Category: Speeches

Lord Smith of Leigh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Smith of Leigh on 2016-03-16.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will support the establishment of a National Museum of Rugby League in the Northern Powerhouse area.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe

There are a number of independent sporting museums in the UK based on individual sports including rowing, tennis and Rugby Union. Arts Council England supports a Subject Specialist Network for sporting museums that promotes and shares best practice and expertise in the field. There are currently no plans to fund a National Museum of Rugby League in the Northern Powerhouse area, however this Department is investing in the game of Rugby League, through the £17.5m that that Rugby League will receive from Sport England between 2013 and 2017 and the £100k support for a bid for the 2021 Rugby League World Cup; announced in the Budget.

01/01/2023
Phil Boswell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Phil Boswell on 2016-04-20.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of funding for core regulatory activities within the Health and Safety Executive in the next three years.

Justin Tomlinson

HSE, like many other public bodies, will deliver further budgetary savings over the next three years. HSE has set out in its 2016/17 Business Plan its priorities and key deliverables up to April 2017, including its commitment to securing effective management and control of risk in GB workplaces. For the longer term it has a financial strategy to deliver the required savings whilst seeking to maintain current levels of its core regulatory activities and sustaining regulatory excellence.

01/01/2023
Dawn Butler – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dawn Butler on 2016-05-26.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps he is taking to promote religious freedom in Saudi Arabia; and what recent representations the Government has made to Saudi Arabia on that matter.

Mr Tobias Ellwood

We strongly support the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion, which is restricted in Saudi Arabia, reflecting views which are widely held in Saudi society. The authorities are encouraging reforms at a pace that is acceptable to Saudi society. This includes allowing foreign workers in Saudi Arabia to practice religions other than Islam in private.

We regularly raise human rights issues, including in relation to the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion, with the Saudi Arabian authorities.

01/01/2023

Jo Churchill – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jo Churchill on 2016-07-18.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of (a) trends in the take-up of academy places and (b) the performance of academies in Bury St Edmunds constituency in the last five years.

Edward Timpson

The number of pupils on roll in the nine academies in the Bury St Edmunds Constituency for the years when they were open as academies from January 2012 to January 2016 is provided in the table below:

	2012	2013	2014	2015	2016
Bury St Edmunds County Upper School	1009	993	957	978	987
Horringer Court Middle School	296	272	307	356	371
Westley Middle School	468	466	470	468	478
Priory School	121	117	129	135	143
Tollgate Primary School	N/A	N/A	N/A	224	273
Great Barton Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	200
Rattlesden Church of England Voluntary Controlled School	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	123
Thurston Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	197
Woolpit Community Primary School	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	171

Source: School Census, January 2012 to 2016

The percentage of pupils achieving level 4 or above in reading, writing and maths at key stage 2 in 2012 to 2015 for academies with results in 2015 in the Bury St Edmunds constituency was as follows:

	2012	2013	2014	2015
Horringer Court Middle School	64%	72%	79%	83%
Westley Middle School	67%	70%	80%	78%

Source: School Performance Tables

The percentage of pupils achieving 5 or more A*-C GCSEs (or equivalent) including English and mathematics GCSEs at key stage 4 in 2012 to 2015 for the academy with results in 2015 in the Bury St Edmunds constituency was as follows:

	2012	2013	2014	2015
Bury St Edmunds County Upper School	74%	77%	70%	70%

Source: School Performance Tables

There were no open academies in Bury St Edmunds constituency before August 2011 and no academy results before 2012. Key stage 4 results from 2014 reflect the removal of many equivalent vocational qualifications and other reforms.

01/01/2023

Julie Elliott – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Julie Elliott on 2016-10-10.

To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, whether he has had any discussions with officials from the automotive industry on levels of future investment in the UK.

Mr David Jones

Ministers across the Government are engaging with multiple sectors as we shape our negotiating strategy. Our automotive sector is very successful and we are determined to protect its interests.

01/01/2023
Grahame Morris – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Grahame Morris on 2015-11-16.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions he has had about a national job profile for Hazardous Area Response Team paramedics.

Jane Ellison

Local lead Clinical Commissioning Group commissioners contract with providers to deliver a Hazardous Area Response Team (HART) service compliant with the national specification. Banding and pay arrangements are not specified within the national HART service specification. NHS England, as advised by the National Ambulance Resilience Unit deems this to be a matter for employing trusts and their lead commissioners.

01/01/2023
Paula Sherriff – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paula Sherriff on 2015-12-17.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what (a) directions or (b) guidance his Department issues to the British Transport Police or the British Transport Police Authority on cost savings in (i) 2015-16 and (ii) future financial years.

Claire Perry

The Department has not issued directions to either the British Transport Police (BTP) or the British Transport Police Authority (BTPA) on costs savings in 2015-16 and future years. It did, however, provide guidance that there should be no material impact on the operational policing capability of the British Transport Police, including in relation to counter-terrorist activity, from any appropriate efficiency savings it may seek to make over the Spending Review period.

01/01/2023
Chris Green – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Green on 2016-01-27.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many young people in (a) Bolton borough and (b) Wigan borough have taken part in the National Citizen Service.

Mr Rob Wilson

National Citizen Service is the fastest growing youth programme for a century and over 200,000 young people across the UK have already taken part in this life changing opportunity. I am pleased to report that in the local authority areas of Bolton and Wigan, 1,962 and 676 young people have taken part respectively. NCS data is not held on constituency basis.

01/01/2023
Phil Boswell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Phil Boswell on 2016-02-19.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions his Department has had with the Prudential Regulation Authority on the level of risk at (a) financial institutions with high energy market exposure and (b) such institutions which have issued loans to the North Sea oil industry.

Harriett Baldwin

The Chancellor set out the government’s view on the challenges facing the UK economy in a speech on 7 January. The transcript of the speech is available from www.gov.uk/government/speeches/chancellor-on-challenges-facing-uk-economy-in-2016. The Chancellor and other Ministers meet regularly with regulators and the Bank of England. In addition, the Bank of England’s Financial Stability Report sets out an analysis, which can be found here:

http://www.bankofengland.co.uk/publications/Pages/fsr/2015/dec.aspx

The Financial Policy Committee’s (FPC) stress test results in December 2015 suggest that the major UK banks would be resilient to a sustained commodity price downturn.

The UK now has a robust system of financial regulation, where the regulators have clear objectives and powers to deal with risks to the financial sector. The Government established the FPC to identify, monitor and address systemic risks to financial stability.

01/01/2023
Steven Paterson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steven Paterson on 2016-03-16.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to improve children’s dental health.

Alistair Burt

The Department of Health is working with NHS England to test a contract focused on improving oral health, particularly in children. Public Health England has produced guidance to support local authorities in improving dental health, and to assist dental teams on preventing dental disease in young children. In last week’s budget we have announced the introduction of a sugar levy in 2018.

01/01/2023