Category: Speeches

  • Lord Berkeley – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Lord Berkeley – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Berkeley on 2016-03-07.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the spoil from Crossrail tunnelling deposited at Wallasea Island was authorised under a landfill or recovery permit or licence and whether the same designation will apply to spoil deposited from the Thames Tideway Tunnel excavations.

    Lord Gardiner of Kimble

    The site at Wallasea Island received the Crossrail tunnel excavated material under a deposit for recovery permit.

    Tideway, the Infrastructure Provider set up to finance, build, maintain and operate the Thames Tideway Tunnel, is assessing several sites that were identified as part of the information submitted for the Development Consent Order consent to receive the tunnel excavated material. In order to meet its commitment to transport by river Tideway is focussing on sites in the Thames Estuary. The type of permit these sites require is being assessed in line with current statutory guidance. A number of applications have been made and are being determined by the Environment Agency.

  • Nicholas Soames – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Nicholas Soames – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicholas Soames on 2016-04-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what estimate he has made of growth of the digital economy in the last five years; and what assessment he has made of its contribution to GDP.

    Mr Edward Vaizey

    Growth in the Digital Sector (measured by GVA) between 2009 and 2014 was 26.3% (in comparison to a 20% growth of the UK Economy as a whole). According to DCMS research, the digital sector accounted for 6.9% Gross Value Added in 2010, and 7.3% in 2014.

  • Andy McDonald – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Andy McDonald – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andy McDonald on 2016-05-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, who funds arrangements for the DFT Rail North Board meetings.

    Andrew Jones

    The funding arrangements for the Rail North Partnership are a combination of direct funding from DfT to cover the staffing cost that would have been incurred in the management of the two franchises at DfT as well as Rail North Limited membership fees and an allocation of Rail Administration Grant from Combined Authorities. This funding is fixed and indexed. This funding covers all activities undertaken by the Rail North Partnership, including the DfT/Rail North Strategic Board meetings.

  • Paul Farrelly – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Paul Farrelly – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Farrelly on 2016-07-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, with reference to the oral contribution of the Minister for Public Health of 17 December 2015, Official Report, column 638WH, when he plans to publish the Public Health Research Consortium report on the effect of e-cigarettes.

    Jane Ellison

    The Department’s Policy Research Programme funds the Public Health Research Consortium (PHRC). The PHRC is undertaking the project ‘E-Cigarettes: Development of Tools to Measure Norms Towards Ordinary Cigarettes and Nicotine Use’. This started in April 2015 and is currently in the write-up stage. It is due to go to peer review and publication plans will be developed subsequently.

  • Lord Beecham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Lord Beecham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Beecham on 2016-10-03.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what progress they have made in developing a new formula for school funding; and when the new formula will be applied.

    Lord Nash

    In July, the Secretary of State committed to introduce national funding formulae for schools and high needs from financial year 2018-19. We are considering the options carefully, taking into account the need to give schools and local authorities stability, and the importance of getting these historic reforms right. We will set out detailed proposals later in the autumn, and make decisions early next year, for the new system to be in place from April 2018.

  • Ian Blackford – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Ian Blackford – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Blackford on 2015-11-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department conducted an economic impact assessment of the proposed byelaw changes for the waters between the mainland of Scotland and the Island of Raasay.

    Mark Lancaster

    The views submitted by members of the public and other local stakeholders as part of the public consultation on the proposed changes will be used to inform if the Ministry of Defence is justified in producing an economic impact as this is not required as part of the review process.

    Full and proper consultation on the proposed new byelaws with local fishing communities and stakeholders is part of the current byelaws review process. The review was preceded by initial discussions between QinetiQ and local fishing communities over the summer. While the byelaw review has been extended to the end of November 2015, there is no plan to suspend the on-going public consultation phase of the byelaw review.

  • Carolyn Harris – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Carolyn Harris – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Carolyn Harris on 2015-12-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what information he holds on the public satisfaction rating of HM Land Registry.

    Anna Soubry

    Reports from Quarter 2 2015 show that the customer satisfaction score from the customer satisfaction survey is currently 95%.

  • 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 2016-01-21.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what consultation they have had with community groups, organisations, and individuals to assess whether the policy of parity of esteem set out in the Belfast Agreement 1998 is working effectively, and what action they have taken as a result.

    Lord Dunlop

    I have nothing further to add to my earlier responses on parity of esteem.

  • Lord Rooker – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Lord Rooker – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Rooker on 2016-02-10.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government on what date the Anti-Corruption Summit in London referred to by the Prime Minister in his speech in Singapore on 28 July 2015 will take place; who will be invited; whether there will be opportunities for anti-corruption organisations to participate; and how the British Overseas Territories will be involved in that Summit.

    Lord Bridges of Headley

    In his Singapore speech the Prime Minister said the summit would take place in May 2016, a specific date will be announced in due course. The summit will bring together a range of governments and major international organisations in a commitment to strengthen the global response to corruption. On the involvement of the Overseas Territories, I refer the hon. Member to the Prime Minister’s response to the hon. Member for Hornsey and Wood Green (C21654) on 15th January 2016.

  • Lord Hylton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Lord Hylton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hylton on 2016-03-07.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they plan to take, if any, to get the current ceasefires in Syria enlarged to include the whole of south-east Turkey.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    There are no plans to extend the Syrian Cessation of Hostilities to south-east Turkey. Violence by the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) must end and we support a return to peace talks between Turkey and the PKK, in the interests of Turkey and the wider region.