Category: Speeches

  • Natalie McGarry – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Natalie McGarry – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Natalie McGarry on 2015-11-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people were in receipt of the carer addition element of pension credit in (a) the UK, (b) Scotland, (c) Glasgow and (d) Glasgow East constituency in the most recent period for which figures are available.

    Justin Tomlinson

    The information requested, to answer the three questions above, is shown in the table below for February 2015, which is the latest data available.

    Pension Credit Claimants with a Carer’s additional amount, by age and gender for Great Britain, Scotland, Glasgow City Local Authority and Glasgow East constituency – February 2015

    All Persons

    Age of claimant

    Great Britain

    Scotland

    Glasgow City LA

    Glasgow East Constituency

    Total all Ages

    209,740

    22,340

    3,490

    750

    60

    61

    10

    62

    3,340

    360

    70

    10

    63

    7,510

    730

    140

    30

    64

    8,310

    900

    150

    40

    65

    8,120

    850

    130

    30

    66

    8,610

    920

    160

    40

    67

    9,090

    970

    170

    40

    Male

    Age of claimant

    Great Britain

    Scotland

    Glasgow City LA

    Glasgow East Constituency

    Total all Ages

    132,540

    13,330

    1,970

    400

    60

    61

    62

    2,010

    190

    40

    63

    4,750

    430

    70

    10

    64

    5,430

    540

    80

    20

    65

    4,870

    490

    70

    10

    66

    5,170

    520

    80

    20

    67

    5,460

    540

    90

    20

    Female

    Age of claimant

    Great Britain

    Scotland

    Glasgow City LA

    Glasgow East Constituency

    Total all Ages

    77,200

    9,000

    1,520

    350

    60

    61

    62

    1,330

    170

    30

    10

    63

    2,760

    290

    60

    20

    64

    2,880

    360

    70

    20

    65

    3,260

    360

    60

    20

    66

    3,440

    400

    70

    20

    67

    3,630

    420

    80

    20

    Source: DWP, 100% data.

    Notes:
    1. "-" denotes nil or negligible; Caseload figures are rounded to the nearest ten; some additional disclosure control has also been applied. Totals may not sum due to rounding.
    2. STATE PENSION AGE: The age at which men and women reach State Pension age is gradually increasing. Under current legislation, State Pension age for women will equalise with State Pension age for men at 65 in 2018. Both men’s and women’s State Pension age will increase from 65 to 66 between December 2018 and October 2020. The Pensions Bill 2013-14 contains provision for a State Pension age of 67 to be reached by 2028. For more information see:
    https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/207966/espa.pdf.
    3. Parliamentary Constituency of claimant (Westminster) these constituencies are used for the Westminster parliament

    4. Information for Northern Ireland is the responsibility of the Department for Social Development. Northern Ireland statistics can be found at:
    http://www.dsdni.gov.uk/index/stats_and_research/benefit_publications.htm

  • Margaret Ferrier – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Scotland Office

    Margaret Ferrier – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Scotland Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Margaret Ferrier on 2015-12-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, on what dates since 19 October 2015 Scotland Office Ministers and officials and their counterparts at UK Trade and Investment have met to discuss the Scottish steel industry; what issues affecting that industry were discussed on each occasion; and if he will make a statement.

    David Mundell

    The Government has created three working groups to respond to the issues affecting the steel industry; on competitiveness and productivity, procurement and international comparisons. Each group meets regularly and updates have been provided by the Scotland Office or Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) at each meeting of the Scottish Steel Task Force. Officials from the Scottish Government are invited to attend all working group meetings.

    The working group on competitiveness and productivity includes representatives from UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) and has been considering, amongst other things, issues relating to exports and foreign and direct investment. It has met three times since 19 October (28 October, 11 November and 8 December). In addition, a workshop was held on 18 November.

    As a consequence of these deliberations, work is being done by BIS and UKTI that will result in increased visibility of UK Export Finance (UKEF) with the UK steel sector. Improvements will also be made to the identification of forthcoming international projects requiring a high steel content with better mechanisms to share these opportunities with the UK steel sector. UKTI have also been working closely with Scottish Development International to support them in trying to identify potential international investors that may be interested in the Tata Steel plate mills at Dalzell and Clydebridge.

  • Andrew Percy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Andrew Percy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Percy on 2016-01-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many defibrillators are provided in each building his Department manages.

    Priti Patel

    The Department does not currently hold a record of sites that have defibrillators. The Department’s current policy is not to install defibrillators on its sites unless approached by an Ambulance Trust or other external organisations who want to do so. We are, however, currently reviewing this policy to ensure it reflects up to date advice from our Occupational Health Advisers.

  • Lord Smith of Hindhead – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Lord Smith of Hindhead – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Smith of Hindhead on 2016-02-02.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many arrests were made in 2015 within establishments that hold a premises licence as defined under Part 3 of the Licensing Act 2003.

