Category: Speeches

Tom Brake – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Brake on 2016-02-25.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of the potential effect on the number of people employed by fire and rescue services who are from non-EU countries of the salary threshold increase for Tier 2 visa applications to £35,000.

James Brokenshire

The Government announced in 2012 that from 6 April 2016 Tier 2 visa holders who apply for settlement in the UK will be required to meet a minimum annual salary requirement of £35,000. PhD level roles and those in recognised shortage will be exempt from the £35,000 threshold.

Data of the number of people employed in specific regions of the United Kingdom is not available. The Home Office holds individual records showing the working location of Tier 2 (General) migrants, but centralised records show the registered address of the Tier 2 Sponsor, which is normally that organisation’s Head Office.

The Home Office published a full impact assessment on the changes to Tier 2 settlement rules when they were laid before Parliament on 15 March 2012. This includes the impact on the top ten occupations and is available on the gov.uk website at: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/117957/impact-assessment-tier2.pdf

01/01/2023
Emily Thornberry – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Emily Thornberry on 2016-03-24.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether it is his policy for the House to be informed after his Department’s cyber strike capability has been used in cases where urgent action has been required such that it has not been possible to inform the House in advance.

Penny Mordaunt

We continue to develop the ability of our Armed Forces to deploy a broad range of offensive cyber capabilities as an integrated part of military operations. As with other sensitive defence capabilities, we do not reveal specific details in order to safeguard national security. As we have previously made clear in the context of the war powers convention, we do not propose to define the circumstances in which we would consult Parliament about the use of particular military capabilities.

01/01/2023
Kirsten Oswald – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kirsten Oswald on 2016-04-25.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the cost to his Department was of vehicle hire in each of the last five years.

Mr Philip Dunne

The MOD uses hire and lease vehicles to transport personnel and equipment around the country, often to areas not readily accessible by public transport. The vehicles are used for different tasks, ranging from moving defence personnel and stores to support military operations or training exercises, to enabaling taskings such as mountain rescue and emergency support to the civil authorities.

The MOD’s vehicle lease and hire in the UK is covered by the Phoenix contract with Babcock Land Limited, which was placed in April 2012. The department does not hold readily available and comparative spend data before this date. The cost to the MOD of vehicle lease and hire through the Phoenix contract is as follows:

FY15/16

FY14/15

FY13/14

FY12/13

£124.1m

£132.4m

£125.5m

£101.9m

The MOD recently negotiated a new contract with Babcock Land Limited for the continued provision of its lease and hire cars, targeting savings of around £100m over the next six years through more efficient use of the MOD’s vehicle fleet.

01/01/2023

Nicholas Soames – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicholas Soames on 2016-06-07.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will undertake a review of the reasons for the length of time taken by NHS Property Services to take decisions related to property in (a) West Sussex, (b) Mid Sussex and (c) East Grinstead.

George Freeman

Officials at NHS Property Services (NHSPS) are not aware of any undue delays with regard to decision making in these areas.

As a publically funded company, NHSPS takes its duty to ensure that properties are managed efficiently and that its services and transactions achieve best value both on behalf of the National Health Service and the taxpayer. NHSPS undertakes comprehensive due diligence on all property transactions to ensure all risks and liabilities are managed appropriately before legal documents are executed.

Forthcoming planned work at East Grinstead Health Clinic forms part of a programme of works that is being worked up for 15 properties across Sussex. At East Grinstead, this is likely to focus on:

― Equality Act compliance;

― Fire safety improvement; and

― Roof insulation.

The following table summarises the capital projects underway, planned or proposed for the Mid and West Sussex area. The Company’s primary customers for these projects are Crawley Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) and Horsham and Mid-Sussex CCG who commissioner clinical services and lead development of Local Estate Strategies for the areas they cover.

