Category: Speeches

  • Chris Stephens – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Chris Stephens – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Stephens on 2016-01-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many staff employed by his Department (a) receive working tax credits and (b) work part-time; and what proportion of each such group are women.

    Justin Tomlinson

    The information requested in part (a) is not readily available and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

    On 31 December 2015 in the Department for Work and Pensions 35,834 employees work part-time and 88% of this group are women.

  • Tom Brake – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Tom Brake – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Brake on 2016-02-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether his Department has made an assessment of the prevalence of slavery in Mauritania.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    We remain concerned about continued reports of slavery in Mauritania, and about the modest sentences handed down in the few successful prosecutions for slavery offences. We welcome the establishment of three courts with specific responsibility for slavery cases. We continue to monitor this topic closely. We regularly raise our concerns with the Mauritanian authorities in the UK and in Nouakchott, and meet human rights and anti-slavery campaigners to discuss the subject.

  • Richard Burden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Richard Burden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2016-03-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the most recent cost estimate is for each of the road projects listed in the Government’s announcement, Major roads investment in the North West, published on 1 December 2014, that have not yet been completed; and what the final costs were of any of those projects that have been completed.

    Andrew Jones

    For schemes that are Open for Traffic, the actual out-turn costs have been provided. Schemes that are in development or construction show the latest approved estimate.

    Scheme Name

    Announced

    Estimated Cost (£m)

    Source of Estimate

    M60 J8 to M62J20:Smart Motorway

    2010

    228

    Under construction

    A556 Knutsford to Bowdon

    2010

    191.9

    Under construction

    M6 J16 to J19

    2013

    223.3

    Under construction

    For the remaining schemes outlined in the 1 December 2014 announcement, the current costs are the cost category as quoted in the RIS Investment Plan, which can be found at:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/381496/roads-investment-strategy-summary-of-schemes.pdf

    There is currently no cost information for the Strategic Studies as they are in the very early stages of investigating options.

    “

  • Louise Haigh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Louise Haigh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Louise Haigh on 2016-04-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the planned timetable is for the scoping exercise for special provisions, including fast tracking for treatment, for people with obstructive sleep apnoea who drive for a living.

    George Freeman

    The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has been asked to develop a clinical guideline and quality standard on sleep disordered breathing (including obstructive sleep apnoea). NICE will develop the scope of the clinical guideline, including the key questions that will be addressed by the guidance, in consultation with stakeholders.

    NICE has advised that there is currently no timetable for developing this guidance.

  • David Lammy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    David Lammy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Lammy on 2016-05-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 27 April 2016 to Question 34579, what plans his Department has to publish information on the performance of the Defence Diversity and Inclusion Programme in increasing the diversity of the armed forces since that programme was established.

    Penny Mordaunt

    The Defence Diversity and Inclusion Programme (DDIP) is driving change in the core areas of leadership and culture; recruitment; retention and progression; and outreach by ensuring diversity and inclusion considerations as part of normal business across the whole Department. This involves staff and funding across all areas of the Department, to define how this should be done and ensure delivery as part of people’s existing roles wherever they work.

    The Ministry of Defence is dedicated to achieving a more diverse workforce and is undertaking various activities to increase the number of Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) recruits into the Armed Forces to 10% by 2020 and has allocated resources for this purpose.

    The cost of funding the DDIP is disaggregated amongst budgets across the Department; therefore a response could only be provided at disproportionate cost. As part of the 2015 Strategic Defence and Security Review we dedicated additional resources to recruitment activity in order to help generate a more diverse workforce and reach all parts of the UK’s Armed Forces community.

  • Lord Freyberg – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Lord Freyberg – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Freyberg on 2016-06-28.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether data about all deaths of NHS cancer patients in England are collected by the National Cancer Registry; and if so, within how many months of death those data are collected.

    Lord Bridges of Headley

    The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.

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

    Lord Mawson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Mawson on 2016-09-08.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the health and safety implications of discarded pieces of rail and equipment alongside tracks across the rail network.

    Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

    The independent regulator, the Office of Rail and Road (ORR), is responsible for monitoring and enforcing health and safety matters in respect of Britain’s railway. It has confirmed that Network Rail has standards in place regarding the removal of material and equipment following the completion of works and that Network Rail provides adequate guidance to its staff on this issue in order to minimise health and safety risks. However, the ORR has noted some inconsistent application of these standards; its inspectors are therefore actively engaging with Network Rail to address this issue.

  • Alex Cunningham – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Alex Cunningham – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alex Cunningham on 2015-11-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to reduce public exposure to lead in the food chain.

    Jane Ellison

    Government set up the independent Lead Ammunition Group in 2010 to provide advice on risks to wildlife and human health from lead shot game. The Government is considering the independent Lead Ammunition Group’s report on the effect of lead shot on human and wildlife health and will respond as soon as possible The Food Standards Agency (FSA) accepts the expert advice of the UK Committee on Toxicity and the European Food Safety Authority that it is not possible to set a safe level for exposure to lead from food. However, to better understand the potential risk to UK consumers the FSA produced a risk assessment in 2012 based on its survey data from 2007 of game meat samples; Veterinary Medicines Directorate data from the national surveillance scheme was also considered. The FSA risk assessment considered the potential levels of exposure to lead from lead shot game for adults, children and toddlers based on different levels of game meat consumption.

    This risk assessment led to FSA issuing targeted advice to frequent consumers of lead shot game in 2012, warning of the potential risks. The advice was promoted as especially important for vulnerable groups such as toddlers and children, pregnant women and women trying for a baby, as exposure to lead can harm the developing brain and nervous system. The FSA risk assessment was published along with this advice. The Government has not estimated the number of people who regularly consume game meat shot with lead.

    More generally, the FSA, works on behalf of the UK within the European Union to agree harmonised controls to reduce public exposure to lead in the food chain. EU maximum limits apply for lead in a range of foods and these are regularly reviewed by the EU Commission and member states. These maximum limits apply to all food produced in the EU or imported to the EU.

  • Michael Tomlinson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Michael Tomlinson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Michael Tomlinson on 2015-12-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what proportion of brownfield land in the Purbeck District Council area has been redesignated as community land trust in the last five years.

    Brandon Lewis

    The Department does not hold information centrally on the amount or type of land held by community land trusts.

    The Department’s annual Green Belt statistics monitor the amount of land designated as Green Belt in England and any changes to the designated area since the previous year. The statistics record the change by local planning authority.

    Of the local planning authorities for which information was requested, the following have made changes to the Green Belt in the last five years:

    East Dorset reduced the area of designated Green Belt in 2014-15 by 160 hectares to 16,720 hectares, a reduction of 1 per cent; and

    Purbeck increased the area of designated Green Belt in 2012-13 by 460 hectares to 8,200 hectares, an increase of 6 per cent.

  • Tim Farron – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Tim Farron – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tim Farron on 2016-01-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much UK steel will be used in the manufacture of the new Type 26 frigates in (a) market value and (b) weight in tonnes.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    Steel is sourced by our contractors from a range of UK and international suppliers, reflecting the need to ensure a competitive price and delivery at the required time and quality. UK suppliers have provided significant quantities of steel for major defence equipment procurement programmes, whenever they have been able to meet specified standards. Our new Government guidelines, published in November 2015, will help UK steel suppliers to compete effectively with international suppliers for major projects, including those in defence.

    No steel suppliers have been selected or any orders placed for the Type 26 Global Combat Ships. It is therefore too early to say how much steel will be used in this programme or from where it will be sourced.