Category: Speeches

Stuart C. McDonald – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stuart C. McDonald on 2016-02-24.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much was levied in respect of service credits in each key performance indicator designated met in respect of each Compass region in each year from 2012-13 to 2015-16 to date.

James Brokenshire

The Home Office has a rigorous contract compliance regime in place to ensure that the required performance standards expected of all providers, as defined in the contracts, are met. This includes monthly contract management and quarterly strategic review meetings, as well as regular daily discussions with COMPASS providers’ operational delivery managers about day to day issues. The Home Office investigates complaints it receives from service users and third parties and works with contractors to ensure that any issues raised are addressed promptly.

Performance against each key performance indicator (KPI) is measured and may, dependent upon the level of non-conformance, lead to the application of a KPI score. The overall/total score across all KPIs is then used to determine the value of Service Credit (rebate) which should be deducted from the monthly invoice. If an individual KPI is met, no score is accrued and no service credit applies. The following table indicates the amount of service credits recovered following KPI non-conformance for each of the COMPASS contracts from the start of the contracts.

	2013-2014	2014-2015	2015-2016 (YTD)	TOTAL
Serco SNI	£773, 792	£156,156	£443, 545	£1,373,493
Serco NW	£3,137, 017	£1,974	0	£3,138,991
G4S MEE	£1,349, 475	0	0	£1,349, 475
G4S NEYH	£368, 107	0	0	£368, 107
CRH WSW	0	0	0	0
CRH LSE	0	0	0	0
TOTAL	£5,628, 391	£158,130	£443, 545	£6,230,066

01/01/2023

Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2016-03-15.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what estimate his Department has made of the value of the assets held by the Air Cadet Organisation; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Julian Brazier

The information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. The capitalisation threshold to be recorded on an asset register is £25,000, so assets held which do not meet that threshold will only appear on unit inventories across the entire Air Cadet Organisation

01/01/2023
Thangam Debbonaire – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Thangam Debbonaire on 2016-04-19.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, when his Department plans to hold events for cities intending to apply to be the 2023 European City of Culture.

Mr Edward Vaizey

DCMS will be running an event this year for potential bidding Local Authorities for the European Capital of Culture 2023 to provide information on the benefits, processes involved and generate interest in this exciting opportunity – in advance of the competition commencing in 2017.

01/01/2023
Matthew Offord – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Matthew Offord on 2016-05-26.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment her Department has made of the potential use and effectiveness of unmanned aerial vehicle technology in supporting the UK’s international development agenda.

Mr Nick Hurd

It is in the interest of the UK taxpayer, as well as beneficiaries on the ground, ‎that the Department for International Development scrutinises the most cost-effective means of delivering aid, especially when responding to crises. In some cases technology can provide valuable advantages in terms of efficiency and cost effectiveness, as well as enabling the ability to respond rapidly to crises and assist those in the hardest to reach places.

The Department has recently commissioned a review of the potential of a number of Frontier Technologies including Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) technology, which will help us identify potential applications as well as risks.

There are a small number of examples of UAV technologies currently being trialled in DFID programmes. This includes a small-scale trial of UAV mapping to inform disaster preparedness, mitigation and response efforts in Nepal. There is also research being conducted in the natural and physical sciences arena, including on climate extremes which have an impact on vulnerable populations in developing countries.

01/01/2023
Paula Sherriff – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paula Sherriff on 2016-07-18.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions Ministers in his Department have had with Sussex clinical commissioning groups about patient transport service provider Langfords going into administration.

Mr Philip Dunne

This is a matter for local commissioners.

NHS England has confirmed that Coperforma, holder of the non-emergency Patient Transport Service (PTS) contract for Sussex, informed High Weald Lewes Havens Clinical Commissioning Group (HWLH CCG) on 16 June 2016 that a receiver had been appointed for VM Langfords – transport provider sub-contracted to deliver PTS in East and West Sussex. A number of South East Coast Ambulance Services (SECAmb) staff had been transferred to VM Langfords employment.

HWLH CCG met with Coperforma on 17 June 2016 and was assured that a plan was already in place for additional transport capacity to mitigate any loss of capacity that this situation may cause.

HWLH CCG is working closely with Coperforma and the unions (Unison and GMB) to work through the implications for ex SECAmb staff, to ensure the processes followed are in keeping with employment legislation and good practice and that the impacts on service delivery are kept to a minimum.

There have been no discussions between Ministers in the Department and Sussex CCGs about PTS provider VM Langfords going into administration.

01/01/2023
Scott Mann – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Scott Mann on 2016-10-10.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to promote British-made produce in the UK and abroad.

George Eustice

The Great British Food Unit brings together expertise from within Defra, the Department for International Trade and Embassies to promote top quality British food and drink around the world. The five year Great British Food Campaign celebrates the best of the UK’s Food and Drink industry and aims to build a world-leading brand for British food and drink.

2016 is the Year of Great British Food. Within the UK, a series of events, partnerships and promotional activity is celebrating the richness of Great British Food and highlighting the best of our food and drink provenance, heritage and culture, working with leading food entrepreneurs and in partnership with the food and drink industry.

Encouraging companies to start exporting or to increase exports is a priority for this government. The Great British Food Unit has developed nine campaigns in 18 priority countries with the aim of boosting exports by hundreds of millions over the next five years. The campaigns target large existing markets or markets with significant growth potential – Australia and New Zealand; France; Germany; India; Japan; Mexico and Latin America; USA and Canada; China; UAE and Gulf.

In England, the ‘Exporting is Great’ Export Hub Truck tour (10 to 14 October 2016) is supporting new exporters in getting the information and support they need to begin exporting. The truck is visiting the South West, the Midlands, the Northern Powerhouse regions and the South East.

01/01/2023
Emily Thornberry – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Emily Thornberry on 2015-11-23.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of (a) referrals to the Work Programme since 2011 and (b) current participants in the Work Programme had no classifiable qualifications at the time of their referral.

Priti Patel

The information requested, in the above three questions, is not readily available and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

01/01/2023
David Hanson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Scotland Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Hanson on 2015-12-17.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what discussions he has had with (a) the Chancellor of the Exchequer and (b) Ministers of the Scottish Government on the future of HM Revenue and Customs offices in Scotland.

Mr David Gauke

Treasury Ministers work closely with other Government departments and the devolved administrations.

The House will be aware that HMRC announced in November its decision to significantly invest in Scotland by creating two Regional Centres in Glasgow and Edinburgh employing up to 6,300 staff.

Senior HMRC officials have spoken to representatives of the Scottish Government, including the Scottish First Minister, reinforcing their commitment to keeping HMRC jobs in Scotland.

01/01/2023
Hilary Benn – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Hilary Benn on 2016-01-27.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of whether (a) cluster munitions have been used in the Yemen conflict and (b) there is a clear risk that such munitions were dropped from British-made aircraft.

Mr Philip Hammond

We are aware of reports of the alleged use of Cluster Munitions by the Coalition in Yemen and we have raised this with the Saudi Arabian authorities. The UK does not supply cluster munitions to any members of the coalition in Yemen. In line with our obligations under the Convention on Cluster Munitions we continue to encourage Saudi Arabia, as a non-party to the Convention, to accede to it.

01/01/2023
Martyn Day – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Scotland Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Martyn Day on 2016-02-24.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what assessment he has made of the implications of a decision to leave the EU on provisions in the Scotland Act 1988 requiring compliance with EU law.

David Mundell

At the February European Council the Government negotiated a new settlement, giving the United Kingdom a special status in a reformed European Union. The Government’s view is that the UK will be stronger, safer and better off remaining in a reformed EU.

01/01/2023