Category: Speeches

  • Mark Pritchard – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Mark Pritchard – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Pritchard on 2016-01-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will discuss with the Highways Agency the time taken to (a) programme and (b) complete highway works on the M54 in Shropshire.

    Andrew Jones

    (a) With regard to current and future works on the M54 in Shropshire, there are currently no delays to the programme of works for the current financial year, 2015/16.

    (b) For the forthcoming financial year, 2016/17, Highways England is in the process of finalising the programme of works. This will be completed by the middle of February. The proposed works are:

    Scheme

    Nature of work

    M54 WB J3 Exit Slip Resurfacing

    Pavement

    M54 J7-6 Fence & Barrier

    Fences and Barriers

    M54 J2-M6 J10A WB

    Pavement

    M54 J10a-J1 Drainage

    Drainage

    M54-M6 J10a-J1 WB Drainage

    Drainage

    M54-M6 J10a-J1 EB Drainage

    Drainage

    M54 J4 Traffic Signals Refurbishment

    Traffic Signals

    There have recently been problems with the concrete carriageway on the eastbound side of the M54 between junctions 3 and 2. Highways England has carried out a significant number of temporary repairs and is likely to undertake some more substantial repairs by the end of April 2016, whilst we investigate a longer term solution.

  • Douglas Carswell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Douglas Carswell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Douglas Carswell on 2016-02-03.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions his Department had with the International Accounting Standards Board on the effect of conversion to IFRS accounting standards for financial services companies on leverage ratios for those companies.

    Harriett Baldwin

    In the UK, listed companies have been required to use International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) since 2005. Banks who are not required to use IFRS are able to choose between using IFRS or using UK Generally Accepted Accounting Principles.

    This Government has not had any discussions with the International Accounting Standards Board around the effect of companies being required to convert to IFRS, though continues to engage with that body and all others involved in setting standards for the financial services sector.

  • Catherine West – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Scotland Office

    Catherine West – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Scotland Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Catherine West on 2016-02-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what the rate of pay is for cleaners in his Department.

    David Mundell

    For cleaning services the Scotland Office uses contracts through frameworks held by the Ministry of Justice and the Scottish Government. The Scotland Office does not set the wages paid by the contractors to its workers. Both contractors pay the national minimum wage, £6.70 per hour. From April, both contractors will increase their rate of pay to £7.20 in line with the new national minimum wage.

  • Andrew Percy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Andrew Percy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Percy on 2016-03-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much the NHS spent on treating people with inflammatory bowel disease in (a) the last 12 months and (b) each of the last five financial years.

    Jane Ellison

    The information is not available in the format requested.

    Such information as is available on the cost to the National Health Service of treating inflammatory bowel disease is from reference costs, which are the average unit cost to NHS hospital trusts of providing defined services to patients in a given financial year. Reference costs for acute care are collected by Healthcare Resource Group (HRG), a secondary classification system which groups similar treatments that use similar resources. Reference costs are published annually, most recently for 2014-15.

    The following table reflects the costs of treating patients who are admitted to hospital and does not include the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease in outpatient or other settings outside of hospital. The costs are not comparable between years because of changes to the HRG design and to the underlying primary classification system for diseases.

    Estimated total costs (£millions) to NHS hospitals of treating inflammatory bowel disease, 2010-11 to 2014-15

    2010-11

    2011-12

    2012-13

    2013-14

    2014-15

    Inflammatory bowel disease

    207.3

    147.1

    73.0

    78.8

    82.9

    Paediatric inflammatory bowel disease

    12.1

    8.4

    9.7

    10.6

    10.9

    Total

    219.4

    155.5

    82.6

    89.5

    93.8

    Source: Reference costs, Department of Health

    Notes:

    1. For each HRG or other currency in the reference cost collection, NHS hospital trusts submit a unit cost and amount of activity undertaken.
    2. Costs are not comparable between years:
      1. changes to the HRG design in 2011-12 resulted in the removal of HRGs specific to procedures for inflammatory bowel disease. These costs are included in other HRGs and are no longer separately identifiable.
      2. revised clinical coding guidance introduced in 2012-13 with the International Classification of Diseases 10th revision (ICD-10), fourth edition, resulted in the transfer of significant activity (and therefore costs) associated with infectious gastroenteritis and colitis to other HRGs.
    3. The following HRGs are included in the table:

