Category: Speeches

  • Maria Eagle – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Maria Eagle – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Maria Eagle on 2016-07-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many academies each regional schools commissioner has issued with formal intervention measures in the last 12 months.

    Edward Timpson

    In the last 12 months Regional Schools Commissioners (RSC) took formal intervention measures in 116 academies and free schools; 66 academies and free schools were moved to a different trust or sponsor and 50 academies were issued with a formal notice.

    The table below shows the number of interventions in each RSC region in the last 12 months.

    RSC region

    Number of warning notices issued in the last 12 months

    Number of academies moved to different trust or sponsor

    East Midlands & Humber

    13

    18

    Lancashire & West Yorkshire

    2

    5

    North

    2

    3

    North East London & East

    8

    3

    North West London & South Central

    14

    2

    South London & South East

    7

    4

    South West

    2

    21

    West Midlands

    2

    10

    Total

    50

    66
  • Gareth Thomas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

    Gareth Thomas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gareth Thomas on 2016-10-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how much funding the UK received from the European Regional Development Agency in (a) total, (b) each action region of the UK and (c) each local authority area in each of the last 10 years; and if he will make a statement.

    Margot James

    The UK was allocated €7.8 billion from the European Regional Development Fund for the period 2007-16. This was broken down between the different parts of the UK for each year as follows:

    €m

    2007

    2008

    2009

    2010

    2011

    2012

    2013

    2014

    2015

    2016

    England

    545.3

    515.9

    485.2

    453.0

    414.6

    427.7

    436.3

    Nil

    985.8

    507.8

    Wales

    177.9

    181.5

    185.1

    188.8

    192.6

    196.5

    200.4

    189.2

    193.0

    196.9

    Scotland

    80.5

    77.6

    74.6

    71.5

    68.1

    64.6

    61.0

    64.1

    65.4

    66.7

    Northern Ireland

    41.3

    42.1

    42.9

    43.8

    44.7

    45.6

    22.5

    41.4

    42.2

    43.1

    Within England, the European Regional Development Fund for 2007-2013 was administered on the basis of NUTS 1 regions (as defined by the European Statistical Office). The breakdown for each year was as follows:

    €m

    2007

    2008

    2009

    2010

    2011

    2012

    2013

    North West

    156.8

    138.5

    119.5

    99.6

    78.9

    80.4

    82.0

    Yorkshire & Humber

    127.1

    110.8

    93.7

    76.0

    57.5

    58.7

    59.8

    North East

    50.5

    51.5

    52.6

    53.6

    54.7

    55.8

    56.9

    East Midlands

    36.1

    36.8

    37.6

    38.3

    36.5

    39.9

    40.7

    West Midlands

    53.8

    54.9

    56.0

    57.1

    58.2

    59.4

    60.6

    East of England

    14.9

    15.2

    15.5

    15.8

    16.2

    16.5

    16.8

    London

    24.5

    25.0

    25.5

    26.0

    26.5

    27.0

    27.6

    South East

    3.2

    3.3

    3.3

    3.4

    1.4

    3.5

    3.6

    South West

    16.8

    17.1

    17.4

    17.8

    18.2

    18.5

    18.9

    Cornwall & Isles of Scilly

    61.6

    62.8

    64.1

    65.4

    66.7

    68.0

    69.4

    For the 2014-2020 period, England’s share of the European Regional Development Fund and the European Social Fund was allocated across Local Enterprise Partnership areas (see list of allocations at https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/307492/bis-14-772-uk-allocations-eu-structural-funds-2014-2020-letter.pdf). Local partners decided how the total in each area should be split between the European Regional Development Fund and the European Social Fund.

    “

  • Caroline Nokes – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Caroline Nokes – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Nokes on 2015-11-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment the Government has made of the potential effect of the provisions of the Childcare Bill on the number of nurseries within schools.

    Mr Sam Gyimah

    Schools are an important provider of high quality early education and childcare, and the government has already improved the regulatory framework and supported schools to help them deliver more places for children. We are actively working with schools and others to identify and share good practice and learning across the system so that more schools can offer flexible, full-day nursery provision either themselves or in partnership with others. This work will feed directly into the Early Implementation pilots of the 30 hours entitlement in 2016.

    As a part of this, officials have had a number of discussions with unions, including the National Association of Headteachers about the 30 hours entitlement, and have met them on the new parental right to request before school, after school and holiday childcare for school-aged children. We continue to work closely with unions and other representative bodies to assess how both of these policies will work in practice, and intend to work collaboratively with them on implementation. A full economic impact assessment and new burdens assessment will be carried out in due course.

