Category: Speeches

  • Nic Dakin – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Nic Dakin – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nic Dakin on 2015-11-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps his Department has taken to embed the family test into its policy making.

    Caroline Dinenage

    Officials in my Department have worked with colleagues at the Department for Work and Pensions to support the application of the Family Test in policy development. All policy teams within the Ministry of Justice have been made aware of the processes to be followed when applying the Test. In line with DWP guidance, potential impacts of policy on family functioning and relationships should be identified and brought to the attention of Ministers where appropriate. The guidance can be located at: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/368894/family-test-guidance.pdf

    “

  • Richard Burgon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Richard Burgon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burgon on 2015-12-11.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his Written Statement of 2 June 2015, HCWS10, on the trading plan for government shares in Lloyds Banking Group, whether he set a target for the (a) number of shares to be sold and (b) price per share for Lloyds Banking Group at the time of that Statement.

    Harriett Baldwin

    In December 2014 the Chancellor launched a trading plan to sell the Government’s stake in Lloyds Banking Group, which has since been extended twice; in June and December 2015. The number of shares sold over the course of the trading plan is subject to an overall volume limit of up to but no more than 15% of the aggregate total trading volume in the LBG over the duration of the trading plan.

    The final amount sold will depend on market conditions, among other factors. Shares will not be sold below the average price the previous government paid for them, which was 73.6p.

    As outlined to the House at the time of the trading plan’s launch, a statement with further details will be laid before Parliament when the plan concludes.

  • Kevin Brennan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Kevin Brennan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kevin Brennan on 2016-01-21.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, if he will take steps fully to implement the Energy Intensive Industry Compensation package.

    Anna Soubry

    On 14 December, the EU Commission approved our first state aid case – to commence relief from the indirect costs of the Renewables Obligation and small-scale Feed-in-Tariff . Eligible companies are now able to apply for compensation. Scheme guidance and application forms were published on 19 January 2016 and details can be found on the GOV.UK website at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/renewables-obligation-and-small-scale-feed-in-tariffs-apply-for-compensation. We continue to be in dialogue with the EU Commission on the second element of our State Aid Application to compensate competitors of eligible Electricity Intensive Industries (EII) to ensure they do not face competitive distortions. Compensation paid under the EII scheme is in addition to the £148 million of support the Government has already given to EIIs to mitigate the impact of climate policy.

    “

  • Gregory Campbell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Gregory Campbell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gregory Campbell on 2016-02-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many and what proportion of cars he estimates will be electric in the UK in 2020.

    Andrew Jones

    The Government wants almost every car and van in the UK to be a zero emission vehicle by 2050. This will mean that all new cars and vans should be zero emission by 2040.

    In 2013 the Government’s strategy for ultra low emission vehicles set out an expectation that ULEVs could make up 3-7% of new car sales in 2020. Uptake in this new market is difficult to predict, and depends largely on the speed with which car manufacturers make new models available.

    In the last quarter of 2015, ULEVs represented 1.3% of new car registrations in the UK. This is toward the upper end of the growth projections set out in 2013.

  • Lord Kennedy of Southwark – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Lord Kennedy of Southwark – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Kennedy of Southwark on 2016-03-07.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have for the housing of prisoners in the event of the closure of HM Prison Holloway and HM Prison Pentonville.

    Lord Faulks

    On 9 November 2015, the Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice announced their intention to build a prison estate which allows prisoners to be rehabilitated, thereby enabling them to turn away from a life of crime. This will involve closing old and inefficient prisons which do not support the aims of a redesigned estate and replacing them with modern facilities that support rehabilitation.

    The Secretary of State for Justice announced on 25 November 2015 that HM Prison and Young Offender Institution Holloway will close as the first part of this programme. The buildings at Holloway are poorly designed and the site is cramped. The majority of sentenced women will transfer to HM Prison and Young Offender Institution Downview, which we which will open this spring. Downview has been refurbished and will provide better facilities and more appropriate conditions for sentenced women than Holloway. However, where suitable, the opportunity is being taken to ensure sentenced women are placed in accommodation elsewhere that reflects their specific needs, including proximity to home.

    Many remand prisoners currently held at Holloway will move to HM Prison and Young Offender Institution Bronzefield, which has modern, high quality accommodation.

    No other decisions have yet been made about the future of other prisons in England and Wales.

  • Derek Twigg – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Derek Twigg – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Derek Twigg on 2016-04-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many teacher vacancies there have been in (a) secondary and (b) primary schools in England in each year since 2010.

    Nick Gibb

    The information requested is published in the statistical first release ‘School Workforce in England, November 2014’ in Table 14 of the Main Tables, available at the following web link:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/school-workforce-in-england-november-2014

    “

  • Rachel Reeves – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Rachel Reeves – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rachel Reeves on 2016-05-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Long Term Economic Plan for Yorkshire and North Lincolnshire, published in February 2015, what progress has been made on assessing the case for providing the required infrastructure for new East Coast InterCity Express trains to run at 140 mph.

    Claire Perry

    The complex infrastructure requirements for 140mph operation on the East Coast Main Line are being assessed by Virgin Trains East Coast and the wider rail industry as a potential scheme for the longer term. Nicola Shaw’s recent report promoted greater private sector financing for railway enhancements and my Department will be interested to see these proposals from the industry in due course.

  • Philip Davies – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Philip Davies – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Philip Davies on 2016-07-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the (a) initial estimate and (b) actual cost was for the HMS Queen Elizabeth.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    As reported in successive Major Projects Reports, the original approved cost of the Queen Elizabeth Class (QEC) Aircraft Carrier programme was £3.9 billion, including the capitalised costs of the Assessment and Demonstration Phases. The approvals and cost management have been based on the QEC Class for a two-ship programme, and it is therefore not practicable to apportion costs to the individual Aircraft Carriers.

    The current approved cost of the QEC Aircraft Carrier programme is £6.2 billion, as announced by my right hon. Friend the then Secretary of State for Defence the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond) on 6 November 2013 (Official Report, column 251-254). Whilst there are cost pressures, and final costs cannot be agreed until the programme finishes around 2019. The MOD continues to work closely with the Aircraft Carrier Alliance to drive the programme to remain within the current approved cost.

  • Lord Lexden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Lord Lexden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Lexden on 2016-09-15.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will consider releasing papers relating to Lord Denning’s Report on the Profumo affair earlier than 2048.

    Baroness Mobarik

    I refer the Noble Lord to the answer Baroness Chisholm of Owlpen gave to Lord Hennessy of Nympsfield on 14 September 2016.

  • Nia Griffith – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Wales Office

    Nia Griffith – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Wales Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nia Griffith on 2015-11-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, how much his Department spent on (a) temporary agency staff, (b) consultants, (c) non-payroll staff, (d) administration and (e) marketing and advertising (i) in 2014-15 prices and (ii) as a proportion of his Department’s expenditure in each year since 2010-11.

    Alun Cairns

    The Wales Office spend on (a) temporary staff, (b) consultants, (c) non-payroll staff, (d) administration and (e) marketing and advertising as a proportion of Wales Office expenditure in each year since 2010-11 is shown in the table attached.

    The numbers shown are actual spend as published in the Wales Office Departmental Annual Report and Accounts.