Category: Speeches

  • Owen Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Owen Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Owen Smith on 2016-04-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether transitional protection where entitlement is lower will begin as soon as tax credit recipients start migrating to universal credit.

    Priti Patel

    No-one already on existing benefits or Tax Credits whose circumstances remain the same will lose out in cash terms as a direct result of being moved on to Universal Credit. These claimants will be given transitional protection to avoid cash loss at the point of change.

  • Kerry McCarthy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Kerry McCarthy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kerry McCarthy on 2016-04-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she is reviewing (a) the number of air quality zones expected to comply with nitrogen dioxide limits by 2020 and (b) her Department’s Air Quality Plan to take account of the results of the Government’s diesel emissions testing programme.

    Rory Stewart

    Our air quality plan is based on the best available data and our modelling uses the latest COPERT (Computer Programme to Calculate Emissions from Road Transport) factors to calculate emissions from diesel cars. These derive from a mixture of laboratory and on-road tests and are used by many other Member States across Europe. The ERMES (European Research Group on Mobile Emission Sources) network collates the emission measurement data which are used to update the emissions factors in the COPERT model.

    Tackling air quality is a priority for this Government, which is why in May we will share the results of the testing programme with ERMES. This research will be used to inform their next update, due at the end of the year, ensuring EU-wide emission factors continue to focus on the latest data updated on the basis of real world testing.

  • 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.

  • Marion Fellows – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Marion Fellows – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Marion Fellows on 2016-09-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether it is her Department’s policy to immediately reject visa applications based on the applicant’s nationality.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    It is not Home Office policy to refuse an application for a visa on the basis of an applicant’s nationality. All visa applications are considered on their merits, in accordance with the Immigration Rules.

  • Tom Pursglove – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

    Tom Pursglove – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Pursglove on 2016-10-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what support his Department provides for communities in which Post Offices require relocation.

    Margot James

    The provision and location of Post Offices is the operational responsibility of Post Office Limited.

    Any proposal by Post Office Limited to relocate a post office within a community includes a six week local consultation conducted by the Post Office to let the community know what is happening and seek feedback from interested customers and stakeholders within the community. The Post Office carefully considers all feedback received during the consultation process before making a final decision on whether to relocate.

    The Government recognises the importance of post offices to communities and will have invested £2 billion in the Post Office during the period 2010 to 2018 to maintain the network and invest in transformation of the business which includes money to help relocate post offices to more sustainable locations in their communities. This investment has led to the highest level of network stability in decades.

  • Conor McGinn – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Conor McGinn – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Conor McGinn on 2015-11-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what additional financial support he plans to make available to the NHS to deal with pressure on services in winter 2015-16.

    Mr Jeremy Hunt

    £400 million in resilience money has been invested in the National Health Service for this winter. Learning from previous years, we have put this money into the NHS baseline for 2015/16 so that the NHS can plan effectively at an earlier stage.

    There will be no further additional money for the NHS ahead of winter.

  • 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 2015-12-03.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the report by Save the Children Nowhere safe for Yemen’s children: The deadly impact of explosive weapons in Yemen.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    We are very concerned by reports of any civilian casualties as a result of the ongoing fighting in Yemen. A political solution is the best way to bring long-term stability to Yemen and protect Yemen’s children, their families and communities. The UK is actively supporting the UN’s efforts to achieve a lasting ceasefire and a return to the political transition in Yemen. The UK is providing £75 million to address the humanitarian crisis in Yemen, which includes funding to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), Save the Children, and the Cooperative for Assistance and Relief Everywhere (CARE) to provide specific support to children on protection, malnutrition, health, water and sanitation.

  • Stephen Timms – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Stephen Timms – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2016-01-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the maximum number is of (a) trains and (b) international trains which are able to stop at Stratford International station in each hour.

    Claire Perry

    The Department for Transport does not hold detailed information on the network capability and capacity of the stations on the HS1 network. HS1 Ltd, as the infrastructure manager, is responsible for producing the timetable for the line of route, within the technical and operational capability of the network. HS1 Ltd can be contacted at:

    HS1 Ltd

    12th Floor, One Euston Square

    40 Melton Street

    London

    NW1 2FD

  • Lord Laird – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    Lord Laird – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Laird on 2016-02-02.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what has been the cost to the public purse in each year since 1998 of the operation of the secretariat of the North/South Ministerial Council agreed to in the Belfast Agreement 1998.

    Lord Dunlop

    The North/South Ministerial Council is funded jointly by the Irish Government and the Northern Ireland Executive. The operating costs of the secretariat are published by the NSMC in their Annual Reports which are available on their website.

  • Ben Howlett – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Ben Howlett – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ben Howlett on 2016-02-29.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to secure the appropriate data to monitor the progress of programmes which encourage the uptake of STEM subjects by girls.

    Nick Gibb

    The Government funds a number of programmes which encourage the uptake of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) subjects by girls. We monitor the progress of these programmes against their key performance indicators through regular reports and by evaluating their impact.

    In 2014 the Government published for the first time data showing the proportion of girls and boys studying A levels in science and maths at each post-16 institution, and in 2016 time series data of students entered for mathematics and science A level subjects by number of subjects and gender. Both sets of data will continue to be published on an annual basis.