Category: Speeches

  • Michelle Thomson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Michelle Thomson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Michelle Thomson on 2016-06-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for funding of broadband provision in Scotland of the UK voting to leave the EU.

    Mr Edward Vaizey

    The Phase 1 superfast broadband delivery in Scotland has benefited from up to £20 million of European funding. Currently no significant levels of European funding are expected to be used for the Phase 2 programme in Scotland. The Rest of Scotland broadband project remains on track to achieve 96% superfast broadband coverage by end of 2017.

  • Lisa Nandy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Lisa Nandy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lisa Nandy on 2016-09-02.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much revenue the Government has collected from VAT on household energy bills in 2015-16.

    Jane Ellison

    The information requested is not available. HM Revenue and Customs does not collect data on VAT revenue from particular goods and services.

  • Barry Sheerman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Barry Sheerman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Barry Sheerman on 2016-10-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that patients with ankylosing spondylitis receive a prompt diagnosis and receive high-quality healthcare.

    David Mowat

    Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a long-term condition in which the spine and other areas of the body become inflamed. Treatment can involve painkillers, biologic drugs and exercise, if appropriate. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has produced a clinical knowledge summary on AS, and the British Society of Rheumatology has also published advice on this condition.

    To bring greater consistency and clarity in this area, NICE is currently developing a best practice guideline concerning diagnosis and management of spondyloarthritis, which is an umbrella term for a set of inflammatory diseases including ankylosing spondylitis. The guideline is open to consultation until 25 October 2016 and the expected publication date is March 2017.

  • Catherine McKinnell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Attorney General

    Catherine McKinnell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Attorney General

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Catherine McKinnell on 2015-11-04.

    To ask the Attorney General, pursuant to the Answer of 15 October 2015 to Question 11456, whether any additional blockbuster funding has been requested by the Serious Fraud Office for 2015-16; and what assessment he has made of the likelihood of that office making further requests for additional blockbuster funding in the remainder of this financial year.

    Robert Buckland

    As I explained in my answer on 15 October, the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) receives additional funding as part of the Main and Supplementary Estimates processes. The SFO received £10m of additional funding through the 2015-16 Main Estimates process.

    The Supplementary Estimates process for 2015-16 has not concluded. The SFO does expect to request additional funding as part of this process and details will be published at the appropriate time.

  • Lord Beecham – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Lord Beecham – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Beecham on 2015-12-01.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the latest Bank of England figures showing elevated levels of personal indebtedness, what assessment they have made of what is an acceptable and safe level of such borrowing.

    Lord O’Neill of Gatley

    Household debt as a proportion of income has fallen to 144 per cent in Q2 2015, from a peak of 168 per cent in Q1 2008. To avoid repeating the mistakes of the past we have created the independent Financial Policy Committee (FPC) within the Bank of England, to ensure emerging risks and vulnerabilities across the financial system as a whole are identified, monitored and effectively addressed.

  • Cheryl Gillan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Cheryl Gillan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Cheryl Gillan on 2016-01-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many staff have transferred from another government department to HS2 Ltd in each year since HS2 Ltd was formed; and from what Departments those staff transferred.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    HS2 Ltd do not hold a record of organisations from which employees are hired. However, there are 3 staff known to HS2 Ltd that have transferred during the last two years from Department for Transport, one from the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and one from the Cabinet Office.

  • Jim Shannon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Jim Shannon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-02-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many incidents there have been of usage of illegal highs in prisons in each of the last five years.

    Andrew Selous

    We do not tolerate drugs in prison. Prisoners are tested for a range of controlled drugs through our mandatory drug testing (MDT) system, which randomly tests up to 10% of the population in each prison, each month. In addition, prisoners can be subject to testing in response to specific threats. Any prisoner found through MDT to have used controlled drugs will face an internal adjudication and could receive a range of sanctions including days added to their time in custody.

    We have begun a pilot to expand this testing to include new psychoactive substances and in April we plan to introduce this across the prison estate. We have also introduced new legislation to counter the smuggling of NPS into prisons and are training 300 sniffer dogs to detect NPS.

    The table below shows the number of positive MDT tests for illegal drugs over the past five financial years.

    Year

    Number of positive MDT tests

    2010/11

    10324

    2011/12

    10268

    2012/13

    9956

    2013/14

    8659

    2014/15

    6742

    Notes:

    • Table shows instances where a prisoner has tested positive for a controlled drug, one of amphetamines, barbiturates, benzodiazepine, cannabis, cocaine, heroin, opiates, methadone and buprenorphine.

    • Where a prisoner is found to have used more than one substance, a separate positive will be reported for each substance found to have been used.

    • Includes MDT tests arising from all prison MDT programmes including random, suspicion, at risk, frequent and reception testing

  • Virendra Sharma – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Virendra Sharma – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Virendra Sharma on 2016-02-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what her Department’s wellness strategy is.

    Karen Bradley

    The Home Office Health and Wellbeing Strategy was launched in February 2015. This sets out three key aims: that every member of staff understands that their health and wellbeing matters; that health and wellbeing is at the centre of change and learning and development programmes and that structural, cultural and demographic factors affecting attendance in the workplace are identified and addressed as appropriate. The strategy is underpinned by a range of modern HR policies and practical advice and services to enhance and promote health and wellbeing such as the employee assistance programme and occupational health services. We also support groups such as ‘Break the Stigma’ and other national mental health campaigns.

  • Cheryl Gillan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Cheryl Gillan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Cheryl Gillan on 2016-03-22.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department has had discussions with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on the effect on air quality of the construction of Phase One of High Speed 2.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    There have been regular ongoing discussions with officials from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on all the environmental aspects of HS2, including air quality.

  • Kirsten Oswald – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Kirsten Oswald – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kirsten Oswald on 2016-04-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what estimate he has made of the funding of research into the use of proton therapy for cancers from the science budget in the next five years.

    Joseph Johnson

    Research into cancer involving proton therapy and laser treatment falls within the remit of the Research Councils.

    I have asked the Chair of the Research Councils UK Strategic Executive to write to the hon. Member and I will place a copy of the letter in the Libraries of the House.