Category: Speeches

  • Stephen Timms – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Stephen Timms – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2016-04-22.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what protocols her Department has on removing from the UK people who have been refused leave to remain and who require (a) 16 hours and (b) 24 hours of oxygen per day for medical reasons.

    James Brokenshire

    There are no protocols in place for enforced removals in such circumstances. Any such case would be assessed by our medical escorting contractor on the basis of the individual’s need.

  • Louise Haigh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Louise Haigh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Louise Haigh on 2016-06-06.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what proportion of staff in his Department were (a) payroll and (b) non-payroll staff in each financial year from 2010-11 to 2015-16.

    Matthew Hancock

    The published Cabinet Office Annual Report and Accounts (ARA) contains both the proportion of staff in the Cabinet Office that are (a) payroll and (b) non-payroll staff and the associated spend. The ARA for each financial year from 2010-11 to 2014-15 are available on gov.uk.

    The 2015-16 will be published in due course.

  • Steve McCabe – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Steve McCabe – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2016-09-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what her Department plans to do to increase the number of refugees reaching the UK safely and legally under the family reunification scheme.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    We support the principle of family unity and have several routes for families to be reunited safely. Our family reunion policy allows a spouse or partner and children under the age of 18 of those granted protection in the UK to join them here, if they formed part of the family unit before the sponsor fled their country. Over the past five years we have granted over 22,000 family reunion visas and will continue to do so.

    Where an application fails under the Immigration Rules, we consider whether there are exceptional or compassionate reasons for granting a visa outside the Rules. We published a revised Home Office policy on family reunion in July which provides further guidance for decision-makers on the types of case that may benefit from a grant of leave outside the Rules where there are exceptional circumstances.

    This guidance is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/family-reunion-instruction.

  • Seema Malhotra – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Seema Malhotra – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Seema Malhotra on 2016-10-11.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent meetings he has had with representatives of the European Investment Bank.

    Mr David Gauke

    While the UK remains a full member of the European Union it retains all of the rights, obligations and benefits that membership brings. The long-term relationship between the UK and the EIB will need to be resolved as part of the UK’s withdrawal from the EU.

    The Chancellor of the Exchequer is the UK Governor of the European Investment Bank and continues to fulfil his governance duties. The Chancellor continues to meet his European counterparts on a regular basis to discuss a range of issues.

    The EIB publish all loans made to UK borrowers as well as details on all future projects yet to be financed. Between 2013 and 2015, the UK received €20.7bn in EIB financing. The link below provides full details on EIB lending to the UK.

    http://www.eib.org/projects/regions/european-union/united-kingdom/index.htm

  • Steve McCabe – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Steve McCabe – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2015-10-30.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how many countries on the EU Commission tax haven blacklist, or identified as zero tax jurisdictions, received UK aid in financial years 2013-14 and 2014-15.

    Mr Desmond Swayne

    DFID uses a range of criteria to inform how we allocate aid across countries. These criteria include, for example, current and projected poverty levels in the country, the country’s ability to self-finance its development (e.g. through domestic taxation), and the likely effectiveness of UK aid.

    A number of EU member states maintain lists of jurisdictions for tax purposes against criteria concerning tax transparency and/or the prevailing tax rate. The EU does not maintain a blacklist; however a list of 30 jurisdictions that featured on 10 or more member state lists was compiled and then superseded by a recent European Commission update.

    This update included UK Crown Dependencies and Overseas Territories which had the UK’s signature of the Multilateral Convention on Mutual Administrative Assistance in Tax Matters extended to them in 2014. The updated individual member state lists can be found at: http://ec.europa.eu/taxation_customs/taxation/gen_info/good_governance_matters/lists_of_countries/.

    Of the 30 jurisdictions named in the original list, 14 received UK Official Development Assistance (ODA) in 2013 (the most recent year for which consolidated figures are available). Of these 14, only three (Liberia, Montserrat and Vanuatu) received ODA from DFID for development and humanitarian assistance in that year. Details of funding amounts to these 14 jurisdictions can be found at the Statistics on International Development 2014 page of the gov.uk website.

  • Kevan Jones – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Kevan Jones – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kevan Jones on 2015-11-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with how many new Scout land vehicles each of the new Strike Brigades, referred to in the National Security Strategy and Strategic Defence and Security Review 2015 will be equipped.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    The two Strike Brigades will provide a rapidly deployable agile force, with enhanced range, speed, protection and firepower, significantly enhancing the UK’s ability to respond to international crises.

    As previously announced on 3 September 2014 by My right hon. Friend the Defence Secretary (Michael Fallon) (Official Report, column 19WS) a contract has been awarded to deliver 589 Ajax vehicles. Detailed allocation plans have yet to be finalised. Fielding of Strike Brigades will start from 2018, delivering an initial operating capability in 2021 and moving towards Full Operating Capability from 2025.

  • Frank Field – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Frank Field – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Frank Field on 2016-01-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether he plans to meet Premier League supporters clubs before his next meeting with the Executive Chair of the Premier League to discuss the living wage.

    Tracey Crouch

    We welcome the commitment that clubs in the Premier League have made to paying the living wage to their full-time employees, and we see no reason why this cannot be extended to include all employees. That is the message I will put across to the Executive Chair of the League when we next meet.

  • Stephen McPartland – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Stephen McPartland – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen McPartland on 2016-01-28.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will publish the annual cost to the to the Exchequer of all subsidies and reliefs for business in the financial years 2010 to 2015.

    Greg Hands

    Tax Reliefs

    HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) publishes the Exchequer cost for around 180 reliefs in its annual publication on the cost of tax reliefs. This list includes reliefs provided to both individuals and households as well as businesses.

    The data for the years 2012-13 to 2015-16 was published on 31 December 2015 and a link is provided below:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/tax-expenditures-and-ready-reckoners

    The data for the years 2010-11 and 2011-12 were published in December 2011 and 2012 and a link is provided below:

    http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20121103081415/http://hmrc.gov.uk/stats/tax_expenditures/menu.htm

    http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20130103073027/http://hmrc.gov.uk/statistics/expenditures.htm

    Public Spending Grants and Subsidies

    Information on ‘subsidies to private sector companies’ is published in Public Expenditure Statistical Analyses. A link is provided below:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/public-expenditure-statistical-analyses-2015

    Table 2.1 on budgetary expenditure by economic category of spend includes this category on page 40 under ‘resource budgets’. Information is published for the last five outturn years.

    “

  • Christopher Chope – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Christopher Chope – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Christopher Chope on 2016-02-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she plans to reply to the letters dated 11 December 2015, 14 January and 10 February 2016 from the Dorset Police and Crime Commissioner on port security and border controls; and if she will place a copy of her responses in the Library.

    James Brokenshire

    The Home Secretary sent a response to the letters dated 11th December 2015 and 14th January 2016 on 22nd February 2016. She has not received a third letter. Responses will not be added to the library, this is not usual practice for private correspondence.

  • Luciana Berger – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Luciana Berger – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Luciana Berger on 2016-03-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many and what proportion of mental health trusts (a) offer female patients a choice of a female care coordinator, (b) conduct routine enquiries with female patients about experiences of abuse and violence and (c) provide gender-sensitive care.

    Alistair Burt

    This information is not held centrally.