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Category: Speeches

  • Louise Haigh – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Louise Haigh – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Louise Haigh on 2015-11-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether he plans to extend the remit of the Care Quality Commission to include the regulation of all day centres; and if he will make a statement.

    Ben Gummer

    The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is the independent regulator of health and adult social care in England. Under the Health and Social Care Act 2008 all providers of regulated activities, have to register with CQC and meet a set of fundamental standards of safety and quality below which care should never fall.

    The Department is responsible for setting in legislation both the scope of registration and the fundamental standards that registered providers must meet. These are set out in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014.

    The scope of registration is proportionate to risk and based on the activity being carried out rather than the setting. Day centres that carry on a regulated activity are required to register with CQC and to meet the fundamental standards. In most instances they will be registered to provide the regulated activity of personal care.

    The Department keeps the regulated activities under review to ensure that regulation by CQC is focused on those areas where the risks to service users are greatest. The Department has no current plans to require all providers of day centres to register with CQC.

  • Mrs Madeleine Moon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Mrs Madeleine Moon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mrs Madeleine Moon on 2015-12-10.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he is taking to reduce waiting times for the HMRC public service helpline.

    Mr David Gauke

    HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has recruited 3,000 new staff into customer service roles this year. In particular, this has increased the number of people available on its telephone helplines outside normal office hours, when many customers choose to call.

    HMRC has also undertaken its biggest-ever training programme as it seeks to build its customer support teams. This has included training 1,600 existing staff on a wider range of work to better meet customer demand.

    Average call waiting times have improved significantly. From April to June it was 19 mins; from July to September it was 13 mins; in November it was under 10 minutes.

  • Helen Jones – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Helen Jones – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Helen Jones on 2016-01-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how many students from Warrington North constituency are in receipt of maintenance grants while pursuing a course in higher education.

    Joseph Johnson

    Statistics showing the number of English applicants awarded Maintenance Grants are published annually by the Student Loans Company (SLC) in the Statistical First Release ‘Student Support for Higher Education in England’.

    http://www.slc.co.uk/official-statistics/financial-support-awarded/england-higher-education.aspx

    Data provided by the SLC indicates that there were 760 applicants from Warrington North Parliamentary Constituency awarded Maintenance Grants in the academic year 2014/15. An awarded applicant will only receive payments once SLC have received confirmation from the applicant’s provider that the student has been registered on the course.

    “

  • Charlotte Leslie – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Charlotte Leslie – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Charlotte Leslie on 2016-02-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate her Department has made of the number of asylum claimants whose asylum claim has been refused, but who cannot be legally deported because their destination country is deemed unsafe (a) in each of the last five years and (b) in the most recent period for which figures are available.

    James Brokenshire

    We do not routinely collect such statistics. Each asylum case is considered on its individual merits. Where it is accepted that an individual would face persecution in their country of origin or it would be otherwise unsafe for them to return, some form of protection would normally be granted in the UK. If protection is not granted, then whether or not removal can be enforced, we expect failed asylum seekers to return home. The Home Office closely monitors developments in all countries of return and will take decisions on a case-by-case basis in the light of international obligations and the latest available country information. Generally, there are no countries to which, as a matter of immigration policy, we cannot remove. However there may be some countries where at any one time it is difficult practically to undertake enforced removals.

  • Jo Cox – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Jo Cox – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jo Cox on 2016-03-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what plans her Department has for post-conflict assistance in Burundi.

    Mr Nick Hurd

    The UK is gravely concerned about the ongoing political and human rights crisis in Burundi. DFID has provided technical support, in the form of secondment of experts, to support and strengthen the capacity of UN agencies working in Burundi, and has deployed a humanitarian adviser to the region in support of the response and to monitor funding provided so far.

    DFID has provided £21.15 million since April 2015 to support shelter, food, healthcare and livelihoods assistance for Burundian refugees in Tanzania and Rwanda. DFID is also supporting refugees in the DRC and Uganda through existing programmes and the provision of technical advice. DFID offices across the region are working closely to monitor the situation, review preparedness activities and provide humanitarian support.

  • Adam Afriyie – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Adam Afriyie – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Adam Afriyie on 2016-04-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of ending the national curriculum at the age of 14.

    Nick Gibb

    The Government believes that the majority of pupils should study a core academic curriculum up to the age of 16. The core academic curriculum refers to the English Baccalaureate (EBacc). The Government’s ambition is for 90% of pupils to enter the EBacc subjects at GCSE. The national curriculum serves an important role in setting out the sort of knowledge-based, ambitious, academically rigorous education which every child should experience. It enables pupils to develop the knowledge, understanding, skills and attitudes necessary for their self-fulfilment and development as active and responsible citizens.

  • Craig Whittaker – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Craig Whittaker – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Craig Whittaker on 2016-05-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps his Department is taking to increase tourism in Yorkshire from (a) domestic and (b) foreign visitors.

    David Evennett

    Yorkshire had a record breaking year for inbound tourism in 2014 following the Grand Depart, and there were 1.29 million visits from international tourists to the region in 2015. Domestic overnight trips to Yorkshire were also strong in 2015: £1.92 billion was spent by these tourists in that year – an 11% increase on spending in 2014. Yorkshire also benefited from the £1m staycation campaign run early in 2016 to attract domestic visitors to the area following that winter’s floods.

  • Thangam Debbonaire – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Thangam Debbonaire – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Thangam Debbonaire on 2016-07-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answer of 26 May 2016 to Question 37452, if she will commission detailed monitoring of the effect of local authority funding reductions on local authority museum and gallery (a) opening hours, (b) staffing, (c) specific activities and (d) closures.

    Karen Bradley

    Arts Council England is gathering data on the effects of changes to local authority funding.

    This Department is also undertaking a Museums Review of the whole museums sector, as announced in the recent Culture White Paper. The Review will be looking at a range of challenges facing the sector and will include museums in receipt of funding from local authorities as well as those which are independent from public funding.

  • Helen Hayes – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Helen Hayes – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Helen Hayes on 2016-09-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much Southern Railway has paid in compensation to Network Rail since the start of that franchise.

    Paul Maynard

    Under their track access agreement, compensation for unplanned disruption passes between Govia Thameslink Railway and Network Rail based upon which party is responsible for each disruptive incident. The Department does not see the breakdown of the compensation paid by each party. The net figures covering the years 2011-12 to 2014-15, are published on Network Rail’s website (‘Payments for disruption on the railway made under schedule 8’) at the following address:

    http://www.networkrail.co.uk/transparency/datasets/

    “

  • Bill Esterson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Bill Esterson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Bill Esterson on 2015-11-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 3 November 2015 to Question 14066, what accountability mechanisms are in place for the Criminal Cases Review Commission; and if he will meet the hon. Member for Sefton Central to discuss the case of James Thompson.

    Mike Penning

    As I stated in response to Question 14066, although the Criminal Cases Review Commission is funded by my Department, it is entirely independent of Government, and Ministers cannot, and should not, intervene in its reviews or decisions. Since there is no action I can take, I do not believe a meeting with the Hon. Member would be helpful.