Category: Speeches

  • Lord Mendelsohn – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Lord Mendelsohn – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Mendelsohn on 2016-05-23.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether it is their policy that entertainment expenses either given or received by individuals in fund management companies and their clients and suppliers should be disclosed, and whether they will encourage pension trustees to require such disclosures in their management contracts.

    Lord O’Neill of Gatley

    The Government is committed to the principle that people should have access to appropriate and accessible investment options and understand the charges that they face.

    The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) is currently conducting a market study into asset management. We await the FCA’s assessment of disclosure of costs and fees in fund management reporting, where these issues fall under the scope of the market study. The FCA expect to publish an interim report in summer 2016 and a final report in early 2017.

    With respect to the disclosure requirements imposed on pension trustees, the Department for Work and Pensions and the FCA jointly undertook a Call for Evidence on disclosure of costs and charges in workplace pension schemes during 2015. We and the FCA are assessing the responses received and remain committed to making regulations and rules in this Parliament requiring publication of costs and charges, as per the legal duty in the Pensions Act 2014.

  • Gareth Thomas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Gareth Thomas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gareth Thomas on 2016-07-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what progress he has made on establishing a credit union for members of the armed forces; what steps he is taking to make military personnel aware of that service; and if he will make a statement.

    Mark Lancaster

    I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 7 March 2016 to Question 29059 to the hon. Member for Strangford (Jim Shannon).

    http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-question/Commons/2016-03-01/29059/

  • Mark Menzies – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Mark Menzies – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Menzies on 2016-10-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what preparatory work is currently underway in her Department on the consultation on increasing the small claims limit from £1,000 to £5,000.

    Sir Oliver Heald

    Ministers are considering this issue and the Government will bring forward proposals in the coming months.

  • Mark Williams – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Mark Williams – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Williams on 2015-11-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will discuss with the Moroccan ambassador to the UK Morocco’s ban on the UN Secretary General’s Personal Envoy to the Western Sahara visiting Western Sahara during his visit to that region to facilitate negotiations called for by the UN Security Council.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    With Ambassadors of other members of the Group of Friends of Western Sahara, the British Ambassador to Morocco raised this issue with the Moroccan Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs on 13 November. The Group of Friends welcomed the assurances they received that the Secretary-General’s Envoy would not be prevented from visiting Western Sahara.

  • Sadiq Khan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Sadiq Khan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sadiq Khan on 2016-01-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the average time was between a patient being declared fit to leave hospital and being discharged in (a) England and Wales, (b) London and (c) each health trust in London in each year since 2010.

    Alistair Burt

    This information is not available in the format requested.

    Official statistics for NHS trusts in England are published by NHS England on the number of patients delayed on the last Thursday of each month and the total delayed days during the month for all patients delayed throughout the month. The latest publication of this data was for delays occurring in October 2015 and was published on 10 December 2015.

    It is not possible to calculate a montly average or the longest waits from these data. Health is a devolved matter in Wales.

  • Wes Streeting – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Wes Streeting – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Wes Streeting on 2016-01-25.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what representations his Department has made to the Financial Conduct Authority on Symphony interbank communications software.

    Harriett Baldwin

    The FCA does not directly regulate the activities of Symphony Communication Services LLC or any other electronic messaging platform. However, firms that are authorised by the FCA who use messaging services such as Symphony are subject to a range of applicable requirements, including the recording and storage of such tapes and electronic communications. The FCA is monitoring developments in relation to the use of Symphony by FCA-regulated firms.

    The FCA is also in touch with regulated firms to monitor how they are using new technology in this area, and any risks that may exist.

    Treasury Ministers and officials meet regularly with the Financial Conduct Authority to discuss relevant regulatory issues.

    As was the case with previous Administrations, it is not the Treasury’s practice to provide details of all such discussions.

  • Adam Afriyie – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Adam Afriyie – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Adam Afriyie on 2016-02-22.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what revenue was received by the Exchequer from the total amount of food imported by the UK from other member states of the EU in the last 10 years.

    Mr David Gauke

    This level of detail is not collected on VAT or any other tax return.

  • Maria Eagle – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Maria Eagle – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Maria Eagle on 2016-03-16.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to pages 86 and 122 of the Budget 2016, why the fiscal impact of establishing the £20 million Cathedrals Repairs Fund is £10 million.

    Greg Hands

    Budget 2016 announced that the government will provide £20 million across 2016-17 and 2017-18 to extend the First World War Centenary cathedral repairs fund. £10 million of this is financed through new exchequer funding and listed in Table 2.1 on page 86 of the Budget. The remaining £10 million is financed from within the existing DCMS resource budget.

  • Stewart Malcolm McDonald – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Stewart Malcolm McDonald – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stewart Malcolm McDonald on 2016-04-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what (a) immediate and (b) long-term support the Government is giving to the government of Pakistan in response to the most recent attacks in that country.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    I utterly condemn the attack which took place on Easter Sunday in Lahore, Pakistan.

    The UK continues to stand with Pakistan in tackling terrorism, and the extremism that sustains it. In the immediate and long term, we are working with Pakistan to increase its ability to detect and disrupt improvised explosive devices, and to support capacity building and reform of the civilian criminal justice system so that those responsible for attacks are held to account in line with international standards on human rights. We also support Pakistan to confront extremist narratives and address the root causes of extremism and terrorism.

  • Tim Farron – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Tim Farron – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tim Farron on 2016-05-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, if he will take steps to ensure that academic staff are aware of their obligations under the Equality Act 2010 to make provision for the needs of disabled students.

    Joseph Johnson

    Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) have clear legal responsibilities under the Equality Act 2010 to support their students, including those with disabilities.

    The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) has produced a range of guidance for institutions on their obligations under the Equality Act 2010, including technical guidance setting out the detail of the law.

    Guidance is also produced by the Equality Challenge Unit (ECU), a higher education sector body that supports equality and diversity for staff and students across the UK, including for disabled staff and students on managing “reasonable adjustments”. The ECU also published a report on the implications for institutions of the key issues contained in the Equality Act 2010.

    In addition, to support higher education providers to prepare for the changes to Disabled Students’ Allowances that come into effect from academic year 2016/17, the Department has facilitated the establishment of a senior sector-led group. The group’s focus is communication with senior leaders of higher education providers, including provision of information about their responsibilities under the Equality Act 2010 to make reasonable adjustments for disabled students.