Category: Speeches

  • Richard Burden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Richard Burden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2016-02-22.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, if he will make an assessment of the potential effect of a UK withdrawal from the EU on the (a) number of EU students in the UK university student body, (b) ability of UK universities to recruit EU staff into the academic workforce and (c) number of UK students participating in the European exchange programme.

    Joseph Johnson

    The Prime Minister has delivered on the commitment to renegotiate a better deal for the United Kingdom in Europe.

    Based on this deal the Government has reached a clear view: The UK will be safer, stronger and better off by remaining a member of a reformed European Union.

    I recently spoke about the important academic links between the UK and the rest of the EU. The speech is available on GOV.UK at https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/making-britain-the-best-place-in-the-world-for-science.

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  • Louise Haigh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Louise Haigh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Louise Haigh on 2016-03-16.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will make an assessment of the effect on electoral registration rates of introduction of a requirement to pass on electoral roll data to credit reference firms.

    John Penrose

    Copies of the electoral register have been made available for sale in one form or another since at least 1832. Credit reference agencies purchase the electoral register because it provides proof to lenders that applicants for credit do in fact live at the address given and that they are not attempting to obtain credit fraudulently using a false name and address. Given the importance of credit in a modern economy, the then Government concluded in 2002 that this was in the public interest. The credit reference agencies are precluded by law from doing anything else with the electoral data, unless the data is also included in the edited register, from which individuals can opt out.

  • Nicholas Soames – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Nicholas Soames – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicholas Soames on 2016-04-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, how many small nuclear reactors her Department plans to order over the Spending Review 2015 period.

    Andrea Leadsom

    Small modular reactors (SMRs) are a relatively new technology for civil nuclear power generation and whilst a small number of bespoke “small” reactors have been built and operated, no true SMRs have yet reached demonstration or deployment.

    At Autumn Statement 2015 Government announced it would launch a competition to identify the best value SMR design for the UK. In March 2016 the first phase of the competition was launched. This phase will include structured engagement with technology developers, utilities, potential investors, funders and other parties interested in developing, commercialising and financing SMRs in the UK to inform subsequent stages of the competition. This is the beginning of a process that will enable bids from interested parties in subsequent phases of the competition.

    As we are still in the early stages of the competitive process no decision has yet been made on a potential SMR design or levels of deployment.

  • Lord Freyberg – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Lord Freyberg – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Freyberg on 2016-05-23.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many primary school sites in London exceeded EU limit values of NO2 due to diesel train emissions in each of the last five years.

    Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

    We do not hold information on the number of primary schools sites in London exceeding NO2 limit values due to diesel train emissions.

  • James Cleverly – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    James Cleverly – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by James Cleverly on 2016-07-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment his Department has made of potential alternative uses of MDP Wethersfield.

    Mark Lancaster

    The Ministry of Defence together with the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) jointly commissioned a study by Cushmann Wakefield in 2015 to identify potential future uses for the Wethersfield site, subject to all necessary planning approvals.

    The study reported that the site had the potential to be a mixed development of commercial/employment, housing, education and community uses with supporting public open space.

    The HCA will work closely with the Local Planning Authority and other interested parties to consider the best possible future uses for the site.

  • John Pugh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    John Pugh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Pugh on 2016-10-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what proportion of staff on the payroll of her Department who work in Westminster are (a) British nationals and (b) nationals of another country.

    Dr Phillip Lee

    All Government Departments are bound by legal requirements concerning the right to work in the UK and, in addition, the Civil Service Nationality Rules. Evidence of nationality is checked at the point of recruitment into the Civil Service as part of wider pre-employment checks, but there is no requirement on departments to retain this information beyond the point at which it has served its purpose.

  • Lord Hunt of Kings Heath – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Lord Hunt of Kings Heath – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath on 2015-11-10.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answers by Lord Prior of Brampton on 2 November (HL2987 and HL2988), what assessment they have made, if any, of whether the Chairman of the Herbal Medicines and Practitioners Working Group ignored the agreed terms of reference of that group by publishing his report without consulting the members of that group, and if so, why.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    As the Herbal Medicines and Practitioners Working Group was an independent Group, governance arrangements and internal mechanisms were a matter for the Chair and its members to resolve. The remit of the Group was to consider the issues around herbal medicines and herbal practitioners, and report in 2015 with recommendations on the way forward. The overall remit was met.

  • Sadiq Khan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Sadiq Khan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sadiq Khan on 2016-01-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the longest a patient waited for discharge from hospital after being declared fit to leave was in (a) England and Wales, (b) London and (c) each health trust in London in each year since 2010.

    Alistair Burt

    This information is not available in the format requested.

    Official statistics for NHS trusts in England are published by NHS England on the number of patients delayed on the last Thursday of each month and the total delayed days during the month for all patients delayed throughout the month. The latest publication of this data was for delays occurring in October 2015 and was published on 10 December 2015.

    It is not possible to calculate a montly average or the longest waits from these data. Health is a devolved matter in Wales.

  • Luciana Berger – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Luciana Berger – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Luciana Berger on 2016-01-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, in how many employment tribunals mental health was a contributing factor in each year since 2010.

    Mr Shailesh Vara

    This information is not held.

  • Daniel Kawczynski – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Daniel Kawczynski – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Daniel Kawczynski on 2016-02-22.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what work his Department is undertaking to assist small and medium-sized enterprises in the construction industry to expand and create more jobs.

    Nick Boles

    The Government is working to help all construction companies to expand and create jobs. At the Spending Review the housing budget was doubled to over £2 billion per year, and the Chancellor also committed to £100 billion of spending in this Parliament for new roads, rail, flood defences and other vital projects.

    We are making sure that small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) have access to government contract opportunities, making it easier for them to do business with us. We are requiring departments to publish details of future projects on the “contracts finder” website, giving businesses the confidence and time to invest in relevant skills, labour and capabilities.

    Access to finance can be a barrier to growth. There is a range of support and assistance available through the Business Support Helpline. The British Business Bank is a government-owned business development bank dedicated to making finance markets work better for smaller businesses, through schemes such as the Enterprise Finance Guarantee (EFG). The British Business Bank promotes the EFG to high street lenders to encourage them to lend to viable smaller businesses that would otherwise be declined for lacking adequate security.

    More widely the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills’ red tape challenge programmes are targeting rules and regulations in the construction sector. Many of those red tape requirements fall disproportionately heavily on smaller construction employers.

    In addition the Government is placing employers, including small businesses, in the lead in developing new apprenticeship standards and providing financial support. Specific grants are available for smaller businesses and for younger apprentices. In addition there is a range of support for all approved learning outcomes available from the Construction Industry Training Board.