Category: Speeches

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

    Lord Greaves – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

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

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many persons other than those working on the railway have been killed on (1) the UK railways, and (2) the London Underground, in each of the last 10 years, and in the current year so far; and how many of those were (a) suicides, (b) accidents to persons trespassing on the line, (c) accidents at level crossings, and (d) owing to other causes.

    Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

    Other than those working on the railway, the number of fatalities on UK Railways over the past decade and to date this year is noted in Table 1 below.

    Table 1: Fatalities on UK Railways

    2005/06

    2006/07

    2007/08

    2008/09

    2009/10

    2010/11

    2011/12

    2012/13

    2013/14

    2014/15

    2015/16*

    Suicide

    225

    225

    207

    219

    243

    208

    250

    246

    278

    292

    142

    Trespass

    44

    43

    52

    46

    42

    24

    40

    33

    22

    22

    15

    Level Crossings

    13

    10

    10

    12

    13

    6

    4

    9

    8

    11

    0

    Other

    8

    11

    6

    6

    6

    9

    8

    4

    4

    4

    4

    Totals

    290

    289

    275

    283

    304

    247

    302

    292

    312

    329

    161

    *April – September

    The Department for Transport does not hold any information in relation to fatalities on London Underground.

  • Lord Ramsbotham – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Lord Ramsbotham – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Ramsbotham on 2015-12-07.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government by what process Dr Tony Sewell was appointed to the Youth Justice Board.

    Lord Faulks

    The Secretary of State for Justice, appointed Dr Tony Sewell to the Youth Justice Board with the agreement of the Commissioner for Public Appointments. The process followed was that recommended by the Office of the Commissioner for Public Appointments. Details of the appointment were published on the Government website on 29 October.

  • Baroness Manzoor – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Baroness Manzoor – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Manzoor on 2016-01-18.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many Carer’s Allowance claimants have a claim linked to a Personal Independence Payments daily living award.

    Baroness Altmann

    The information requested is not readily available and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

  • Ruth Cadbury – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Ruth Cadbury – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ruth Cadbury on 2016-02-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what support the Government (a) has provided and (b) plans to provide to governments in Africa for eradicating the killing of animals for the ivory trade.

    Rory Stewart

    The UK Government works closely with African and other countries to promote the conservation of the world’s wildlife, including through galvanising action to end the illegal trade in ivory.

    We hosted the London Conference on the Illegal Wildlife Trade in February 2014, and supported the Government of Botswana in its hosting of a follow-up Conference in March 2015.

    The UK actively supports the African-led Elephant Protection Initiative, launched in the margins of the London Conference, which now has eleven African countries as members. We have committed over £1 million to this initiative over the last two years.

    Defra’s Illegal Wildlife Trade Challenge Fund has made grants to 19 projects in its first round, including eight projects in Africa, worth £2.1 million, tackling the ivory trade. Projects to be funded under a second round will be announced shortly.

    The UK is also providing training in counter-poaching activity in Gabon, through the Ministry of Defence, and has provided support for judicial capacity building in skills related to tackling the illegal trade in wildlife products in Kenya and Tanzania.

  • Andrew Gwynne – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Andrew Gwynne – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Gwynne on 2016-03-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, with reference to page 15 of the interim report of the Accelerated Access Review, published October 2014, what recent discussions he has had on the implementation of new models of pricing and reimbursing drugs; when he anticipates implementing such new models; what discussions he has had with (a) his Department’s officials and (b) external organisations on the applicability of such models to drugs targeting the genetically validated target PCSK9; and if he will make a statement.

    George Freeman

    The Accelerated Access Review, chaired by Sir Hugh Taylor, will make recommendations to government on reforms to accelerate access for National Health Service patients to innovative medicines and medical technologies making our country the best place in the world to design, develop and deploy these products. The terms of the reference for the review focus on faster access to innovations, which may include drugs that target genetically validated targets such as PCSK9 and BCL2.

  • John Healey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    John Healey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Healey on 2016-04-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what average time the Housing Ombudsman has taken to allocate a case in each year since 2009-10.

    Brandon Lewis

    We do not hold this data centrally.

  • Madeleine Moon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Madeleine Moon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Madeleine Moon on 2016-05-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people with Parkinson’s disease who leased a Motability vehicle under disability living allowance were assessed as being ineligible for that vehicle under personal independence payment prior to any subsequent appeal.

    Justin Tomlinson

    The Department does not hold this information. Motability is an independent charitable organisation that is wholly responsible for the administration of the Motability scheme, including collating its own management information and client statistics. Whilst the Department meets regularly with Motability to discuss scheme performance, questions relating to the details of the scheme’s operation should be directed to Motability itself.

    We recognise that the transition from Disability Living Allowance to Personal Independence Payment (PIP) can be challenging for some individuals, which is why the Department worked closely with Motability as we developed our plans for the introduction of PIP. The Motability charity provides a one-off package of transitional support and advice to support customers who no longer meet the eligibility criteria for the Motability Scheme. For most of these customers who entered into their first lease agreement with Motability before January 2013, Motability will provide transitional support of £2,000. This will enable many former Scheme customers to continue to meet their mobility needs by purchasing a used car.

    For customers who entered into their first lease agreement with the scheme during 2013, Motability will supply transitional support of £1,000 to assist with mobility costs. Motability is also providing help with the cost of adaptations made to non-scheme vehicles and information on non-scheme motoring and insurance. The Scheme also offers customers an opportunity to purchase their vehicle after the end of the lease.

  • Jim Shannon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Jim Shannon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-06-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment her Department has made of the merits of the Investment Case prepared by the Global Fund to fight AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria in preparation for its replenishment conference on 16 September 2016.

    Mr Nick Hurd

    The investment case projects that a successful replenishment will enable the Global Fund to save 8 million lives and avert up to 300 million new infections over the replenishment period 2017-2019. The UK wishes to see a successful replenishment, both the investment case and the conclusions of the Multilateral Aid Review and Bilateral Aid Review will be important in determining the Government’s contribution to the fifth replenishment.

  • David Hanson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    David Hanson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Hanson on 2016-09-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the cost to date has been of the current tender process for civil and crown court reporting and transcribing services.

    Sir Oliver Heald

    Court Reporting & Transcription Project Costs are currently estimated at £687k.

    This relates to MOJ staff costs, the use of external advice in the preparation of contracts and conducting due diligence tests of bidders.

  • Lord Touhig – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Lord Touhig – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Touhig on 2015-11-10.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the relocation of families on staff retention in the Defence Medical Services.

    Earl Howe

    Based on the results of exit interviews, conducted when an individual leaves the Service, the majority of medical officers who choose to leave are citing stability as a reason.

    The Surgeon General is aware of the reasons why medical officers are choosing to leave and is working with the heads of the single Service medical branches to address this.