Category: Speeches

  • Cheryl Gillan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Cheryl Gillan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Cheryl Gillan on 2016-10-21.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate his Department has made of the shortage of people with rail engineering, environmental and construction skills.

    Paul Maynard

    The transport sector faces significant skills challenges driven by a range of factors including an ageing workforce, a lack of diversity, the introduction of new technologies (such as digital signalling in rail) and the sheer scale of our transport investment programme.

    The National Skills Academy for Rail (NSAR) has identified rail skills shortages in signalling and telecommunications, electrification and plant, traction and rolling stock of 10,000 people between 2014 and 2019.

    In response to these challenges, in August 2015 this Department appointed Crossrail chair Terry Morgan to develop the Transport Infrastructure Skills Strategy (TISS). The TISS was published in January 2016 and the Strategic Transport Apprenticeship Taskforce (STAT) was launched on 15 April 2016 as an employer-led group to oversee the delivery of the TISS recommendations andto address these skills shortages including through the delivery of 30,000 transport apprenticeships by 2020.

    The Taskforce has commissioned NSAR to update skills forecasts for both road and rail. This analysis is expected to be complete by the end of December this year.

    The National College for High Speed Rail will provide specialist vocational training to the next generation of engineers working on HS2 and beyond. Over 1,000 students are expected to graduate from the college each year.

    Construction of the college is now officially underway and on course to open its doors to students in time for the start of the 2017-18 academic year.

    Both the existing UK construction and engineering workforce as well as new entrants, such as apprentices, will benefit from the training that will be provided by the new college. The college will tackle the engineering skills shortage that is one of the industry’s biggest barriers to sustainability, productivity and growth.

  • Caroline Ansell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Caroline Ansell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Ansell on 2015-11-09.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps his Department is taking to implement the family test; and if he will make a statement.

    Damian Hinds

    As announced by the Prime Minister in August 2014, the objective of the Family Test is to introduce an explicit family perspective to the policy making process, and ensure that potential impacts on family relationships and functioning are recognised in the process of developing new policy.

    The Treasury carefully considers all relevant obligations – statutory or otherwise – including the family test – when formulating relevant policies. Guidance is available to Treasury staff and advice to Ministers reflects this.

  • The Marquess of Lothian – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The Marquess of Lothian – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by The Marquess of Lothian on 2015-12-02.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the effect on UK citizens of the US proposal to tighten its visa waiver programme.

    Lord Bates

    We have a very close relationship with the USA and are confident the changes the administration is currently proposing will have minimal impact on UK citizens.

  • Lisa Cameron – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Lisa Cameron – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lisa Cameron on 2016-01-13.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment his Department has made of the effects of HM Revenue and Customs office closures on the local economy in East Kilbride in 2025-26.

    Mr David Gauke

    HM Revenue and Custom’s (HMRC) long-term plans to consolidate its operations in 13 regional centres are geared towards creating a tax authority fit for the future. The planned locations, including Edinburgh and Glasgow, are based on a number of key principles that will enable it to achieve its objectives at best value for the taxpayer, delivering more for less. In addition to cost, HMRC has taken into account the quality of local transport links, the local labour market and future workforce supply, the need to retain staff and skills it requires to continue its ten-year transformation.

    I would also like to direct the honourable member to my answer of 11 January, which gives further information about East Kilbride.

  • Jim Shannon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Jim Shannon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-02-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what funding has been provided for (a) set-up costs and (b) ongong running costs of the Operational Delivery Networks established to support access to hepatitis C medicines.

    George Freeman

    NHS England initially allocated £1.2 million and is working with local commissioners to ensure that the necessary infrastructure and running costs are provided to the operational delivery networks.

  • Tulip Siddiq – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Tulip Siddiq – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

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

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how much funding her Department has allocated to initiatives aimed at preventing female genital mutilation overseas in each year since 2009-10; and which countries were supported through such initiatives in each such year.

    Mr Nick Hurd

    DFID’s flagship programme to prevent Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), ‘Towards ending FGM/C in Africa and Beyond’, is providing up to £35 million in funding to end FGM in 17 high prevalence countries. The programme includes three core components: work with the UN on challenging social norms and working with governments on policy measures, supporting Africa-led campaigns and a research programme to build the evidence base for tackling FGM.

    The countries covered by this programme are: Burkina Faso, Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Mauritania, Mali, Nigeria, Senegal, Somalia, Sudan, Yemen and Uganda.

    Where applicable some DFID country offices also have their own bilateral programmes. In Sudan for example DFID’s regional programme is complemented by a country specific programme to support the scale up of initiatives to end FGM across the country.

  • Andy Slaughter – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Andy Slaughter – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andy Slaughter on 2016-03-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many prisoners at each establishment have risk indicators which have been identified after completion of a cell sharing risk assessment.

    Andrew Selous

    The information requested could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

  • Clive Lewis – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Clive Lewis – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Clive Lewis on 2016-05-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much the Office of the Schools Adjudicator has spent on legal action related to the London Oratory School since 2013; and how much of those costs related to judicial reviews in that period.

    Nick Gibb

    The Office of The Schools Adjudicator has spent £196,201 on legal action in relation to the London Oratory school since 2013, all of which relates to judicial review.

  • Lord Hoyle – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Lord Hoyle – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hoyle on 2016-06-09.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they are taking to remedy the problems caused by the failure in hot climates of intercooler units on Type 45 destroyers.

    Earl Howe

    I refer the noble Lord to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Minister of State for Defence Procurement (Mr Philip Dunne) in the House of Commons on 8 February 2016, to Question number 25165. Type 45 destroyers were designed for world-wide operations, from sub-Arctic to extreme tropical environments and continue to operate effectively in the Persian Gulf and South Atlantic at all times of the year.

  • Lord Roberts of Llandudno – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Lord Roberts of Llandudno – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Roberts of Llandudno on 2016-09-06.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government why in some areas doctors will not prescribe the blood testing strips for use in devices intended to help control blood glucose levels.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    There are no national restrictions on the prescribing of blood glucose testing strips to patients with diabetes. A variety of brands of blood glucose testing strips are listed in the Drug Tariff for general practitioners to prescribe for their patients as required. It is for local commissioners and clinicians to make decisions on how these strips should feature in the provision of diabetes services for their local populations.