Category: Speeches

  • Baroness Finlay of Llandaff – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Baroness Finlay of Llandaff – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Finlay of Llandaff on 2016-09-05.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what estimates they have made of the costs of road traffic accidents associated with alcohol to (1) the NHS, (2) the emergency services, (3) the police, (4) the justice system, (5) the benefits system, and (6) individual victims.

    Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

    The Department for Transport publishes estimates of the average cost to society of road traffic accidents as part of the Transport Analysis Guidance (called WebTAG). The cost is broken down into six elements. Three of these elements are casualty-related:

    • lost output/cost to the economy
    • medical and ambulance costs
    • human costs

    The remaining three are accident-related:

    • police costs
    • insurance and administration costs
    • damage to property

    The human cost element is estimated using evidence of individuals’ willingness to pay for a marginal reduction in their risk of suffering a road traffic accident. The other components are estimated using official data sources.

    The Department has not made any estimate of the costs of road traffic accidents to the justice system or the benefits system. However, it is likely that these will be small in comparison with human and lost output costs.

    The table below gives an estimate of the costs for each of the six WebTAG elements for all reported personal-injury accidents in Great Britain where at least one driver was over the alcohol limit. The figures are based on accidents that occurred in 2014 as this is the most recent year for which final drink drive accident statistics are available. The totals are in 2016 prices.

    Total value of prevention of reported accidents when at least one driver is over the alcohol limit, Great Britain, 2014

    £million in 2016 prices

    Accident severity

    Police costs

    Insurance and admin

    Damage to property

    Lost output

    Human costs

    Medical and ambulance

    Total

    Fatal

    4.4

    0.1

    2.7

    150.6

    287.3

    0.3

    445.4

    Serious

    2.1

    0.2

    4.9

    25.9

    178.0

    15.7

    226.7

    Slight

    2.7

    0.6

    15.0

    17.6

    84.0

    7.5

    127.4

    799.5

    “

  • Grant Shapps – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Grant Shapps – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Grant Shapps on 2016-10-20.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether any proportion of Air Passenger Duty revenue is used to fund the UK’s commitment to Unitaid.

    Jane Ellison

    The government does not hypothecate revenue collected from Air Passenger Duty.

  • Jess Phillips – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Jess Phillips – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jess Phillips on 2015-11-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make it her policy to maintain the current staff-child ratio for childcare providers and child minders until 2020.

    Mr Sam Gyimah

    There are no plans to change the staff:child ratios for providers registered on the Early Years Register. Lord Nash made clear, during passage of the Childcare Bill in the House of Lords, that we are committed to keeping the existing ratios.

  • Clive Lewis – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Clive Lewis – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Clive Lewis on 2015-12-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, when she plans to publish a response to her Department’s consultation on changes to financial support for solar PV, published on 22 July 2015.

    Andrea Leadsom

    The Government proposed changes to the Renewables Obligation, on which we consulted between 22 July and 2 September. We intend to publish a Government Response as soon as possible.

  • Richard Burden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Richard Burden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2016-01-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what assessment she has made of the potential effect of the removal of eligibility for Renewables Obligations Certificates for onshore wind on businesses which are considering developing wind farms.

    Andrea Leadsom

    The Government was elected with a commitment to end subsidies for new onshore wind projects. Onshore wind has made a valuable contribution to the UK energy mix in recent years but has now reached the point where there is enough capacity in the pipeline for the UK to meet its 2020 renewable commitments. Having proposed early closure of the RO to onshore wind, we conducted an engagement exercise to understand better the views of stakeholders on the proposal. To protect investor confidence a grace period was proposed in June 2015, and we subsequently amended this in response to stakeholder feedback over the summer, for example to take account of a possible investment hiatus whilst the measures pass through Parliament. We consider this will strike the right balance between consumer and industry interests.

    An impact Assessment was published whilst the Bill was in the House of Lords that set out the potential impacts of our proposals. This can be viewed online at:

    http://www.parliament.uk/documents/impact-assessments/IA15-007F.pdf

    “

  • 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 2016-02-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 29 January 2016 to Question 24913, what assessment he has made of the likely take-up of the (a) deck and (b) other Maritime Trailblazer ratings apprenticeships (i) before and (ii) after the introduction of the Apprenticeship Levy from April 2017.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    The Apprenticeship Levy will encourage the take up of apprenticeships generally. It is not possible to say how it might impact on individual apprenticeships, particularly those still under development.

  • Karl McCartney – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Karl McCartney – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Karl McCartney on 2016-02-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the Government has made representations to the Chinese government to secure Chinese investment in transport infrastructure in Britain.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    The UK and China governments seek to encourage companies in both countries to deepen co-operation and participation in high speed rail projects. In preparation for the letting of contracts relating to HS2, there have been some official-level contacts by the Department for Transport with companies in China, as there have with companies in other jurisdictions. The HS2 programme will continue to provide a great opportunity for businesses across the UK and, with this Government also funding the biggest rail modernisation since Victorian times, and the most extensive improvements to roads since the 1970s, there are a wide range of opportunities for people and businesses across the UK.

  • Mary Creagh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Mary Creagh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mary Creagh on 2016-03-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps he has taken to support the formation of the transitional government of national unity in South Sudan.

    James Duddridge

    In January I visited Juba and held meetings with President Salva Kiir, members of the opposition and civil society. In the margins of the African Union Summit I met with the Leader of the Opposition Riek Machar. In all those meetings I emphasised the importance of forming the transitional government without delay. The UK has also worked closely with key countries in the region and in the UN Security Council to build pressure on the parties to form a government of national unity.

  • Tom Brake – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Tom Brake – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Brake on 2016-05-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps her Department is taking to provide development assistance to native Tibetans in Tibet.

    Mr Desmond Swayne

    DFID does not have a bilateral programme in the Tibetan region.

    Tibet is included within an Asia Regional programme which helps communities adapt to the effects of climate change and environmental degradation in the Mount Kailash area, the source of South Asia’s largest rivers. This area includes Tibet, India and Nepal. DFID has also funded assessments of glacial melt and rivers in the Himalayas, which contain findings relevant to Tibet.

  • Gloria De Piero – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Gloria De Piero – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gloria De Piero on 2016-06-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the effect of increasing the minimum age for women receiving smear tests to 25 on cervical cancer detection rates in women under that age.

    Jane Ellison

    In 2012 the United Kingdom National Screening Committee made a recommendation that the age of first invitation for cervical screening should be 25. This was based on a review which looked at the latest available evidence on risks and benefits for cervical screening in women aged 20-24.