Category: Speeches

  • Royston Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Royston Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Royston Smith on 2016-03-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what proportion of NHS funding was provided to GP surgeries in each of the last five years

    Alistair Burt

    NHS England has confirmed that the funding it invests in general practice will increase by an average of 4.5% each year from 2016/17 to 2020/21.

    The below table shows the proportion of spend on general practice for each of the last five years for which data is available. The figures for spend on general practice are taken from the Health and Social Care Information Centre’s Investment in General Practice 2011-2015 report, which is the most comprehensive source of data on investment in general practice. The NHS Revenue Expenditure data is taken from the Department’s accounts.

    2010/11

    2011/12

    2012/13

    2013/14

    2014/15

    NHS Revenue Expenditure under Clear Line of Sight Rules (£ billion)

    97.47

    100.27

    102.57

    106.5

    110.56

    Spend on general practice (£ billion)

    8.350

    8.397

    8.459

    8.766

    9.001

    Spend on General Practice as a proportion of total

    8.6%

    8.4%

    8.2%

    8.2%

    8.1%

  • Jonathan Ashworth – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Jonathan Ashworth – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jonathan Ashworth on 2016-05-04.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions he has had with the Minister for the Cabinet Office on promoting a fair global tax system at the Anti-Corruption Summit in May 2016.

    Mr David Gauke

    Treasury Ministers are in regular dialogue with Cabinet colleagues on a range of issues.

    This Government has played a leading role in tackling avoidance and aggressive tax planning, driving fundamental reform of the international tax rules and standards. We helped initiate the G20-Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development’s (OECD) Base Erosion and Profit Shifting Project to make sure multinationals pay tax on profits where the economic activities that give rise to these are located. We have led the way in terms of implementation; legislating for the OECD model for country-by-country reporting to tax authorities, and adopting the OECD recommendations for hybrid mismatch arrangements and interest restriction.

    At the Anti-Corruption Summit, we will seek to galvanize a global response to tackle corruption, as well as dealing with issues including corporate secrecy, government transparency, the enforcement of international anti-corruption laws, and the strengthening of international institutions. It will be an important opportunity for the Government to make the case for further international action on tax transparency.

  • Crispin Blunt – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Crispin Blunt – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Crispin Blunt on 2016-06-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, with reference to NHS England’s consultation on a proposed method to support investment decisions in specialised commissioning, launched on 12 April 2016, if NHS England will issue a consultation on arrangements for commissioning treatments recommended through NICE’s highly specialised technology programme.

    George Freeman

    As part of the work to develop NHS England’s strategic framework for specialised services, NHS England and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence will be working together closely to improve the adoption of highly specialised technologies. Further detail will be set out in the coming months in light of the conclusions of the Accelerated Access Review.

  • Steve Reed – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

    Steve Reed – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve Reed on 2016-09-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent assessment he has made of the potential merits of extending the period of maternity leave for mothers of premature babies.

    Margot James

    The UK’s generous entitlement of 52 weeks’ maternity leave provides mothers with sufficient leave to take account of a range of circumstances. Parents who have been employees with the same employer for over a year also have a separate entitlement to parental leave of 18 weeks per parent per child, up to the child’s 18th birthday, of which typically up to 4 weeks can be taken in one year.

  • Matthew Pennycook – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Matthew Pennycook – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Matthew Pennycook on 2016-10-24.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the earliest date by which the UK will be able to discharge the liabilities entered into during its time as an EU member state when exiting from the EU.

    Mr David Gauke

    There are a whole range of issues and elements to our relationship with the European Union that will need to be addressed as we leave.

    These issues affect both sides, the UK and the EU. The government will not be giving a running commentary on the details.

  • Lord Naseby – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Lord Naseby – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Naseby on 2015-11-09.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government which rebel groups in Syria are not supported by the UK.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    We support several moderate opposition groups in Syria who we would want to see involved in a political process. We define these groups in terms of ideology and tactics: moderates are liberal, secular or Islamist in their political outlook, call for a wider pluralistic system that respects the rights of all Syrians and reject terrorism and terrorist tactics, for example by seeking to protect civilians from harm and to prevent abuses. Several moderate opposition groups refer to themselves as being part of the Free Syrian Army. The UK does not support designated terrorist organisations in Syria or groups who use terrorist tactics, such as the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant and Jabhat al Nusra, which are designated terrorist organisations under the UN al Qaeda sanctions regime.

  • Lord Watson of Invergowrie – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Lord Watson of Invergowrie – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Watson of Invergowrie on 2015-12-03.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what funding they plan to make available to promote walking to school initiatives when the Local Sustainable Transport Fund comes to an end in March 2016.

    Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

    The Department for Transport has a statutory obligation to deliver the Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy (CWIS) which is anticipated to include a National Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan. The Department has commenced the early stages of work to develop the first CWIS by summer 2016 following a formal consultation in spring 2016. Detailed content of this Strategy is not yet available, and we are therefore unable to confirm our future plans for promoting walking to school initiatives at this stage.

    That said, the Government recently reaffirmed its commitment to cycling and walking by investing over £300m over the life of this Parliament. This includes delivering the Cycle City Ambition programme in full, and funding the Bikeability cycle training programme for school children. It also includes a new ‘Access’ fund for sustainable travel building on the legacy of the Local Sustainable Transport Fund. It is too early to say what the details of this new Access fund will be as discussions are ongoing, but information is expected to be available in the coming weeks.

    It is also worth noting that this Government remains committed to the principles of localism; it is therefore the responsibility of local authorities to decide their local priorities in relation to ‘walk to school’ initiatives, and attribute government resources, such as the local transport block, accordingly.

  • Louise Haigh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Louise Haigh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Louise Haigh on 2016-01-13.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, for what reason Cabinet Office spend over £25,000 has not been updated beyond December 2014.

    Matthew Hancock

    I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave her on 17 December 2015 to UIN: 20015.

  • Andrew Rosindell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Andrew Rosindell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2016-02-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his Answer of 2 February 2016 to Question 24086, how many cases were referred to the Judicial Committee of the Privacy Council as the final court of appeal by Commonwealth realms in 2013 and 2014.

    Mr Hugo Swire

    The number of cases referred by Commonwealth realms to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council as the final court of appeal was 15 in 2014 and 19 in 2013.

  • Tulip Siddiq – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Tulip Siddiq – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tulip Siddiq on 2016-02-29.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate she has made of the average length of (a) domestic and (b) international calls to the Forced Marriage Unit; and what the cost of these calls were to (i) domestic and (ii) international callers in (A) each financial year since its establishment in 2005 and (B) 2015-16 to date.

    Karen Bradley

    Figures on the number of cases reported to the Forced Marriage Unit via its public helpline and email inbox are published annually and are available on GOV.uk. The figures include a breakdown of the countries involved for cases with an overseas element. Information on the origin, average length, and cost of calls is not collated centrally.