    Lord Bates

    The Home Office does not hold data centrally on the number of arrests made in establishments operating under a premises licence or under a club premises certificate, or the number of arrests under the Licensing Act 2003.

    The Home Office collects data on the number of arrests broken down by offence group and police force area. This data cannot be broken down to the level of detail requested.

    The Home Office does not hold data centrally on the number of times the police were called to attend an incident at establishments operating under a premises licence or under a club premises certificate.

  • Sharon Hodgson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Sharon Hodgson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sharon Hodgson on 2016-02-29.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much additional funding for 2016-17 her Department has allocated to (a) Ofsted and (b) the Care Quality Commission to support their inspection of the effectiveness of local areas in fulfilling their new special educational needs and disabilities duties.

    Edward Timpson

    For the financial year 2016-17, the department has allocated £1,057,675 of funding to Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission, in order to meet the costs of their inspections of local areas’ effectiveness in fulfilling their new special educational needs and disabilities duties.

  • Rebecca Long Bailey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Rebecca Long Bailey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rebecca Long Bailey on 2016-03-24.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to paragraph 2.19 of the report, Overview of Tax Legislation and Rates, published on 16 March 2016, what consultation with industry his Department undertook when considering which technologies will be added or removed from the list of qualifying technologies for the first-year allowance scheme for energy-saving and environmentally-beneficial technologies.

    Damian Hinds

    At Budget 2016, the Government announced changes to 100 percent enhanced capital allowances for energy-saving and environmentally-beneficial (water-efficient) technologies.

    Each autumn, the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) consult manufacturers and suppliers. DECC and Defra then recommend to Treasury Ministers updates to the schemes.

    Details of the changes will be set out in Treasury Order 2001/2541 for energy and 2003/2076 for water in the next few months. As is routine, an impact assessment will be published alongside the Order.

  • Alan Brown – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Alan Brown – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alan Brown on 2016-04-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether the Government is taking steps to encourage progress towards the holding of a referendum in Western Sahara.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    It is for the parties to the dispute to agree a resolution of the final status of Western Sahara. The UK encourages both sides to cooperate with the United Nations process to reach a mutually acceptable solution that provides for the self-determination for the people of Western Sahara.

  • Tom Blenkinsop – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Tom Blenkinsop – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Blenkinsop on 2016-06-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to paragraph 9.2.7 of the report by Lord Heseltine, Tees Valley: opportunity unlimited, published in June 2016, if he will make it his policy to provide a new strategic road Tees crossing.

    Andrew Jones

    The first Road Investment Strategy (RIS) recognises that tackling congestion on the A19 is a priority and includes a scheme to widen the A19 between the A1027 (Norton) and A689 (Wynyard).

    In addition, the Tees Valley Combined Authority and the local authorities are working in partnership with Highways England to identify options for a new crossing of the Tees to enhance the road network. The Combined Authority has made a bid to the Department’s Large Majors scheme for 2016/17 to develop proposals. The results of bids into this fund are due to be published in July 2016.

    Highways England has begun gathering evidence to support the development of the second RIS period which commences in 2020/21. The evidence from Lord Heseltine’s Report will be taken into account in this process.

  • Barry Sheerman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Barry Sheerman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Barry Sheerman on 2016-09-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to speed up the process of family reunification for unaccompanied refugee children in Europe.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    The Government began work to implement the ‘Dubs amendment’ immediately after the Immigration Bill gained Royal Assent. Over 30 children who meet the criteria in the Immigration Act have been accepted for transfer since it received Royal Assent in May, the majority of these have already arrived in the UK.

    We continue to work with the French, Greek and Italian authorities and others to speed up existing family reunification processes or implement new processes where necessary for unaccompanied children. We have seconded a UK official to Greece; we have a long-standing secondee working in Italy and will shortly be seconding another official to the French Interior Ministry to support these efforts.

    We have established a dedicated team in the Home Office Dublin Unit to lead on family reunion cases for unaccompanied children. Transfer requests under the Dublin Regulation are now generally processed within 10 days and children transferred within weeks. Over 120 children have been accepted for transfer this year from Europe.

    We also continue to consult local authorities about the transfer unaccompa-nied refugee children from Europe to the UK, where it is in their best interests

  • Lord Empey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Trade

    Lord Empey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Trade

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Empey on 2016-10-18.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether, in the light of the UK’s decision to leave the EU, the proposed trade deal between the EU and Canada should be amended to take account of the consequent reduction in the population of the EU.

    Lord Price

    Until we complete our withdrawal negotiations, the UK remains a full member of the EU, with all the rights and responsibilities of membership. The UK Government has been clear in its support for the EU-Canada Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA). This approach is in line with our commitment to back the EU’s trade agenda and participate constructively in decision-making on trade while the UK remains a member of the EU.

    The negotiations between the European Commission and Canada on CETA were concluded in August 2014. A legal revision of the text making further amendments was completed in February 2016.