Category: Speeches

  • 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 2016-05-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 9 May 2016 to Question 36401, whether the Cabinet Secretary’s involvement in the Infrastructure and Projects Authority’s review of High Speed 2 was requested or authorised by a Minister; and what the membership is of the small cross-government team referred to in that Answer.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    The Infrastructure and Projects Authority’s (IPA’s) support to the HS2 Programme is part of the normal assurance process for projects of this size, as mandated by Ministers. The Cabinet Secretary’s involvement is also normal for projects on the scale of HS2.

    The IPA’s role on the Government’s Major Projects Portfolio is to provide expertise in infrastructure and the financing, delivery and assurance of major projects, to support more effective management and delivery across government. The cross government assurance involves relevant experts from the Infrastructure and Projects Authority, the Department for Transport, HM Treasury and HS2 Ltd.

  • 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 2016-06-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when he next plans to visit West Cumberland Hospital in an official capacity.

    Ben Gummer

    I am currently planning to visit the West Cumberland Hospital in the coming months.

  • Jim Fitzpatrick – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Jim Fitzpatrick – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Fitzpatrick on 2016-09-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how his Department plans to monitor and assess the progress of the roll-out of his Department’s Childhood Obesity Plan for Action in England.

    Nicola Blackwood

    We will measure progress annually through the National Child Measurement Programme and Health Survey for England. We are confident that the measures we have announced will make a real difference and estimate could reduce childhood obesity rates by about a fifth (330,000) over the next 10 years and the assessment of reformulation progress by food manufacturers will be undertaken independently by Public Health England. Moreover, if we do not see the desired progress then the Government does not rule out taking further measures.

    We will continue to work with the National Health Service, local authorities and other partners to deliver the proposals in our plan. For example, we are doubling the Primary PE and Sport Premium to £320 million from September 2017 and we will continue to fund a number of areas to support the plan’s ambitions including healthy start vouchers which gives healthy food support to the families that need it most. Alongside this, local authorities will receive over £16 billion to spend on public health over the next five years. We are confident they will want to prioritise action to tackle obesity according to local need.

  • Louise Haigh – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Louise Haigh – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Louise Haigh on 2015-11-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she expects to respond to the IPCC’s proposals on governance reform as set out in its Annual Report and statement of accounts 2014-15, HC 286.

    Mike Penning

    In August, the Home Secretary commissioned Sheila Drew Smith OBE of the Committee on Standards in Public Life to undertake an independent review of the governance proposals first set out in the IPCC’s response to the Home Office’s Triennial Report, which was published by the IPCC on 12 August 2015. The independent review will assess the fitness for purpose of the IPCC’s proposals, and will report to the Home Secretary before Christmas. After the conclusions of the independent review have been considered, the Government will announce the next steps.

  • Richard Arkless – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Richard Arkless – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Arkless on 2015-12-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether he plans for the proposed British Bill of Rights to apply to Scotland.

    Dominic Raab

    The government was elected with a mandate to reform the UK’s human rights framework. We are considering the implications of a Bill of Rights on devolution as we develop our proposals. We will, of course, fully engage with the devolved administrations.

  • Simon Danczuk – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Simon Danczuk – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Simon Danczuk on 2016-01-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, with reference to the press release of 10 January 2016 entitled, Prime Minister pledges to transform sink estates, if he will make an assessment of the value of house prices on those estates planned for removal or regeneration.

    Brandon Lewis

    The new Estate Regeneration Advisory Panel will be starting its work shortly, and will be seeking representations from as many estates as possible. The Panel will evaluate the potential for the regeneration of particular estates over the coming months, and will report by this year’s Autumn Statement. Any estates proposed for regeneration will need to take into account the value of properties and development viability considerations.

  • Baroness Byford – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Baroness Byford – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Byford on 2016-02-09.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they plan to shorten the teacher training period for graduates in life science subjects by allowing them to qualify in a single subject, such as physics, where there are shortages in qualified teacher numbers.

    Lord Nash

    It is for Initial Teacher Training (ITT) providers to use their professional judgement to determine how to structure the course. However, ITT courses must be designed so that teacher trainees can demonstrate by the end of their training that they meet all of the Teachers’ Standards at the appropriate level. The Teachers’ Standards, revised in September 2012, set out the key elements of effective teaching and the minimum expectations for the professional practice and conduct of teachers. The Teachers’ Standards have been attached to this answer.

    Although it is already possible within existing flexibilities for schools and ITT providers to offer shorter or longer courses, the majority of postgraduate courses are one year in length. The National College for Teaching and Leadership is working with nine School Direct lead schools to pilot a shortened School Direct (salaried) route for physics and mathematics trainees. Findings from these pilots will be shared with the ITT sector to encourage other schools and ITT providers to use the existing flexibilities to meet their recruitment needs.

  • Jamie Reed – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Jamie Reed – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jamie Reed on 2016-03-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate she has made of how many schools in (a) rural and (b) non-rural areas will be unable to provide free school meals to qualifying children as a result of the discontinuation of the universal infant free meals small school support grant.

    Mr Sam Gyimah

    To help small schools with the transition to universal infant free school meals (UIFSM), we have paid them an extra £32.5m over two years, on top of general spending on the policy which amounts to around £600m a year. In the recent Spending Review we also protected funding for UIFSM at £2.30 a meal. We are not aware of any school that is unable to meet its statutory obligations to provide free school meals either to its infants or to older children in receipt of qualifying benefits.

  • Andy Slaughter – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Andy Slaughter – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andy Slaughter on 2016-04-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what (a) written and (b) other contacts he or Ministers in his Department had with senior executives at (a) AXA UK, (b) Ageas UK, (c) General Insurance, (d) Direct Line Insurance and (e) Admiral Insurance between 1 September and 26 November 2015.

    Dominic Raab

    There was no written or other contact between any Ministry of Justice Minister and senior executives at (a) AXA UK, (b) Ageas UK, (c) General Insurance, (d) Direct Line Insurance and (e) Admiral Insurance between 1 September and 26 November 2015.

    Details of all Ministerial meetings are included in transparency returns which are published quarterly on gov.uk at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/moj-data-gifts-hospitality-travel-and-meetings-returns-october-to-december-2015.

    “

  • Antoinette Sandbach – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Antoinette Sandbach – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Antoinette Sandbach on 2016-05-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 4 May 2016 to Question 35238, whether any factors relevant to (a) Cheshire and (b) Eddisbury have had a bearing on delays in announcing the route of Phase 2b of High Speed 2 from Crewe to Manchester.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    As set out in my previous answer, HS2 Ltd and the Department for Transport have been analysing options across the route following the consultation. It would not be appropriate to go into detail on any individual location before a route decision has been taken. A route decision is planned for autumn 2016.