Category: Speeches

  • Jo Stevens – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Jo Stevens – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jo Stevens on 2015-11-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make representations to the Colombian government about the FARC prisoners on hunger strike.

    Mr Hugo Swire

    We understand that there are members of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) on hunger strike in 13 prisons across the country. Whilst the United Kingdom cannot interfere in Colombia’s judicial process, we have in the past raised concerns regarding due process and prison conditions with the Government of Colombia – particularly in relation to imprisoned trade unionists. That said we do not currently intend to make specific representations to the Colombian government about the current hunger strike by members of the FARC.

  • Paula Sherriff – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Paula Sherriff – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paula Sherriff on 2015-12-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the British Transport Police budget was in each year from 2009-10 to 2014-15.

    Claire Perry

    The British Transport Police’s budget for each year from 2009-10 to 2014-15 is set out in the table below.

    2009/10

    2010/11

    2011/12

    2012/13

    2013/14

    2014/15

    £000s

    £000s

    £000s

    £000s

    £000s

    £000s

    269,336

    277,014

    264,728

    267,947

    285,724

    292,791
  • Angela Crawley – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Angela Crawley – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Angela Crawley on 2016-01-27.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many lone parents have received letters from Concentrix since 1 January 2015 questioning their reported living arrangements and requesting proof that they are not cohabiting in order to assess their continued eligibility to receive tax credits.

    Mr David Gauke

    HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) routinely carries out checks on tax credits claims to make sure people are receiving the right amount of money and identify fraudulent claims. Since November 2014, Concentrix has been carrying out routine tax credit checks on behalf of HMRC, in addition to the checks HMRC carry out themselves. There are more than 4 million tax credit claimants overall.

    From the number of claimants contacted by Concentrix, HMRC and Concentrix do not categorise data under the heading of lone parent cases.

  • David Hanson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Church Commissioners

    David Hanson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Church Commissioners

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Hanson on 2016-02-19.

    To ask the right hon. Member for Meriden, representing the Church Commissioners, what the average hourly earnings for their (a) female and (b) male (i) full-time and (ii) part-time employees was in each of the last five years.

    Mrs Caroline Spelman

    The following information relates to employees of the Church of England’s National Church Institutions (NCIs). Senior salaries, gender and race information are published each year in the annual reports of Archbishops’ Council, Pensions Board and Church Commissioners.

    Women make up 55% of the total workforce and hold just over 40% of the roles at a senior level. Most roles fit into a pay banding structure which pays the same for equivalent jobs in each band. The equal pay draft regulations have just been published and the NCIs will be reporting in line with the requirements when they have been passed into law.

    Clergy officeholders, as distinct from employees, are paid a stipend rather than a salary. For information female and male Bishops in office receive the same level of stipend. All other clergy officeholder stipends are based on a national stipend benchmark which is set by post and is the same for female and male clergy in each diocese.

  • Bob Blackman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Bob Blackman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Bob Blackman on 2016-03-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what progress has been made on the rebuilding of the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital.

    Ben Gummer

    A Full Business Case for the redevelopment of the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital will go to the trust board later this month and the approved version will be submitted to NHS Improvement for review. This is now very much a priority project for the Department and NHS Improvement.

  • Lord Hoyle – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Lord Hoyle – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hoyle on 2016-04-19.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they are taking to ensure that airlines monitor the quality of cabin air.

    Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

    Currently there is no evidence to suggest that continuous monitoring of aircraft cabin air would be worthwhile. The Government concluded in 2014, after a research programme on cabin air quality lasting for several years, that an international approach to any further research into the issue would be most appropriate. The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has launched a programme of research into this issue in 2015.

    In terms of monitoring individual events, the Civil Aviation Authority’s (CAA) Mandatory Occurrence Reporting Scheme (CAP382) ensures that an event that is considered by crew to be a “safety-related event which endangers or which, if not corrected or addressed, could endanger an aircraft, its occupants or any other person” is reported and investigated.

  • Barbara Keeley – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Barbara Keeley – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Barbara Keeley on 2016-05-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many patients were discharged from hospital between 11pm and 6am in each of the last six years.

    George Freeman

    The information is not held in the format requested.

  • Rachael Maskell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Rachael Maskell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rachael Maskell on 2016-07-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment she has made of the effect of price trends in the baked goods market on (a) the pay and conditions of employees in that sector, (b) public health and (c) the commercial viability of producers.

    George Eustice

    The Government monitors overall food prices using the Consumer Prices Index (CPI). In the year to June 2016 food prices had reduced year-on-year by 2.9% and are over 7% lower than the peak in 2014.

    The Government’s new National Living Wage became law on 1st April 2016. Workers aged 25 and over, and not in the first year of an apprenticeship are legally entitled to at least £7.20 per hour, an increase of fifty pence per hour.

    The Eatwell Guide sets out Government’s recommendations on eating healthily and achieving a balanced diet.

    Two new Apprenticeship Trailblazer Standards, "Baker" and "Advanced Bakery", have been created by industry. The Secretary of State is attending the launch of these new Industry Approved Apprenticeship Standards at a reception at the Houses of Parliament this week.

  • John Spellar – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    John Spellar – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Spellar on 2016-10-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, for what reason the Government made a decision to use French steel for the new Trident submarines.

    Harriett Baldwin

    Steel for the Successor submarine programme is sourced by the Prime Contractor, BAE Systems. There was no viable UK bid for the specialised steel required for this part of the Successor submarine manufacture.

    Other stages of construction will include grades of steel manufactured by British suppliers and we expect them to take the opportunity to bid.

    85% of BAE System’s supply chain for the new submarines is based in the UK.

  • Barry Sheerman – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Barry Sheerman – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Barry Sheerman on 2015-11-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what steps he is taking to ensure that people with dyslexia obtain functional skills qualifications.

    Nick Boles

    The Department enables providers to remove barriers to education and training, and aids progression to higher levels of training, by funding additional learning support to help all eligible learners with an identified support need. The support for those with learning difficulties and/or disabilities, including dyslexia, is an important part of the support the government provides to help individuals maximise their potential and gain employment.

    The Education and Training Foundation will consult with a range of organisations, including those representing learners with particular needs, as part of the programme of reform to English and maths Functional Skills launched last month.