Category: Speeches

  • Helen Jones – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Helen Jones – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Helen Jones on 2016-07-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the effect of the advertising of junk food on children’s diets and health; and if he will make a statement.

    Nicola Blackwood

    Our forthcoming Childhood Obesity Strategy will look at everything that contributes to a child becoming overweight and obese. The Prime Minister and the Cabinet will be working over the coming days and weeks to establish their priorities and how we deliver on these commitments.

  • John Pugh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    John Pugh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Pugh on 2016-10-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what proportion of staff on the payroll of his Department who work in Westminster are (a) British nationals and (b) nationals of another country.

    David Mowat

    Nationality and identity details of appointees to the Department are thoroughly checked at the time of recruitment. However, ’nationality’ is not a mandatory field in the Department’s Business Management System where the details of staff are registered. This means that some staff have not declared with respect to nationality.

    All the figures given in the table below are of those civil servants employed by the Department in the Westminster area as of 6 October 2016. These figures do not include contractors, consultants and temporary agency workers or the staff of the Department’s service companies.

    Nationality

    Headcount

    Proportion

    British

    771

    80%

    Other nationalities

    60

    6%

    Not declared

    132

    14%

    Total

    963

    100%
  • Jim Shannon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Jim Shannon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2015-11-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the usefulness of self-testing kits for (a) sexually transmitted diseases, (b) fertility, (c) human papilloma virus, (d) blood pressure, (e) bowel cancer and (f) cholesterol.

    George Freeman

    Self-testing and self-sampling kits have an important part to play in the detection of a number of conditions provided they are used in conjunction with advice from a healthcare professional.

    To be placed on the market in the United Kingdom, they must satisfy the necessary requirements of European Union legislation.

  • Jim Shannon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Jim Shannon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2015-12-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to reduce and treat irregular heartbeats in infants that can lead to premature death.

    Ben Gummer

    Sudden loss of life can occur through diagnosed and previously undiagnosed heart conditions in children of any age. This is a devastating event to the families involved and there is no simple solution to prevent every case.

    A large part of the review of congenital heart services that reported in July 2015 focused on producing gold standards for the care of children and infants with heart problems. These standards have now been agreed and will be implemented in April 2016.

    One of the key workstreams arising from the review is improvement in detection of heart disease early in life and there are increasing numbers of specialists involved in this area of cardiology. Research and development strives to improve identification of high risk cases and refine screening programs to aid in reducing these shocking events.

  • Caroline Lucas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Caroline Lucas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2016-01-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, whether the entering into force of the agreement between the UK and EDF to proceed with Hinkley Point C is conditional on the Flamanville successfully demonstrating capability of operation; what recent conversations her Department has had with EDF about the findings of the French Nuclear Safety Authority on tests on the Flamanville EPR reactor vessel head and bottom and the implications for her policies on new nuclear power; and if she will make a statement.

    Andrea Leadsom

    My rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State’s final decision on the Contract for Difference and associated agreements for Hinkley Point C is not dependent on developments at Flamanville. The UK has its own independent nuclear regulatory regime which has assessed the reactor design proposed for use at Hinkley Point and will continue to regulate the project through construction, operation and decommissioning. As part of this, the Office for Nuclear Regulation has said that it expects EDF to apply any relevant lessons learned from Flamanville and improve its design to ensure the delivery of high standards of nuclear safety for its new nuclear power plants in the UK. DECC officials are in regular contact with EDF about both projects.

  • Mike Kane – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Mike Kane – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mike Kane on 2016-02-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what property and land assets his Department holds in Greater Manchester.

    Mark Lancaster

    The property and land assets held by the MOD in Greater Manchester are shown below:

    Ardwick Green Army Reserve Centre

    Ashton-under-Lyne Army Reserve Centre

    Belle Vue Street Army Reserve Centre

    Bolton Army Reserve Centre

    Bury Army Reserve Centre

    Defence Business Services Cheadle Hulme

    Failsworth Oldham Road Army Reserve Centre

    Haldane Barracks Army Reserve Centre

    Holcombe Moor Training Area

    Holcombe Moor Training Camp

    Kings Road Army Reserve Centre

    Manchester Road Army Reserve Centre

    Norman Road Army Reserve Centre

    Ramsbottom Weekend Training Centre

    Stockport Territorial Army Centre

    Upper Chorlton Road Army Reserve Centre

    University Barracks Territorial Army, Army Cadet Force & Army Cadet Force Headquarters

    Wigan Territorial Army Centre, Army Cadet Force & Air Training Corps
  • Paula Sherriff – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Paula Sherriff – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paula Sherriff on 2016-03-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, pursuant to the Answer of 10 February 2016 to Question 25985, whether he plans to publish his response to his Department’s consultation on tips, gratuities, service and cover charges before the period of purdah for the EU membership referendum begins.

    Nick Boles

    The Government is analysing the responses to the Call for Evidence on tips, gratuities, service and cover charges and will publish a response in due course.

  • Karl McCartney – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Karl McCartney – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Karl McCartney on 2016-04-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the current length of time is between a penalty notice being issued under the Dart Charge scheme and the date of the offence.

    Andrew Jones

    The majority of Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs) are currently issued between 5 and 15 days from the time of contravention (midnight the day after crossing).

  • David Anderson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    David Anderson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Anderson on 2016-05-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what measures she is putting in place to minimise the number of Notifications of Inadequate System Margin issued by the National Grid; and if she will make a statement.

    Andrea Leadsom

    A Notice of Inadequate System Margin is one of the tools National Grid use to maintain margins in the system and can happen at any time for a variety of reasons. Issuing a NISM does not mean that demand is about to outstrip supply: it is a notice to the market to bring forward further capacity. National Grid issue NISMs ahead of dispatching capacity from its supplementary balancing reserve, which will include 3.5GW of dispatchable generating capacity next winter. This will give any remaining capacity in the market first opportunity to respond but does not signal any significant risk of shortages. National Grid’s objective is to secure supplies and the NISM is an important tool to achieve that objective with minimum distortion to the market.

  • Susan Elan Jones – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Susan Elan Jones – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Susan Elan Jones on 2016-07-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Transport on the sentencing review of motoring offences and penalties.

    Dr Phillip Lee

    Both the Ministry of Justice and the Department of Transport are aware of concerns about a number of issues relating to serious driving offences and the maximum penalties those offences carry. The Government are committed to making sure that the courts have sufficient powers to deal with driving offences appropriately and proportionately within the context of our wider sentencing framework. It is our intention to commence a consultation before the end of the year which will look at driving offences and penalties.

    The new Justice Secretary will meet the new Transport Secretary to discuss further in due course.