Category: Speeches

  • Lord Spicer – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Lord Spicer – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Spicer on 2016-01-12.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the answer by Baroness Williams of Trafford on 11 January (HL Deb, col 10), when they will make available to the House the number of hostel places available and the number of people sleeping rough in the UK.

    Baroness Williams of Trafford

    One person without a home is one too many.

    Whilst my Department does not hold information regarding the number of places in hostels for rough sleepers, Homeless Link, the national membership body for the single homelessness sector, estimates that in November 2014 there were 36,540 bed spaces in homelessness accommodation projects in England and 9,647 bed spaces in London.

    Further information is available through Homeless Link’s Annual Survey of the sector. DCLG’s own annual snapshot indicates that in England there were 2,744 individuals sleeping rough on a single night in Autumn 2014. Just over a quarter of these, 742 individuals, were in London.

    We have supported local areas to improve the quality of hostels through the Homelessness Change Programme, which provided £42.5 million of capital funding in 2012 – 2015 for new and refurbished bed spaces and facilities to provide meaningful activities to support pathways to independent living. The Department of Health is also funding a £40 million programme to refurbish hostels and improve the physical and mental health of rough sleepers, and provide low cost shared accommodation for young people at risk of homelessness.

  • 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 plans he has for the children’s hospices grant beyond 2016; and if he will make a statement.

    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.

  • Baroness Byford – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Baroness Byford – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Byford on 2016-02-24.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what percentage of UK liquid milk has been sold by the 10 leading supermarkets over each of the past five years.

    Lord Gardiner of Kimble

    Virtually all liquid milk sold at retail in the UK is UK produced, since imports account for less than 1% of the total UK supply. We do not hold any data on milk sales provided by retailers.

  • Kevin Brennan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Kevin Brennan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kevin Brennan on 2016-03-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the value was of (a) jobseeker’s allowance and (b) employment and support allowance sanctions imposed by his Department in each of the last five years.

    Priti Patel

    The Department does not make an estimate of the value of benefit withdrawn as a result of benefit sanctions.

  • Philip Davies – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Philip Davies – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Philip Davies on 2016-04-29.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the most common reasons are why people who are remanded in custody do not go on to receive subsequent prison sentences.

    Mike Penning

    The reasons why some people who are remanded in custody do not then go onto receive prison sentences are not recorded. The decision to remand an individual into custody is taken by the independent judiciary. The presumption is in favour of bail, but the judiciary will use their discretion to remand an individual into custody, taking into account a number of factors including the seriousness of the crime and whether a remand into custody will be necessary to prevent absconding, committing further offences or interference with witnesses.

    If a defendant is subsequently given a custodial sentence, the time they have spent on a remand into custody will be deducted from their sentence.

  • Matthew Offord – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Matthew Offord – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Matthew Offord on 2016-06-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make an assessment of the level of vehicular noise on the M1 passing Mill Hill town.

    Andrew Jones

    In response to the Environmental Noise (England) Regulations 2006, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs provided noise maps for transport sources such as roads, which identify noise ‘Important Areas’, the most seriously affected locations. Those which are located next to the trunk road and motorway network in England are required to be investigated by Highways England.

    Between the A41 near Apex Corner and M1 junction 2 in the Mill Hill area, four locations on the M1 have been identified as being noise ‘Important Areas’. Highways England are continuing investigations into these sites, including a study at a location opposite Mill Hill Broadway station to see if a noise barrier is practical here, which is expected to be completed by March 2017.

  • 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, what arrangements have been made for the process of approval of expenses claims submitted by the right hon. Member for Sheffield, Hallam under the Public Duty Cost Allowance.

    Ben Gummer

    The purpose of 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. Exceptionally, the then Prime Minister agreed that the former Deputy Prime Minister , the Rt Hon Member for Sheffield Hallam, should be able to have access to the allowance to recognise the special position he held in the Coalition Government. Other former Deputy Prime Ministers are not eligible for the allowance. The allowance is set at a maximum limit of £115,000 per annum. The amounts paid are a reimbursement of expenses, accounted for in the published Cabinet Office Annual Reports and Accounts. The former Deputy Prime Minister is eligible for the allowance from the date of leaving ministerial office for the duration of this Parliament.

  • Lord Ouseley – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Lord Ouseley – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Ouseley on 2016-10-19.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they intend to continue with the Troubled Families Programme in the light of the National Institute of Economics and Social Research’s recent analysis.

    Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth

    At the Spending Review 2015, £720 million was allocated to fund the remaining four years of the new Troubled Families Programme (2015 – 2020). We are absolutely committed to continuing to help this group of people, to help these vulnerable families that have some of the most complex needs of people in the country. We are looking at the evidence from the evaluation of the first Troubled Families Programme (2012-2015) to see how things could be done differently, to learn from it and see if there is even more we can do to improve the lives of troubled families.

    We have already learnt lessons from the first Troubled Families Programme and reflected them in the design of the new programme. We have published an overview of the first programme (attached) which highlights the improvements that have been made: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-first-troubled-families-programme-2012-to-2015-an-overview

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  • Lord Taylor of Warwick – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Lord Taylor of Warwick – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Taylor of Warwick on 2015-11-05.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact of increasing business rates on retailers’ capacity to tackle low pay.

    Lord O’Neill of Gatley

    The Government recognises that business rates represent a fixed cost which can be more burdensome during times of economic difficulty. It is currently considering the impact of business rates on the retail sector as part of the ongoing business rates review. The review will complete by the end of the year.

    Further, the Chancellor recently set out major plans to devolve new powers from Whitehall to local areas to promote growth and prosperity. This includes giving councils the power to reduce business rates to support businesses in their area.

  • Chris Evans – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Chris Evans – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Evans on 2015-11-30.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the National Security Strategy and Strategic Defence and Security Review 2015, published in November 2015, what assessment he has made of the opportunities available to British industry to participate in the maritime patrol aircraft programme.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Garston and Halewood (Maria Eagle) on 3 December 2015 to question 17838.