Category: Speeches

  • Daniel Kawczynski – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Wales Office

    Daniel Kawczynski – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Wales Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Daniel Kawczynski on 2016-01-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, if his Department will work with the Welsh Government to ensure that the views of people in England affected by Welsh rail franchises are considered during the next franchise sale process.

    Alun Cairns

    We have an agreement in principle with the Welsh Government that executive franchising functions will be transferred to Welsh Ministers to enable them to lead on the procurement, management and enforcement of the next Wales and Borders franchise. To ensure proper accountability for passengers in England, it is expected that services primarily serving English markets will be remapped into other Department for Transport franchises and we will consult on specific proposals in due course.

    My officials, along with those from the Department for Transport, are working closely with the Welsh Government to reach final agreement on these matters to ensure that the interests of rail passengers on both sides of the border are fully protected.

  • Louise Haigh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Louise Haigh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Louise Haigh on 2016-01-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much her Department spent (a) in real terms and (b) as a share of departmental spending on (i) temporary agency staff, (ii) consultants, (iii) non-payroll staff, (iv) administration and (v) marketing and advertising in each year since 2010-11.

    George Eustice

    I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Bristol East, Kerry McCarthy, on 16 November 2015, PQ UIN15387.

    The Department’s expenditure is audited and published each year. Annual reports and accounts for each of the last five years are available here:

    www.gov.uk/government/publications/annual-report-and-accounts-2010-11

    www.gov.uk/government/publications/annual-report-and-accounts-2011-to-2012–6

    www.gov.uk/government/publications/defra-annual-report-and-accounts-2012-to-2013

    www.gov.uk/government/publications/defras-annual-report-and-accounts-2013-to-2014

    www.gov.uk/government/publications/defras-annual-report-and-accounts-2014-to-2015

    “

  • Carolyn Harris – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Carolyn Harris – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Carolyn Harris on 2016-02-22.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what representative bodies (a) his Department and (b) the Gambling Commission has met to discuss the next review of gaming machines stakes and prizes.

    David Evennett

    My officials and staff in the Gambling Commission meet a range of stakeholders and representative bodies at regular intervals to discuss gambling policy and regulation. Information on Ministers’ meetings with external organisations are included in the quarterly transparency returns.

    The Government published its evaluation of the £50 regulations introduced in April 2015 on 21 January. The evaluation paper can be found here:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/evaluation-of-gaming-machine-circumstances-of-useamendment-regulations-2015

    We will now consider the findings of the evaluation before deciding if there is a need for further action.

    “

  • 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, what steps his Department is taking to help arts and cultural organisations apply for funding from the EU’s Creative Europe programme.

    Mr Edward Vaizey

    The Creative Europe Desk UK, which is part-funded by DCMS, raises awareness of the opportunities offered by the EU’s Creative Europe programme; encourages the UK’s creative sectors to engage in the programme through taking part in supported international initiatives and networks‎; and provides advice and support to UK-based applicants of Creative Europe. The Desk is led by the British Council and the BFI with a consortium of partners in the UK (Arts Council England, Creative Scotland, Arts Council of Northern Ireland, Welsh Government).

  • Stuart C. McDonald – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Stuart C. McDonald – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stuart C. McDonald on 2016-04-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, for what reasons take charge requests under the Dublin regulations have been refused since April 2015.

    James Brokenshire

    Whilst all asylum claims, including those accepted under Dublin III, are registered on the main immigration database the specifics of each case are not currently available in the form requested as the data is not held in a way that allows it to be reported on automatically.

  • 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 2016-05-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what the cost to his Department was of commissioning and publishing the report, entitled Research to explore public views about the BBC, published in May 2016.

    Mr Edward Vaizey

    The cost for this piece of ​independent ​ research was £108,085 excluding VAT.

  • Steve McCabe – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Steve McCabe – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2016-07-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 13 June 2016 to Question 39897, how many full-time equivalent officials of her Department are responsible for identifying, verifying and processing all asylum cases.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    Asylum Operations in UK Visas and Immigration currently have 73 full time equivalent (FTE) staff who are responsible for screening asylum claims. Staff in Border Force and Immigration Enforcement will also encounter new asylum claimants in the course of their duties.

    Asylum Operations have 271 (FTE) decision makers responsible for interviewing and deciding asylum

    claims. Over 100 additional decision makers are currently being recruited and trained, and we continually review our staffing levels to ensure that we can deal with levels of intake. The figures quoted have been derived from management information and are therefore provisional and subject to change. This information has not been quality assured under National Statistics protocols

  • Nicholas Brown – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Nicholas Brown – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicholas Brown on 2016-10-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has any plans to extend her Department’s policy of free school transport for children between eight and 16 years old living over three miles from their school to match the compulsory school leaving age of 18 years old.

    Caroline Dinenage

    The government has no current plans to extend the home to school statutory entitlement beyond the age of 16.

    It is helpful to be clear initially that young people do not need to be in school beyond the age of 16. There are a range of ways that young people can fulfil their duty to participate in education and training until they are 18, as well as staying at school. Options include apprenticeships or part-time paid work together with study.

    The statutory responsibility for transport to education and training for 16 to 19 year olds remains with local authorities, enabling them to make decisions and arrangements which best match local needs and circumstances. Arrangements do not have to include free or subsidised travel; however, local authorities are expected to make reasonable decisions based on the needs of their population, the local transport infrastructure and the resources they have available.

    Most 16 to 19 year olds have access to a discount or concession on local travel, from their local transport provider, their local authority, or from their education or training provider. Providers can also use the 16-19 Bursary Fund to support young people with the costs associated with attending education or training. This is often used to support transport for disadvantaged young people.

  • Philip Davies – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Wales Office

    Philip Davies – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Wales Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Philip Davies on 2015-11-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, which regulations his Department introduced as a result of EU legislation in (a) 2013, (b) 2014 and (c) 2015 to date; which regulations his Department expects to implement as a result of EU legislation in (i) 2016 and (ii) 2017; and what estimate he has made of the cost of such regulation to the (A) public purse and (B) private sector.

    Stephen Crabb

    I refer the hon Member to the answer given by my Rt. Hon friend the Minister for Small Business, Industry and Enterprise (Anna Soubry) on 11 November 2015.

  • Lord Faulkner of Worcester – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Lord Faulkner of Worcester – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Faulkner of Worcester on 2015-12-22.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether additional funding will be provided to Level Playing Field to provide guidance and support to Premier League clubs in reaching their targets to provide accessible facilities and services by August 2017.

    Baroness Neville-Rolfe

    There is no specific funding available to enable the charity Level Playing Field to provide guidance and support to Premier League clubs in reaching individual targets on accessible facilities and services.

    I understand that it is a matter for individual Premier League Clubs to determine whether they use the services of Level Playing Field in order to help them reach their specific targets in providing accessible facilities and services.