Category: Speeches

Michael Dugher – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Michael Dugher on 2015-11-10.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will provide a list of diplomats at Minister-Counsellor rank serving in the Qatar embassy to the United Kingdom (a) currently and (b) for each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

James Duddridge

Until 2014, the London Diplomatic List was published annually, listing diplomats of foreign and Commonwealth countries in London. The information in the the London Diplomatic List is supplied by diplomatic missions and is now available on-line at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/foreign-embassies-in-the-uk. FCO records show that two diplomats hold the rank of Minister-Counsellor at the Qatari Embassy in London and have done so since late 2013. According to our records and the LDL there were no Minister-Counsellors at the Qatari Embassy in London from 2010 to November 2013.

January 1, 2023
Diana Johnson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Diana Johnson on 2015-12-17.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, how many press or public relations officers are employed by (a) Ofgem, (b) the Oil and Gas Authority, (c) the Civil Nuclear Police Authority, (d) the Coal Authority, (e) the Committee on Climate Change and (f) the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority; how many of those staff earn more that (i) £50,000 and (ii) £100,000; and what the total cost is of running the press office in each of those organisations in the most recent period for which figures are available.

Andrea Leadsom

The most recent information for each of the bodies is:

a) Ofgem

Ofgem employs a small team of six press officers. The total cost of running the press office including pay, pensions and all other costswas £642,000 in the financial year April 2014 to Mar 2015.

b) Oil and Gas Authority

The Oil and Gas Authority has a small communications and external affairs team, currently consisting of four staff. There is no dedicated press officer.

For 2015/16 costs for this team (including IT, staff costs & necessary subscriptions) are projected to be c£203,000.

c) Civil Nuclear Police Authority

The Civil Nuclear Constabularly/Civil Nuclear Police Authority employs a total of two members of staff: a Head of Engagement and Communications and one Communications Manager. It has no press or public relations officers. The only costs of running this small communications team are salary costs.

d) Coal Authority

There are two members of staff (one of which is part-time) working on press and public relations in the Coal Authority. The only costs of running this team is salary cost plus £7,300 establishment costs for the year.

e) Committee on Climate Change

There are two members of staff in the Committee on Climate Change Communications Team. The running costs of the team are salary costs plus other running costs (e.g. IT, website) of £18,934.

f) Nuclear Decommissioning Authority

The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority does not have a press office. Two members of staff have responsibility for media relations as a substantive part of their role: the Head of Stakeholder Communications and Corporate Communications Manager.

Given the small size of these teams, providing the information requested on salaries would enable individual members of staff to be identified. This information has not, therefore, been provided.

January 1, 2023
Julian Knight – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Julian Knight on 2016-01-27.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, whether he plans to carry out an impact assessment after completion of the further education area review.

Nick Boles

Government will produce an evaluation of the area review programme and its potential to impact on groups protected by the Equality Act 2010. The reviews do not however, mandate action, and colleges are independent corporations, so it will be for each college’s governing body to assess the potential impact on groups protected by the Act, as part of its decision to accept or reject any recommendation requiring a change to their provision

January 1, 2023

Ms Angela Eagle – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ms Angela Eagle on 2016-02-19.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what assessment he has made of the number of apprentices at each of the apprenticeship educational levels 2 to 6 whom the Government plans to be part of its target of three million apprentices by 2020.

Nick Boles

Apprenticeships are paid jobs and so their availability and level are dependent upon employers offering opportunities and recruiting apprentices. We will continue to support the growth in apprenticeships at all levels to meet our commitment to 3 million new starts in England by 2020.

We are committed to expanding Degree Apprenticeships, which combine a high quality degree with an apprenticeship. Higher and Degree Apprenticeships are widening access to the professions, providing the higher level technical skills employers need to improve productivity and giving young people an equally valid career route to purely university-based courses.

All Apprenticeship Starts by Level (2014/15 and 2015/16 – Reported to Date)

Level	2014/15	2015/16
	Full Year	August to October
Level 2	298,280	86,620
Level 3	181,760	60,140
Level 4	7,090	2,880
Level 5	12,590	3,200
Level 6	100	240
Total Higher Apprenticeships	19,770	6,320
Total Apprenticeships	499,900	153,100

January 1, 2023

Lord Shinkwin – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Shinkwin on 2016-03-16.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what estimate they have made of the increase, if any, in abortions for disability of implementing new non-invasive prenatal testing techniques.

Lord Prior of Brampton

The UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC) commissioned a full review of the published scientific and cost evidence (systematic review) relating to Non Invasive Prenatal Testing (NIPT). Based on the evidence from the systematic review and the pilot study, the UK NSC ran a three month consultation that closed on 30 October 2015 seeking views on whether NIPT be offered as an additional test to women identified with a higher risk of carrying a baby with a chromosomal condition.

The consultation was sent directly to 38 organisations and responses were received from 30 stakeholders. Details of the evidence recommendation can be found in the document titled, ‘cfDNA Systematic Review Final Report.’ Details of the organisations contacted can be found in Annex A of the document titled, ‘cfDNA Cover Sheet’ and consultation responses can be found in the document titled, ‘Screening for cfDNA Compiled Comments.’ All three documents were published on the UK NSC website and copies are attached.

