Category: Speeches

Tom Watson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Watson on 2016-09-13.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the current work priorities are of the Infrastructure and Projects Authority.

Ben Gummer

The IPA was formed on 01 January 2016, merging the existing Cabinet Office Major Projects Authority and HM Treasury’s Infrastructure UK. The IPA reports jointly to HMT and the Cabinet Office – and brings together the strengths of both departments – increasing co-operation and alignment in the centre of government on infrastructure and major projects.

The Authority’s 6 key priorities are;
1. To set the right policy environment for projects to succeed
2. To give the market confidence to deliver
3. To ensue projects and programmes are set up for success from the outset
4. To ensure projects and programmes deliver their intended benefits
5. To promote the right operating environment for project delivery
6. To developing world-class project delivery & project finance capabilities across government
January 1, 2023
Jim Shannon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2015-11-16.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions she has had with the (a) NFU and (b) other farming bodies on the effect of herbicides on reducing crop yields.

George Eustice

I have had regular meetings with the National Farmers Union (NFU) and other farming bodies where herbicide issues will have been discussed, but there have been no discussions about herbicides reducing crop yields.

January 1, 2023
Andrew Rosindell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2015-12-09.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what the rules and regulations are on the use, style and designation in the UK accorded to dual nationals or nationals of Commonwealth realms who are recipients of a knighthood in any of those realms; and if he will make a statement.

James Duddridge

The Sovereign’s permission must be sought whenever a British national wishes to accept an award offered by another country. If permission is given, the award may be accepted, the insignia may be worn and the relevant post-nominal letters may be used. The Sovereign does not give permission for the formal use of the title “Sir” in the United Kingdom; only those British nationals, including dual nationals, awarded British knighthoods may use the title “Sir” in a formal context in the United Kingdom. The Sovereign acts with the advice of the Government. Nationals of all the Realms, awarded a British knighthood, are entitled to use the title “Sir” in the United Kingdom. The titles of Realm nationals, who are not British, and have been awarded a knighthood by their own country, are recognised in the United Kingdom as an official courtesy.

January 1, 2023
Lord Black of Brentwood – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Black of Brentwood on 2016-01-19.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what estimate they have made of the number of Gypsies and Travellers in the UK.

Baroness Williams of Trafford

In the 2011 census, 63,500 people in the United Kingdom identified their ethnic group as Gypsy or Traveller.

January 1, 2023
Steve McCabe – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2016-02-11.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what changes his Department plans to pharmacy funding; and what assessment his Department has made of the effect of those changes on small independent businesses.

Alistair Burt

Community pharmacy is a vital part of the National Health Service and can play an even greater role. In the Spending Review the Government re-affirmed the need for the NHS to deliver £22 billion in efficiency savings by 2020/21 as set out in the NHS’s own plan, the Five Year Forward View. Community pharmacy is a core part of NHS primary care and has an important contribution to make as the NHS rises to these challenges. The Government believes efficiencies can be made without compromising the quality of services including public access to medicines. Our aim is to ensure that those community pharmacies upon which people depend continue to thrive and so we are consulting on the introduction of a Pharmacy Access Scheme, which will provide more NHS funds to certain pharmacies compared to others, considering factors such as location and the health needs of the local population.

Our proposals are about improving services for patients and the public and securing efficiencies and savings. A consequence may be the closure of some pharmacies but that is not our aim.

January 1, 2023
Catherine McKinnell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Catherine McKinnell on 2016-03-03.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans the Government has to contribute to an international framework for the sharing of communications data; and if she will make a statement.

Mr John Hayes

The UK and United States Governments have begun considering a framework under which US-based communication service providers could disclose data directly for serious criminal and counter terrorism investigations, in response to a warrant requesting the content of communications, and with notices requiring the disclosure of communications data.

This builds on the work of the Prime Minister’s Special Envoy on Intelligence and Law Enforcement Data Sharing; the recommendation of the Independent Reviewer of Terrorism Legislation; and the recommendations of the Joint Committee on the draft Investigatory Powers Bill, that the UK develop a framework for accessing data across jurisdictions.

January 1, 2023
Kerry McCarthy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kerry McCarthy on 2016-04-11.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential effect on (a) the National Adaptation Programme and (b) businesses and organisations’ climate change resilience of the withdrawal of the Climate Ready Support Service.

