Category: Speeches

  • Stewart Jackson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Church Commissioners

    Stewart Jackson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Church Commissioners

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stewart Jackson on 2015-11-16.

    To ask the right hon. Member for Meriden, representing the Church Commissioners, for what reason the Church Commissioners have not released land for the construction of a primary school, in accordance with previous legal undertakings, at the Paston Reserve urban extension in Peterborough; and if she will make a statement.

    Mrs Caroline Spelman

    The Church Commissioners are involved in the development of Paston Reserve in Peterborough. Within the development there is provision for a site and financial contributions towards the delivery of a primary school site as outlined within the agreed Section 106 legal agreement that accompanied the planning permission, and that was varied by agreement with the Council in 2010. The Section 106 agreement provides that the primary school site must be delivered prior to any house occupation on the third phase of development on the site and also outlines the trigger points at which the financial contributions for the school will be provided.

    Based on these legal requirements, the land for the primary school site at Paston Reserve has not been provided yet, because the site has not progressed to a third phase of development. The first phase on the site is still under construction, and as outlined in our response to the hon. Gentleman’s question [3389] answered on the 29 June 2015, the second phase of development is likely to commence at some point in 2016. The development remains in accordance with the legal provisions of the Section 106 agreed with Peterborough Council.

  • Andy Slaughter – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Andy Slaughter – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andy Slaughter on 2016-01-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations his Department made to the Saudi Arabian government on Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr (a) prior to and (b) after his execution.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    Prior to his execution the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond), raised the case of Sheikh Nimr Al-Nimr with the Saudi Arabian authorities at a very senior level. This was a case we followed very closely. I have also raised concerns with the Saudi authorities about the mass execution on 2 January, which included that of Sheikh Nimr Al-Nimr, and the use of the death penalty most recently on 12 January.

  • 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 2016-01-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many students began podiatry courses in the last three years; what assessment he has made of the reasons for trends in those numbers; and what steps his Department is taking to increase the number of applicants to such courses.

    Ben Gummer

    This table shows the planned number of podiatry courses available in the last three years, and the actual take up of those training places.

    Year

    2013/14

    2014/15

    2015/16

    Podiatry (planned)

    365

    362

    362

    Podiatry (actual)

    339

    345

    –

    Source: multi professional education and training budget monitoring returns

    The number of podiatry students taking up courses for 2015/16 is not yet available.

    The Health Education England (HEE) annual Workforce Plan for England 2016/17 will be published by the end of February 2016.

    Ministers hold regular discussions with HEE on a broad range of workforce supply issues and puts out an annual Mandate to HEE setting its priorities for the coming year.

    The HEE commissioning and investment plan – 2016/17 includes a forecast increase in supply of podiatrists in the National Health Service workforce of 36.4% by 2020 which is an additional 1,084 full time equivalents coming out of training.

  • Virendra Sharma – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Virendra Sharma – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Virendra Sharma on 2016-02-23.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what his Department’s wellness strategy is.

    Harriett Baldwin

    HM Treasury takes the wellness of its staff seriously. Wellness is incorporated within the Treasury’s Health, Safety and Wellbeing policy.

    In 2015/16 the following wellness initiatives were given priority:

    • reducing levels of sickness absence relating to Mental and Behavioural Disorders (including stress, depression, anxiety) and Musculoskeletal Disorders;

    • increasing the usage of the Employee Assistance Programme (EAP); and

      In addition the Treasury has signed up to two key external initiatives:

    • the Public Health Responsibility Deal. Every April the Treasury reports to the Dept of Health on the activities carried out to meet the six pledges signed up to; and

    • the ‘Time to Change’ pledge. Following this a Mental Wellbeing Network was set up and a range of associated activities take place focusing on improving the mental wellbeing of Treasury employees.

      In addition we support and provide reasonable adjustments for a variety of physical and mental conditions and requirements.

  • Tania Mathias – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Tania Mathias – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tania Mathias on 2016-03-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the average value is of a personal independence payment in (a) the UK and (b) Twickenham constituency.

    Justin Tomlinson

    Information on average weekly payments of Personal Independence Payment (PIP) is not published but can be calculated from the available claimant data extractable from Stat-Xplore (https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/) and the amount of benefit paid by component combination. At the end of January 2016 the average amount payable to PIP recipients in Great Britain was £88.70 per week and £88.14 per week in the Twickenham parliamentary constituency.

    Personal Independence Payment (PIP) will be introduced in Northern Ireland later this year and will be a matter for the Northern Ireland Office.

    “

  • Gerald Kaufman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Gerald Kaufman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gerald Kaufman on 2016-04-21.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, when he intends to answer the letter to him dated 10 March 2016 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton, with regard to Ms B Touhy.

    Mr Marcus Jones

    A reply was sent to the right hon. Member on 26 April.

  • Jamie Reed – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Jamie Reed – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jamie Reed on 2016-06-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what information his Department holds on the average waiting time between cancer diagnosis and treatment in each of the last 10 years.

    Jane Ellison

    The Department does not hold data on the average waiting time between cancer diagnosis and treatment. NHS England collects data on cancer waiting times and these data are published on their website. The data comprise of organisational performance against operational standards that support waiting time commitments laid out in the NHS Constitution. These include the standard that 96% of patients should begin first definitive treatment for all cancers within a maximum of 31 days from diagnosis.

    A national time series can be found at the link below:

    https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2015/02/Cancer-Waiting-Times-National-Time-Series-Oct-2009-Mar-2016-Provider-based.xlsx

    “

  • Henry Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Henry Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Henry Smith on 2016-09-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when he plans to (a) announce and (b) introduce the new arrangements for rail passenger refunds following delays; and if he will make a statement.

    Paul Maynard

    Delay Repay is a generous compensation scheme for longer delays, but this Government wants to go further. We are committed to improving compensation arrangements for passengers affected by shorter delays which are not covered by the current Delay Repay scheme. The previous Chancellor announced in his Autumn 2015 Spending Review that passengers will soon have access to compensation when trains are over 15 minutes late. We expect to make an announcement on this shortly.

  • Lord Quirk – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Lord Quirk – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Quirk on 2016-10-10.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Mobarik on 21 September (HL1561), how many hours of education per week is currently provided in Young Offender Institutions.

    Lord Keen of Elie

    Since 16 August 2015, education providers in public sector under-18 Young Offender Institutions (YOIs) have been required to provide 27 hours of education a week, supplemented by three hours of physical education.

    YOI Parc is operated by G4S and is currently contracted to provide 25 hours of education and 5 hours of interventions each week.

  • Kirsten Oswald – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Kirsten Oswald – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kirsten Oswald on 2015-11-16.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of steps taken to hold to account companies and directors responsible for promoting and managing the affairs of Connaught Asset Management.

    Harriett Baldwin

    This is a matter for the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), which is operationally independent from Government.

    These questions have been passed on to the FCA. They will reply directly to the Honorable Member Kirsten Oswald by letter. A copy of the letter will be placed in the Library of the House.