Category: Speeches

Helen Goodman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Helen Goodman on 2016-01-04.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what steps the Government has taken to follow up the recommendations in the Kay Review of UK equity markets and long-term decision making, published in July 2012.

Anna Soubry

The Department published a detailed progress report on the implementation of the Kay Review in October 2014.

The Government’s Productivity Plan, “Fixing the Foundations”, published in July 2015, emphasised the central importance of encouraging long-term business investment as part of an ambitious vision to boost productivity in the UK economy. In particular, the Plan welcomed an initiative by several of the largest institutional investors to develop an Action Plan to support and challenge companies to invest for long-term productivity and growth. The Government is engaging with the Investment Association as it takes forward this work, and is also considering what further steps may be appropriate to encourage a culture of long-term investment on the part of UK companies and their shareholders.

01/01/2023
Nicholas Brown – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicholas Brown on 2016-01-29.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what data his Department collects on adult loneliness.

Alistair Burt

The Department of Health does not collect data on adult loneliness but a range of other national collections do address this issue.

The Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC) collects information on social care activity and expenditure. In 2015 the type of data the HSCIC collects was changed and for the first time it now captures information on social isolation.

The Community Care Statistics: Social Services Activity 2014/15 show that local authorities in England met the needs of 56,000 adults where the primary support reason was support for social isolation. The Personal Social Services: Expenditure and Unit Costs England 2014-15, show that local authorities spent £81 million in meeting the needs of adults whose primary support reason was social isolation/other. The HSCIC does not collect data on the numbers of adults or expenditure spent where local address social isolation through preventative measures.

The HSCIC run an annual Survey of Adult Social Care users and a biennial Survey of Adult Carers covering all Local Authorities in England. Both surveys contain questions on users and carers satisfaction with their levels of social contact. This data feeds into the Adult Social Care Outcomes Framework indicators which are also published by HSCIC.

01/01/2023
Lilian Greenwood – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lilian Greenwood on 2016-02-24.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the total cost to Network Rail was of acquiring the ownership of freight sites under Project Mountfield; and what overall revenue received by Network Rail from those sites in 2014-15.

Claire Perry

This was a commercial matter for Network Rail. I understand that the total cost to Network Rail of acquiring the ownership of freight sites under Project Mountfield was £220 million.

The overall revenue figure for 2014/15 was £5.2 million which represents a 5 month period – November to March – given the transfer of sites occurred in October 2014.

Network Rail is forecasting this to grow to £16 million per annum by 2017 alongside realising significant operational efficiencies.

01/01/2023
Chris Heaton-Harris – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Heaton-Harris on 2016-03-17.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he has taken to ensure that Community Work Placement providers are held to the standards required in their contract.

Priti Patel

Community Work Placement performance is being actively managed, underpinned by improvement plans and local performance improvement activity, with contracts terminated early where providers have failed to meet their targets.

This action sends a clear message to providers that the Department expects them to deliver the performance they have promised in their bids.

01/01/2023
MiDavies – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

The below Parliamentary question was asked by MiDavies on 2016-04-22.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what proportion of local authorities have a dedicated Armed Forces Champion.

Mark Lancaster

407 Local Authorities at district level and above have signed Armed Forces Covenant pledges although signing the Covenant is not a mandatory requirement for these bodies. These are voluntary commitments as is the nomination of a Covenant Champion. Ministry of Defence officials are in contact with Covenant Champions for 287 Local Authorities some of whom will act as representatives for other Local Authorities in their area. Among those Local Authorities who do not have a champion, there are those who do have a dedicated point of contact for Covenant issues.

01/01/2023
Baroness Tonge – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Tonge on 2016-06-06.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of Israel regarding the wounding with live fire of fishermen who were working within three nautical miles of Gaza, and the subsequent arrest of fishermen and confiscation of boats on 31 May.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

Whilst we have not raised this specific issue with the Government of Israel, officials from our Embassy in Tel Aviv have expressed our concern previously over the Israel Defence Forces’ use of live fire against fishermen and also about the confiscation of their boats.

01/01/2023
Diana Johnson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Diana Johnson on 2016-07-20.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make it his policy to ensure that British citizens continue to benefit from the rules on flight delays covered by EU Regulation 261/2004.

Mr John Hayes

While we remain a full member of the EU, we retain the same rights and obligations as all other Members, including those covered by the existing directives and regulations, such as rules on flight delays under EU Regulation 261/2004.

The future application of this legislation will depend on the outcome of negotiating a new relationship with the EU.

01/01/2023
Gareth Thomas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gareth Thomas on 2016-10-11.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, which agreed EU directives have not yet been transposed directly into UK law; and if she will make a statement.

Mr Robert Goodwill

Until exit negotiations are concluded, the UK remains a full member of the European Union and all the rights and obligations of EU membership remain in force.

01/01/2023
Phil Boswell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Phil Boswell on 2015-10-30.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the finding of the Equality and Human Rights Commission in its report, Is Britain Fairer, published in October 2015, that up to 2013 there was a decline in both earnings and full-time employment for younger workers, despite them being more likely to be better qualified than previous generations.

Nick Boles

Since 2013 employment has risen by over a million people and the UK’s employment rate is at a record high. The Government is creating employment opportunities for all age groups. Since the first quarter of 2010, youth unemployment has fallen and 229,000 more young people are in employment.

Skills remain important for delivering better employment outcomes for younger workers. The lifetime benefits to apprentices are between £48,000 and £74,000 for Level 2 and between £77,000 and £117,000 for Level 3 Apprenticeships. The average graduate of higher education will earn over £100,000 more over their lifetime than a similar individual who completed their education with 2 or more A levels. The Government is therefore ensuring further and higher education providers are more responsive to the needs of employers, and that young people get the rights skills for the job market.

01/01/2023

Mark Hendrick – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Hendrick on 2015-11-27.

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many Domestic Violence Protection Orders were issued by each magistrates’ court in Lancashire in each month between 1 January 2014 and 31 October 2015; and what the gender was of the people on whom the orders were served.

Mr Shailesh Vara

Applications for Domestic Violence Protection Orders were first made in Lancashire in August 2014, with all applications being heard at Preston Magistrates’ Courts. The table below shows the number of orders issued and the gender of the people on whom the orders were served during the requested period:

MONTH	MALE	FEMALE
Jan-14 to Jul-14	Not applicable
Aug-14	~	~
Sep-14	~	0
Oct-14	7	0
Nov-14	8	0
Dec-14	7	~
Jan-15	7	0
Feb-15	~	0
Mar-15	~	0
Apr-15	9	0
May-15	~	0
Jun-15	10	~
Jul-15	11	~
Aug-15	~	0
Sep-15	12	0
Oct-15	7	~

NOTE: ~ Numbers based on less than five cases are suppressed for confidentiality reasons.

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01/01/2023