Category: Speeches

  • MiDavies – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    MiDavies – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by MiDavies on 2016-01-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 8 December 2015 to Question 18753, whether the assessment of the FRANK website was based solely on preventing drug use.

    Karen Bradley

    The purpose of the Frank website survey 2013 was to assess: website users’ experiences, the information they accessed, their general satisfaction with the website and their intended behaviour after visiting the website.

  • Louise Haigh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Louise Haigh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Louise Haigh on 2016-02-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what information her Department holds on the number of hours teaching assistants spent covering classes in the absence of a teacher in each year since 2010.

    Nick Gibb

    The information requested is not collected by the Department.

  • Julian Knight – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Julian Knight – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Julian Knight on 2016-03-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what plans he has to provide funding for the modernisation of infrastructure on the Falkland Islands.

    Penny Mordaunt

    As my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Defence (Michael Fallon) told the House on 24 March 2015, (Official Report, columns 1302-1303) we have put in place a programme of infrastructure improvements worth £180 million over the next decade designed to deliver enhanced operational effectiveness and an improved quality of life for our personnel based in the Falkland Islands. He was able to see the first stage of construction work on that programme for himself when he visited the Islands recently.

    This programme will ensure that our enduring commitment to the defence of the Islands is sustained effectively for the long term.

  • Ian Mearns – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Ian Mearns – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Mearns on 2016-03-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what recent discussions he has had with his ministerial colleagues on convening a cross-government and stakeholder working party on the application of the national minimum wage for seafarers; and when he expects that working party to meet.

    Nick Boles

    The application of the National Minimum Wage (NMW) for seafarers continues to be considered by the cross-Government working group which is reviewing the implementation of the Equality Act 2010 (Work on Ships and Hovercraft) Regulations 2011.

    The Government is working with key stakeholders through this working group to agree and finalise revised guidance on the NMW for seafarers which will be published shortly.

  • Lord Tebbit – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Lord Tebbit – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Tebbit on 2016-05-04.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 3 May (HL7756), in what manner they ensure that cyclists pay fines imposed by fixed penalty notices.

    Lord Faulks

    When a fixed penalty notice is issued offenders have 28 days in which to pay the amount ordered. No enforcement action is taken during this period but if the offender fails to pay within this time the fixed penalty notice is increased by 50% and registered as a court fine. HM Courts and Tribunals Service can then take the same enforcement steps as for any court ordered fine.

  • John Redwood – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    John Redwood – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Redwood on 2016-06-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, which EU (a) legislative and (b) other proposals his Department is leading negotiations on for the Government in the Council of the EU.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    My Department is responsible for EU transport measures relating to Aviation, Roads, Maritime and Railways and other cross modal dossiers.

    The Department provides Explanatory Memoranda to Parliament on any proposals defined by the terms of reference of the parliamentary EU scrutiny committee.

  • Lord Pendry – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Lord Pendry – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Pendry on 2016-09-05.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to their plan to reduce England’s rate of childhood obesity, in what practical ways they intend to increase physical activity amongst children to reduce obesity.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    The Government’s Childhood Obesity: A Plan for Action published on 18 August 2016 sets out the actions we are taking to support children and young people to meet the United Kingdom Chief Medical Officer’s daily recommended levels of at least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity. A copy of the plan is attached. This includes doubling the Primary PE and Sport Premium from September 2017, a new interactive online tool to help schools identify gaps in existing provision and recommend ways of increasing opportunities for children to be active, and access to high quality sports and physical activity programmes for all primary schools in England. This year we are investing another £1 million in the Change4Life Sports Clubs programme which targets the less active children.

    In addition, we will develop a new, voluntary healthy rating scheme available to all primary schools. It will recognise and encourage schools’ contribution to preventing obesity by helping children to eat better and move more.

    We will also be providing more guidance for schools about how they can work with the school nurses, health centres, healthy weight teams in local authorities and other resources, to help children develop a healthier lifestyle.

  • Dawn Butler – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Women and Equalities

    Dawn Butler – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Women and Equalities

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dawn Butler on 2016-10-24.

    To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, pursuant to the Answer of 20 October 2016 to Question 48607, on equality impact assessments, if her Department will publish the Public Sector Equality Duty guidance circulated across Whitehall.

    Caroline Dinenage

    The Government Equalities Office issues from time to time guidance on the Public Sector Equality Duty to Whitehall Departments. This is circulated with a view to enabling them to add any supporting documentation about their own processes before publishing the material on their intranets.

    The guidance was last issued in September 2014. The Department will publish that guidance in updated form on GOV.UK in due course.

  • Dan Jarvis – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Dan Jarvis – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dan Jarvis on 2015-11-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether reducing incidents of negligent care will be the primary focus of the Government’s proposed package of reforms aimed at reducing costs in medical negligence litigation.

    Ben Gummer

    Over the past 10 years claimant legal costs as a percentage of damages paid by the National Health Service have increased from 32% to 52%. We believe that claimant legal costs are disproportionate to the value of the damages paid, sometimes representing up to 299% for lower value claims, and disproportionate to the defendant costs. Ultimately this all comes out money for front line services. The proposal for fixed recoverable cost in lower value clinical negligence claims was suggested by Lord Justice Jackson in his report Reform of Civil Litigation Funding and Costs in England and Wales.

    The Department is working closely with partners and interested parties to develop a proposal to introduce fixed recoverable costs for clinical negligence claims. The Department’s proposal in the consultation is a maximum threshold level of £250,000, based on Lord Justice Jackson’s original proposal and with a view to covering at least 80% of all claims. We welcome views on the proposal from all sectors. The results of a pre-consultation exercise with a number of key stakeholders, including representatives of claimant lawyers, and the consultation documentation, including the Impact Assessment, will be published early 2016 subject to relevant Committee clearances.

    The level of potential savings will ultimately depend upon the final maximum threshold level proposed. By making legal costs proportionate to the damages paid we would hope to save circa £80 million per annum. The Department is also working with various clinical groups looking at how the current level of incidents can be reduced. In terms of maternity our target to reduce avoidable harm by 50% and save 6,000 lives.

    The Department sees the fixed recoverable cost work as part of an overall strategic approach aimed at improving patient safety, improving customer care and improving litigation. Improving patient safety and reducing the incidents of harm is a key element of this.

  • Julian Sturdy – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Julian Sturdy – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Julian Sturdy on 2015-12-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 14 September 2015 from the Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Communities and Local Government, on Brownfield Land, Official Report, column 742, when further details of the £1 billion brownfield regeneration fund will be announced; and if he will make a statement.

    James Wharton

    We announced at the Autumn Statement that the Government is supporting development on brownfield land through a £2 billion Long Term Housing Development Fund to unlock housing development for up to 160,000 homes. This funding will support our key manifesto commitments to create a Brownfield Regeneration Fund and to fund Housing Zones to transform brownfield sites into new housing. At least half of the Long Term Fund will be spent on brownfield projects. The Housing Development Fund will be formally launched in the New Year.