Rory Stewart

The first National Adaptation Programme sets out more than 370 actions to help the UK better prepare for climate change – we continue to deliver on these actions and make sure adaptation is integrated across government policy making. We will carefully review how we work with business and industry as part of the preparations for the next National Adaptation Programme report which is due around 2018.

The Environment Agency continues to play an important role in helping businesses adapt to climate change, in particular as part of its core role on flooding, coastal risks, water management, freshwater habitats, and as a statutory adviser in the land-use planning system. In addition, the Environment Agency will continue to provide advice to businesses and other organisations on using the UK climate projections and it will continue to contribute to a range of stakeholder groups. Over 70 online tools developed by the Climate Ready Support Service are still available for use by businesses.

January 1, 2023

Gareth Thomas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gareth Thomas on 2016-05-18.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will conduct a consultation with small and medium-sized enterprises on potential steps to support and encourage the take up of employee share ownership schemes after the withdrawal of the valuation check service by HM Revenue and Customs on 31 March 2016; and if he will make a statement.

Mr David Gauke

Tax-advantaged employee share schemes are greatly valued by both companies and employers, and the government wants to make sure that the rules surrounding these schemes are as simple and clear as possible. Budget 2016 made a number of changes to the rules for employment-related securities and options which will make these schemes fairer and easier for taxpayers to understand, and therefore encourage businesses to use them.

An HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) commissioned report conducted by Oxera considered the effect of the tax-advantaged employee share schemes on productivity. The report is available at: http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20110203095056/http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/research/tax-advantaged-report2.pdf.

The government’s most recent assessment of the cost of the tax-advantaged employee share schemes to the Exchequer is provided in the table below.

	Forecast cost of Income Tax relief (2015-16)	Forecast cost of National Insurance relief (2015-16)
Share Incentive Plan	£220 million	£165 million
Save As You Earn	£180 million	£140 million
Enterprise Management Incentives	£70 million	£40 million
Company Share Option Plan	£70 million	£40 million

HMRC has not withdrawn the valuation checking service for the tax-advantaged employee share schemes. However, HMRC has withdrawn other checks for non-tax advantaged schemes as, in the majority of cases, acceptable valuations were submitted. Therefore, the valuation service added no value and is seen as unnecessary.

The government keeps all areas of the tax system under review and as part of that in always interested in understanding the views of all interested parties.

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 at: http://www.gov.uk/government/collections/hmt-ministers-meetings-hospitality-gifts-and-overseas-travel

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January 1, 2023

Keith Vaz – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Keith Vaz on 2016-06-24.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what plans he has to bring forward proposals for a change to legislation to further regulate the pricing of everyday drugs to the NHS by pharmaceutical companies.

George Freeman

The Department is already referring cases to the Competition and Market Authority (CMA) and to strengthen our work in this area. We are considering putting measures in place to routinely and systematically monitor significant price increases of generic medicines and take action where appropriate, including the possible referral of suspected excessive pricing to the CMA, while taking into account the potential impact of any such action on the availability of medicines.

January 1, 2023
Jim Shannon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-09-13.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many Reserves recruits made it through Phase 1 of the recruitment process in the last 12 months; and whether the target for such recruitment was met.

Mark Lancaster

Information on how many members of Future Reserves 2020 have completed Phase 1 training and commenced Phase 2 training in the 12 months to 31 July 2016 is shown below:

Maritime Reserve 160

Army Reserve FR20 1,830

Royal Auxiliary Air Force 270

There is no target for completing Phase 1 training but targets exist for trained strength, new entrant inflow and ex-regular trained joiners.

Notes
- 1. Future Reserves 2020 includes volunteer reserves who are mobilised, High Readiness Reserves and those volunteer reserves serving on Full Time Reserve Service (FTRS) and Additional Duties Commitment (ADC). Sponsored Reserves who provide a more cost effective solution than volunteer reserve are also included in the Army Reserve FR20.
- 2. Professionally Qualified Officers have been excluded for the Army Reserve FR20 as they may be simultaneously completing Phase 1 and Phase 2 training.
- 3.Figures represent the number of personnel who have completed Phase 1 training and commenced phase 2 training the following month in the 12 months ending 31 July 2016.
- 4.Numbers are rounded to the nearest 10. Numbers ending in 5 are rounded to the nearest 20 to avoid systematic bias.
January 1, 2023