Category: Speeches

  • Emily Thornberry – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Emily Thornberry – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Emily Thornberry on 2016-02-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the oral statement of 6 March 2014, Official Report, column 1077, on nuclear submarines, how much his Department set aside for financial risk provision within the submarine programme budget in each of the last six years.

    Penny Mordaunt

    At the programme level it is approximately 10% of the budget with a further contingency fund being available centrally. Risk management is an on-going process which is forward-looking by its very nature. Financial risk provision is a dynamic element of the overall programme budget; as risks are identified, managed, mitigated and retired the associated risk provision at various levels in the Department changes.

  • Margaret Ferrier – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Scotland Office

    Margaret Ferrier – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Scotland Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Margaret Ferrier on 2016-03-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, how many Instant Rewards of what value were given to his Department’s officials in each of the last five financial years.

    David Mundell

    The following provides information on the number and total value of Instant Rewards given to officials in each of the last five years.

    Year

    Instant Rewards

    Total Value

    2014-15

    0

    0

    2013-14

    0

    0

    2012-13

    0

    0

    2011-12

    4

    £115

    2010-11

    14

    £670

  • Cat Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Cat Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

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

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to reduce the waiting time to receive an electric wheelchair through NHS Wheelchair Services after being determined eligible to receive one.

    Alistair Burt

    No data is currently available in relation to waiting times for wheelchairs for 2014-15. A new national data collection has been introduced (from July 2015) to all clinical commissioning groups to allow for transparency and benchmarking their services. Data has so far been published for quarter 2 and quarter 3 2015/16. However, this is a new collection and does not yet provide an opportunity to draw national or regional comparisons.

    The new dataset is part of the work that NHS England is taking forward in partnership with service users, carers and others to lay the foundations for improvement across the country. A tariff for wheelchairs will enable commissioners to move away from simple contracts, and so increase efficiency and better align resources with service users’ needs; support and resources for clinical commissioning groups will help them improve their commissioning of wheelchair services.

  • Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2016-05-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many and what proportion of named day written parliamentary questions have been answered after the specified date by each Minister in his Department since May 2015.

    Mr Edward Vaizey

    In an oral evidence session to the House of Commons Procedure Committee on 27th April it was noted by the Minister for Sport that though the department had experienced a dip in its performance for timeliness of answers to written questions since May 2015, there has also been a significant improvement in performance in recent months.

    The Table shows Named Day responses from 27th May 2015 to 29th April 2016:

    Minister

    Named Day Questions answered

    Number of Late Named Day Questions

    The Minister for Culture

    321

    146

    The Minister for Sport

    109

    30

  • Lord Sharkey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Lord Sharkey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Sharkey on 2016-06-29.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have received about the summary and non-appealable closure by UK-based banks of accounts belonging to Muslims or Muslim organisations; from whom they received those representations, if any; and what response they made.

    Lord O’Neill of Gatley

    The withdrawal of banking services from certain sectors, including NGOs and community-based organisations, is unfortunately one instance of a global problem of de-risking affecting many countries and a number of sectors. The Government is concerned about the growth of this trend and the implications it has for NGOs, economic growth, financial inclusion and financial stability. That is why the Government continues to work closely with those affected in the UK to better understand their experiences and encourage dialogue with the banking sector. The Government also encourages banks to take a risk-based approach in their activities, to ensure that the measures they take are effective and proportionate, and that they mitigate the risks they face.

    Treasury Ministers and officials receive representations and have meetings with a wide variety of organisations and individuals as part of the process of policy development and delivery.

    Details of ministerial and permanent secretary meetings with external organisations on departmental business are published on a quarterly basis and are available on the gov.uk website.

  • Baroness Hamwee – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Baroness Hamwee – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Hamwee on 2016-09-09.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what training staff at Tinsley House have received to ensure that they are able to work with children.

    Baroness Williams of Trafford

    The training requirements for Home Office, custodial service provider and NHS England staff at Tinsley House pre-departure accommodation are equivalent to those for Cedars.

    As set out in Detention Services Order 19/2012 ‘Detention and Escorting Safeguarding Children policy’, updated in May 2016, all staff working with children receive suitable training, which must be at least equivalent to Tier 1 of the Home Office ‘Keeping Children Safe’.

  • Kerry McCarthy – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Kerry McCarthy – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kerry McCarthy on 2015-11-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much (a) her Department and (b) each of its arm’s length bodies has spent on staff redundancies in each of the last five years.

    George Eustice

    The cost of compulsory redundancies is set out in Defra’s Annual Report and Accounts. These are published annually on GOV.UK and links are provided below.

    https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/defras-annual-report-and-accounts-2014-to-2015

    https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/defras-annual-report-and-accounts-2013-to-2014

    https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/defra-annual-report-and-accounts-2012-to-2013

    https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/annual-report-and-accounts-2011-to-2012–6

    https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/annual-report-and-accounts-2010-11

    “

  • Meg Hillier – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Meg Hillier – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Meg Hillier on 2015-12-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many (a) First-tier Tribunal (Immigration and Asylum Chamber) and (b) Upper Tribunal (Immigration and Asylum Chamber) hearing centres are projected to close in (i) London and (ii) the UK in the next five years.

    Mr Shailesh Vara

    There are currently no plans to close any First-tier Tribunal or Upper Tribunal Immigration and Asylum hearing centres.

  • Steve McCabe – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Steve McCabe – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2016-01-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if his Department will include a specific reference to the abolition of the death penalty in its global human rights priorities.

    Mr David Lidington

    The Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s (FCO) work on abolition of the death penalty is intrinsic to this Government’s pursuit of human rights in their universality. The FCO’s Magna Carta Fund for Human Rights and Democracy, which for the financial year 2016-17 will be doubled in value, is available to support abolitionist projects under any of its three objectives: democratic values and the rule of law; strengthening the rules-based international order; and human rights for a stable world.

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

    David Davis – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Davis on 2016-02-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether personnel from Reaper Squadrons 39 and 13 attended military meetings in Tobruk between 18 January and 31 January 2016.

    Penny Mordaunt

    The Government has a long-standing policy not to comment on intelligence matters.