Category: Speeches

  • Paul Flynn – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Paul Flynn – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Flynn on 2015-12-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how many UK Trade and Investment staff worked in each of the industrial sectors on 1 April 2015; and what the budget for each such sector is in 2015-16.

    Anna Soubry

    UK Trade & Investment supports eleven sectors, and other priority sectors, such as creative industries and the information economy.

    We are working with a number of other Government departments to ensure companies of all sectors are represented in Government efforts overseas.

    The table below shows the number of staff on 1 April 2015 and the most recent budget information for our core sector teams and investment organisations.

    Staff

    Budget, £m

    Consumer, Retail & E-exporting

    11

    5.7

    Creative Industries & Global Sports & Construction

    25

    3.1

    UKTI Education

    8

    1.0

    Energy & Transport

    27

    3.7

    Healthcare UK

    13

    1.6

    Information Economy

    16

    2.9

    Advanced Manufacturing

    8

    1.2

    UKTI Agri-Tech Organisation

    3

    1.2

    UKTI Automotive Investment Organisation

    5

    1.7

    UKTI Financial Services Organisation

    8

    1.7

    Innovation Gateway

    7

    1.3

    UKTI Life Science Organisation

    9

    2.2

    UKTI Offshore Wind Investment Organisation

    2

    1.1

    UKTI Regeneration Investment Organisation

    1

    1.4

  • 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 2016-01-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, pursuant to the Answer of 7 July 2015 to Question 3892, how many (a) jobs and (b) apprenticeships were created by each Green Investment Bank (GIB) investment; and whether he plans to monitor the performance of a privatised GIB in creating jobs and apprenticeships.

    Anna Soubry

    The Green Investment Bank (GIB) estimates that approximately 5700 jobs have been created during the construction phases of their projects and approximately 1000 jobs have been created during the operational phase of their projects. Apprenticeship numbers are not recorded separately from other jobs but any apprenticeship roles would be included in the figures mentioned above.

    We would expect a privatised GIB to continue to monitor the green and other benefits of their investments, such as job creation.

  • Daniel Zeichner – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Daniel Zeichner – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Daniel Zeichner on 2016-02-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate her Department has made of the effectiveness of the arrangements for information sharing between police and councils under Common Law Police Disclosure.

    Karen Bradley

    Common Law Police Disclosure (CLPD) is police led. The National Police Chiefs’ Council issue guidance for CLPD to all Chief Officers to ensure compliance.

    Operational use of the scheme follows the principles of the statutory guidance relating to the disclosure of local police information on criminal record certificates.

    The Home Office does not make any separate assessment of the scheme.

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

    Philip Davies – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Philip Davies on 2016-03-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 22 February 2016 to Question 18375, on prisoners’ release, what the further offences were that those offenders were charged with.

    Andrew Selous

    This information is not held centrally and could only be obtained at disproportionate costs.

  • Sir Nicholas Soames – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Sir Nicholas Soames – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sir Nicholas Soames on 2016-04-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what progress has been made on delivering reforms agreed at the NATO Summit in Wales in 2014.

    Mr Julian Brazier

    Good progress is being made towards delivery of the commitments made at the Wales Summit. The UK is taking a leading role in the implementation of the Readiness Action Plan with delivery of a capable and effective UK-led Very High Readiness Joint Task Force (Land) Brigade in 2017 well on track. The Defence Investment Pledge to spend 2% of GDP on Defence, and 20% of that on equipment, has been met by the UK and some others. Enhanced partnership cooperation across many of NATO’s partnership frameworks and the Defence Capacity Building Initiative is steadily progressing. These commitments will be reviewed at the NATO summit in Warsaw in July, as part of NATO’s move to being "adaptable by design".

  • Steve McCabe – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Steve McCabe – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2016-05-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the Answer of 13 April 2016 to Question 32812, whether the figures provided for sums to be spent annually and in total are additional to each other; and if he will make a statement.

    Priti Patel

    The 2015 Spending Review agreed funding rising to £130m per year for the Work and Health Programme, focussing support for people with a disability or health condition and the long term unemployed (over 24 months). This figure is separate and in addition to the Prime Minister’s announced plans to provide further support and funding for people with mental health issues to retain or regain employment.

  • Caroline Lucas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Caroline Lucas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2016-06-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much his Department has allocated for Network Rail to produce a feasibility study on the Brighton Mainline Upgrade; and whether he plans for that funding to continue up to 2020.

    Claire Perry

    Network Rail has authorised £8m from its current financial settlement to develop proposals for the upgrade of the Brighton Main Line. The Government will subsequently consider what, if any, additional funding is required, based on its emerging priorities for improvements to the national network.

    This feasibility study is additional to the improvements that will already be delivered in the years up to 2020 by the massive Thameslink programme which will provide substantial additional capacity and improved frequencies together with 1,140 new carriages serving destinations including Brighton.

  • Kate Green – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Kate Green – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kate Green on 2016-09-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to improve access to public transport for disabled people.

    Andrew Jones

    The Government recognises how important improving access to public transport is for disabled people and is committed to making transport more inclusive.

    Since its launch in 2006, the £390m Access for All rail programme (which was further extended with £160m in 2014) has delivered accessible routes at over 150 stations. There are also 68 further projects at various stages of construction or development.

    We also recognise that positive interactions with bus drivers can make a big difference to disabled people’s experience of taking the bus. We are working with the bus industry and disabled people to design best practice guidance in delivering disability awareness training which, we hope, will help to give bus drivers the skills and knowledge to assist every disabled passenger.

    In addition, the Bus Services Bill will specifically allow enhanced partnership schemes to require all buses within a local area to provide audible and visual next stop information. Authorities using the new franchising powers will be able to place similar requirements on affected operators. The Government has also agreed to consider amendments on this issue which were tabled during the Bill’s committee stage in the House of Lords.

    The Government intends to publish an Accessibility Action Plan by the end of the year which will present its ambition for further progress on this important agenda.

  • Lord Hunt of Kings Heath – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Lord Hunt of Kings Heath – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath on 2015-11-10.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answers by Lord Prior of Brampton on 2 November (HL2987 and HL2988), what assessment they have made, if any, of whether the Chairman of the Herbal Medicines and Practitioners Working Group ignored the agreed terms of reference of that group by publishing his report without consulting the members of that group, and if so, why.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    As the Herbal Medicines and Practitioners Working Group was an independent Group, governance arrangements and internal mechanisms were a matter for the Chair and its members to resolve. The remit of the Group was to consider the issues around herbal medicines and herbal practitioners, and report in 2015 with recommendations on the way forward. The overall remit was met.

  • Yasmin Qureshi – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Yasmin Qureshi – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Yasmin Qureshi on 2015-12-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what proportion of his Department’s science budget was spent on neurological research in the period from 2010 to 2014.

    Joseph Johnson

    I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Torfaen (Mr Nick Thomas-Symonds) on 7 December in response to question 18131.

    “