Category: Speeches

  • Catherine West – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Catherine West – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Catherine West on 2016-02-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the average waiting time for an ambulance was (a) nationally, (b) in London and (c) in Hornsey and Wood Green constituency in the most recent period for which figures are available.

    Jane Ellison

    The information is not available in the format requested. NHS England publish the total number of Category A (most urgent) calls resulting in an emergency response and the proportion of responses against the three national ambulance performance standards.

    This data is published on a monthly basis at both a national and individual ambulance trust level. Latest data for December 2015 for England and London Ambulance Service NHS Trust is available at the following link:

    https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/ambulance-quality-indicators/

    – see interactive ambulance systems indicators time series to December 2015

    Data is not available at constituency level.

  • Royston Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Royston Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Royston Smith on 2016-03-24.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 21 March 2016 to Question 30272, what account he has made of the effect on economic growth of the recent reduction in fuel duty.

    Damian Hinds

    The Government took into account a wide number of factors when considering the impact of freezing fuel duty at Budget 2016, including the impact on growth. HMRC/HM Treasury analysis published in 2014 can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/analysis-of-the-dynamic-effects-of-fuel-duty-reductions

    “

  • Will Quince – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Will Quince – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Will Quince on 2016-04-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answer of 21 April 2016 to Question 34465, if his Department will take steps to allow web-users to include honours when completing government online forms.

    Mr Edward Vaizey

    The Department has no plans to include space for people to include their honours in Government online forms.

    Space to include honours in online forms produced by the Department’s arm’s length bodies, executive agencies, non-ministerial departments, advisory bodies and other accountable statutory bodies is a matter for those bodies.

  • Andrew Rosindell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Andrew Rosindell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2016-06-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what reports the Government has received on the territorial dispute between Belize and Guatemala over the area around the Sarstoon River.

    Mr Hugo Swire

    The Government receives regular reports on the territorial dispute between Belize and Guatemala, including the area around the Sarstoon River.

    I met Foreign Minister Elrington of Belize and Foreign Minister Morales of Guatemala on 25 May to discuss the border dispute and progress towards referring the the dispute to the International Court of Justice.

  • Caroline Lucas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Caroline Lucas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2016-09-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what (a) discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Health on plans to cap housing benefit and (b) assessment he has made of the potential effect of the proposed cap on housing benefit on people who live in supported housing and have mental illness; and if he will make a statement.

    Caroline Nokes

    Ministers have held various discussions during the development of the policy to introduce Local Housing Allowance rates into the social rented sector.

    Full impact and equality impact assessments will be undertaken in due course.

    The Secretary of State has confirmed that the Government expects to make an announcement on the way forward for supported housing in early autumn.

  • Tim Loughton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Tim Loughton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tim Loughton on 2016-10-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, when he last raised the detention of the Panchen Lama with the Chinese authorities; and if he will make a statement.

    Alok Sharma

    We raised the case of the Panchen Lama, Gedhun Choekyi Nyima, at the UK-China Human Rights Dialogue in 2014. The Chinese authorities stated in September 2015 that the Panchen Lama was "leading a normal life" in China.

    We urge China to ensure that any restrictions on the Panchen Lama’s freedom of movement and communication are lifted, so that he may select the career, education or religious life of his choosing. We will continue to support calls by the UN Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Religion or Belief for the relevant authorities to facilitate a meeting between the Panchen Lama and independent international observers.

  • Lord Dobbs – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Leader of the House of Lords

    Lord Dobbs – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Leader of the House of Lords

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Dobbs on 2015-11-02.

    To ask the Leader of the House what percentage of House of Lords divisions resulted in Government defeats (1) in the 2001–2005 Parliament; (2) in the 2005–2010 Parliament; (3) in the 2010–2015 Parliament; and (4) since the 2015 general election to date.

    Baroness Stowell of Beeston

    Statistics compiled by the Journal Office indicate that the percentage of House of Lords divisions resulting in Government defeats were as follows:

    Parliament

    Percentage of defeats

    2001-05

    38%

    2005-10

    32%

    2010-15

    21%

    2015-

    69%


  • Luciana Berger – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Luciana Berger – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Luciana Berger on 2016-01-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the Prime Minister’s announcement of extra funding for relationship support of 11 January 2016, how many hours of support will be provided to each couple; and whether there will be a financial cost to each couple for that support.

    Priti Patel

    The Department will be working through the details of what will be provided by the contracted relationship support provision in the next few months.

  • John Pugh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    John Pugh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Pugh on 2016-02-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many unregistered schools there are in England and Wales.

    Edward Timpson

    We are currently investigating 21 institutions that may be operating as unregistered independent schools in England and have not applied for registration. However, this number often changes as new settings are established and existing ones close, or are confirmed not to be operating as schools. We have taken robust steps to tackle unregistered schools and improve safeguarding which includes being clear it is a criminal offence to operate an unregistered independent school. All these institutions have been warned that it is a criminal offence to operate as an unregistered school. We are asking Ofsted to visit and to prepare cases for prosecution as necessary.

    We do not hold data on the numbers in Wales as the Department is not the regulatory body for independent schools in Wales.

  • Tom Brake – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Tom Brake – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Brake on 2016-02-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of the potential effect on the number of people employed as teachers who are from non-EU countries of the salary threshold increase for Tier 2 visa applications to £35,000.

    James Brokenshire

    The Government announced in 2012 that from 6 April 2016 Tier 2 visa holders who apply for settlement in the UK will be required to meet a minimum annual salary requirement of £35,000. PhD level roles and those in recognised shortage will be exempt from the £35,000 threshold.

    Data of the number of people employed in specific regions of the United Kingdom is not available. The Home Office holds individual records showing the working location of Tier 2 (General) migrants, but centralised records show the registered address of the Tier 2 Sponsor, which is normally that organisation’s Head Office.

    The Home Office published a full impact assessment on the changes to Tier 2 settlement rules when they were laid before Parliament on 15 March 2012. This includes the impact on the top ten occupations and is available on the gov.uk website at: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/117957/impact-assessment-tier2.pdf