Category: Speeches

  • William Wragg – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    William Wragg – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by William Wragg on 2016-06-03.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will undertake an assessment of the potential effect on the UK economy of a reduction of (a) 0.1, (b) 0.2, (c) 0.3, (d) 0.4, (e) 0.5, (f) one, (g) two, (h) three, (i) four and (j) five per cent in the (i) GDP of each EU member state, (ii) average GDP across the Eurozone and (iii) average GDP across the EU.

    Mr David Gauke

    HM Treasury has not produced estimates of the impact of the economic performance of the euro area or other EU Member States on the UK economy. The Treasury continuously monitors global economic developments as part of the normal process of domestic policy development.

  • Justin Tomlinson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Justin Tomlinson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Justin Tomlinson on 2016-09-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make it her policy to ban the use of microbeads and microplastics in all personal care products, washing powders, household cleaners and industrial blast media.

    Dr Thérèse Coffey

    On 3 September the Government announced plans to ban the sale and manufacture of cosmetics and personal care products containing microbeads where these are capable of harming the marine environment. Our plans will be informed by a formal consultation later this year. At the same time, evidence will be gathered on the extent of the environmental impacts of microbeads found in other products before considering what more can be done in future to tackle other plastics, for example microfibres, which enter the marine environment.

    Given the trans-boundary nature of marine litter, we will also continue to work with other countries in the Oslo and Paris Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the North East Atlantic (OSPAR) to address marine litter, including microplastics.

  • Tulip Siddiq – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Tulip Siddiq – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tulip Siddiq on 2016-10-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department has taken to tackle online abuse and harassment targeted at women on (a) social media networks, (b) Facebook and (c) Twitter.

    Sarah Newton

    We expect social media companies, and internet platforms, to have robust processes in place and to act promptly when abuse is reported, this includes acting quickly to remove inappropriate content, and where appropriate, suspending or terminating the accounts of those breaching the rules in place. The Government continues to work closely with social media companies and other relevant actors and experts to make sure they are committed to protecting those who use their platforms.

    The Criminal Justice Act 2015 strengthened two existing communications offences: section 1 of the Malicious Communications Act 1988, and section 127 of the Communications Act 2003 which can now be used to prosecute misuse of social media. The police now have longer to investigate either offence, and the maximum penalty for the former has been increased to two years imprisonment.

  • Mary Creagh – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Mary Creagh – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mary Creagh on 2015-11-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether he plans to revise his Department’s position on the European Commission’s Green Paper on safety of tourism accommodation services to take account of the recent coroner’s report on the death of Christi and Bobby Shepherd.

    Tracey Crouch

    The deaths of Christi and Bobby Shepherd were a horrific tragedy and our deepest condolences remain with their parents. The safety of tourists at home and abroad is an absolute priority and we will continue to keep the area under review.

    The Government is currently examining the Coroner’s recommendations from the inquest into the children’s deaths and will respond in due course.

  • Lord Moonie – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Lord Moonie – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Moonie on 2015-12-01.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government how much NHS England pays for paracetamol, and how much paracetamol it procures annually.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    NHS England has advised that it does not procure paracetamol. This is done by dispensing contractors in primary care and by hospital trusts in secondary care.

  • John Healey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    John Healey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Healey on 2016-01-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what consultation his Department has undertaken with councils with statutory responsibility for vulnerable people in supported housing (a) before and (b) since the announcement that housing benefit for tenants in supported housing will be capped at the local rate of local housing allowance.

    Brandon Lewis

    Ministers from the Department of Communities and Local Government and the Department of Work and Pensions regularly consult with a wide range of organisations as part of the process of policy development and delivery. Ministers and officials from both Departments are meeting relevant organisations from all sectors.

  • Jo Cox – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Jo Cox – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jo Cox on 2016-02-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much his Department paid out in attendance allowance in each of the last three years.

    Justin Tomlinson

    The Department publishes historic benefit expenditure and caseload data consistent with the annual Budget and Autumn Statements. These are available at:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/benefit-expenditure-and-caseload-tables-2015

    “

  • Virendra Sharma – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Prime Minister

    Virendra Sharma – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Prime Minister

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

    To ask the Prime Minister, what the (a) policy and (b) other responsibilities are of each special adviser in 10 Downing Street.

    Mr David Cameron

    A list of special advisers, and their pay bands, is published on an annual basis.

  • Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead on 2016-03-22.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in deciding to use the Conflict, Stability and Security Fund exclusively to support national institutions in South Sudan, what assessment they made of the potential effect on supporting community-level peacebuilding and fostering a dialogue likely to prevent conflicts between communities.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    Across the Sudan and South Sudan Conflict, Stability and Security Fund (CSSF), we have decided to maintain the same level of funding for community-level peacebuilding programmes in FY16-17.

    We have not taken a decision to use the CSSF in South Sudan exclusively in support of national institutions. We will continue to support community level peace building in Eastern Equatorial and Lakes states in financial year 2016-17, and have begun exploring with partners the possibility of expanding existing community level projects in Sudan across the border in order to increase coordination and value for money.

  • Rachel Reeves – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Rachel Reeves – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rachel Reeves on 2016-04-26.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he has made a recent estimate of the annual cost to the public purse of exempting plant and machinery from the calculation of business rates.

    Mr David Gauke

    The government has carefully considered the case for exempting plant and machinery from business rates. However, there would also be fundamental operational challenges to delivering an exemption on account of the way in which the plant and machinery is embedded in the premises concerned, making its exclusion from the calculation more difficult.

    The government will continue to incentivise investment through better targeted measures, such as the Annual Investment Allowance and Research and Development Tax credits, and through the reductions in the rate of Corporation tax that are in place and that have been announced.