Category: Speeches

David Amess – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Amess on 2016-01-22.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps her Department is taking to help ensure that teachers are paid a fair wage and receive appropriate training and support in countries hosting Syrian refugees in the vicinity of that country.

Mr Desmond Swayne

At the Conference on Supporting Syria and the Region being held in London on 4^th February, we want the international community to agree a new goal that all Syrian refugee children and affected host country children are in education – formal school or non-formal – by the end of 2016/17. Equally, for inside Syria, it is our aim to increase access to good quality schooling or other learning opportunities such as self-learning and non-formal education. In neighbouring countries we will also increase access to vocational or skills training and higher education for children and youth.

At the Conference our ambition is that international donors, governments from countries in the region hosting refugees, non-governmental organisations and the private sector come together to agree a set of reciprocal financial and policy commitments. The UK and co-hosts are working with donors and other partners to secure increased funding for education under the UN-led appeals for 2016 and longer term, multi-year education funding commitments to ensure sustainability. We are also working with refugee hosting governments in particular to agree the policy commitments necessary to turn increased funding into delivery on the ground.

January 1, 2023
Jim Fitzpatrick – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Fitzpatrick on 2016-02-10.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the pass rates in driving tests were in each region and constituent part of the UK in each of the last five years.

Andrew Jones

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency does not record pass rates for each constituent part of the UK. Pass rates by test centre are published on GOV.UK.

January 1, 2023
Baroness Gould of Potternewton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Gould of Potternewton on 2016-03-08.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what data will be included in the local authority contraception tool being developed by Public Health England; when and how that tool will be used; how often the results will be published; and which organisations Public Health England has met with to discuss that tool.

Lord Prior of Brampton

In spring 2016 Public Health England (PHE) will be adding 10 new indicators to its sexual health and reproductive health profiles relating to long acting reversible contraception and abortion. It is anticipated that these additional indicators will be used by commissioners and providers of reproductive health services to understand and inform local action for reproductive health. The new indicators will be updated annually, in line with the update calendar. The PHE data and intelligence subgroup for Sexual Health, Reproductive Health and Human Immunodeficiency Virus constantly reviews the use of the profiles and works closely with centre teams to ensure the data published meets the needs of local authorities.

January 1, 2023
Kevin Brennan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kevin Brennan on 2016-04-13.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how much funding his Department provided to each of its partner organisations in each year from 2010; and what the (a) type and (b) sector of those organisations is.

Joseph Johnson

Table 1 sets out the total funding provided to the Department’s partner organisations for each financial year since 2009-10. Funding includes grant-in-aid funding or an increased equity investment.

Table 2 sets out these partner organisations according to type and sector.

Since 2010 the Department has significantly reduced its number of partner organisations down to 44. We committed to further reductions as part of the BIS2020 programme of departmental transformation to make the Department cheaper and simpler, and to deliver better services to users.

January 1, 2023
Gavin Shuker – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gavin Shuker on 2016-05-18.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what programmes her Department provides to counter the use of rape and sexual violence as a weapon of war and subjugation.

Mr Desmond Swayne

DFID is committed to addressing all forms of violence against women and girls in emergencies. This includes rape and sexual violence used within armed conflict as a weapon of war. We know that in conflict settings specifically, rape, or sexual violence by combatants is sadly only one component of a wide range of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV). Other forms of SGBV are often more prevalent.

DFID’s response to counter the use of rape and sexual violence is primarily through our commitments under the Call to Action to Protect Women and Girls in Emergencies. Through a combination of humanitarian operations and longer term development programmes we address both the immediate needs of survivors of sexual violence and tackle the underlying root causes of violence, such as gender inequality, discrimination and lack of women’s political and economic participation.

January 1, 2023
Lilian Greenwood – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lilian Greenwood on 2016-07-07.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of the UK leaving the EU on his Department’s plans for electrification of the Midland Main Line.

Claire Perry

The Midland Main Line programme will deliver electrification of the Midland Main Line from Bedford to Kettering and Corby by 2019 and from Kettering to Nottingham and Sheffield via Derby by 2023. Following the vote taken by the British people for the UK to leave the European Union on 23 June their will must be respected and delivered. The Prime Minister has been clear that the negotiation for Britain’s future relationship with Europe will need to begin under a new Prime Minister. In the meantime, the Department continues working to deliver the Government agenda, including the above electrification programme.

January 1, 2023
Catherine West – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Catherine West on 2016-10-07.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the Government plans continued participation in Frontex after the UK leaves the EU.

Mr Robert Goodwill

The European Border and Coast Guard was launched on 6 October, building on and replacing Frontex. The new Agency builds on provisions of the Schengen agreement in which the UK does not participate. The UK is not therefore bound by the new regulation although we are supportive of steps to increase the security of the external Schengen border and currently participate in Frontex operations on a voluntary basis, agreed by the Management Board.

Our future cooperation with the European Border and Coast Guard Agency will be considered as part of wider negotiations for the UK’s exit from the EU. The Prime Minister has made clear that the Government will not be giving a running commentary on negotiations.

January 1, 2023
Toby Perkins – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Toby Perkins on 2015-11-10.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps the Government plans to take in response to the Sixth Report of the Public Accounts Committee, HM Revenue and Customs performance in 2014-15, HC 393.

Mr David Gauke

HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) recognise that their customer service has not been good enough, and have taken major steps to improve. This includes recruiting 3,000 new staff into customer service roles, available outside normal office hours when many of their customers choose to call.

These steps have started to make a difference. This month, HMRC have answered more than 80% of calls, and average queue times are now around 10 minutes.

January 1, 2023
Martyn Day – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Martyn Day on 2015-12-14.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the timescale is for reaching a decision on the proposals to add Dupuytren’s Contracture to the list of industrial injuries disablement benefit diseases.

Justin Tomlinson

The proposal to add Dupuytren’s Contracture is still under consideration and a decision on this will be made in due course.

January 1, 2023
Chris Law – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Law on 2016-01-22.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the implications for his policies are of the finding of the National Audit Office in its recent report, Contracted-out health and disability assessments, HC 609, of 5 January 2016, that his Department is spending more on fit-for-work assessments than it is saving since reforming health and disability assessments.

Priti Patel

The purpose of the Work Capability Assessment is to assess fairly and accurately entitlement to benefit, not to generate savings.

We have commissioned independent reviews which have all concluded that the assessment regimes for health related benefits remain fit for purpose.

January 1, 2023