Category: Speeches

  • Paul Blomfield – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Paul Blomfield – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Blomfield on 2016-06-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, pursuant to the Written Statement of 26 May 2016, HCWS30, whether his Department carried out an equality effect assessment on the effect on the public of the decision to centralise policy functions in his Department’s London office.

    Joseph Johnson

    The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) has carried an Equality Analysis to consider the impact of the decision on staff with protected characteristics, in compliance with the Public Sector Equality Duty.

  • Lord Porter of Spalding – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Lord Porter of Spalding – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Porter of Spalding on 2016-09-06.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the emerging findings of the Local Government Association’s Housing Commission report Building our Homes: communities and the future.

    Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth

    We welcome the work which the Local Government Association is doing to meet our shared aims of delivering the homes which communities need, and creating a housing market that works for everyone. Many of our existing measures will help to achieve those aims.

    The government has already doubled the housing budget to help deliver a million homes and double the number of first time buyers. We have allocated £8 billion to deliver 400,000 affordable homes, including shared ownership, starter homes and homes for affordable rent. This government and its predecessor have pursued a wide range of actions to improve the speed of the planning process, and we are taking steps to diversify the market.

    We look forward to reading the full report, and engaging with the Local Government Association on existing and future policies.

  • Baroness Suttie – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Trade

    Baroness Suttie – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Trade

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Suttie on 2016-10-21.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many new members of staff appointed to work in the Department for International Trade have been recruited from outside the civil service; and what proportion of those staff are consultants on fixed-term contracts.

    Lord Price

    Following her appointment on 13 July 2016 the Prime Minister established the Department for International Trade (DIT). The DIT aggregates UK Trade and Investment (UKTI), UK Export and Finance (UKEF) and Trade Policy Units from the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS).

    Until such time as a transfer of functions order establishes my Rt hon Friend the Secretary of State for International Trade as a corporation sole, DIT remains a unified Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS) department for accounting purposes. The transfer of functions order (No 2016/ 992) laid on 19 October 2016 will come into effect on 9 November 2016.

    As DIT is currently being formed, details of the staff that the Department employs is being finalised, whilst employee transfers and recruitment are taking place.

  • Tristram Hunt – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Tristram Hunt – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tristram Hunt on 2015-11-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the residence requirements are for (a) existing right-to-buy entitlements and (b) the proposed extension of right-to-buy to housing association tenants for (i) non-EU foreign nationals, (ii) EU foreign nationals and (iii) UK citizens.

    Brandon Lewis

    Before 2006 all applicants for Government supported home ownership had to have indefinite leave to remain in the UK. The last Labour Government changed these rules in 2006.

    Subject to EU Treaty negotiation, we will introduce a residency test for social housing, requiring European Economic Area nationals to have lived in the UK for 4 years. This means that European Economic Area nationals would not be eligible for Right to Buy until they had lived in this country for a minimum of seven years.

    A tenant must have had a public sector tenancy within the UK for three years before qualifying for Right to Buy.

  • Ian Blackford – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Ian Blackford – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Blackford on 2015-12-02.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of expanding Pension Wise to include consideration of housing wealth as a source of retirement income.

    Harriett Baldwin

    The Government is committed to ensuring that individuals are equipped and empowered to make informed decisions about how to use their pension savings through the Pension Wise service.

    The Financial Conduct Authority’s (FCA) standards for the service state that guidance should provide the consumer with information about long-term care needs, sustainability of income in retirement and life expectancy, to the extent that they are relevant. Pension Wise guidance therefore prompts consumers to think about their retirement objectives and wider financial circumstances when deciding on what to do with their pension pot. As part of this consumers are asked about whether they receive any benefits, other retirement income, outgoings in retirement, and plans to continue working. The guidance is designed to equip consumers to consider questions about their situation as a whole, and directs them to further sources of information as suitable. Where it is clear that consumers need specialist help, they are directed to the appropriate source of guidance and information.

    Pension Wise is constantly assessing and evaluating the service to ensure that user needs are met. As such, it is currently actively considering a number of developments, as part of our continuous service improvement, to make Pension Wise even more useful to consumers, including tailoring session content more closely to individual circumstances.

  • Helen Goodman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Helen Goodman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Helen Goodman on 2016-01-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment he has made of the need for a new concert hall in London.

    Mr Edward Vaizey

    In February 2015 the Chancellor announced that the government would fund the Barbican in the City of London to consider the feasibility of a creating a new world class concert hall in London.

    As part of the Spending Review, the Chancellor agreed to provide a further £5.5million over the next 18 months for more detail business case work, which fully explore the costs and benefits of options for this project.

  • Gavin Shuker – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Gavin Shuker – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gavin Shuker on 2016-02-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions (a) she and (b) officials of her Department had with the National Police Chiefs’ Council on its revised prostitution strategy.

    Karen Bradley

    Within the structure of the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC), chief officers are elected by their peers and take the lead on specific issues from a national operational perspective. It is for the national leads to establish working groups to support them in their role. The Home Office is in regular dialogue with on the NPCC Lead for Prostitution’s office, and as such discussed and commented on the current revision of the strategy.

    Prostitution is a complex issue, which can impact on individuals and communities in many different ways, and we are therefore clear that local areas and police forces are in the best position to identify and respond to issues around prostitution in their area. Police forces are assisted in doing so by the National Policing Lead’s refreshed Policing Sex Work Strategy, which stresses the priority of the public protection duty that the police services have in relation to the safety of those involved in prostitution.

  • Ben Howlett – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Ben Howlett – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ben Howlett on 2016-02-29.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will take steps to ensure that young intersex people are included in the Government’s review of youth justice.

    Andrew Selous

    A review of how transgender people – both adults and under-18s – are dealt with by prison and probation services is currently being conducted by the Ministry of Justice. This review includes those who identify as intersex. The findings and recommendations of this review will inform the review of the youth justice system which will report in July.

  • Grant Shapps – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Grant Shapps – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Grant Shapps on 2016-03-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what plans the Government has to extend the period of time separating spouses of service personnel have to vacate his Department’s accommodation.

    Mark Lancaster

    The Ministry of Defence (MOD) has no plans to extend the period of time in which separating spouses of Service personnel have to vacate MOD provided accommodation. However, the current 93-day period can be extended further according to individual circumstances, such as children’s schooling, relevant welfare and any medical considerations.

  • Jim Shannon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Jim Shannon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-05-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to encourage Nigeria to tackle Fulani militia attacks on non-Muslim villagers in the central Nigeria states of Plateau, Kaduna, Bauchi, Taraba and Benue; and whether the Government has offered any assistance to people displaced by ongoing violence in Agatu in the state of Benue.

    James Duddridge

    We are concerned by reports of recurrent clashes involving pastoralists and local farmers over land, farming rights, grazing routes and access to water in Nigeria, in particular in the centre of the country. We continue to call on all parties to find a peaceful solution to the underlying causes of these incidents, and welcome President Buhari’s commitment to prioritise ending these attacks.

    The Department for International Development’s £39 million Nigeria Stability and Reconciliation Programme (NSRP) supports a range of initiatives across Nigeria to reduce conflicts and build bridges between communities. These include programmes that bring cattle herder and farming communities together to reduce conflict and agree rules for land and water use.