    2010-11

    FZ37F Inflammatory Bowel Disease with length of stay 1 day or less

    FZ37G Inflammatory Bowel Disease with length of stay 2 days or more with Major Complications and Comorbidities (CC) with Interventions

    FZ37H Inflammatory Bowel Disease with length of stay 2 days or more with Major CC without Interventions

    FZ37I Inflammatory Bowel Disease with length of stay 2 days or more without Major CC with Interventions

    FZ37J Inflammatory Bowel Disease with length of stay 2 days or more without Major CC without Interventions

    FZ14Z Complex Procedures for Inflammatory Bowel Disease

    FZ15Z Major Procedures for Inflammatory Bowel Disease

    FZ28A Endoscopic or Intermediate Procedures for Inflammatory Bowel Disease 19 years and over with CC

    FZ28B Endoscopic or Intermediate Procedures for Inflammatory Bowel Disease 19 years and over without CC

    FZ28C Endoscopic or Intermediate Procedures for Inflammatory Bowel Disease 18 years and under

    PA27Z Inflammatory Bowel Disease

    2011-12

    FZ37F Inflammatory Bowel Disease with length of stay 1 day or less

    FZ37G Inflammatory Bowel Disease with length of stay 2 days or more with Major CC with Interventions

    FZ37H Inflammatory Bowel Disease with length of stay 2 days or more with Major CC without Interventions

    FZ37I Inflammatory Bowel Disease with length of stay 2 days or more without Major CC with Interventions

    FZ37J Inflammatory Bowel Disease with length of stay 2 days or more without Major CC without Interventions

    PA27Z Inflammatory Bowel Disease

    2012-13

    FZ37K Inflammatory Bowel Disease with Multiple Interventions, with CC Score 3+

    FZ37L Inflammatory Bowel Disease with Multiple Interventions, with CC Score 0-2

    FZ37M Inflammatory Bowel Disease with Single Intervention, with CC Score 4+

    FZ37N Inflammatory Bowel Disease with Single Intervention, with CC Score 0-3

    FZ37P Inflammatory Bowel Disease without Interventions, with CC Score 5+

    FZ37Q Inflammatory Bowel Disease without Interventions, with CC Score 3-4

    FZ37R Inflammatory Bowel Disease without Interventions, with CC Score 1-2

    FZ37S Inflammatory Bowel Disease without Interventions, with CC Score 0

    PA27Z Inflammatory Bowel Disease

    2013-14 and 2014-15

    FZ37K Inflammatory Bowel Disease with Multiple Interventions, with CC Score 3+

    FZ37L Inflammatory Bowel Disease with Multiple Interventions, with CC Score 0-2

    FZ37M Inflammatory Bowel Disease with Single Intervention, with CC Score 4+

    FZ37N Inflammatory Bowel Disease with Single Intervention, with CC Score 0-3

    FZ37P Inflammatory Bowel Disease without Interventions, with CC Score 5+

    FZ37Q Inflammatory Bowel Disease without Interventions, with CC Score 3-4

    FZ37R Inflammatory Bowel Disease without Interventions, with CC Score 1-2

    FZ37S Inflammatory Bowel Disease without Interventions, with CC Score 0

    PF27A Paediatric Inflammatory Bowel Disease with CC Score 1+

    PF27B Paediatric Inflammatory Bowel Disease with CC Score 0

  • Luciana Berger – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Luciana Berger – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Luciana Berger on 2016-04-29.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps the Government has taken to regulate unsolicited emails offering free online gambling opportunities.

    David Evennett

    The Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations 2003 are clear that organisations may only send marketing emails to individuals if the individual has agreed to receive them, or where there is a clearly defined customer relationship and the recipient has been given a simple means of refusing the use of their contact details for the purposes of such marketing.

    The Information Commissioner’s Office upholds the rules and regulations governing unsolicited emails, and offers advice to consumers on reporting abuses. The Gambling Commission has been working with the Information Commissioner’s Office to raise awareness of the rules across the gambling industry.

