Category: Speeches

David Hanson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Hanson on 2016-02-11.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what the average hourly earnings of (a) female, (b) male, (c) full-time and (d) part-time employees of her Department were in each of the last five years.

Mr Nick Hurd

The figures given in the table below represent the average (mean) salary for each of the defined categories requested as at the 31^st of January in each of the last three years. Providing information for 2012 and 2013 could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

Year (as at 31/01)	Average Female Hourly Rate (£)	Average Male Hourly Rate (£)	Average Full Time Hourly Rate (£)	Average Part Time Hourly Rate (£)
2014	24.95	26.53	25.76	25.05
2015	24.95	27.03	25.79	27.10
2016	25.15	27.18	26.08	25.68

DFID pay is set within Civil Service rules defined by HM Treasury, and grade specific scales operate regardless of gender. Differences in hourly rates apply due to the grade and location profile of the organisation.

01/01/2023

Barry Gardiner – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Barry Gardiner on 2016-03-03.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, whether the Government has produced a strategy to implement the Sustainable Development Goals since the adoption of the Global Goals in September 2015.

Justine Greening

The UK Government as a whole is committed to implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals and the Government’s manifesto sets out the plan of action for which it will be held accountable by the British people. This includes commitments relevant to each of the Goals, and it will guide our efforts to achieve them.

The Global Goals are the starting point for, and will be embedded across, DFID’s work. Other Government Departments will lead on their respective policy areas.

01/01/2023
Jim Shannon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-04-11.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what recent steps she has taken to ensure that (a) there is investment in UK renewable energy projects and (b) the UK meets its renewable energy targets.

Andrea Leadsom

We have announced our intention to hold three further Contract For Difference allocation rounds in this Parliament. At Budget 2016, we announced the budget for these allocation rounds. Applicants in the first allocation round will compete for £290m of annual support, which is being made available from 2021/22 onwards. Over the 3 rounds we are planning to allocate £730m of annual support. We will announce further details in relation to the next allocation round, as soon as possible . More details of future rounds will follow in due course.

Our estimates show that we are on track to deliver 35% of the UK’s electricity from renewables in 2020/21, exceeding our ambition of 30%. We have announced the Renewable Heat Incentive budget will continue to March 2021 when it will reach £1.15 billion and Department for Transport will be consulting, later this year, on meeting the transport fuel sub-target of 10%.

01/01/2023
Alison Thewliss – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alison Thewliss on 2016-05-18.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will bring forward legislative proposals to prevent payday loan companies from advertising financial services from third party companies to customers during the loan application process.

Harriett Baldwin

The Government has fundamentally reformed regulation of the consumer credit market, transferring regulatory responsibility from the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) to the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) on 1 April 2014. This more robust regulatory system is helping to deliver the Government’s vision for a well-functioning and sustainable consumer credit market which is able to meet consumers’ needs.

The FCA has introduced detailed rules regarding firms’ promotions and advertisements. It has consulted on possible new rules, including forbidding financial promotions appearing in or among the rankings of price comparison websites comparing high-cost short-term credit.

01/01/2023
Royston Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Royston Smith on 2016-06-24.

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what measures are in place to prevent people remanded in custody from accessing social media platforms.

Andrew Selous

An extensive programme of work is underway to prevent prisoners having access to mobile phones. As the Prime Minister said on 8 February 2016, we are working with the mobile network operators to challenge them to do more, including developing new technological solutions, so we can block mobile phones’ signals in prisons.

Although there are no rules to prevent prisoners on remand from passing on passwords for social media platforms, prisoners, including those on remand in custody, are not allowed access to social media platforms either directly or via a third party.

It is a criminal offence for a person to take or transmit any image or sound from within a prison and send it outside the prison and where a link between a prisoner and content posted on social media is identified, the case will be referred to the police. A sentence of up to two years can be given if those charged are found guilty. If the police decide not to pursue a criminal investigation, a prisoner can be punished under the prison disciplinary system, for example, by having privileges removed or additional days added to their time in prison.

01/01/2023
Barry Sheerman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Barry Sheerman on 2016-09-13.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that NHS Sustainability and Transformation Plans consider the overall health economy of a region including the effect on (a) GPs, (b) hospitals, (c) pharmacies, (d) ambulance services and (e) all other health services.

David Mowat

For their Sustainability and Transformation Plan, local areas, including commissioners, providers and local authorities, have come together to decide how to improve services in the medium and long term. This is a unique exercise in collaboration, with local doctors, hospitals and councils working together to decide the way forward in consultation with local communities. This approach will ensure that all services within a local health economy are considered.

01/01/2023
Imran Hussain – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Imran Hussain on 2015-11-16.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what recent representations he has received on the Action for ESOL Manifestos.

Nick Boles

The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has not received any representations on the Action for ESOL Manifesto.

01/01/2023
Graham Stringer – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Graham Stringer on 2015-12-09.

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what his plans are for the future ownership of HM Prison Manchester; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Selous

There are no current plans to change the ownership of HMP Manchester.

01/01/2023
Lord Mendelsohn – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Mendelsohn on 2016-01-19.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government for how many officials working on the impact assessment for the Trade Union Bill is it taking up 75 per cent or more of their working time.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe

The Government has published detailed Impact Assessments for the Bill – on the Trade Union Bill, on the Reporting of Facility Time in the Public Sector, and on the Prohibition on Deduction of Union Subscriptions from Wages in the Public Sector. At a meeting with Peers in December, Ministers committed to publishing prior to the Lords Committee stage of the Bill, and they were published in good time on 21 January.

The Trade Union Bill’s impact assessment has been subject to scrutiny by the independent Regulatory Policy Committee, and its opinion has been published alongside the impact assessment.

They were reviewed and approved by the relevant Ministers in the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and the Cabinet Office. The Permanent Secretary has been kept informed of progress on all stages of the Bill.

Policy officials and analysts in both Departments have worked together to produce the impact assessments as quickly as possible while ensuring that the analysis was thorough.

We have not asked civil servants working on the Bill in the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and the Cabinet Office to fill out time sheets.

We do not record which particular documents each special adviser reads. Special advisers have access to departmental papers in line with the Special Advisers’ Code of Conduct and provide advice to Ministers.

I am placing copies of the relevant documentation in the Library.

01/01/2023
Nigel Dodds – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nigel Dodds on 2016-02-11.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what discussions she has had with (a) the Northern Ireland Executive and (b) airport operators in Northern Ireland and Great Britain on the Airports Commission: Final Report, published in July 2015.

Mrs Theresa Villiers

I have discussed the importance of air connectivity between Northern Ireland and London and the work of the Airports Commission with Ministers in the Government, the Northern Ireland Executive and airport operators.

01/01/2023