Category: Speeches

  • Margaret Hodge – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Margaret Hodge – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Margaret Hodge on 2016-04-21.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether an equality impact assessment has been undertaken in respect of the policy of including an anti-lobbying clause in government grant agreements.

    Matthew Hancock

    Departments are currently working with grant recipients on the implementation of the guidance, in relation to the new grants clause. This will include a consideration of equality impact issues, which will be reported centrally to the Cabinet Office for assessment, with regards to finalising the central policy by 1 May 2016.

  • Louise Haigh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Louise Haigh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Louise Haigh on 2016-06-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many civil servants in her Department are paid through limited companies.

    George Eustice

    Core Defra publishes Workforce Management Information on a monthly basis. This sets out the number of staff who are a) on payroll and b) off payroll and the published data covers financial years 2010-11 to 2015-16. It can be found at the following link: https://data.gov.uk/dataset/workforce-management-information-defra.

    No civil servants within Core Defra are paid through limited companies.

    The figure for spend on non-payroll staff in 2015-16 will be published in the 2015-16 Annual Report and Accounts.

    “

  • Margaret Hodge – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    Margaret Hodge – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Margaret Hodge on 2016-09-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many times his Department has used the services of (a) PwC, (b) Deloitte, (c) Ernst and Young, (d) KPMG and (e) other consulting firms in the last three financial years; and what (i) work was undertaken and (ii) the cost to the public purse was on each such occasion.

    Kris Hopkins

    The Department has used the services of (a) PwC, once in the last three financial years. This was for the provision of VAT advice. The cost to the public purse was £1,350. My department has not used the services of any other consultant firms in the last three financial years.

  • Lord Lexden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Lord Lexden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Lexden on 2016-10-10.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what consideration they have given to amending section 29 of the Commons Act 1876 to ensure that a parish council which erects a bus shelter on a village green is not liable to prosecution.

    Lord Gardiner of Kimble

    Town or village greens are an intrinsic part of the English community and from their earliest use have been a place where communities come together, celebrate fairs and festivals and take part in sporting and social activities. The Commons Registration Act 1965 provided for town or village greens to be registered and to secure permanent protection.

    Town or village greens are protected under section 12 of the Inclosure Act 1857 or section 29 of the Commons Act 1876 which means that works may not be carried out which could damage the green or interrupt its use as a place for exercise and enjoyment.. The Government has no plans to amend section 29 of the Commons Act 1876 but a Parish Council may carry out works where they would improve the enjoyment of the green and have received any other necessary planning permissions from the local planning authority.

  • Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead on 2015-10-29.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of international aid agencies’ efforts to support and protect their staff from sexual abuse.

    Baroness Verma

    Whilst we do not have a contractual obligation to have a duty of care for the staff of international aid agencies that are funded by DFID, all DFID funding is subject to DFID’s Due Diligence procedures which assess an organisation’s governance and control structure and those of their downstream partners.

  • Maria Eagle – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Maria Eagle – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Maria Eagle on 2015-11-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when the first Boeing P8 Maritime Patrol Aircraft came into full service; and by what date he plans for all nine to be operational.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    The Boeing P-8A Poseidon Maritime Patrol Aircraft entered service with the United States Navy in November 2013. Under current plans, we anticipate that it will enter service with the RAF in the UK during financial year 2019-20. Exact dates for entering service and for all nine aircraft to be operational are yet to be agreed.

  • Rushanara Ali – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Rushanara Ali – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rushanara Ali on 2016-01-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, how much funding her Department received from the International Climate Fund in (a) 2012, (b) 2013, (c) 2014 and (d) 2015.

    Andrea Leadsom

    The Department of Energy and Climate Change was allocated the following annual budgets as its share of the International Climate Fund:

    2011/12 = £140m

    2012/13 = £240m

    2013/14 = £400m

    2014/15 = £220m

    2015/16 = £329m

  • Neil Coyle – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Neil Coyle – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Neil Coyle on 2016-01-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how the Preventing Suicide in England strategy, published on 10 September 2012, is being monitored for its impact on reducing suicide; and how the commitment to people who had been identified as being especially vulnerable due to social and economic circumstances is being delivered.

    Alistair Burt

    The cross-Government National Suicide Prevention Strategy (2012) is monitored by the National Suicide Prevention Strategy Advisory Group, which meets regularly to monitor progress on the shared areas for action and objectives outlined in the National Strategy. The Department publishes an annual report of progress against the National Strategy, which highlights developments in suicide and self-harm prevention and emerging trends.

    The Department also commissions the Office for National Statistics to analyse and publish annual data on suicide rates.

    The Department works closely with colleagues in other Government departments and arm’s length bodies to take forward actions within the National Suicide Prevention Strategy. This also includes working with a range of stakeholders including the Samaritans and Network Rail to deliver specific suicide prevention activities and provide advice and guidance on suicide prevention.

    The Department provides financial support to the National Suicide Prevention Alliance which brings together a number of suicide prevention organisations to work towards achieving the aims of the National Suicide Prevention Strategy.

    The All Party Parliamentary Group on Suicide and Self-Harm Prevention raises awareness within Parliament and encourages discussion and debate of all issues involved in suicide and self-harm prevention.

  • Helen Jones – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Helen Jones – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Helen Jones on 2016-02-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what training is being given to members of Fire and Rescue Services who may find themselves acting as first responders as a result of collaboration between emergency services.

    Mike Penning

    The Department does not hold this information centrally. The responsibility for ensuring relevant training is undertaken rests with individual fire and rescue authorities in consultation with local ambulance services.

  • Alex Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Alex Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alex Cunningham on 2016-03-22.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions he has had with the Home Secretary and Secretary of State for Justice on establishing effective processes to allow fixed penalty notices to be issued to people smoking in cars with children present and the associated fines to be collected.

    Jane Ellison

    Officials discussed the development of the regulations relating to smoking in private vehicles carrying children with the relevant government departments and continue to discuss enforcement of the offences on an ongoing basis.