The UK NSC review included the early findings from the Reliable Accurate Prenatal non-Invasive Diagnosis study. However, the possible introduction of NIPT for Down’s, Patau’s and Edwards’ syndromes to the National Health Service foetal anomaly screening programme does not fundamentally alter the choices presented to prospective parents regarding entering the foetal anomaly screening programme or not, or in options and choices available when testing identifies a foetus with a syndrome. Therefore, no assessment was made of the impact of NIPT on the number of abortions, Down’s Syndrome community and medical professional and society’s attitudes towards people with Down’s syndrome.

As NIPT for Down’s, Patau’s and Edward’s syndromes is giving more accurate information than women already get, the UK NSC does not consider it to raise any new ethical issues. However, the Nuffield Council on Bioethics held a workshop in January 2016 to consider the ethical aspects of introducing NIPT.

January 1, 2023
Richard Burden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2016-04-20.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the implications for testing of emissions data by the Vehicle Certification Agency of Mitsubishi Motors having falsified fuel economy data; what information his Department holds on the number of vehicles affected by their falsification in the UK; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Jones

The Government takes very seriously any misrepresentation of fuel consumption data to consumers. The Vehicle Certification Agency publishes data on new and used passenger cars and vans and is liaising urgently with Mitsubishi Motors to ensure that information provided in the UK is accurate.

VCA has not issued approvals for any of the vehicles reported to be affected in the Japanese market. However the Department for Transport will continue to monitor for updates concerning whether other models are affected.

January 1, 2023
Andrew Percy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Percy on 2016-05-23.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people have been convicted of offences of online abuse on (a) Facebook and (b) Twitter under the Communications Act 2003 since 2010.

Karen Bradley

The Home Office do not hold the information requested. The Ministry of Justice hold data on the number of offenders found guilty at all courts in England and Wales.

January 1, 2023
Baroness Lister of Burtersett – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Lister of Burtersett on 2016-07-18.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government why the Department for Work and Pensions report of the Household Below Average Income Statistics was over 100 pages in length in previous years and this year is 13 pages in length; and why this year’s report contains details published in Excel tables only.

Lord Freud

The change in publication format for the 2014/15 Households Below Average Income (HBAI) National Statistics release was made to bring this report into line with the new standard DWP Statistics template, with the aim of giving more focussed and accessible publications, without sacrificing the breadth of statistical analysis previously published.

No information has been lost from this publication, rather this restructuring is intended to allow the lay user to better understand these important statistics.

This approach is in line with the UK Statistics Authority’s “Better Statistics, Better Decisions” strategy and the specific change in format for HBAI was trailed in a Statistical Notice released in April 2016.

January 1, 2023
Tom Brake – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Brake on 2016-10-10.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if his Department will make an assessment of whether the Airports Commission considered the full potential for increased long distance rail passenger and rail freight movement between the UK and mainland Europe through using the full capacity of the Channel tunnel.

Mr John Hayes

The Airports Commission considered and consulted on a wide range of possible options to make best use of the UK’s existing airports and runways, and proposals for adding new airport capacity in the longer-term.

It received 52 proposals, including propositions involving better high speed rail provision and use of the Channel Tunnel as an alternative to airport expansion. The Commission concluded that the scope for further rail growth on short-haul European routes is limited by some clear constraints, including rail line and tunnel capacity out of the UK – given that there is only one railway link that connects the UK with continental Europe.

The Commission’s assessment was published in its December 2013 Interim Report, which included its conclusion that there was a case for at least one net additional runway in London and the South East by 2030, and a proposed short-list of options.

On 14 December 2015, the Government formally announced that it accepted the case for additional runway capacity in the South-East and agreed with the Airports Commission’s shortlist of options.

January 1, 2023

Justin Madders – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Justin Madders on 2016-10-18.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what representations he has received from the Chief Executive of NHS England on the financial settlement allocated for the NHS for (a) 2017-18, (b) 2018-19 and (c) 2019-20.

Mr Philip Dunne

The Spending Review settled the level of funding that the National Health Service in England will receive over the course of this Parliament, with the NHS England Chief Executive a full party to the discussions with HM Treasury. As the Chief Executive said at the time the Spending Review was announced, “our case for the NHS has been heard and actively supported’’. Regular discussions around the finances of the NHS continue to take place between my Rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State and the Chief Executive of NHS England.

The NHS will be receiving £10 billion more per year in real terms by 2020-21 compared to 2014-15. The following table sets out the financial settlement allocated to the NHS.

NHS budget for Spending Review period

Revenue and capital combined	2015-16	2016-17	2017-18	2018-19	2019-20	2020-21
Total (£ million)	100,500	105,975	109,337	111,824	114,929	119,035
Real terms increase on previous year (%)		3.7%	1.3%	0.3%	0.7%	1.3%
Real terms increase on 2015-16 baseline (£ billion)		3.8	5.3	5.8	6.7	8.4
Real terms increase on 2014-15 baseline (£ billion)	2.0	6.0	7.0	8.0	9.0	10.0

Note:

These figures differ from the NHS Total Departmental Expenditure Limit (TDEL) figures announced at the Spending Review due to a number of technical adjustments, including transfers of functions. The main transfer of function is the move of 0-5 public health services from NHS England to local government. There are a small number of other transfers including the move of the Leadership Academy to Health Education England. To ensure comparability of numbers, in this table £500 million has been removed from the 2015-16 baseline, representing 6 months of funding for 0-5 public health services between 1 April and 30 September 2015 and these other planned transfers.

January 1, 2023