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Category: Speeches

  • Peter Kyle – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Peter Kyle – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Peter Kyle on 2016-04-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, if he will set a target for apprenticeship completion rates by the end of this Parliament.

    Nick Boles

    Apprenticeship completions are monitored closely by the Skills Funding Agency. There are minimum levels of performance for individual providers.

    We have already taken action to increase the quality of apprenticeships; including introducing a minimum duration and ensuring that all apprenticeships are real jobs. We are continuing to go further by giving employers the opportunity to design rigorous new apprenticeships with end point assessments and by establishing the Institute for Apprenticeships.

    We will continue to focus on quality as much as on quantity, but do not intend to set a separate target for apprenticeship completion rates.

  • Baroness Goudie – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Baroness Goudie – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Goudie on 2016-06-13.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action, if any, they plan to take to save and preserve the Kensington Odeon, maintain its classic art deco design, and reverse the impact of its closure upon the neighbourhood and community.

    Baroness Neville-Rolfe

    Kensington Odeon is subject to a Certificate of Immunity (COI) which precludes the building being listed until 2018. The Odeon has been considered for listing twice before. It was rejected because it does not possess the special architectural or historic interest features required.

  • Steve McCabe – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Steve McCabe – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2016-09-02.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the effects of performance bonuses on short-termism in the financial sector.

    Simon Kirby

    The UK is at the forefront of global efforts to tackle unacceptable pay practices in the banking sector and has the toughest regime on pay of any major financial centre.

    Firms are now required to have policies in place to defer, reduce, cancel or clawback bonuses in the event that poor performance or misconduct comes to light and the Government expects firms to be proactive in their application of these policies.

    The Government’s efforts have resulted in a restructuring of pay including a significant reduction in cash bonuses, and a better alignment of risk and reward in the financial sector.

  • Nigel Evans – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Nigel Evans – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nigel Evans on 2015-11-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the reasons were for the Ministry of Defence Police denying Lt. Col. Jolley his own military records for him to use at his trial in 2013.

    Mark Lancaster

    A Special Investigation Branch Report was served as evidence at Lt Col Jolleys’ trial and was provided to his Defence team pre-trial.

    It will take time to gather the further information and I will write to the hon. Member shortly.

  • Danny Kinahan – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Danny Kinahan – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Danny Kinahan on 2015-11-30.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the reasons for removing treatment options for (a) multiple myeloma and (b) other rare cancers from the Cancer Drugs Fund.

    George Freeman

    No such assessment has been made. NHS England is responsible for the operational management of the Cancer Drugs Fund (CDF) and decisions on which treatments are included on the national CDF list are made by the CDF expert clinical panel, which includes expert oncologists, oncology pharmacists and patient representatives.

  • Lord Wallace of Saltaire – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Lord Wallace of Saltaire – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Wallace of Saltaire on 2016-01-11.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Taylor of Bolton on 7 July 2009 (WA 122), why the Background briefing on the Crown Dependencies on the Ministry of Justice website indicates that the maintenance costs of the Alderney breakwater form part of Guernsey’s annual voluntary contribution towards the cost of its defence and international representation by the UK” when the Ministry of Defence ceded responsibility for the maintenance of that anchorage in 1950.”

    Lord Faulks

    The background briefing paper to which the noble Lord refers correctly represents the current position. The United Kingdom is responsible for the defence and international representation of the Crown Dependencies, including the Bailiwick of Guernsey of which Alderney forms part. The Alderney breakwater was completed in 1865 to shelter Royal Navy vessels. In 1950 responsibility for its maintenance was transferred from the Ministry of Defence to the Home Office. The maintenance costs continued to be met by HM Government until 1 April 1987, when Guernsey assumed responsibility for maintaining the breakwater as part of its annual voluntary contribution towards the costs of defence and international representation undertaken by the UK.

  • Steven Paterson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Steven Paterson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steven Paterson on 2016-02-03.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many organisations have been assisted in recovery from cyber-attack by the Cyber Incident Response Team in (a) Scotland, (b) Wales, (c) England and (d) Northern Ireland.

    Matthew Hancock

    CERT-UK is the UK National Computer Emergency Response Team. CERT-UK advises organisations on what actions to take in the event of a cyber incident and offers advice and guidance on how to mitigate threats pre and post incident through one to one meetings and through its online sharing platform, the Cyber-security Information Sharing Partnership (CiSP). CERT-UK has dealt with 1170 incidents since its launch in March 2014.

  • Tristram Hunt – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Tristram Hunt – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tristram Hunt on 2016-02-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, on how many occasions a special adviser of her Department has accompanied a Minister on a foreign trip since 1 October 2015; and what the cost of that travel has been.

    Nick Gibb

    Special advisers have not accompanied any Ministers on an international visit since 1 October 2015.

  • Lord Cashman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Lord Cashman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Cashman on 2016-03-23.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to support the key objectives of the Global LGBTI Human Rights Conference that will take place in Uruguay from 13 to 15 July, which include the protection and promotion of LGBTI rights around the world.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    As I set out to the House of Lords on the 21 March, the UK will send a delegation to the Global Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and/or Intersex (LGBTI) Human Rights Conference taking place in Montevideo in July. We are committed to working with those countries that will be represented at the conference, and others, to combat discrimination and violence against LGBTI people. This forms an important part of our wider international human rights work.

    We continue to work through our Embassies and High Commissions and through international organisations, including the UN, EU, the Council of Europe and the Commonwealth, to promote general tolerance and non-discrimination toward LGBTI people and to address discriminatory laws, in particular those that criminalise homosexuality. The Global LGBTI Human Rights Conference will provide an opportunity to share information, best practice and lessons learned with partners and to discuss how to better coordinate international efforts and resources to support the promotion and protection of the rights of LGBTI people worldwide.

  • Karl McCartney – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Karl McCartney – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Karl McCartney on 2016-04-28.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make it his policy to exempt drivers between the ages of 17 and 25 who have telematics black box car insurance from insurance premium tax to reduce that tax for those drivers.

    Harriett Baldwin

    Insurance Premium Tax is a tax on insurance companies and it is up to them how they pass it on to their customers.