Category: Speeches

  • Rushanara Ali – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Rushanara Ali – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rushanara Ali on 2016-04-22.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if he will instruct the Homes and Communities Agency regulator to investigate concerns raised by Tower Hamlets Council on tenants of Old Ford Housing Association suffering serious detriment as a result of Circle Housing Group’s failure properly to manage its gas repairs contract with Kier Group during the winter of 2015-16.

    Brandon Lewis

    The Social Housing Regulator is statutorily independent, the Secretary of State cannot, therefore, intervene in this matter.

    The Social Housing regulator is aware of the issue and as is normal practice is working closely with Circle as it continues to recover its repair service. The Regulator currently has sufficient assurance of Circle’s intention to address the issues and its progress in doing so, such that the Regulator considers it does not need to apply enforcement powers at this point. The Regulator will of course continue to examine any new information.

  • Lord Touhig – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Lord Touhig – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Touhig on 2016-06-06.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what proportion of recruits enlisting under the age of 18 in the past five years had at least one parent who was serving or had served in the armed forces.

    Earl Howe

    The information is not held in the format requested. Questions regarding details of parental and family links with the Armed Forces are not a mandatory part of the recruiting process and this information is not captured or collated centrally by each Service.

  • Diana Johnson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

    Diana Johnson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Diana Johnson on 2016-07-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will conduct an assessment on the potential effect on the manufacturing sector in Britain of reverting back to World Trade Organisation terms for exports.

    Mr Nick Hurd

    There has been no decision on the future terms of trade for the UK. In preparation for negotiations to leave the EU, the Government is undertaking work across a range of areas, including market access, across all sectors.

  • Ian Murray – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Ian Murray – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Murray on 2016-10-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the criteria for inclusion in the limited post-study work visa pilot were; and if she will make a statement.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    The Tier 4 visa pilot has been introduced to test the benefits of a differentiated approach within the education sector on the basis of compliance with immigration sponsorship requirements.

    The four universities chosen to participate in the Tier 4 visa pilot, namely the Universities of Oxford, Cambridge, Bath and Imperial College London, were chosen on the basis of their consistently low visa refusal rates.

  • Daniel Zeichner – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Daniel Zeichner – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Daniel Zeichner on 2015-10-30.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what steps he is taking to investigate companies which sell improperly trained dogs as special guide dogs for disabled children.

    Nick Boles

    The Department has no plans to investigate companies which sell improperly trained dogs for disabled children. However, where consumers believe a company is giving misleading information or is in breach of legislation regarding sales to consumers, they should contact the Citizens Advice consumer helpline on 08454 04 05 06 (www.adviceguide.org.uk). The helpline offers a free service advising consumers on their rights and passes on details of complaints to Trading Standards Services where appropriate for further enforcement action.

    “

  • Jamie Reed – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Prime Minister

    Jamie Reed – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Prime Minister

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jamie Reed on 2015-11-27.

    To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to his Oral Statement of 26 November 2015, Official Report, columns 1489-94, what assessment he has made of the reliability of the 70,000 ground forces referred to as international partners in the fight against Daesh.

    Mr David Cameron

    I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Brighton, Pavilion (Ms Lucas) on 1 December 2015, UIN 17826 and 17854, and to the answer I gave to my right hon. Friend the Member for New Forest East (Dr Lewis) of the same date, UIN 18014.

  • Frank Field – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Frank Field – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Frank Field on 2016-01-04.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether he plans to extend central government funding for Age UK Wirral beyond April 2016.

    Mr Rob Wilson

    As far as we have been able to ascertain Age UK Wirral has not received direct funding from central government during the financial year 2015/16.

  • 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 2016-01-29.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will instruct the Working Group conducting the Post Implementation Review of the Equality Act 2010 (Work on Ships and Hovercraft) Regulations 2011 to (a) review and (b) make recommendations on enforcement of the national minimum wage for seafarers employed on (i) UK and (ii) non-UK registered vessels.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    I refer the honourable Member to my response of 29 January 2016 (UIN 24307) http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-questions-answers/?page=1&max=20&questiontype=AllQuestions&house=commons%2clords&uin=24307.

    “

  • Kelvin Hopkins – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Kelvin Hopkins – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kelvin Hopkins on 2016-02-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the end-dates are of his Department’s contracts with Hewlett Packard Enterprise; which such contracts he plans to extend, for what reasons and to what dates; and if he will make a statement.

    Justin Tomlinson

    The Department has four contracts with Hewlett Packard Enterprise: Application Development and Application Maintenance & Support – these two contracts expired on 29/02/2016 and an extension has been agreed to 28/02/2018. Hosting – this contract runs till 23/02/2018. Desktop – this contract runs till 08/01/2017. DWP future contracting plans are commercially sensitive. The Department is progressing its strategy to deliver its technology requirements, and this includes both in-house services, and externally provided services sourced through procurement exercises using open competitions under the EU Procurement Directives and call-off competitions under Government Frameworks.

  • Baroness Byford – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Baroness Byford – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Byford on 2016-03-17.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether there is a legal obligation for goods offered for sale in shops in the UK to carry contents and usage instructions in English.

    Baroness Neville-Rolfe

    Labelling and information requirements vary by product.

    If information on a UK product label is a mandatory requirement, this information must be provided in English.

    For non-food consumer products, the UK General Product Safety Regulations 2005, which implements the European General Product Safety Directive, require that a product is safe when placed on the market. In this context, it is considered safe to have the instructions and safety information in the language of the Member State where the product is being sold.