Category: Speeches

  • Hilary Benn – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Hilary Benn – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Hilary Benn on 2015-11-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what estimate he has made of the number of Russian airstrikes on (a) ISIL/Daesh targets on (b) non-ISIL/Daesh targets in Syria to date.

    Mr Philip Hammond

    The vast majority of Russian air strikes have been against Syrian opposition forces, not the terrorist organisation ISIL. Despite Russian government claims to the contrary, only a small minority of strikes have targeted locations where ISIL forces are present. Overwhelmingly, Russian air strikes have targeted Homs, Hama, Idlib, Latakia and Aleppo – areas where moderate opposition are concentrated. A map of Russian strikes is available on Twitter – @UKAgainstISIL. This is on the basis of reporting from international NGOs and actors on the ground.

  • Caroline Lucas – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Caroline Lucas – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2015-12-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the Environment Agency’s 2014 Long Term Investment Scenarios recommended optimum overall investment in flood defences of £750m to £800m each year to 2019-20; and whether she expects that level of overall investment to be achieved.

    Rory Stewart

    The Environment Agency’s Long Term Investment Scenarios report represents the best currently available projections of potential long term costs to manage flood and coastal risk under a range of scenarios reflecting future uncertainties. It will be kept under review as any further evidence emerges.

    The report confirms that current Government investment plans to 2020, together with forecast local contributions, are in line with the level the Environment Agency’s assessment indicates is necessary to reduce overall flood risk by 5%.

    “

  • Mrs Louise Ellman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Mrs Louise Ellman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mrs Louise Ellman on 2016-01-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the (a) budget for and (b) expenditure on in-service emissions testing was for the (i) Vehicle Certification Agency and (ii) Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency in each of the last 10 years.

    Andrew Jones

    The Vehicle Certification Agency (VCA) in-service emissions budget is in the table below:

    Budget

    Expenditure

    2006 / 2007

    Not available

    Not available

    2007 / 2008

    Not available

    £170k

    2008 / 2009

    Not available

    £205k

    2009 / 2010

    £200K

    £200K

    2010 / 2011

    £200K

    £200K

    2011 /2012*

    £0

    £0

    2012 /2013

    £40K

    £40K

    2013 /2014

    £50K

    £29.5K

    2014 / 2015

    £150K

    £42.3K

    2015 / 2016

    £123.2K

    **

    * Following the work in 2010-2011, the focus of emissions testing changed to consider aftermarket alteration of vehicles, both light and heavy duty.

    ** Ongoing £96K anticipated.

    The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency does not hold a budget for in-service emissions testing and it does not have expenditure for in service emissions testing.

  • 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 2016-02-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how much has been paid in compensation to prisoners in the last 12 months.

    Andrew Selous

    The information requested could only be obtained at disproportionate cost. We robustly defend all cases and over the last three years have successfully defended two thirds of claims from prisoners.

  • Luciana Berger – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Luciana Berger – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Luciana Berger on 2016-03-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many and what proportion of NHS consultant psychiatrist posts were vacant in each year since 2010.

    Ben Gummer

    This information is not collected.

  • Mary Glindon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Mary Glindon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mary Glindon on 2016-04-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will introduce safeguards to prevent local authorities whose offices are used for HM Passport Office remote interviews from increasing the charge for using their accommodation.

    James Brokenshire

    The relationship of Her Majesty’s Passport Office with the local provider of the accommodation for remote interviews is managed through a Memorandum Of Understanding (MOU) which sets out the rights and responsibilities of both parties. Any changes to this MOU are discussed and agreed by both parties. Her Majesty’s Passport Office is not limited to working with Local Authorities.

  • David Amess – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    David Amess – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Amess on 2016-05-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to support workplace incentives to promote employee health and reduce sickness-related unemployment.

    Justin Tomlinson

    We plan to publish a Green Paper later this year, which will set out reforms to improve support for people with health conditions and disabilities, including exploring the roles of employers.

    Employers are key partners in our ambition to halve the disability employment gap, reduce sick absence and promote employee health.

    Support is offered to employers through initiatives such as Access to Work and Disability Confident which help employers to recruit and retain people with a disability.

    Public Health England supports local authorities in the provision of a range of resources and services for employers in the area of preventing ill health, including the Workplace Wellbeing Charter.

  • Greg Knight – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Greg Knight – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Greg Knight on 2016-06-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will commission research into improving pedestrian safety on pavements and to determine whether accidents occur more often on tarmacadam or on concrete slab surfaces; and if he will make a statement.

    Andrew Jones

    The Department for Transport has no current plans to commission research into the issue of pedestrian’s safety on footways or to ascertain whether accidents occur more often on tarmacadam or on concrete slab surfaces.

    Guidance is already available to highway authorities in respect to providing good and safe surfaces for pedestrians. The Department for Transport Manual for Streets – https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/341513/pdfmanforstreets.pdf – also provides advice on footways and advises that surfaces used by pedestrians need to be smooth and free from trip hazards.

    It is ultimately for each highway authority to decide on what materials they use for ensuring the best footway surface for the area for which they are responsible.

    “

  • Christopher Chope – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Christopher Chope – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Christopher Chope on 2016-09-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the oral Answer of 18 July 2016, Official Report, column 542, what evidence district councils who wish to retain their independence and status in a two-tier system need to produce in order to protect that status.

    Mr Marcus Jones

    Where an area has plans for its governance arrangements to be changed and proposes this to the Secretary of State, it must provide evidence as to how its proposals are likely to result in the provision of better local public services, significant cost savings, greater value for money, stronger and more accountable local leadership, and sustainability in the medium to long term. It is of course open to any body or person to make representations to the Secretary of State either in support of or in opposition to such proposals.

    As we have made clear during discussions with areas, whilst size is an important consideration for areas considering governance changes, there are no maximum or minimum permitted sizes.

    The level of council tax of any new authority is a matter for the local councils concerned. The government will however maintain council tax referendum thresholds at a modest level in order to help keep bills down for hardworking people. This is always the case including in cases of governance change.

  • Alex Cunningham – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Alex Cunningham – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alex Cunningham on 2015-11-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment his Department has made of the safe level of consumption of game killed with lead ammunition for (a) healthy adults, (b) pregnant women and (c) children.

    Jane Ellison

    Government set up the independent Lead Ammunition Group in 2010 to provide advice on risks to wildlife and human health from lead shot game. The Government is considering the independent Lead Ammunition Group’s report on the effect of lead shot on human and wildlife health and will respond as soon as possible The Food Standards Agency (FSA) accepts the expert advice of the UK Committee on Toxicity and the European Food Safety Authority that it is not possible to set a safe level for exposure to lead from food. However, to better understand the potential risk to UK consumers the FSA produced a risk assessment in 2012 based on its survey data from 2007 of game meat samples; Veterinary Medicines Directorate data from the national surveillance scheme was also considered. The FSA risk assessment considered the potential levels of exposure to lead from lead shot game for adults, children and toddlers based on different levels of game meat consumption.

    This risk assessment led to FSA issuing targeted advice to frequent consumers of lead shot game in 2012, warning of the potential risks. The advice was promoted as especially important for vulnerable groups such as toddlers and children, pregnant women and women trying for a baby, as exposure to lead can harm the developing brain and nervous system. The FSA risk assessment was published along with this advice. The Government has not estimated the number of people who regularly consume game meat shot with lead.

    More generally, the FSA, works on behalf of the UK within the European Union to agree harmonised controls to reduce public exposure to lead in the food chain. EU maximum limits apply for lead in a range of foods and these are regularly reviewed by the EU Commission and member states. These maximum limits apply to all food produced in the EU or imported to the EU.