UKPOL.CO.UK

Category: Speeches

  • Caroline Lucas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Caroline Lucas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2016-06-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much his Department has allocated for Network Rail to produce a feasibility study on the Brighton Mainline Upgrade; and whether he plans for that funding to continue up to 2020.

    Claire Perry

    Network Rail has authorised £8m from its current financial settlement to develop proposals for the upgrade of the Brighton Main Line. The Government will subsequently consider what, if any, additional funding is required, based on its emerging priorities for improvements to the national network.

    This feasibility study is additional to the improvements that will already be delivered in the years up to 2020 by the massive Thameslink programme which will provide substantial additional capacity and improved frequencies together with 1,140 new carriages serving destinations including Brighton.

  • Philip Davies – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Philip Davies – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Philip Davies on 2016-09-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, (a) how many and (b) what proportion of (i) men and (ii) women were refused bail and remanded in custody when the alleged offence related to an incident involving domestic violence in the latest period for which figures are available.

    Mr Sam Gyimah

    This information could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

  • Lord Alton of Liverpool – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Lord Alton of Liverpool – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool on 2015-11-10.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will consider imposing travel bans on, and freezing the assets of, senior figures in the Maldives who have been involved in the suspension of constitutional protections in that country.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    As the Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon Friend the Member for East Devon (Mr Swire) made clear in his statement on 4 November, we are deeply worried by recent developments in the Maldives. While we welcomed the lifting of the State of Emergency on 10 November, we now urge the government to fully uphold the commitments it has made – including as a member of the Commonwealth – to democracy and the rule of law. We will continue to monitor the situation closely and we are carefully considering our next steps.

  • Nia Griffith – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Nia Griffith – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nia Griffith on 2015-12-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what discussions he has had with employers in Wales about the effect of the apprenticeship levy in Wales.

    Nick Boles

    Ministers in the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills have had exchanges with many employers, including those with a UK-wide presence, as part of the consultation exercise held between August and early October this year. These discussions continue. The Government is working with the Welsh Government and other devolved administrations to ensure fair and transparent funding and, as far as possible, to develop a system for administering the levy which complements the skills and apprenticeship policies of each of the devolved administrations and which works for employers wherever they are in the UK.

  • Philip Hollobone – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Philip Hollobone – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Philip Hollobone on 2016-01-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, by what date 100 per cent of residents of (a) Kettering constituency and (b) England will have access to superfast broadband.

    Mr Edward Vaizey

    Based on current delivery plans, it is estimated that 97% of premises in Kettering will have access to superfast broadband by the end of 2017. Additional funding sources, including the gainshare funding that BT have offered in response to the high levels of take-up being achieved, will allow coverage to be extended further in Kettering and the rest of the area covered by the Northamptonshire broadband project.

    The government currently aims to achieve superfast broadband coverage for 95% of UK premises by December 2017, and to extend coverage beyond that as far as possible. As the Prime Minister announced last autumn, the government proposes that by the end of this parliament people should have a legal right to request access to a good level of broadband speed, no matter where they live.

  • Drew Hendry – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Drew Hendry – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Drew Hendry on 2016-02-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what proportion of (a) premises in the Highlands and Islands he estimates will have indoor 4G coverage, (b) the Highlands area he estimates will have complete not-spots for voice and SMS text by 2017.

    Mr Edward Vaizey

    Improving mobile coverage remains a priority for the Government, and our landmark agreement in December 2014 with the four mobile network operators (MNOs) for each to provide voice and SMS text coverage to at least 90% of the UK landmass by 2017 will significantly improve coverage in the UK, including the Highlands area. The additional licence obligation on Telefonica will deliver significant improvements in 4G coverage as well and whilst we have no specific 4G coverage figures for the Highlands and Islands, the obligation will deliver indoor 4G coverage to 95% of premises in Scotland by end 2017.

    These obligations will also more than halve complete not spots for voice calls across the Highland area landmass over the same period.

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

    Cat Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Cat Smith on 2016-03-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many cases of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis have been recorded in (a) the UK, (b) Scotland, (c) Lancaster and (d) East Anglia in each of the last five years.

    Jane Ellison

    This information is not collected in England.

    The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence clinical guidance, Chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis (or encephalopathy): Diagnosis and management of CFS/ME in adults and children, published in 2007, estimates that the annual prevalence is approximately 4,000 cases per million of the population.

  • Julie Cooper – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Julie Cooper – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Julie Cooper on 2016-04-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to paragraph 1.37 of her Department’s White Paper, Educational Excellence Everywhere, published in March 2016, when she plans to convene leading headteachers and other experts to design the new voluntary National Professional Qualifications for leadership roles.

    Nick Gibb

    To develop a reformed suite of National Professional Qualifications, which better prepare new leaders for the full range of leadership roles, the Department for Education anticipates convening a group of leading experts, including school leaders, in the coming months.

  • Julian Knight – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Julian Knight – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Julian Knight on 2016-05-10.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, when Lifetime ISAs will be available to the public.

    Mr David Gauke

    The new Lifetime ISA will provide savers with the flexibility to save towards a first home and retirement at the same time.

    From April 2017, people aged 18 to 40 will be able to save up to £4,000 each year into a Lifetime ISA and receive a 25% bonus from the Government.

    The Government is engaging with the industry on the detail of implementation, regulation and advice on the Lifetime ISA. Further details will be announced when the Government brings forward legislation to enact the Lifetime ISA in the autumn.

  • Lilian Greenwood – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Lilian Greenwood – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lilian Greenwood on 2016-06-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the answer of 13 June 2016 to Question 39848, what the estimated cost to the public purse was of preparing and publishing the Hendry report on Replanning Network Rail’s Investment Programme, published on 25 November 2015.

    Claire Perry

    Network Rail employed two consultancy firms to work on the Hendy Review. Costs associated with this work totalled approximately £470,000.

    We are unable to provide further detail as to the proportion of these costs associated purely with report preparation.

    The estimated cost to the public purse for publishing the Hendy Report, was £22,735 associated with typesetting and printing.

    The above figures do not include costs associated with the embedded workforce because we are unable to disaggregate these costs from staff performing their day to day duties.