Category: Speeches

  • Lilian Greenwood – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Lilian Greenwood – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lilian Greenwood on 2016-05-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the membership is of his Department’s Board Investment and Commercial Sub Committee.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    The Department’s Board Investment and Commercial Sub-Committee is chaired by the Permanent Secretary. Its membership consists of: the Directors General, the Directors for Corporate Finance, Group Finance, Analysis & Strategy, Group Commercial Services, and Group Assurance; the Department’s Commercial Adviser; the Director of Legal; and the Lead Non-Executive Board Member. Other Non-Executive Board Members attend by invitation.

  • Angela Crawley – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Angela Crawley – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Angela Crawley on 2016-06-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many women who claimed asylum on the grounds of sexual violence in their home country are in immigration detention.

    James Brokenshire

    Information on the reasons for a claim for asylum is not readily accessible from central statistical records and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost through a manual search of individual case files.

  • Lord West of Spithead – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Lord West of Spithead – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord West of Spithead on 2016-09-05.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the planned out-of-service date for HMS Ocean, and how her landing platform helicopter capabilities will be provided prior to the entry into service of HMS Prince of Wales.

    Earl Howe

    HMS OCEAN entered service in 1998 with an expected in service life of 20 years and she will decommission in 2018. The Strategic Defence Security Review 2015 made provision to augment the Queen Elizabeth Class carriers and maximise their ability to support amphibious operations. Prior to the carriers being brought into service, other Royal Navy and Royal Fleet Auxiliary ships will provide support to amphibious operations.

  • Lisa Cameron – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

    Lisa Cameron – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lisa Cameron on 2016-10-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of granting additional funding for the National Engineering Laboratory (NEL) for investment in the national measurement infrastructure; and what assessment he has made of the extent of the contribution which the NEL makes in that area.

    Margot James

    The Government fully appreciates the importance of measurement science to the UK’s economic prosperity and quality of life and will continue to deliver a National Measurement System on behalf of Government through the infrastructure of measurement laboratories in the UK.

    The UK Measurement Strategy will be published shortly, building on the previous Strategy published in 2011, to focus on key areas that underpin Government priorities over the coming five years. The balance between scientific programmes in which the Government invests will be determined by this strategy.

  • Jonathan Edwards – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Wales Office

    Jonathan Edwards – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Wales Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jonathan Edwards on 2015-11-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change on the proposed Swansea Bay Tidal Lagoon.

    Stephen Crabb

    My Ministerial team and I have regular discussions with the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change on numerous subjects, including the proposed Swansea Bay Tidal Lagoon.

    This could be an exciting project with potential to open the door to possible future tidal investment in other areas of Wales, but we need to ensure that the scheme is both affordable and value for money. The Government is currently in the first phase of a Contract for Difference negotiation with the developer of the proposed project. This process of due diligence will enable us to gain a better understanding of the project, including detailed scrutiny of its costs, timescales and potential benefits.

  • Paula Sherriff – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Paula Sherriff – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paula Sherriff on 2015-11-26.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to paragraph 1.114 of the Spending Review and Autumn Statement 2015, what the evidential basis for the estimate of £15 million annual tax receipt on sanitary products; and to what range of products that estimate applies.

    Mr David Gauke

    The £15m estimate of the annual VAT revenue from sanitary products is produced by HM Revenue and Customs and is consistent with the published estimate of the cost of the current 5% relief for sanitary products (available to view here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/minor-tax-expenditures-and-structural-reliefs ).

    “

  • Stephen Timms – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Stephen Timms – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2015-12-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether adult children will be included in the vulnerable persons relocation scheme along with their younger siblings and parents.

    Richard Harrington

    We work closely with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to identify cases that they deem in need of resettlement according to agreed vulnerability criteria for the Syrian Resettlement Scheme. This can include families where adult children form part of the family unit where the UNHCR deem resettlement is appropriate for the entire family group.

  • Alison McGovern – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Alison McGovern – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alison McGovern on 2016-01-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what plans he has to publish written guidlines for British drone strikes.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    Unmanned drones are no different from any other weapon system and subject to the same legal and other frameworks. We have no plans to publish any guidelines. I refer the hon. Member to the evidence provided by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence (Michael Fallon) on 16 December 2015 to the Joint Committee on Human Rights.

  • Louise Haigh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Louise Haigh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Louise Haigh on 2016-02-05.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to his Department’s spending data for October 2014, for what reasons IPSOS Mori was engaged on the business case for Efficiency and Reform Group fraud, error and debt.

    Matthew Hancock

    Ipsos MORI were commissioned by the Grants Efficiency Programme to conduct research to help us to further understand the make-up of the complex grants landscape across 17 central government departments. The study consisted of 81 interviews, which investigated a range of randomly selected grants. Interviews were held with a cross-section of Grant Managers between 15th July and 12th September 2014.

    The qualitative and quantitative findings from this research were used to help develop a baseline for calculating the benefits of various proposed interventions aimed at improving the administration of government grants, which were included in The Grants Efficiency Programme’s outline business case. The business case received support from ministers across government and the Grants Efficiency Programme is working with departments to deliver better information and to increase capability, in relation to grants, by the Spring.

  • Royston Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Royston Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Royston Smith on 2016-03-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to ensure private landlords do not exploit vulnerable tenants.

    Brandon Lewis

    We are determined to crack down on the small number of landlords that let unsafe and sub-standard accommodation. The Housing and Planning Bill will establish tough new measures, including a database of rogue landlords and property agents, banning orders for serious or repeat offenders, a stricter fit and proper person test, extending Rent Repayment Orders and introducing civil penalties of up to £30,000

    In addition, we have made nearly £12 million available to local authorities to help them tackle rogue landlords in their areas. Since 2011, nearly 40,000 inspections have taken place with over 3,000 landlords facing further enforcement action or prosecution through renting out unsafe, squalid and often illegal property.