Category: Speeches

  • Sue Hayman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Prime Minister

    Sue Hayman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Prime Minister

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sue Hayman on 2016-05-05.

    To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to his oral contribution of 20 April 2016, Official Report, column 915, in response to the Question from the hon. Member for Workington, and with reference to the letter to him of 21 April 2016 from that hon. Member and the oral contribution from that hon. Member of 25 April 2016, Official Report, column 1187, what scheme is in place to assist rural pharmacies; and what other support is provided by the Government to support independent pharmacies.

    Mr David Cameron

    This year the Government is spending over £150 million more a year on pharmacies than in 2009/10. We are currently consulting on the introduction of a Pharmacy Access Scheme which will provide more NHS funds to many independent and rural pharmacies on the basis of factors such as location and the health needs of the local population. Details of the consultation on the ‘Community Pharmacy 2016/17 and beyond’ can be found on the GOV.UK website.

  • Richard Burden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Richard Burden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2016-06-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to encourage the take-up of creative subjects in secondary schools.

    Nick Gibb

    The Government believes that every child should experience a high quality education throughout their time at school including in creative subjects such as music, art and design. All state-funded schools must provide a broad and balanced curriculum that promotes the spiritual, moral, cultural, mental and physical development of pupils at the school and of society.

    In maintained schools music and art and design are compulsory subjects within the national curriculum for 5-14 year olds. Maintained schools are also required to teach their pupils dance, as part of the PE curriculum for 5-14 year olds and drama, as part of the English curriculum for 5-16 year olds.

    We have reformed GCSEs to make them more rigorous and to match expectations in the highest performing jurisdictions around the world. Since the English Baccalaureate (Ebacc) was first introduced the proportion of pupils in state-funded schools taking at least one GCSE in an arts subject has increased, rising from 46 per cent in 2011 to 50 per cent in 2015. From September 2016, schools will be teaching new gold standard GCSEs in music, dance, drama and art and design and new AS and A levels in music, dance and drama and theatre.

    Between 2012-16, the Department invested over £460 million in a diverse portfolio of arts and music education programmes that are designed to improve access to the arts for all children, regardless of their background, and to develop talent across the country.

  • Greg Mulholland – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Greg Mulholland – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Greg Mulholland on 2016-09-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many adult patients with uveitis have had access to treatment with anti-TNF therapy through the individual funding request process since July 2015.

    David Mowat

    Between 1 July 2015 and 31 July 2016, fewer than 10 patients accessed anti-tumour necrosis factor (TNF) therapy through the individual funding request process.

  • Gerald Jones – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Gerald Jones – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gerald Jones on 2015-11-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans her Department has to renew its funding for the National Wildlife Crime Unit after March 2016.

    Rory Stewart

    The Government has committed to providing funding to help secure the National Wildlife Crime Unit until at least the end of March next year. Decisions on funding beyond March will be made as part of the current Spending Review process.

  • Madeleine Moon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Madeleine Moon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Madeleine Moon on 2015-12-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what level of UK support has been negotiated for the Rivetjoint platforms; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    A Memorandum of Understanding with the US Government provides for the in-service support and upgrade activity of the UK Rivet Joint fleet. All maintenance support is conducted in the UK by RAF personnel, with assistance from field service representatives provided under the US/UK cooperative agreement. Some minor support activity is also provided by UK contractors based at RAF Waddington and there are contracts with a number of UK companies that support the Ministry of Defence in managing compliance with UK safety, airworthiness and security regulations.

  • Gregory Campbell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Gregory Campbell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gregory Campbell on 2016-01-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what plans he has to assist people with restricted visibility pursuing careers and training opportunities.

    Justin Tomlinson

    The government has a wide variety of measures to help visually impaired and other disabled people prepare for, enter and remain in employment. These include:

    • Work Choice and Specialist Employability Support (SES), which help to prepare participants for work and move them into employment;

    • New Enterprise Allowance (NEA), which offers support to unemployed people who wish to start their own businesses. Disabled jobseekers who are accepted onto the NEA scheme may also be entitled to receive an Access to Work grant; and,

    • Access to Work, which provides practical and financial support with the additional costs faced by individuals whose health or disability affects the way they do their job, including some costs associated with new employment opportunities and supported internships. Access to Work has recently set up a specialist team visual impairment to further improve the service offered to the visually impaired people, who comprise the second largest group of Access to Work users.
  • Jamie Reed – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Jamie Reed – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jamie Reed on 2016-02-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many projects planned for West Cumbria will be (a) part-funded and (b) wholly-funded by the EU.

    James Wharton

    The Department is unable to predict how many projects in West Cumbria will come forward for funding from the EU.

  • Dan Jarvis – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Dan Jarvis – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dan Jarvis on 2016-03-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of variations in revenue generated by the social care precept on levels of variation in the standard of social care across the UK.

    Mr Marcus Jones

    The Government has made it clear that the variation in estimated revenue generated by the adult social care precept, which is one source of funding for adult social care will be taken into account when publishing the proposed allocations for the additional Better Care Fund funding (£1.5 billion by 2019-20).

    The proposed allocations will be subject to a public consultation later this year.

  • Karl Turner – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Attorney General

    Karl Turner – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Attorney General

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Karl Turner on 2016-04-11.

    To ask the Attorney General, how many cases of alleged (a) rape, (b) sexual assault and (c) domestic violence where the alleged offending took place in the UK were referred to the Services Prosecuting Authority for a charging decision in (i) 2013, (ii) 2014 and (iii) 2015.

    Robert Buckland

    Figures for all referrals received by the Service Prosecuting Authority of Rape, Sexual Assault & Domestic violence covering the period 2013 to 2015 where the alleged offence took place in the UK.

    Year

    Rape referral received

    Sexual assault referral received

    Domestic violence referral received

    2013

    7

    22

    4

    2014

    3

    23

    6

    2015

    7

    22

    9
  • Baroness Thomas of Winchester – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Baroness Thomas of Winchester – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Thomas of Winchester on 2016-05-18.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the remarks by Baroness Altmann on 4 May (HL Deb, col 1503), what rate of support claimants of the mobility component of Personal Independence Payment will be guaranteed to receive if they cannot walk safely, to an acceptable standard, repeatedly, and in a reasonable time period, (1) for more than 20 metres, or (2) for more than 50 metres.

    Baroness Altmann

    Claimants who can stand and then move no more than 20 metres will receive the enhanced rate of the mobility component of PIP. Claimants who can stand and then move more than 20 metres but no more than 50 metres are guaranteed to receive at least the standard rate of the mobility component. In some cases, depending on the individual’s circumstances, they may receive the enhanced rate If they score points from the other mobility activity.