Category: Speeches

  • Peter Bone – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Peter Bone – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Peter Bone on 2015-11-30.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment he has made of the prevalence of the use of performance advancing drugs in UK sport.

    Tracey Crouch

    The Government supports the work of UK Anti-Doping which works tirelessly to ensure athletes and sport are clean. Through testing programmes, intelligence sharing with law-enforcement agencies on supplying and trafficking, and its excellent athlete education initiatives, UKAD is one of the world’s most highly regarded national anti-doping organisations.

  • Lord West of Spithead – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Lord West of Spithead – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord West of Spithead on 2016-01-12.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answers by Earl Howe on 16 December 2015 (HL4512 and HL4513), how long RAF Joint Force Harrier squadrons had to stay on board anti-submarine warfare carriers to ensure all pilots were flight qualified.

    Earl Howe

    Depending on weather and aircraft serviceability, it usually took Joint Force Harrier Squadron pilots, on average, three to four weeks to qualify for combat operations from an Invincible Class carrier.

  • Ruth Cadbury – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Ruth Cadbury – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ruth Cadbury on 2016-02-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the effect of the palliative care currency will be on statutory funding for children’s hospices.

    Ben Gummer

    NHS England is responsible for the annual grant to children’s hospices and for determining how it will be allocated each year. The palliative care currency is designed to provide a basis for local commissioning discussions, by clearly identifying the costs of care. The currency is being tested by NHS England locally, to ensure it makes sense to commissioners and providers, and the results will be published later in the year. The intention is that there will be an appropriate transition to local commissioning of children’s hospices, but they have pledged to continue the grant until a sustainable alternative means of local funding is in effect.

  • Lord MacKenzie of Culkein – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Lord MacKenzie of Culkein – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord MacKenzie of Culkein on 2016-02-24.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they are funding research into terrestrial enhanced position navigation and timing systems.

    Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

    Her Majesty’s Government is researching terrestrial technology that could supply positioning, navigation and timing (PNT) needs. For example, Innovate UK is working with other agencies to research the use of quantum technology for PNT applications. In addition, there is research into technologies that supply only some elements of PNT, including ranging mode and radar absolute positioning.

  • Chris Stephens – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Chris Stephens – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Stephens on 2016-03-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, when he plans to Answer Question 26990, tabled on 11 February 2016 by the hon. Member for Glasgow South West.

    Nick Boles

    I apologise to the hon Member for the delay. I will reply as soon as possible.

  • Andy Slaughter – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Andy Slaughter – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andy Slaughter on 2016-04-29.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many people have had employment tribunal fees waived or reduced in each year since the introduction of such fees.

    Mr Shailesh Vara

    This information is published and available within the Ministry of Justice Official Tribunal Statistics and can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/tribunals-statistics.

    “

  • Greg Mulholland – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Greg Mulholland – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Greg Mulholland on 2016-06-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent discussions he has had with Network Rail on delays to the Sheffield to Rotherham tram-train scheme.

    Andrew Jones

    The Department for Transport and South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive, the joint funders of the tram train pilot project, have been advised that Network Rail has initiated a review of the current programme of works needed to adapt their infrastructure to operate the tram train vehicles between Meadowhall South and Rotherham Parkgate.

    The Department understands that Network Rail has encountered significant issues with the approval of new bespoke electrification equipment needed to operate the tram train vehicles. The joint funders are clearly disappointed by this further delay.

    The current programme showed delivery of these works by early spring 2017, however until the outcome of the Network Rail review is known, no further details can be provided.

  • Tom Watson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Tom Watson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Watson on 2016-09-02.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will publish the Government’s policy and guidance on the Public Duty Cost Allowance.

    Ben Gummer

    The Public Duties Cost Allowance is to assist former Prime Ministers with the costs of continuing to fulfil duties associated with their previous position in public life. A copy of the policy and guidance on the allowance is in the Library of the House. The costs are a reimbursement of incurred expenses for necessary office costs and secretarial costs arising from their special position in public life. The allowance is not paid to support private or parliamentary duties. Civil servants are not entitled to claim this allowance.

    Current recipients of the allowance are published in the Cabinet Office Annual Reports and Accounts. Previous recipients have included Lady Thatcher; the current recipients who are former Prime Ministers are Sir John Major, Tony Blair and Gordon Brown. I also refer the Hon. Member to my answers to him of 9 September 2016 to (UIN 44045, 44048, 44049, 44053, 44054, 44055, 44056).

    The Public Duties Cost Allowance rate is currently set at a limit of £115,000 per annum. When originally introduced, the Government stated that it would be the equivalent in amount to the Parliamentary Office Costs Allowance. I would note that that allowance is now known as the Parliamentary Staffing Allowance, determined by the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority and that is currently set at the rate of £148,500 per annum.”

  • Viscount Waverley – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union

    Viscount Waverley – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Viscount Waverley on 2016-10-19.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many European Court of Justice rulings against the UK government have not yet been implemented; and whether they will give details of those rulings.

    Lord Bridges of Headley

    Six European Court of Justice rulings have not yet been implemented. These are listed below:

    1.Case number C-161/14 – Commission v UK

    An infraction judgment made by the Court of Justice of the European Union, where the court ruled that the UK has failed to apply the VAT reduced rate to supplies of energy saving materials correctly. This is currently under review.

    2. Case 301/10 (October 2012) – Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive – Commission v UK

    The infraction judgment concerned the appropriate collection of urban waste water of agglomerations in Whitburn and London, and the appropriate treatment of urban waste water of agglomerations in London. Works on collection facilities at Whitburn are due to be completed by the end of 2017. Works to collection and treatment facilities, including the Thames Tideway Tunnel, are due to be completed by 2023.

    3. Case 304/15 (September 2016) – Large Combustion Plants Directive – Commission v UK

    The infraction judgment concerned permitted NOx emissions from a coal-fired power station in Aberthaw. The regulator, Natural Resources Wales, will review the environmental permit to amend the emission limits early in 2017, with modifications at the plant due to take place in summer 2017. There has also been a recalculation of the power station’s contribution to the UK’s Transitional National Plan for combustion plants.

    4. C-530/11 European Commission v UK

    The Court of Justice of the European Union handed down an infraction judgment concluding that the UK had breached EU law by failing to ensure procedures for certain environmental challenges were not prohibitively expensive.

    5. Case number C-304/14 – Secretary of State for the Home Department v CS

    A judgement on the interpretation of Article 20 TFEU, regarding the right of citizens of the Union and their family members to move and reside freely within the territory of the Member States.

    6. Case number C-115/15 – Secretary of State for the Home Department v NA

    A judgement on the interpretation of Articles 20 and 21 TFEU regarding freedom of movement for workers within the Community.

  • Anna Turley – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Anna Turley – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Anna Turley on 2015-11-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what steps (a) he and (b) his Department made to secure a buyer for Redcar coke ovens and blast furnace before the Official Receiver called for a hard closure.

    Anna Soubry

    Commercial decisions on the purchase of assets are the prerogative of the companies involved and government has no powers to oblige companies to purchase assets.

    On liquidation of a company, it is the responsibility of the liquidator to sell the free assets of the company. In the case of SSI UK, this was the Official Receiver.

    I am informed that the Official Receiver did maintain operations at SSI, including the coke ovens, for a period while he tried to find purchasers for the assets of SSI UK but as of the 12 October, no purchaser had been found and the Official Receiver ceased operations of the coke ovens and blast furnace.