Category: Speeches

  • Richard Arkless – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Richard Arkless – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Arkless on 2015-12-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans his Department has to encourage an increase in the number of HGV drivers in the UK to meet demand for such drivers.

    Andrew Jones

    The Department’s agencies are taking action on HGV driver testing and licensing. This includes recruiting 78 new driving examiners, as well as 65 in training and 41 offered posts. Licence renewal times where there are not medical issues have reduced and changes are being made to the operation of parts of the medical renewals process. The Department is working with other parts of Government to encourage and enable more people to become lorry drivers, including via apprenticeships and action related to Jobcentre Plus.

    I note that over 55,000 tests were conducted in 2014-15, the highest total since 2008-09. Further, the number of Large Goods Vehicle practical and theory tests of all types conducted during July to September 2015 was 34 per cent higher than in the same quarter of 2014.

  • Andrew Percy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Andrew Percy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Percy on 2016-01-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many defibrillators are provided in each building his Department manages.

    Brandon Lewis

    The Department for Communities and Local Government provides the following number of defibrillators in each of its buildings:

    Building

    No. of defibrillators

    5 St. Philips Place, Birmingham,

    1

    2 Rivergate, Bristol,

    1

    Temple Quay House, Bristol,

    1

    Citygate, Newcastle upon Tyne,

    0

    High Trees, Hemel Hempstead,

    1

    Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre , London,

    1

    The building that houses the Department’s headquarters is not managed by DCLG but, we are aware that there are no defibrillators on site.

  • Lord Laird – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    Lord Laird – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Laird on 2016-02-09.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Dunlop on 9 February (HL5480), why that answer does not list (1) the precise dates in 2007 on which the British-Irish Intergovernmental Conference met; (2) the specific topics discussed on each date; (3) who attended each meeting; and (4) what actions were taken as a result of each meeting.

    Lord Dunlop

    The British-Irish Intergovernmental Conference met on one occasion during 2007, 26 February in Dundalk. This was the last time that the body met.

    Details of Ministerial attendees and the topics discussed were published in a Joint Communiqué between the two Governments. A copy of this has been placed in the Library (along with copies of all other Joint Communiques published since 1998).

    Although a range of issues were discussed, no formal actions were listed. The focus however at the time was the drive towards devolution and the Conference urged all political leaders to act with courage and determination in order to attain this. Assembly elections subsequently took place in May 2007.

  • 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 2016-03-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to his counterparts in the International Syria Support Group on reported Russian violations of the ceasefire in Syria.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    The Foreign Secretary, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond), has repeatedly made clear that Russia must abide by its commitments and use its unique position to pressure the regime to honour the terms of the Cessation of Hostilities. We judge that the majority of violations so far have been carried out by the regime.

    The Foreign Secretary speaks regularly to partners in the International Syria Support Group. He last discussed the Cessation of Hostilities with international partners in talks in Paris with French and German counterparts on 4 March. The Prime Minister, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Witney (Mr Cameron), also spoke to President Putin on 4 March, along with Chancellor Merkel, President Hollande and Prime Minister Renzi. The objective was to give a clear, coordinated message on the importance of Russia and the Assad regime respecting the fragile truce, in order to provide space for productive peace talks.

  • Gavin Newlands – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Gavin Newlands – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gavin Newlands on 2016-04-08.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps his Department took to inform prison officers in Scotland of the transfer of Civil Service Employee Pensions from the Classic to the Alpha Scheme.

    Matthew Hancock

    Prison Officers employed in the Scottish Prison Service are members of the Civil Service. All members of the Principal Civil Service Pension Scheme (PCSPS) who transitioned into the Civil Service (and Others) Pension Scheme (CSOPS, also known as alpha) were notified by letter to inform them of the change, in accordance with the Occupational and Personal Pension Schemes (Disclosure of Information) Regulations. In addition, relevant Employers were provided with a variety of communication products to inform their staff and support those who needed to make decisions. These were also held on the Civil Service Pensions website.

    Between 2011 and 2015 Cabinet Office Ministers and officials held extensive discussions with all of the Civil Service unions, including the Prison Officers’ Association, on the detail of the pension reforms. There was also discussion with both the Scottish Prison Service and National Offender Management Service on the detail of the pension offer to operational staff in Prisons.

    The Civil Service is a Reserved Matter and this includes pensions for all Civil Servants. Representations on the pension age of Scottish Prison Officers were made to me by the Scottish Cabinet Secretary for Justice in July last year. I replied later that month.

  • David Amess – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    David Amess – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

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

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what proportion of Access to Work funding supports people with arthritis.

    Justin Tomlinson

    Access to Work does not record arthritis as a separate primary medical condition.

    Access to Work statistics, which include a breakdown of numbers helped by primary medical condition, are published quarterly here:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/access-to-work-statistics-on-recipients–2’

    “

  • Baroness Hodgson of Abinger – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Baroness Hodgson of Abinger – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Hodgson of Abinger on 2016-06-27.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government when, where and how often they plan to publish a formal update on progress made towards achieving their aim of halving the rates in England of stillbirths, neonatal deaths and brain injuries occurring during or soon after birth by 2030.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    In November 2015, the Secretary of State announced a national ambition to halve the rates of stillbirths, neonatal and maternal deaths and brain injuries occurring during or soon after birth by 2030. This ambition applies to both single and multiple pregnancies.

    The Department will publish an annual report on the progress towards achieving this aim and will include information on twins and multiple births. The first report will be published later this year.

  • Diana Johnson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Diana Johnson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Diana Johnson on 2016-09-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, at how many (a) NHS hospitals, (b) NHS agencies and (c) approved private sector places abortions were able to take place in each year since 2009-10.

    Nicola Blackwood

    Comprehensive and comparable data is not collected centrally on waiting times for abortions performed in both the National Health Service and independent sector. Information on the average time between the two medical practitioners’ signatures is also not collected centrally.

    Because of the way information is stored the number of places where abortions took place in England and Wales is only available from 2013 to 2015 and is shown in the table below. All independent sector places perform abortions under contract from the NHS (previously known as NHS agency).

    Table: The number of clinics at which abortions took place, by clinic type, England and Wales 2013 to 2015

    Year

    Total number of clinics

    NHS Hospital

    Independent Sector

    Private Hospital

    2013

    348

    234

    97

    16

    2014

    354

    223

    117

    14

    2015

    385

    220

    151

    14

    “

  • Baroness Greengross – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Baroness Greengross – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Greengross on 2015-11-18.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what policy the NHS has about protecting the mental health of its workforce.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    NHS England’s recent announcement "A healthy NHS workforce", aims to raise staff awareness and understanding of mental health issues and ensure staff have access to help, support and treatment when they need it.

    “A healthy NHS workforce” includes, for example, line manager training and, providing NHS staff rapid access to talking therapies. This is currently being tested as part of the Healthy Workforce programme led by NHS England.

    NHS Employers is working with NHS England and Public Health England on improving NHS staff health and wellbeing. They offer extensive information and tools for managers to support their employees who are demonstrating signs of mental health problems, or returning to work following periods of sickness absence.

    These resources, which are only available online, can be found at the following link:

    www.nhsemployers.org/your-workforce/retain-and-improve/staff-experience/health-work-and-wellbeing/protecting-staff-and-preventing-ill-health/supporting-line-managers/managers-guide-on-supporting-workplace-mental-health/supporting-staff-who-are-experiencing-mental-health-problems

  • Michael Tomlinson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Michael Tomlinson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

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

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many young people are classified as long-term unemployed in the Dorset County Council area.

    Mr Rob Wilson

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