Category: Speeches

  • 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.

  • Alison Thewliss – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Alison Thewliss – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alison Thewliss on 2016-03-16.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to paragraph 1.144 of the Spending Review and Autumn Statement 2015 and to paragraph 2.16 of the Budget 2016, for what reason only £12 million of the £15 million annual fund has been committed.

    Mr David Gauke

    As announced at Autumn Statement 2015, the Tampon Tax Fund is a £15 million annual fund to support women’s charities, equivalent to the amount of VAT raised on sanitary products. The Chancellor announced initial donations at Autumn Statement totalling £5m. Further grants totalling £12 million have been announced at this Budget.

    The Government has introduced legislation in the Finance Bill to enable the zero rate of VAT for women’s sanitary products.

  • Royston Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Royston Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Royston Smith on 2016-04-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he plans to take to allow community pharmacies to care for patients with long-term health conditions through (a) medical reviews and (b) other assistance with that condition.

    Alistair Burt

    Community pharmacies already take significant steps to care for patients with long term conditions (LTCS). Community pharmacy staff routinely deliver a range of services to meet the needs of patients with LTCs, including timely dispensing of medicines, opportunistic and prescription-linked public health interventions, such as advice on a healthy diet and nutrition, stop smoking advice to help maintain the health of people with LTCs such as diabetes and heart disease, support for self-care and signposting, when they are not able to provide the support themselves.

    In addition, community pharmacists provide advice on the safe use of medicines so they are taken as intended, through medicines use reviews and the new medicines service, the latter intended for people with certain LTCs prescribed new medicines. Utilising pharmacists clinical skills assists with optimising medicines in a way which puts patients at the centre of decision making, with regular monitoring and review, helping to improve their health outcomes.

    The Government’s vision is for a more efficient, modern system that will free up pharmacists to spend more time delivering clinical and public health services to the benefit of patients, including those with LTCs, and the public.

  • Jonathan Ashworth – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Jonathan Ashworth – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jonathan Ashworth on 2016-05-23.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, which Members of the European Parliament were invited to the Anti-Corruption Summit on 12 May 2016.

    Matthew Hancock

    Eva Joly MEP was invited in an expert capacity and attended one of the panel discussions. Ms Joly is a renowned Franco-Norwegian Judge who joined the High Court of Paris in 1990 as an investigating judge to lead a number of high-profile corruption cases.

  • Andrew Gwynne – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Andrew Gwynne – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Gwynne on 2016-07-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will make it his policy to ensure that (a) clinicians and (b) patients participate in the decision making process for the routine commissioning of procedures under the Commissioning through Evaluation Programme.

    David Mowat

    The policy development process for specialised commissioning is subject to both informal stakeholder testing and formal public consultation, including the opportunity for patients, clinicians and industry representatives to review and comment on the evidence base considered and the assessed impact on patients, existing services and cost.

    In addition, clinical commissioning policies are already primarily developed through Clinical Reference Groups which comprise of a range of stakeholders including patients, carers and clinicians.

  • Luciana Berger – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Luciana Berger – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Luciana Berger on 2016-10-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department plans that the Northern Chord at the Manchester junction will be retained in the route of HS2.

    Andrew Jones

    The Secretary of State intends to make an announcement about the remainder of the HS2 route, including the Manchester junction, later this autumn.

  • Lord Laird – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    Lord Laird – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Laird on 2015-11-04.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what process is in place to monitor the actions of the government of the Republic of Ireland relating to the 1998 Belfast Agreement.

    Lord Dunlop

    The Government remains in regular contact with the Irish Government relating to the Belfast Agreement in accordance with the established three-stranded approach.

  • Mark Pritchard – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Mark Pritchard – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Pritchard on 2016-01-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans he has to improve telecoms connectivity onboard Eurostar trains travelling in tunnels in England.

    Claire Perry

    Neither the Secretary of State, nor HS1 Ltd, which operates the HS1 network on a 30 year government-let concession basis is able to oblige Eurostar to provide wi-fi on its services. This would be a commercial decision for the train operating company concerned.

    HS1 Ltd already provides free wi-fi at St Pancras, Stratford and Ebbsfleet International stations.

    HS1 Ltd has also entered into exploratory conversations with a telecoms supplier to provide a 4G service at all HS1 stations and along the HS1 route, including the tunnels and open route areas. The exploratory work will assess the proposed financing of additional infrastructure required with a decision expected later this year. The Secretary of State has no part to play in this decision-making process.

  • Sadiq Khan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Sadiq Khan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sadiq Khan on 2016-01-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many complaints of each type her Department (a) received and (b) upheld against childcare providers in (i) England and Wales, (ii) London and (iii) each London borough in each year since 2010.

    Mr Sam Gyimah

    Ofsted, as the regulator for childcare providers in England, is responsible for considering and responding to complaints about them and Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector will be writing to the hon. Member about this. A copy of that letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

    Responsibility for childcare in Wales is a devolved matter and it would be for the Welsh Government and Care and Social Services Inspectorate Wales to respond. Their contact address is Care and Social Services Inspectorate National Office, Welsh Government office, Rhydycar Business Park, Merthyr Tydfil, CF48 1UZ or cssiw@wales.gsi.gov.uk.