Category: Speeches

  • Tom Watson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Tom Watson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Watson on 2016-02-02.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many meetings Ministers and officials of his Department have had with representatives of Uber in the last 12 months.

    Harriett Baldwin

    Treasury Ministers and officials have meetings with a wide variety of organisations in the public and private sectors as part of the process of policy development and delivery.

    Details of ministerial and permanent secretary meetings with external organisations on departmental business are published on a quarterly basis and are available via the gov.uk website

  • Liz McInnes – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Liz McInnes – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Liz McInnes on 2016-02-29.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the UK remaining in the EU on the farming industry.

    George Eustice

    Defra has not made any assessment of the UK remaining in the EU on the farming industry.

  • Neil Parish – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Neil Parish – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Neil Parish on 2016-03-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what lessons were learned from the universal credit scheme pilot; and what changes have been put in place as a result of those lessons.

    Priti Patel

    The Department published a series of reports on Universal Credit. The latest can be found here:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/483029/universal-credit-at-work-december-2015.pdf

    “

  • Mary Glindon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Mary Glindon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mary Glindon on 2016-04-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions his Department has held with patients affected by muscle-wasting conditions on the benefits of cough assist machines.

    Ben Gummer

    The provision of cough assist machines is the responsibility of clinical commissioning groups (CCGs). Clinically led CCGs have independence and autonomy to make commissioning decisions for local populations, taking into account the available evidence and individual circumstances, as appropriate.

    The evidence base to demonstrate the clinical and cost-effectiveness of the use of cough assist machines in muscle-wasting conditions is not well established. In order to improve the evidence base, the National Institute for Health Research, which is funded through the Department, is seeking to commission research on the clinical and cost-effectiveness of mechanical cough assist devices compared to other methods of sputum clearance. The deadline for outline proposals was 21 January 2016 with full proposals expected for consideration in July.

    NHS England has been working with Muscular Dystrophy UK through the Bridging the Gap project to address areas of concern raised by patients and their representatives, one of which is the provision of cough assist machines. The establishment of Bridging the Gap was supported with just under £600,000 awarded by the Department through its Innovation, Excellence and Strategic Development Fund. Through this work, a number of CCGs have now developed commissioning policies which set out the circumstances in which to consider these devices based on one developed by Walsall CCG, which has been shared nationally as an example of good practice by Muscular Dystrophy UK.

    On 26 April 2016, my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, met with Muscular Dystrophy UK and a number of patient representatives specifically to hear their concerns about the provision of cough assist machines.

  • Rebecca Long Bailey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Rebecca Long Bailey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rebecca Long Bailey on 2016-06-09.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, when he plans to publish the Government’s response to the discussion paper on options for supporting English regional airports from the potential impacts of air passenger duty devolution, published in July 2015.

    Damian Hinds

    The Government is carefully considering the responses received to the discussion paper on options to support English regional airports from the potential impacts of air passenger duty devolution and will respond in due course.

  • Lilian Greenwood – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Lilian Greenwood – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lilian Greenwood on 2016-09-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans he has to bring forward legislative proposals related to the recommendations of the Law Commission’s report on level crossings, published in September 2013.

    Paul Maynard

    We welcome the Law Commission’s recommendations on the reform of level crossing legislation, the majority of which we accepted. We are considering opportunities to take measures we accepted forward through primary legislation.

  • Baroness Goudie – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union

    Baroness Goudie – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Goudie on 2016-10-17.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they are planning to transfer to other government departments any of the staff currently working within the Department for Exiting the EU, and if so, what is their estimate of the proportion of staff who will be moved to (1) the Ministry of Defence, (2) the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, (3) the Cabinet Office, or (4) other government departments.

    Lord Bridges of Headley

    The department is permanently headquartered at 9 Downing Street. This will not change and Ministers will continue to operate from this building. Staff are also accommodated in 70 Whitehall.

    We are working with the Government Property Unit as where to locate further staff on a more permanent basis.

    DExEU staff will continue to be employed on the basis of being ‘on loan’ from a wide variety of departments and will not permanently transfer departments. No staff have been formally moved from DExEU to the Ministry of Defence, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the Cabinet Office, or other government departments.

  • Luciana Berger – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Luciana Berger – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Luciana Berger on 2015-11-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what equality impact assessment his Department has carried out on its proposals to reform the junior doctor contract.

    Ben Gummer

    NHS Employers will conduct a full impact assessment once the final proposals are developed.

    Individual employers are also obliged under equalities legislation to ensure all their staff receive equal pay for work of equal value, which the new contract proposals will support by linking pay increases to responsibility.

  • Lord West of Spithead – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Lord West of Spithead – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord West of Spithead on 2015-11-26.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government when the first UK-owned P8 Maritime Patrol aircraft will be flying operationally.

    Earl Howe

    Under current plans, we anticipate that the Boeing P-8A Poseidon Maritime Patrol Aircraft will enter service in the UK in financial year 2019-20. Exact dates are yet to be agreed between the Department and the US Department of Defense.

  • Lord Rennard – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Lord Rennard – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Rennard on 2015-12-03.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to introduce a limit on the size of personal, or company, donations to political parties.

    Lord Bridges of Headley

    We remain committed to negotiating a comprehensive cross-party reform agreement, including donations from all funding sources including trade unions.