Category: Speeches

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

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

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Warburton on 2016-09-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what his Department’s timetable is for publishing and implementing the secondary legislation required to implement the increase in the Pension Protection Fund compensation cap provided for under the Pensions Act 2014.

    Richard Harrington

    On 15 September I tabled a written statement saying that I had begun the consultation on this secondary legislation with the intention that the increase in the compensation cap will be implemented from April 2017.

  • Antoinette Sandbach – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Wales Office

    Antoinette Sandbach – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Wales Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Antoinette Sandbach on 2015-11-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what assessment he has made of the differences in provision of healthcare in areas adjoining the border between England and Wales.

    Stephen Crabb

    Everyone should have access to the very best healthcare possible wherever they live. The presence of a border between England and Wales should not create disadvantages for patients.

    While the NHS in England exists to benefit the people of England, and the NHS in Wales exists to benefit the people of Wales, NHS commissioners in either country are able to commission services from providers on both sides of the border.

  • Lord Myners – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Lord Myners – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Myners on 2015-12-09.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether Commissioners of the Independent Commission for Aid Impact receive funding to cover travel and hotel expenses ahead of visits, or whether they are reimbursed for meeting those costs personally.

    Baroness Verma

    The majority of the Independent Commission for Aid Impact (ICAI) commissioners’ air and rail journeys and hotels are booked in advance by the ICAI secretariat through DFID’s internal travel system to ensure value for money in line with DFID/ICAI guidance. These invoices are then verified and settled by the Secretariat. In the minority of cases where travel cannot be booked in advance, commissioners pay up-front and their submitted expense claims with receipts are then verified by the Head of the Secretariat and reimbursed.

  • Danny Kinahan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Danny Kinahan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Danny Kinahan on 2016-01-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when HPV vaccinations are planned to be available at sexual health clinics to men who have sex with men.

    Jane Ellison

    In November 2015, the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), the expert body that advises the Government on all immunisation matters, advised that a targeted human papilloma virus vaccination programme should be undertaken for men who have sex with men up to 45 years of age who attend genitourinary medicine and HIV clinics. They noted that this should be subject to procurement of the vaccine and delivery of the programme at a cost-effective price.

    The Department is considering the JCVI’s advice and will confirm its plans in due course.

  • Lord Willoughby de Broke – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Lord Willoughby de Broke – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Willoughby de Broke on 2016-02-08.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the Chief Executive Officer of the Rural Payments Agency will receive a bonus payment this year.

    Lord Freud

    Universal Credit is a single, indivisible benefit. Universal Credit claimants receive a single monthly amount based on various criteria, including family size and the level of any housing or childcare costs and taking into account earnings and other household income. The final award is therefore a single amount and elements cannot be separated.

    The final agreed Decision of the Heads of State and Government adopted at the European Council on 20 February 2016 makes clear that the emergency welfare brake will apply to non-contributory in-work benefits. All EU workers arriving in the UK while the brake is in operation will have to wait for four years before getting full access to these benefits.

  • Lord Freyberg – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Lord Freyberg – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

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

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government who is accountable for the project delivery plan for Genomic England’s cancer programme in (1) the Department of Health, and (2) Genomic England.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    The Director General for Innovation, Growth and Technology in the Department of Health is Senior Responsible Officer for the 100,000 Genomes Project and is responsible for holding delivery partners to account. The Executive Chairman for Genomics England is accountable for delivery of the project.

  • Peter Kyle – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Peter Kyle – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Peter Kyle on 2016-04-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Office of Rail and Road on improving those practices of train operating companies which relate to compensation for delays.

    Claire Perry

    The Office of Rail and Road (ORR)’s response to the Which? super complaint into passenger compensation, published in March this year, included consideration of the regulatory landscape and other government interventions. As a result of this investigation, the ORR plans to publish a revised regulatory statement in June this year to clarify the requirements on train companies to provide good information about compensation in the event of delays, to support future enforcement of the “Information for Passengers” license condition.

    My Department is working closely with the ORR and the Association of Train Operating Companies to bring about improvements to passenger compensation. The Department for Transport will respond to the ORR’s report into the Which? super complaint in the summer of 2016.

  • Baroness Greengross – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Baroness Greengross – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Greengross on 2016-05-05.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Prior of Brampton on 26 April (HL7576), why the current section 7a public health functions agreement does not include performance indicators for the provision of pneumococcal vaccination to severely immunocompromised children aged at least five years and adults, as recommended by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation in July 2013.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    The performance indicators included in the 2016-17 S7A public health functions agreement do not reflect every activity which is carried out under the agreement.

    As I stated in my answer of 26 April, the provision of pneumococcal vaccination to severely immunocompromised children aged at least five years and adults, as recommended by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation in July 2013, is reflected in the relevant service specification for the existing pneumococcal immunisation programme and within the document Immunisation against Infectious Diseases (‘the Green Book’). The Green Book is published on the GOV.UK website in an online only format.

    A copy of the service specification on the pneumococcal immunisation programme is attached.

  • John Spellar – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    John Spellar – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Spellar on 2016-06-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, if she will take steps to ensure that her Department’s purchasing policies support British (a) industry and (b) agriculture.

    Amber Rudd

    The Department’s purchasing policies support the Government’s commitment to do all it can to ensure UK suppliers can compete effectively for public sector contracts, in line with our current international obligations and guidance issued by the Crown Commercial Service.

  • Catherine West – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union

    Catherine West – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Catherine West on 2016-09-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what discussions he has had with with Guy Verhofstadt on the UK’s exit from the EU.

    Mr David Jones

    The Prime Minister has been clear we will not give a running commentary on Brexit negotiations. We will ensure that we engage closely with all relevant interlocutors.