Category: Speeches

  • Bill Esterson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Bill Esterson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Bill Esterson on 2016-01-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, if he will make an estimate of the collective cost to small and medium-sized enterprises to recover overdue payments in each of the last five years.

    Anna Soubry

    We know that the collective cost of late payment has been, and remains, a significant burden for small and medium sized businesses. Small businesses spend too much valuable time and resource chasing late payments, which impacts on their ability to invest in growth.

    The Department does not hold the information required to make an estimate of the collective cost to small and medium-sized businesses to recover overdue payments in each of the last five years. As late payment affects so many different types of business in different ways, no single survey gives a full picture of the impact of late payment on small and medium-sized businesses. The three sources that we look to as an indicator of late payment are the SME finance monitor, the regular BACs survey and Experian’s late payment index.

  • Julian Sturdy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Julian Sturdy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Julian Sturdy on 2016-02-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the strength of diplomatic and economic relations between India and the UK.

    Mr Philip Hammond

    As, respectively, the world’s oldest and largest democracies, the United Kingdom and India have a strong friendship, which Prime Minister Modi’s visit has enhanced. We continue to work together to strengthen our defence and security partnership and expand trade and investment.

  • Lord Scriven – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Lord Scriven – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Scriven on 2016-03-02.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government when the report on the review of the retention of custody images will be made public.

    Lord Bates

    The Review of the use and Retention of Custody Images has concluded and will be published in due course.

  • Kate Osamor – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Kate Osamor – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kate Osamor on 2016-04-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment has been made of the effect of the EU-Turkey refugee deal on her Department’s policy on family reunification for refugees.

    James Brokenshire

    The EU-Turkey deal does not affect our family reunion policy.

    Under the family reunion policy a spouse, partner or children under 18 can apply to join someone granted refugee status or humanitarian protection in the UK providing they formed part of their family unit before the sponsor fled their country of origin.

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

    Julian Lewis – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Julian Lewis on 2016-05-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what estimate he has made of by how much the cost of the Type 26 programme is expected to increase for every year that the in-service date for each ship is delayed.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    For equipment procurement programmes, the cost and schedule is set at the main investment decision, however, the Type 26 Global Combat Ship (GCS) programme has not yet reached that stage.

    As is normal practice for equipment procurement programmes, we have developed a planning assumption that the first Type 26 GCS would come into service in 2022.

    We are working with industry to develop an optimised schedule for the Type 26 GCS programme to implement the Strategic Defence and Security Review 2015. This work is ongoing and will inform the main investment decision.

  • Helen Goodman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Helen Goodman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Helen Goodman on 2016-06-20.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he has made an assessment of the additional staffing and resources required to deal with the backlog of employment histories for occupational disease compensation claims requested from HM Revenue and Customs.

    Mr David Gauke

    In response to the significant increase in demand for employment histories in recent years, HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has looked at a range of options for improving the Record Retrieval Service; this has included introducing measures such as prioritising requests relating to serious and life-threatening conditions (when specifically identified).

    However, the key constraint to reducing turnaround times is the existing machinery used to manually access the microfilm records – as these machines are no longer manufactured. Therefore, the deployment of additional staff would have negligible impact on service levels. It is not possible to provide a figure for the number of HMRC staff currently allocated to the production of employment histories for occupational disease compensation claims, as requesters of this information are not required to specify the reason for their employment history request. However, around 200 full time equivalent staff are allocated to the department’s Record Retrieval Service.

  • Kevin Foster – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Kevin Foster – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kevin Foster on 2016-09-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make plans to introduce number plates for all mobility scooters to ensure that such scooters could be traced in the event of a collision with a pedestrian.

    Andrew Jones

    Mobility scooters have to comply with the prescribed conditions and requirements set out in the ‘Use of Invalid Carriages on Highways Regulations 1988’ which divides them into two main categories.

    The Class 2 type can travel at 4mph and is primarily intended for use on the footway or footpath. 4 mph is considered appropriate for pavement use as it is akin to a brisk walking pace.

    The Class 3 type can travel on the road at up to 8 mph, but must have the facility via a limiter to be driven at no more than 4 mph when used on the footpath.

    Users of new or second hand Class 3 vehicles are required to register their vehicles with the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) for use on public roads. However, there is currently no requirement to display the vehicle registration number on the scooter and I have no plans to change this.

  • Jim Cunningham – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Jim Cunningham – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2015-11-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many (a) complaints and (b) investigations into complaints made by civil servants against special advisers in his Department there have been in each of the last five years; and how many such (i) complaints and (ii) investigations are outstanding.

    Jane Ellison

    There have been no complaints or investigations into complaints made by civil servants against special advisers in the Department of Health in any of the last five years. None are outstanding.

  • Lord Roberts of Llandudno – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Lord Roberts of Llandudno – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Roberts of Llandudno on 2015-12-08.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the NHS recognises alcoholism as a mental health issue.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    Evidence shows that there is a link between alcohol misuse and mental ill health. We know that people who drink excessively are at higher risk of poor mental health and that some people with mental illness may lead riskier lifestyles and may have issues with alcohol and drug misuse.

    National Health Service clinicians use the tenth edition of the World Health Organization’s International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10) for mental and behavioural disorders. The ICD-10 includes ‘Mental and behavioural disorders due to use of alcohol.’

    Diagnosis of a mental or behavioural disorder would be subject to an individual assessment, by an appropriate clinician.

  • Gregory Campbell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Gregory Campbell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gregory Campbell on 2016-01-19.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether it is his policy to change the rate of fuel duty applied to certain isolated and rural areas in response to changes in oil price.

    Damian Hinds

    The rural fuel duty rebate scheme offers a 5 pence per litre discount on fuel duty for fuel sold in qualifying areas. The rebate does not vary with the price of wholesale oil.