Category: Speeches

  • Angela Eagle – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Angela Eagle – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Angela Eagle on 2016-09-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what progress has been made on the review of the Mersey tunnel tolls.

    Andrew Jones

    The Review of the Mersey Tunnel Tolls is being undertaken by the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority. I welcome the decision taken at its February meeting to reduce the cost of tolls to Fast Tag users. This was implemented from the 1st April this year, bringing significant benefits to local people. The Combined Authority is continuing its Review of tolls, to ensure that a sustainable long term position can be reached. I understand that an update report is due to be presented to the Authority this Autumn.

  • Lord Berkeley – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Lord Berkeley – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Berkeley on 2015-11-05.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions are taking place between the Department for Transport and HM Treasury about the disposal of land owned by (1) Network Rail, and (2) London and Continental Railways.

    Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

    The Summer Budget stated “the government will introduce a new approach to station redevelopment and commercial land sales on the rail network, building on the experience of regenerating land around Kings Cross Station and Stratford in East London – the government will establish a dedicated body to focus on pursuing opportunities to realise value from public land and property assets in the rail network to both maximise the benefit to local communities and reduce the burden of public debt”. Discussions are taking place to develop an approach that maximises value for the taxpayer and supports the safe and efficient operation of the rail network.

    The disposal of Network Rail’s assets must be in accordance with its network licence, which is regulated by the Office of Rail and Road. London and Continental Railways’ asset disposals are approved by the company’s board and the Department for Transport.

    Sale contracts for land will not impose conditions on the seller in relation to noise and vibration. Proximity to the railway and related issues such as noise and vibration are generally considered as part of the planning process, which is regulated by the relevant planning authority in accordance with environmental legislation.

  • Stephen Timms – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Stephen Timms – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2015-12-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether additional financial support is available to local authorities who participate in the Syrian Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Scheme to assist them with housing Syrian refugees.

    Richard Harrington

    The first 12 months of each refugee’s resettlement costs are met from the UK’s overseas aid budget. At the Spending Review, government committed £129m to assist with local authority costs over years 2-5 of the scheme. This is a substantial level of funding which will enable local authorities to support these vulnerable people as they rebuild their lives in safe and secure surroundings, among supportive communities in the UK.

  • Greg Mulholland – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Greg Mulholland – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Greg Mulholland on 2016-01-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many Tier 2 visas were (a) applied for and (b) awarded to (i) Bangladeshis, (ii) Indians and (iii) Pakistanis in each year since such visas were introduced.

    James Brokenshire

    The information requested is given in the following tables.

    The latest quarterly Home Office immigration statistics on entry clearance visas are published in ‘Immigration Statistics, April-June 2015’, available from the Library of the House and from the Home Office website at:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/migration-statistics

  • Liz Saville Roberts – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Liz Saville Roberts – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Liz Saville Roberts on 2016-02-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what progress he has made on commissioning an independent review of S4C’s future remit and funding.

    Mr Edward Vaizey

    The Government is committed to a comprehensive review of S4C which will take place in 2017. Details of the review will be finalised in due course.

  • Jonathan Ashworth – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Jonathan Ashworth – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jonathan Ashworth on 2016-03-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many officials of his Department resigned in each of the last 12 months.

    Justin Tomlinson

    The numbers of employees who resigned from the Department for Work and Pensions in each of the last 12 months is as follows:

    Month

    Resignations

    Resignations as a % of workforce

    February 2015

    121

    0.13%

    March 2015

    156

    0.17%

    April 2015

    177

    0.19%

    May 2015

    186

    0.20%

    June 2015

    151

    0.16%

    July 2015

    219

    0.25%

    August 2015

    212

    0.24%

    September 2015

    233

    0.27%

    October 2015

    175

    0.20%

    November 2015

    171

    0.20%

    December 2015

    136

    0.16%

    January 2016

    134

    0.16%
  • Paul Maynard – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Paul Maynard – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Maynard on 2016-04-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what specialist support is available for health visitors in diagnosing and referring children with cerebral palsy.

    Jane Ellison

    There are no plans to establish a national register of children with cerebral palsy. PACE, the charity which supports children and families affected by motor disorders such as cerebral palsy indicates that the current United Kingdom incidence rate of cerebral palsy is around one in 400 births and that approximately 1,800 children are diagnosed with cerebral palsy every year.

    It is the responsibility of the professional regulators to set the standards and outcomes for education and training and approve training curricula to ensure newly qualified healthcare professionals are equipped with the knowledge, skills and attitudes to provide high quality patient care. This includes training to diagnose and provide care for children with cerebral palsy.

    Health Education England works with bodies that set curricula such as the General Medical Council and the royal colleges to seek to ensure training meets the needs of patients.

    Employers are responsible for ensuring that staff receive appropriate development to continue to deliver safe and effective healthcare.

    The Health Visitor training programme is not a condition specific programme of training. Health Visitors are all qualified nurses and/or midwives with a broad range of clinical skills. They undertake an additional year of training to be a health visitor during which they specialise in child and family issues.

    Health Visitors can support families with a child with cerebral palsy in the management of the clinical aspects of the condition. They can also advise on links to other specialist services, resources and groups to support the needs of the family and the child.

    The Department has asked the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence to prepare a clinical guideline on the diagnosis and management of cerebral palsy. It is expected to be published in January 2017.

  • Gordon Marsden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Gordon Marsden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gordon Marsden on 2016-05-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what measures the Government has (a) planned and (b) implemented to monitor the effects of abolishing student maintenance grants on students that the equality impact analysis identified would be disproportionately affected by that policy.

    Joseph Johnson

    Replacing maintenance grants with loans for new full-time students in 2016/17 will ensure the higher education system remains financially sustainable whilst enabling the sector to make progress in widening participation amongst those from disadvantaged backgrounds. The Government will continue to monitor and evaluate a wide range of data and evidence relating to the Higher Education sector. This will include data on application and participation rates from the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) and the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), as well as take-up and repayment rates of student financial support using Student Loans Company (SLC) data.

  • Lord Alton of Liverpool – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Lord Alton of Liverpool – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool on 2016-06-29.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of reports that at least 85,000 refugees have escaped from Fallujah, and of the adequacy of the camps that have been established by the UNHCR for those refugees.

    Baroness Verma

    According to the UN, 85,000 people have been displaced from Fallujah and the surrounding area since May. The UK is concerned by the humanitarian situation in the Fallujah area, including overcrowded camps and the risks posed by the extreme heat of the Iraqi summer.

    The UK is working closely with UN, government and other partners to ensure that humanitarian assistance reaches people who have fled Fallujah. We call on all sides to the conflict to respect International Humanitarian Law and to ensure free, unimpeded access for humanitarian agencies.

    Since June 2014, the UK has committed £79.5 million in humanitarian assistance to the crisis in Iraq. The UK is the largest contributor to the Iraq Humanitarian Pooled Fund, through which we are funding projects to support those leaving Fallujah.

  • Lord Foulkes of Cumnock – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Lord Foulkes of Cumnock – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Foulkes of Cumnock on 2016-09-09.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will publish all representations they have received following the delay in opening the airport at St Helena to commercial traffic.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    The St Helena Government, supported by DFID, is in discussions with a number of possible air service providers. On commercial grounds, it would not be appropriate to publish the representations at this time