Category: Speeches

  • Stephen Timms – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Stephen Timms – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2016-06-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that armed forces recruits aged between 16 and 19 without a GCSE in mathematics or English are prepared for later life outside the armed forces.

    Mark Lancaster

    The Ministry of Defence (MOD) provides Service personnel with a range of educational, learning and development opportunities with our Learning Centres employing English and mathematics tutors who are employed to teach in numeracy and literacy. Over 95% of recruits are enrolled into an Apprenticeship Programme each year, regardless of their age, which ensures that Service personnel gain a Level 2 in numeracy and literacy. This is the equivalent of a GCSE.

    It is an Ofsted goal that we encourage our people to achieve maths and English GCSE. The Ministry of Defence does actively encourage our Personnel to gain GCSE maths and English, and provides many opportunities for them to do this in their career with classes run in learning and development centres using part time Service instructors; or using distance learning programmes for exams sat on operational units and in shore bases.

  • Justin Tomlinson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Justin Tomlinson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Justin Tomlinson on 2016-09-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many public libraries were open in England in each year since 2010.

    Mr Rob Wilson

    I am responding as Minister with responsibility for Libraries policy.

    Data relating to public libraries is collected and published annually in December by the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy. The following table indicates the number of library service points within the statutory public library services of local authorities that are open ten or more hours per week, as at 31 March for each year.

    Total number of public libraries in England open 10+ hours per week

    2010

    3,428

    2011

    3,393

    2012

    3,243

    2013

    3,181

    2014

    3,142

    2015

    3,076

    The Libraries Taskforce recently commissioned from local authorities in England basic data regarding the numbers and types of public libraries available within each local authority. The data will assist the library sector and users to monitor the delivery of library services.

  • Drew Hendry – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Drew Hendry – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Drew Hendry on 2016-10-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what support the Government makes available to businesses to (a) prevent and (b) recover from cyber-attacks.

    Matt Hancock

    The cyber security of the UK is a top priority for the Government which is why we are investing £1.9 billion to protect the nation in cyber space. The new National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) is helping to make the UK the safest place to live and do business online. The NCSC is the UK’s authority on cyber security and aims to reduce risks to the UK by working with businesses to improve their cyber security.

    The Government’s Cyber Essentials scheme shows businesses how to protect themselves against common cyber attacks and the ‘Ten Steps to Cyber Security” guidance shows organisations how to manage cyber risk and prevent attacks. The NCSC’s Cyber Security Incident Response scheme (CSIR) helps businesses deal with and recover from a cyber incident. A wide range of Government guidance, support and training is available via the NCSC and on www.gov.uk.

  • Grahame Morris – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Grahame Morris – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Grahame Morris on 2015-11-06.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the average time taken was for a rating assessment appeal to be considered by the Valuation Office Agency in the last 12 months.

    Mr David Gauke

    Based on data used to publish the latest Official Statistics, the average time taken to resolve a challenge to the rating list is 13 months for the 2005 list and 14 months for the 2010 list.

  • Barry Sheerman – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Barry Sheerman – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Barry Sheerman on 2015-12-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what guidance his Department issues to prisons on female prisoners’ access to and rights to care for young children.

    Caroline Dinenage

    The policy and guidance on the treatment of female offenders is contained in Prison Service Order 4800, which can be found at: https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwj8yJvt2N3JAhVFuBQKHTxXAwcQFggdMAA&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.justice.gov.uk%2Fdownloads%2Foffenders%2Fpsipso%2Fpso%2FPSO_4800_women_prisoners.doc&usg=AFQjCNHEKdUSQ34oce66F47zApSRhF35Iw

    “

  • Jim Shannon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Jim Shannon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-01-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if he will bring forward legislative proposals to regulate advertising by payday loan companies; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr Edward Vaizey

    The Government has fundamentally reformed the regulation of the consumer credit market, including payday lending, transferring regulatory responsibility from the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) to the FCA on 1 April 2014. The Government is concerned about consumer detriment in the payday market and believes the FCA’s, more robust regulatory system is helping to improve protections for consumers. It is important that consumers are protected from unfair costs. The Government therefore legislated to require the FCA to introduce a cap on the cost of payday loans – which came into force on the 2 January 2015.

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

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

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Murrison on 2016-02-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans her Department has to support the Clean for the Queen campaign.

    Rory Stewart

    The Government is delighted to support and endorse the Clean for the Queen initiative. Litter and fly-tipping blight communities and pose a risk to human health, which is why tackling them is a priority for the Government. I gave my backing to the campaign when it was launched and we will continue to promote it, to help reach as many people as possible.

    Together with the Minister for Local Government, Marcus Jones MP, I shall be writing to every Member of Parliament with an English constituency and every English unitary and district Local Authority, to encourage their participation and leadership in this worthwhile campaign.

    Our experience from the first Community Clear-Up Day in March last year demonstrated the enthusiasm and willingness of people across England to give some of their time to improve their local environment. The Clean for the Queen campaign provides a great opportunity for people to come together and clean up our local streets and parks.

    We hope the campaign will help lead to a lasting legacy of a cleaner, tidier Britain.

  • Nigel Huddleston – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Nigel Huddleston – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nigel Huddleston on 2016-03-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much his Department spent on individual cold weather payment notifications in (a) 2011, (b) 2012, (c) 2013, (d) 2014 and (e) 2015.

    Justin Tomlinson

    The information requested is not collated centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

  • Yvette Cooper – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Yvette Cooper – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Yvette Cooper on 2016-04-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, if he will estimate the number of (a) jobs and (b) businesses that have been created in Yorkshire and the Humber through European Regional Development Fund projects since 2010.

    Anna Soubry

    The number of jobs estimated to have been created in Yorkshire and the Humber through European Regional Development Fund projects from the start of the 2007-2013 programmes to the end of February 2016 is 20,149. The number of businesses created in the same period is 2,748.

  • Lady Hermon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Lady Hermon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lady Hermon on 2016-05-03.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the number of fixed-odds betting terminals operating in Northern Ireland in each of the last six years.

    Damian Hinds

    Regulation of Fixed Odds betting Terminals is devolved and in Northern Ireland it is the responsibility of the Northern Ireland Department for Communities.