Category: Speeches

  • Kirsten Oswald – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Kirsten Oswald – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kirsten Oswald on 2015-12-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing web-enabled out-of-hours transfer of vehicle ownership and payment of vehicle excise duty by new vehicle owners.

    Andrew Jones

    Vehicle keepers are already able to license their vehicle and pay vehicle excise duty online, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

    The online notification of a change of vehicle keeper service is an innovative new facility that was launched in 2015 as an alternative to postal services. This service is currently available between 8am and 6pm as the systems that support it rely on real-time validation of the registered keeper’s details against the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA)’s vehicle register. The legacy IT services that support the vehicle register are only available during these hours, due to the system requirements to update the record daily. There are no current plans to extend the hours that this service is available.

  • Stephen Timms – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Stephen Timms – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2016-01-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when his Department expects to notify all claimants expected to be directly affected by the change to universal credit taking effect from April 2016.

    Priti Patel

    We will notify all claimants who we expect to be directly affected by the change and offer tailored support depending on the claimant’s individual circumstances.

  • Jamie Reed – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Jamie Reed – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jamie Reed on 2016-02-04.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether the planned business rate reforms announced in the 2015 Summer Budget have been amended.

    Mr David Gauke

    Autumn Statement 2015 confirmed that the business rates review will report at Budget 2016. The review will be fiscally neutral.

  • Lisa Cameron – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Lisa Cameron – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lisa Cameron on 2016-03-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if his Department will provide additional financial support for families with working parents who will receive less in benefits as a result of the April 2016 universal credit changes.

    Priti Patel

    Changes to the Universal Credit work allowances are part of a wider package of measures announced in the Summer Budget. This also includes the increase to the personal tax allowance, introduction of the national living wage, and an increase in childcare support to provide for an additional 15 hours free childcare for working parents of three and four year olds from September 2017. In addition, from April 2016, we are increasing childcare support under Universal Credit from 70% to 85% of eligible childcare costs paid, up to a maximum cap.

    We will be contacting Universal Credit claimants directly affected by the work allowance changes in advance to prepare them and let them know how they can access further advice and support. As well as additional work coach support, affected claimants may qualify for help from the Flexible Support Fund to help them retain work and increase their earnings.

  • Tim Farron – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Tim Farron – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tim Farron on 2016-04-08.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will estimate the number of days of sickness absence taken for reasons of depression, anxiety or stress in each of the last three years.

    Mr Rob Wilson

    The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.

  • Anne Main – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Anne Main – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Anne Main on 2016-05-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how much his Department and its agencies and non-departmental public bodies have spent on infraction proceedings in each of the last 10 years.

    James Wharton

    I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given by my Rt Hon. Friend the Minister for the Cabinet Office and Paymaster General today. UIN: 36288

  • Andrew Rosindell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Andrew Rosindell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2016-06-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much her Department spent in the last five years on the provision of English language teachers for students recently arrived in the UK with little knowledge of that language.

    Mr Sam Gyimah

    The department distributes school funding to local authorities through the dedicated schools grant. Each local authority then devises a formula through which it allocates funding to schools in its locality. No funding is allocated on the basis of pupils who have recently arrived from overseas, either from central government to local authorities or from local authorities to individual schools.

    Local authorities can include an ‘English as an additional language’ (EAL) factor in their funding formulae. EAL funding is determined on the basis of census data which records whether or not a pupil’s first language is English. Funding allocated through this factor forms part of the school’s core budget and it is for school leaders to determine how best to use their whole budget so that all pupils can reach their full potential.

    We will introduce a national funding formula from 2017-18 so that funding is fair and matched to need. Our first consultation proposed that the formula should include an EAL factor. We will set out the precise detail of the formula in our second consultation.

  • Stephen Timms – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Stephen Timms – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2016-09-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans the Education Funding Agency has in place for the use of the former East Ham police station.

    Edward Timpson

    The Department acquired the former East Ham Police Station for a free school and has every intention to use this site for a school. We are considering the best use for the site, taking into account both that it is listed and the accommodation needs of whichever school occupies it.

  • Catherine West – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Catherine West – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Catherine West on 2016-10-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what recent estimate she has made of the number of civilians (a) who have fled and (b) who remain in Mosul.

    Rory Stewart

    According to the UN, over 7,000 people (as of 24 October) are currently displaced and in need of humanitarian assistance as a result of Mosul operations. Population movements are fluctuating as the front lines move, including people returning to their homes following improved security conditions in the immediate area. UN figures indicate up to 1.5 million civilians continue to live in Mosul. The UK is working closely with the Government of Iraq, the Kurdistan Regional Government, the United Nations, and the international community to support an effective Iraqi–led humanitarian response in Mosul.

  • Frank Field – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Frank Field – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Frank Field on 2015-11-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, (a) how many and (b) what proportion of references of families to the Troubled Families programme have been the result of schools expressing concerns that children are not receiving sufficient food at home since April 2015.

    Greg Clark

    My Department does not hold this information.