Location	Project	Value	Current Position
Sidney West Primary Care Centre	Diagnostics refurbishment	To be confirmed	This does not have an approved business case. Confirmation is being sought from the CCGs as to the specification of works they would wish us to undertake. Timescales for delivery cannot be confirmed at this point.
Horsham Hospital	Landlord works: Flooring, windows and roofing	£0.61 million	NHSPS are investing in a package of landlord works within Horsham Hospital including the gym refurbishment, new flooring in key areas and the refurbishment of windows. The works will start in June 2016 and are expected to be complete in October 2016.
Horsham Hospital	Muskoskeletal Physiotherapy (MSK)	£1.20 million	NHSPS are currently delivering the final phase of the MSK programme. The £2.4 million construction works at Horsham and Crawley are being managed by NHS PS as a single project and are due for completion on 20 July 2016.
Crawley Hospital	MSK	£1.20 million	Please see above Horsham MSK position.
Crawley Hospital	Sub-acute ward refurbishment	£3.97 million	This project is for development of a 26 bed step-up/step-down facility housed within the Crawley Hospital red wing 6th floor. Works have been designed and priced. Discussions are expected to conclude in the near future between NHSPS and the CCG on agreed terms of commissioner commitment. It is anticipated that formal approval for the investment will be signed off in June 2016 with works to be completed in November 2016.
Crawley Hospital	Transforming Urgent Care refurbishment	£4.53 million	This project is for development of a combination of a clinical assessment unit, extend paediatrics, urgent treatment centre and an upgraded reception. Works have been designed and priced. Discussions are expected to conclude in the near future between NHSPS and the CCG on agreed terms of commissioner commitment. It is anticipated that formal approval for the investment will be signed off in June 2016 with works to be completed in November 2016.
Crawley Hospital	Landlord works associated with the Sub-acute and Transforming Urgent Care projects	£0.70 million	Subject to the final approval of the Sub-acute and Transforming Urgent Care customer projects NHSPS intend to invest in additional landlord works to ensure the supporting infrastructure matches the updated patient facilities.
Crawley Hospital	Landlord works: Fire compartmentalisation and safety upgrade	£2.50 million	The Crawley Hospital red wing is viewed strategically as the core building of the hospital complex. NHSPS are investing in essential landlord works to guarantee the safe and effective back office functions of the hospital infrastructure. Included within this scheme are a review and reconfiguration of fire safety zones, replacement of fire doors, removal of asbestos and improvements to the water supply system. These works will be complete in October 2016.
Crawley Hospital	Theatre Air Handling Unit lifecycle replacement	£0.36 million	NHSPS have addressed the end-of-life-status of physical assets, with planned investment that future proofs the Crawley Hospital facilities. An example the planned renewal of the theatre air conditioning systems which will accommodate increased theatre activity and utilise energy efficient systems to improve upon the previous infrastructure. Installation is expected to be completed in November 2016.

01/01/2023

Rachael Maskell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rachael Maskell on 2016-09-02.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the cost to the public purse of reviewing the level of net pay deductions from the salaries of Ministry of Defence fire fighters and fire officers was in each year since 2008-09.

Mark Lancaster

The cost to the Ministry of Defence (MOD) for work commissioned from the Government Actuary Department (GAD) to review the abatement and Net Pay Deduction level for MOD Fire-fighters and Fire Officers since 2009 is £139,000 plus VAT. This figure represents costs for wider advice provided by GAD on Pension issues for Defence Fire and Rescue Service (DFRS) personnel and is not specifically related to abatement reviews. It has not been possible to itemise the costs in the time available, and neither has it been possible in the time available to confirm costs in 2008.

01/01/2023
Lisa Nandy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lisa Nandy on 2016-10-19.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many meetings took place between Liz Sanderson and the Secretary of the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse, John O’Brien; on what dates those meetings took place; and who was present at each such meeting.

Sarah Newton

Liz Sanderson was the then Home Secretary’s special adviser. The Department holds no records of separate meetings or conversations between Ms Sanderson and Dame Lowell Goddard, panel members or the statutory officers. However, she routinely attended the Home Secretary’s meetings, including with Dame Lowell Goddard and panel members during the appointment processes. She also had occasional conversations with the Secretary to the Inquiry.

01/01/2023
Kate Green – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kate Green on 2015-11-06.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many of his Department’s policies have been assessed against the family test; what steps he has taken to publish the outcome of such assessments that have been carried out; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Tobias Ellwood

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office promotes the UK’s interests overseas, supporting our citizens and businesses around the globe. As such, we do not have responsibility for creating domestic policy.

01/01/2023
Keir Starmer – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Keir Starmer on 2016-01-12.

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he has taken to introduce a Victims’ Law since May 2015.

Mike Penning

In the Queen’s Speech we made a commitment to bring forward measures to increase the rights of victims of crime. Further detail on our plans will be published in due course.

01/01/2023
Antoinette Sandbach – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Antoinette Sandbach on 2016-02-01.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the effect of reduced milk prices on dairy farmers.

George Eustice

The latest forecast of Farm Business Incomes for 2015-16 indicates that average incomes are expected to fall on dairy farms to £46,500. This reflects the impact of lower milk prices which started to fall in March 2014. It is important to note the wide variation in milk prices with some farmers receiving considerably more or less than the average. Reductions in milk price have been offset slightly by increased milk production together with reduced input costs, particularly feed.

We understand the pressures facing dairy farmers and have taken action to ease their cash flow problems. The £26.2 million aid package we secured for the UK from the European Commission and paid out in November and December provided some relief to hard-pressed farmers.

01/01/2023

Helen Hayes – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Helen Hayes on 2016-02-25.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many applications to the Disclosure and Barring Service from people living in Dulwich and West Norwood constituency have taken more than 60 days to process in each of the last 12 months.

Karen Bradley

The table below shows the number of applications from people living in Dulwich and West Norwood that have taken more than 60 days in each of the last 12 months.

Month	Disclosures taking longer than 60 days
Feb-15	154
Mar-15	172
Apr-15	121
May-15	121
Jun-15	124
Jul-15	158
Aug-15	121
Sep-15	147
Oct-15	159
Nov-15	123
Dec-15	132
Jan-16	131
Total	1,663

01/01/2023

FY15/16	FY14/15	FY13/14	FY12/13
£124.1m	£132.4m	£125.5m	£101.9m