Category: Speeches

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

    Lord Greaves – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Greaves on 2016-01-14.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the role of district councils in two-tier areas in the maintenance of drainage systems, the prevention of local flooding, and action when flooding occurs.

    Lord Gardiner of Kimble

    District councils have several responsibilities and powers in relation to flooding and land drainage. These include powers to carry out flood risk management works on ordinary watercourses, powers to make bye-laws to manage flood risk in the authority’s area from ordinary watercourses and to secure the efficient working of a drainage system in the authority’s district or area. Those in coastal areas are also Coastal Protection Authorities.

    District councils are also responsible for a set of civil protection duties for emergencies. Plans are regularly reviewed and tested as part of local exercise arrangements.

    Defra commissioned an independent evaluation into the arrangements for managing local flood risk under the Flood and Water Management Act 2010. The evaluation has now concluded and will be published in due course. One of the areas the evaluation explored was partnership working between the Lead Local Flood Authority and other risk management authorities, including district councils.

  • Jim McMahon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Jim McMahon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim McMahon on 2016-02-09.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he was made aware of HM Revenue and Customs’ original estimate of tax due by Google prior to the recent tax settlement with that company.

    Mr David Gauke

    HM Revenue and Customs is responsible for the conduct of tax enquiries, and Ministers are not informed of the progress of enquiries and play no part in agreeing the amount of tax to be paid by any taxpayer.

  • Greg Knight – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Greg Knight – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Greg Knight on 2016-03-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what further steps he plans to take to improve road safety.

    Andrew Jones

    Britain has some of the world’s lowest road casualty rates. But, in line with our Manifesto commitment, we are determined to do more to make our roads even safer. The British Road Safety Statement, published on 21 December 2015, sets out the government’s priorities for action, including practical measures to help vulnerable groups stay safe on our roads, extra money to crackdown on drug drivers and tougher penalties for people using mobile phones while driving.

  • Anne-Marie Trevelyan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Anne-Marie Trevelyan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Anne-Marie Trevelyan on 2016-04-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 23 March 2016 to Question 31329, on deportation: EU nationals, how many EEA foreign national offenders were awaiting deportation in December of each of the last 10 years.

    James Brokenshire

    Removals have been increasing year on year since 2010. In 2015, we removed 5,602 FNOs and over 29,000 foreign national offenders have been removed since 2010. Our records indicate that as of December 2015, there were 4,217 EEA foreign national offenders awaiting deportation.

    Please find table below with the number of EEA foreign national offenders who were awaiting deportation in December since 2010.

    Dec-10

    Dec-11

    Dec-12

    Dec 13

    Dec 14

    Dec 15

    Total EEA FNO Stock

    2,715

    2,955

    3,130

    3,212

    3,795

    4,217

    (1) The figures quoted have been derived from management information from the Home Office databases and are therefore provisional and subject to change. This information has not been quality assured under National Statistics protocols.

    (2) The data provided is up to December 2015. This is not routinely published data. General protocol is that the figures should not breach the National Statistics, so we are not able to disclose figures that are for a later period than those that we have published. Published figures are available up to 31 December 2015. (3) A Foreign National Offender (FNO) is defined as an individual with a criminal case on the Home Office’s Case Information Database (CID) and may include individuals with asylum cases. (4) Due to changes in reporting, comparable data is not available prior to 2010. (5) EEA national figures inclusive of Irish nationals.
  • Cheryl Gillan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Cheryl Gillan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Cheryl Gillan on 2016-05-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people carrying passports from other EU member states were refused entry to the UK in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

    James Brokenshire

    I refer my Rt. hon. Friend to the answer given to Question 31328.

  • Alan Brown – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Alan Brown – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alan Brown on 2016-06-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what recent progress has been made on her Department’s market stabilisation Contract for Difference policy; and if she will make a statement.

    Andrea Leadsom

    A number of stakeholders have suggested the concept of a market stabilising Contracts for Difference (CFD) for Pot 1 technologies. We have not yet decided whether to pursue any of the proposed options at this time.

    Our focus has been on delivering the next CFD Allocation Round by the end of 2016 which we announced at the Budget, with £290m for less established technologies. We will be making announcements in due course.

  • Stephen Doughty – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Stephen Doughty – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Doughty on 2016-09-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what reports of alleged breaches of international humanitarian law he has received from (a) UN agencies, (b) non-governmental organisations, (c) other governments, (d) UK armed forces personnel and (e) Saudi Arabia in each of the last 12 months.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    We are aware of reports of alleged violations of International Humanitarian Law (IHL) by actors in the conflict and take these very seriously. The Ministry of Defence monitors incidents of alleged IHL violations using available information. It is important that all sides conduct thorough and conclusive investigations into all incidents where it is alleged that IHL has been violated.

  • Kate Osamor – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Kate Osamor – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kate Osamor on 2015-11-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the potential effect of the Government’s proposed reductions in tax credits on the pupil premium.

    Mr Sam Gyimah

    As my Rt Hon Friend the Chancellor announced on 25 November, the government is not proceeding with the changes to the tax credit threshold and taper announced at the Summer Budget 2015.

    We are determined to deliver educational excellence everywhere so that every child, regardless of background, reaches their potential. That is why we are delivering on our commitment to continue providing the pupil premium, protected at current rates, so schools receive additional money for pupils from the poorest backgrounds.

  • Chi Onwurah – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Chi Onwurah – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chi Onwurah on 2015-12-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many convictions resulted from reports to Action Fraud in each year since it was set up.

    Mike Penning

    The Home Office does not hold this information. The Ministry of Justice are responsible for statistics on convictions.

  • Steve Rotheram – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Steve Rotheram – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve Rotheram on 2016-01-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what assessment his Department has made of the amount of new entrant workers that will be needed in the construction industry to meet demand in each of the next five years.

    Nick Boles

    The Construction Industry Training Board’s (CITB) Construction Skills Network estimates224,000 new construction jobs are set to be created throughout the UK in the next five years. This means that more than 44,000 jobs could be created every year for the next five years.

    According to CITB estimates, 19% of UK construction workers are aged 55+, and are set to retire in the next 10 years (406,000 people), creating equivalent replace demand.

    The Government has no estimate of the number of construction workers expected to leave the industry due to ill-health.

    The Government is committed to significantly increasing the quantity and quality of all apprenticeships in England to 3 million starts by 2020; the construction industry will have an important part to play in achieving this target. Development of skilled labour can only be achieved with engagement of the industry. Construction employers in England are engaged in the Trailblazer process to develop apprenticeship standards that are fit for business, and we have announced a new apprenticeships levy which will put investment in training, and apprenticeships specifically, on a long-term, sustainable footing. CITB returned over £42m last year, supporting 18,500 first, second and third year construction apprentices.

    Initiatives, by the Construction Leadership Council, or through the CITB are seeking to encourage more young people into construction careers. This work includes the launch of the GO-Construct website and work with the National Careers Service and Construction Ambassadors for schools. The CITB has also developed a range of initiatives, working closely with the Department for Work and Pensions, the Armed Forces resettlement service and Local Enterprise Partnerships, to encourage experienced individuals into the sector.