud computing technology.

    Mr Edward Vaizey

    The Government supports many initiatives that promote small business adoption and use of ICT, including cloud computing.

    For example, we are providing £12 million over the current spending period to Tech City UK, Tech North and other clusters where small tech businesses benefit from a number of initiatives including the Future Fifty programme offering targeted support to start-up companies. Business can also access support to do more online through Local Enterprise Partnerships and growth hubs. These services work in tandem with an extensive range of private sector-led initiatives to help small businesses improve their digital capability.

    In addition, the Government’s Digital Marketplace has made it easier for SMEs to offer cloud products and services to the public sector by simplifying and speeding up the application process.

  • Ronnie Cowan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Ronnie Cowan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ronnie Cowan on 2016-06-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what research his Department has undertaken on the potential merits of implementing a universal basic income.

    Priti Patel

    My department has not undertaken any research on this topic.

  • Baroness Goudie – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Baroness Goudie – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Goudie on 2016-09-06.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon (HL783), whether they have now considered the judge’s remarks made during Taiwo v Olaigbe and another [2016] UKSC 31; if so, what is their assessment of them; and if not, when they plan to do so.

    Baroness Williams of Trafford

    The Government has provided strong protections for overseas domestic workers, including giving them the right to change employers during the six-month period for which they are admitted. There are no current plans to amend the Modern Slavery Act, but we keep the measures in the Act under review.

  • Frank Field – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Frank Field – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Frank Field on 2015-10-27.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the total on-flow and off-flow for tax credits was in the most recent (a) 12 and (b) 24 months for which data is available.

    Damian Hinds

    The information is not readily available and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

  • Lord Beecham – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Lord Beecham – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Beecham on 2015-11-24.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will release data relevant to the assessment of whether Work Capability Assessment tests are connected to the incidence of suicide or mental health problems of disability benefit claimants; and if so, when.

    Lord Freud

    The information requested is not available.

  • Lord Pearson of Rannoch – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Lord Pearson of Rannoch – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Pearson of Rannoch on 2015-12-02.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Bridges of Headley on 10 June (HL56), whether they will provide updated statistics for the tables entitled Growth in the UK Muslim Population, to show the most recent figures available.

    Lord Bridges of Headley

    The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.