Category: Speeches

  • Neil Coyle – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Neil Coyle – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Neil Coyle on 2016-02-22.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he is taking to reduce the number of people who want to work full-time who are in part-time rather than full-time work.

    Damian Hinds

    The recent performance of the labour market speaks for itself, the unemployment rate is at a 10 year low and the employment rate is the highest since records began. Over the last year nearly 3 out of 4 jobs created have been full time jobs. Through Universal Credit and the National Living Wage we are ensuring it always pays to increase your hours, and our childcare offer of 30 hours means more families are able to do so.

  • Paul Flynn – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Paul Flynn – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Flynn on 2016-03-16.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to paragraph 1.248 of the Budget 2016, to which Department bids to help develop the next generation of small modular reactors will be submitted.

    Greg Hands

    Following the announcement made at the Budget, the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) launched the first phase of a competition to identify the best value small modular reactor for the UK on the 17th March. This development builds on a previous announcement, made at Autumn Statement 2015, that DECC would conduct this competition to help pave the way towards building one of the world’s first small modular reactors in the UK.

    The relevant documentation for the competition is available at:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/small-modular-reactors

  • Richard Burden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Richard Burden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2016-04-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what commitments on compensation and other matters the UK and other EU member-states agreed to implement under the provisions of the EU Political and Security note of December 2014, contingent on the EU Structured Dialogue with the State of Israel halting demolitions by 17 March 2016.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    There has been a significant increase in Israeli demolitions since the start of 2016. The EU is considering how to respond to the demolition and confiscation of EU-funded structures in Area C. The UK and the EU continue to raise concerns about demolitions with the Government of Israel and make it clear that demolitions are contrary to international humanitarian law in all but the most exceptional cases.

  • Tim Farron – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Tim Farron – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tim Farron on 2016-05-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of proposed changes to the disabled students allowances on the number of disabled students accessing higher education.

    Joseph Johnson

    The reform of Disabled Students’ Allowances is intended to ensure higher education institutions are consistently meeting their duties to disabled students under the Equality Act, and is not expected to impact on the number of disabled students accessing higher education.

    The Government carried out an Equality Analysis as part of the recent consultation on reforms to Disabled Students’ Allowances. This is available online at https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/481527/bis-15-658-disabled-students-allowances-equality-analysis.pdf

    “

  • Richard Burden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Richard Burden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2016-07-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the effect on the UK’s policy on the Middle East of recent demolitions by Israel of Palestinian homes and other structures in the West Bank.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    The UK position on demolitions is clear: demolitions cause unnecessary suffering to ordinary Palestinians; are harmful to the peace process; and are, in all but the most exceptional of cases, contrary to international humanitarian law. Officials from our Embassy in Tel Aviv have raised our opposition to demolitions with the Israeli authorities repeatedly, most recently on 12 July, and urged them to provide a legal route for Palestinian construction. I also made our position clear at Oral Questions in the House on 12 July.

  • Margaret Ferrier – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Scotland Office

    Margaret Ferrier – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Scotland Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Margaret Ferrier on 2016-10-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, when he plans to give effect to the provisions of the Scotland Act 2016 not yet in force.

    David Mundell

    We have made significant progress since the Scotland Act 2016 reached Royal Assent in March 2016 and a large number of provisions of the Act are already in force, giving the Scottish Parliament responsibilities in new policy areas. Most recently, new welfare powers came into force on 5 September 2016 and the Joint Ministerial Working Group on Welfare continues to meet to discuss the implementation of welfare powers, as well as the commencement and implementation of remaining welfare provisions.

    Implementation dates for a number of the tax and fiscal responsibilities in the Scotland Act 2016 are set out in the Fiscal Framework for Scotland.

    We are working constructively with the Scottish Government on the commencement of sections of the Scotland Act 2016 and I will meet regularly with Derek Mackay MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Finance and the Constitution in the Scottish Government, to discuss progress. I will ensure the UK Parliament is kept informed about this important work.

  • Melanie Onn – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Melanie Onn – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Melanie Onn on 2015-11-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many permanent gastroenterologist consultants were employed in the NHS in the last six years.

    Ben Gummer

    The following table shows the number of permanent gastroenterologist consultants employed in the National Health Service in England in the last six years. The figures are taken from the NHS hospital and community health services (HCHS) monthly workforce statistics, which are published by the Health and Social Care Information Centre.

    NHS HCHS Gastroenterology Consultants in England

    full-time equivalent

    July 2010

    July 2011

    July 2012

    July 2013

    July 2014

    July 2015

    713

    797

    838

    882

    921

    1, 005

    Source: Health and Social Care Information Centre, NHS HCHS monthly workforce statistics, July 2015

  • Patrick Grady – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Patrick Grady – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Patrick Grady on 2016-01-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps her Department is taking to support the collection of data on the effect of sexual and gender-based violence on women in later life in developing countries.

    Mr Desmond Swayne

    Supporting robust data collection on violence against women and girls and its effects is critical. However, international systems do not yet fully capture sufficient data for those over the age of 49. At UNGA the Secretary of State announced DFID’s role as an anchor partner of the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development Data. We are working with international bodies to support the development of rigorous, national data on violence against women and girls of all ages and its effect. One area we are looking at is whether the internationally recognised Demographic and Health Surveys can be expanded to women in later life.

  • Gregory Campbell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Gregory Campbell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gregory Campbell on 2016-01-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what plans he has to maintain the diversity of the local newspaper sector in the UK.

    Mr Edward Vaizey

    As the Secretary of State has stated previously, Local papers are the bread and butter of journalism – they part of the communities they serve, and people rely on and respect them. In our manifesto, we committed to consulting on the introduction of a business rates relief for local newspapers in England, which we have now done, and are considering next steps.

  • Gregory Campbell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Gregory Campbell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gregory Campbell on 2016-02-22.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what representations he has received in the last 12 months on low turnouts in certain previous elections for Mayors.

    Mr Marcus Jones

    We have had a number of representations on a range of issues regarding mayoral elections.