  • Gareth Thomas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Gareth Thomas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gareth Thomas on 2016-06-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many and what proportion of people entering or leaving the UK by air had pre-boarding electronic checks in each of the last seven years.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    The total volumes of passengers and crew crossing the UK border via scheduled commercial air routes, along with the figures for the volumes that underwent electronic checks, are listed in the table below.

    The following table shows assessed number of passengers and crew travelling to and from the United Kingdom on commercial international aviation routes (excluding the Common Travel Area) and the percentage of those undergoing electronic checks, over the last five years. Full detail is not available for 2009/ 2010 given the events surrounding the termination of the Raytheon-led Trusted Borders contract.

    Year

    Number of passengers and crew on international scheduled commercial aviation routes (excluding Common Travel Area) travelling to and from the UK (Millions) *

    Percentage of passengers checked electronically on international scheduled commercial aviation routes (excluding Common Travel Area)

    2011

    190.4

    67%

    2012

    186.2

    69%

    2013

    182.3

    81%

    2014

    179.7

    96%

    2015

    211

    100%
  • Barry Sheerman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Barry Sheerman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Barry Sheerman on 2016-09-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate his Department has made of the financial saving to the NHS of the policy to no longer routinely fund second stem cell transplants for blood cancer patients who have relapsed.

    David Mowat

    Decisions are taken by NHS England’s Specialised Commissioning Oversight Group that leads on the annual prioritisation process. The prioritisation process includes an impact assessment that compared the cost of a second transplant to alternative treatment pathways for relapsed disease.

  • Diana Johnson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

    Diana Johnson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Diana Johnson on 2016-10-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many Development Consent Orders for energy projects his Department considered in each region in each year since 2009-10; and how many such Orders were (a) accepted and (b) rejected.

    Jesse Norman

    The attached table sets out the number of applications for new Development Consent Orders (“DCO”) for energy infrastructure projects which the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and the former Department of Energy and Climate Change considered in each year since the Planning Act 2008 system for nationally significant infrastructure projects came into force on 1 March 2010. The year given is the year when the decision was made. The region given is the region in which the Planning Inspectorate classifies the project.

    The former Infrastructure Planning Commission made one decision to grant an energy infrastructure DCO before its abolition (2011 – East of England, not included in the table).

    One application was originally refused consent before being granted consent on redetermination. That is included as a grant of consent only in the table.

    The Department is currently considering one application for a DCO (not included in the attached table).

  • Mark Pritchard – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Mark Pritchard – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Pritchard on 2015-11-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will discuss with Virgin Trains its replacing the ageing Voyager fleet rolling stock.

    Claire Perry

    The Voyager fleet was introduced in 2001/2 to provide high speed services on routes which could only be served by Diesel Trains and is primarily operated by Virgin on routes to Chester and Holyhead. We will consider train fleet options as part of the upcoming ICWC franchise competition.

  • Lord Alton of Liverpool – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Lord Alton of Liverpool – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool on 2016-01-12.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they and the EU will place targeted human rights sanctions on individuals suspected of crimes against humanity in North Korea.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    We remain deeply concerned by the appalling human rights situation in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK). Without security and stability on the Korean Peninsula and the denuclearisation of the DPRK we are unlikely to see genuine improvements in the human rights situation within that country. This is why the British Government’s priorities of an improved human rights situation and denuclearised DPRK are pursued in parallel. Following the nuclear test of 6 January, we are working closely with other members of the UN Security Council on a robust, and united, international response to the DPRK’s latest violation of existing UN Security Council Resolutions 1718, 1874, 2087 and 2094. These negotiations are on-going and we expect any new resolution to contain further measures that send a clear signal that DPRK’s actions will no longer be tolerated. We will continue to consider a range of available options, whenever we discuss DPRK with international partners.

    We will continue to deliver the same strong messages on human rights directly to the regime through our Embassy in Pyongyang and in the UK where, most recently, the Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for East Devon (Mr Swire), told the DPRK Ambassador on 7 January, that DPRK resources would be better directed toward improving the lives of its citizens rather than recklessly pursuing its development of nuclear weapons. We also work multilaterally on human rights, through the EU and the UN, where we support the annual UN Third Committee resolution on DPRK Human Rights.