Category: Speeches

  • Maria Eagle – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Maria Eagle – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Maria Eagle on 2016-03-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many public libraries have received funding from his Department to provide computer facilities since 2010.

    Mr Edward Vaizey

    Public libraries are funded and run by local authorities. However, through the Government’s development agency for public libraries, Arts Council England, funding is provided to support public libraries in England, some of which will fund computer facilities. Specific detail of this funding is not available. Future Arts Council England investment plans for public libraries will be developed following proposals from partner organisations.

  • Alison Thewliss – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Alison Thewliss – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alison Thewliss on 2016-04-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people from Yemen claimed asylum in the UK in 2015.

    James Brokenshire

    There were 66 and 111 asylum applications from Yemeni nationals in 2014 and 2015, respectively.

    The Home Office publishes figures on asylum applications by nationality in the quarterly Immigration Statistics release. A copy of the latest release, Immigration Statistics, October to December 2015, is available from:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/immigration-statistics-october-to-december-2015.

  • Tim Farron – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Tim Farron – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tim Farron on 2016-05-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, on what basis the contribution to broadband installation costs for the very remotest properties will be calculated; and whether there will be an upper limit on the contribution which individual households are required to make.

    Mr Edward Vaizey

    Work is ongoing on the design of the broadband Universal Service Obligation (USO) and the reasonable cost threshold. The independent telecoms regulator Ofcom will provide technical analysis and recommendations to help inform both of these, as well as identify the premises likely to be within the USO footprint. These are expected to be predominantly in rural areas, but there will also be urban and suburban homes and businesses eligible to request a connection under the USO.

  • Khalid Mahmood – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Khalid Mahmood – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Khalid Mahmood on 2016-07-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will provide full financial support and administrative oversight for the relatives of the victims of the Birmingham pub bombings of 1974; and if she will ensure that past and future expenses of those victims relating to investigations into those bombings are reimbursed or paid from the public purse.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    The Prime Minister has received correspondence from the families of the victims of the 1974 Birmingham pub bombings, requesting a special scheme be set up for funding of the families’ legal representation at the newly reopened Coroner’s inquest into the bombings. The Government is carefully considering these requests, and will respond directly to these parties in due course.

  • Tulip Siddiq – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Tulip Siddiq – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tulip Siddiq on 2016-10-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make it his policy to amend the Cycle to Work scheme to incorporate a higher maximum allowance for disabled cyclists requiring specialist cycles.

    Andrew Jones

    We are in the process of reviewing the Cycle to Work Scheme guidance published on GOV.UK and are engaging with other Departments, such as the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), HMRC and HMT to get a firmer view on any possible changes that could be made. As part of this review, we will consider the level of the maximum allowance.

  • Frank Field – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Frank Field – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Frank Field on 2015-11-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when his Department last audited the amount of unused space within each Jobcentre Plus.

    Priti Patel

    The Department for Work and Pensions occupies the majority of its estate under a Private Finance Initiative (PFI) known as the PRIME Contract. Under this PFI, the Department leases fully serviced accommodation from its private sector partner Telereal Trillium. The Department pays an inclusive unitary price for the space occupied. The Department does not own any of the buildings that it occupies. As such, we continually review our space and utilisation within Jobcentre Plus.

  • Lord Oates – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Lord Oates – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Oates on 2015-12-22.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the total annual cost of the ministerial special advisers, including members of the Council of Economic Advisers, who were in post on 1 September.

    Lord Bridges of Headley

    Information on the cost of special advisers, which I have attached for information, was published on 17 December on gov.uk.

  • Justin Madders – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Justin Madders – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Justin Madders on 2016-01-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 21 January 2016 to Question 22953, on which dates and for how long on each such date ACAS meetings took place between 23 December 2015 and 4 January 2016.

    Ben Gummer

    Following the agreement under the auspices of ACAS on 30 November, the Department and NHS Employers held negotiations with the British Medical Association (BMA) including meetings on 23 December 2015 and 4 January 2016.

    On 23 December the meeting started at 10.30 am finishing at 4 pm. On 4 January the meeting started at 10.30 am but broke at 10.45 am when the BMA withdrew to consider the offer but then never returned. The meeting was intended to continue until 3pm.

    On the same day the BMA announced that, contrary to the understanding of the management side negotiators, they did not feel that enough progress had been made and announced further dates for industrial action in January and February.

  • Ms Margaret Ritchie – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Ms Margaret Ritchie – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ms Margaret Ritchie on 2016-02-22.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential financial effect of leaving the EU on agriculture in Britain and Northern Ireland.

    George Eustice

    The Government has not made any assessment of the financial impact that leaving the EU would have on agriculture in Britain and Northern Ireland.

  • Jess Phillips – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Jess Phillips – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jess Phillips on 2016-03-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many and what proportion of pupil referral units were graded as outstanding by Ofsted in each year since 2012.

    Nick Gibb

    This is a matter for Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector, Sir Michael Wilshaw. I have asked him to write to you and a copy of his reply will be placed in the libraries of the House.