Category: Speeches

  • Seema Malhotra – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Seema Malhotra – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Seema Malhotra on 2016-01-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 17 December 2015 to Question 19817, for what reasons his Department does not produce estimates of the proportion of people who will be unable to afford to rent or buy a home in London in 2016.

    Brandon Lewis

    The proportion of people who are able to afford to rent or buy a home at a point in time is a function of macroeconomic and a number of other factors around which there is a high degree of uncertainty. As such, we do not believe such an assessment would prove to be reliable.

    The Department publishes data on housing costs and income as part of the English Housing Survey. The latest survey, for 2013-14, shows that in England the proportion of income spent on housing costs was 18% for mortgagers, 29% for social renters, and 34% for private renters. The full report is available at:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/461439/EHS_Households_2013-14.pdf

    In respect of housing need in London, it is for the Mayor of London, working with London Boroughs, to identify and plan for the market and affordable housing needs in London.

  • Gavin Newlands – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Gavin Newlands – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gavin Newlands on 2016-02-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of the new Enterprise Allowance scheme.

    Priti Patel

    Latest statistics show that 76,960 new businesses have been set up with the support of the New Enterprise Allowance (NEA).

    A cohort study of the initial participants in the scheme showed that 78% of the first 2,960 NEA participants who started to trade remained off benefits for 52 weeks.

    In January 2016 we published an evaluation report which showed that business established with the support of NEA had a sustainability rate of 80%, with over 90% of these trading for over 12 months. Around half of the respondents to the survey reported an expansion in their customer base or an increase in turnover. The majority of respondents were planning to expand their business in the future.

  • 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 2016-03-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the Answer of 2 February 2015 to Question 222253, what estimate he has made of the number of service personnel who have suffered mental illness in the current year.

    Mark Lancaster

    The Ministry of Defence (MOD) compiles records of UK Armed Forces personnel who have been assessed as having a mental health condition at either of the military Departments of Community Mental Health (DCMHs) or one of the facilities contracted by the MOD to provide in-patient treatment.

    During the period 1 April 2014 to 31 March 2015, the most recent full year for which verified records are available, 4,858 personnel were assessed as having a mental health disorder.

    Verified figures are also available for the period of 7 April to 30 September 2015. During this six month period, 2,576 personnel were assessed as having a mental health disorder.

  • Sir Nicholas Soames – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Sir Nicholas Soames – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sir Nicholas Soames on 2016-04-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what facilities are currently available to the Royal Navy in the Far East.

    Penny Mordaunt

    When deploying to the Far East Royal Naval vessels would normally have access to the port facility of the nation that they visit during the deployment.

    In addition, the United Kingdom operates a jetty and fuel depot at Sembawang in Singapore as part of our commitment to the Five Powers Defence Arrangements.

  • Keith Simpson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Prime Minister

    Keith Simpson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Prime Minister

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Keith Simpson on 2016-05-11.

    To ask the Prime Minister, if he will clarify his recent remarks concerning Suliman Gani.

    Mr David Cameron

    I was referring to reports that Mr Gani supports an Islamic state. I am clear that this does not mean Mr Gani supports the organisation Daesh and I apologise to him for any misunderstanding.

  • Martin Docherty-Hughes – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Martin Docherty-Hughes – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Martin Docherty-Hughes on 2016-06-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions his Department has had with the Scottish Government on the issue of resilience in the event of a drone collision with a passenger airline in Scottish airspace.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    The Government hasn’t had any direct discussions with a Scottish Government on this issue. Commercial aircraft are already rigorously tested to withstand collisions with small objects, such as birds, but my Department and the Civil Aviation Authority are working with the aviation sector, including manufacturers, airports and airlines, to ensure our understanding of the potential hazards to aircraft remains up-to-date. This activity is also helping to provide real life evidence of drone risks and the options for preventing collisions.

  • Nicholas Soames – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Nicholas Soames – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicholas Soames on 2016-09-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much was paid in compensation for train delays by Network Rail to Govia Thameslink Railway related to Southern railway in each of the last four years.

    Paul Maynard

    The latest information is published on Network Rail’s website – http://www.networkrail.co.uk/transparency/datasets/ – covering the years 2012-13 to 2014-15.

    “

  • Lord Kennedy of Southwark – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Lord Kennedy of Southwark – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Kennedy of Southwark on 2015-11-10.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the current provision of shelter for homeless people in London.

    Baroness Williams of Trafford

    This Government is committed to protecting the most vulnerable in society. One person without a home is one too many. That is why since 2010 we’ve invested more than £500 million to prevent and tackle homelessness in England. It is for London boroughs to determine what homelessness services are required to best meet the needs of their local area, including provision of suitable accommodation. We have given the Mayor of London £34 million to deliver pan-London rough sleeping services, with an extra £8.5 million for this work in 2015/16. Our measures include supporting the roll-out of No Second Night Out across England through the £20 million Homelessness Transition Fund, and commissioning the pioneering StreetLink service. In London, two-thirds of rough sleepers in London come off the streets after a single night.

  • Seema Malhotra – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Seema Malhotra – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Seema Malhotra on 2015-12-07.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to his Oral Statement of 25 November 2015, Official Report, column 1358, what the evidential basis is for his statement that the Midlands is creating jobs three times faster than London and the South East; and if he will make a statement.

    Greg Hands

    The independent Office for National Statistics publishes labour market statistics for the 12 UK regions every month.

    According to the latest data which covers the 3 months to September 2015, the total number of people in employment in London and the South East has increased by 53,000 since the same period one year earlier (the 3 months to September 2014). This equates to an increase of 0.6 per cent on the employment level one year ago.

    According to the same data, the total number of people in employment in the East and West Midlands combined (the ‘Midlands’) has increased by 101,000 over the same period. This equates to an increase of 2.1 per cent on the employment level in the Midlands one year ago. This rate of increase is more than 3 times faster than the rate for London and the South East.

  • Christopher Chope – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Christopher Chope – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Christopher Chope on 2016-01-18.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much of the UK’s contribution to the EU budget through customs duties related to each (a) product type and (b) country in 2014-15.

    Damian Hinds

    To identify how much of the UK’s contribution to the EU budget through customs duties related to each (a) product type and (b) country in 2014-15 would incur disproportionate cost.