  • Andrew Tyrie – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Andrew Tyrie – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Tyrie on 2015-11-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make an assessment of the effect on the conclusions of the Airports Commission’s Final Report, published in July 2015, of the Commission’s decision not to take account of high value-added international sectors in measuring the agglomeration benefits of the three shortlisted projects.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    The Government is currently considering the large amount of very detailed analysis contained in the Airports Commission’s final report before taking any decisions on next steps.

    The Government will carefully consider all the evidence set out, including that on costs, when making a decision on additional runway capacity.

  • Richard Burden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Richard Burden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2016-01-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what his Department’s policy is on capping exceed costs on mobile phone contracts for consumers.

    Mr Edward Vaizey

    The UK mobile network operators (Vodafone, Three, O2 and EE, together with Virgin Mobile) have signed a Code of Practice on Consumer Billing, which sets out a number of ways help customers to avoid excess charges when exceeding their monthly allowance. The code outlines the need for regular updates on usage, so customers can manage spend. For example, operators committed to sending alerts to customers – usually SMS messages – when they are nearing their bundle limits.

    In addition, for contracts entered into after 23 January 2014, consumers can exit contracts without penalty, and hence can switch to another provider or tariff, when the agreed core price (usually the monthly subscription) increases. All communications providers have to comply with these rules when increasing prices.

  • Margaret Ritchie – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Margaret Ritchie – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Margaret Ritchie on 2016-02-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how her Department works with other governments to tackle internet harassment and trolling perpetrated by residents of other countries on UK citizens.

    Karen Bradley

    Legislation is in place to deal with internet trolls, cyber-stalking and harassment, and perpetrators of grossly offensive, obscene or menacing behaviour.

    The Criminal Justice Act 2015, strengthened legislation in respect of two communications offences which can be used to prosecute misuse of social media: section 1 of the Malicious Communications Act 1988, and section 127 of the Communications Act 2003. These amendments provide the police with additional time to investigate these offences, and increasing the maximum penalty for the former to two years imprisonment. We are continuing to invest in law enforcement capabilities at the national, regional and local levels to ensure delivery agencies have the capacity to deal with the increasing volume and sophistication of online crime. We have boosted the capabilities of the National Crime Agency’s National Cyber Crime Unit (NCCU), which has led and will continue to lead operations to disrupt serious cyber crime at scale, both domestically and internationally. This includes joint operations with industry and international law enforcement partners globally, to disrupt cyber criminals and protect UK citizens.

  • Andrew Rosindell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Andrew Rosindell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2016-02-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 2 February 2016 to Questions 24490 and 24491, on right of abode, what the process is for her Department’s assessment on granting the right of abode to former British-Hong Kong servicemen.

    James Brokenshire

    The assessment of the request by former members of the Hong Kong Military Service Corps that they be granted right of abode in the UK is on-going, including discussions at official level with other government departments and a review of archived material on the schemes established between 1990 and 1997. A decision will be made as soon as practicable

  • Nick Thomas-Symonds – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Nick Thomas-Symonds – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nick Thomas-Symonds on 2016-03-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if his Department will conduct a revised impact assessment for universal credit on the effect of reforms to its design since 2012.

    Priti Patel

    Whilst there have been changes to Universal Credit since the impact assessment in 2012, these have not fundamentally altered the service, which remains on course to deliver stronger work incentives and simplicity in the welfare system.

  • Greg Mulholland – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Greg Mulholland – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Greg Mulholland on 2016-04-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, pursuant to the Answer of 21 April 2016 to Question 34222, on the humanitarian situation in Madaya, what estimate she has made of the number of civilian deaths due to blocked medical evacuations.

    Mr Desmond Swayne

    The UK condemns the blockage of medical evacuations from hard to reach and besieged areas inside Syria, which has led to unnecessary death and suffering. In March 2016, for example, three children and a young man in Madaya and al-Wa’er died after having their evacuations rejected by the parties restricting access to these towns. Access to healthcare and medical treatment is a fundamental human right protected under international law.

    Some progress is being made. For example, we are pleased by UN reports that nearly 500 people were evacuated for medical reasons from besieged areas on 20 April.

    However, more needs to be done to provide for all those in need in Syria. The UK is pressing for an end to the removal of medical equipment from convoys by the regime, the evacuation of critical medical cases and regular access to healthcare for besieged populations. We will continue to use our position in the UN Security Council and the International Syria Support Group to draw attention to the atrocities being carried out in Syria and press for urgent action, while maintaining the pressure for a political settlement to bring the suffering of the Syrian people to an end.

  • Steve McCabe – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Steve McCabe – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2016-05-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 25 April 2016 to Question 34939, on local housing allowance, when he expects to publish information on the proportion of local authorities that will receive Targeted Affordability Funding.

    Justin Tomlinson

    We plan to publish information about which areas and Local Housing Allowance rates will benefit from the Targeted Affordability Fund later this year.