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Category: Speeches

  • Sadiq Khan – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Sadiq Khan – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sadiq Khan on 2015-11-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the weekend bed occupancy rates were in each mental health hospital in London in each weekend since 1 January 2015, taking account of patients on weekend leave.

    Alistair Burt

    Official statistics for average daily occupancy rates for beds open overnight, including mental health beds, are published every quarter by NHS England on its website at the following address:

    https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/bed-availability-and-occupancy/

    “

  • Jim Cunningham – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Jim Cunningham – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2015-11-23.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps his Department is taking to increase (a) income tax and (b) corporation tax receipts; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr David Gauke

    The Government wants to deliver a low tax, high wage economy.The personal allowance has been increased from £6,475 in 2010-11 to £10,600 in 2015-16, and the headline rate of corporation tax has been cut from 28 per cent to 20 per cent since 2010.

    The Government has committed to going further in this parliament by raising the personal allowance to £12,500 and the higher rate threshold to £50,000.Corporation tax will be cut to 18 per cent by 2020, benefitting over a million companies.

    Due to the strength of our economy, tax receipts are growing strongly. Onshore corporation tax receipts have risen nearly 30% since 2010.Income tax receipts are £8bn higher in the first 10 months of 2015 compared to the first 10 months of 2014. In its most recent Economic and Fiscal Outlook the Office for Budget Responsibility have raised their forecast for receipts over the parliament.

    At the same time the government has taken a number of steps to clamp down on avoidance and evasion. For instance it will invest over £800m in HM Revenue and Customs to help them to tackle evasion and non-compliance over the course of the parliament. These measures are forecast to raise £7.2bn by 2020-21.

  • Tulip Siddiq – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Tulip Siddiq – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tulip Siddiq on 2016-01-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the average time taken was for the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) to (a) process the DBS application and either scan or return to the applicant for amendments, (b) search the Police National Computer, (c) search the Children’s Barred List where appropriate, (d) search the Adults’ Barred List where appropriate, (e) search the records held by local police where appropriate and (f) print the DBS certificate and return all necessary documentation to the applicant (i) nationally, (ii) in London and (iii) in Hampstead and Kilburn constituency in each year since 2012.

    Karen Bradley

    Table 1 shows the average number of days taken by the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) to search the Police National Computer, search the records held by local police where appropriate and to print the DBS certificate and return all necessary documentation to the applicant nationally.

    Period

    Time to Search PNC (days)

    Time to search Local Police Records (days)

    Time to Print Certificate (days)

    December -12 to March -13

    1.12

    4.22

    1.28

    April -13 to March -14

    1.64

    6.53

    1.39

    April -14 to March -15

    3.04

    7.04

    2.08

    April -15 to November -15

    2.68

    8.08

    1.74

    Table 2 shows the average number of days taken by the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) to search the Police National Computer, search the records held by local police where appropriate and to print the DBS certificate and return all necessary documentation to applicants with a London postcode.

    Period

    (b) Search PNC

    (e) Search Local Police Records

    (f) Print Certificate

    December -12 to March -13

    1.25

    5.14

    1.16

    April -13 to March -14

    1.63

    8.23

    1.28

    April -14 to March -15

    2.83

    10.78

    1.90

    April -15 to Nov-15

    2.58

    14.53

    1.60

    It is not possible to provide figures for the Hampstead and Kilburn constituency as this information is not collected.

    Figures for the average processing time for scanning and returning paper applications cannot be provided without incurring disproportionate cost.

    Checks of the Children’s barred list and the Adults’ barred list are carried out in parallel to the local police checks and data on the average time taken to conduct these checks cannot be provided without incurring disproportionate costs.

  • Chris Stephens – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Chris Stephens – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Stephens on 2016-01-29.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent assessment his Department has made of the costs and benefits to the (a) public purse and (b) Debt Management Office of the Government’s ownership of National Savings and Investments.

    Harriett Baldwin

    The core purpose of NS&I remains to raise cost-effective finance for the Government, using an operating framework that balances the interests of savers, taxpayers and the wider financial sector.

    An indication of NS&I’s cost effectiveness in raising finance for the Government, as measured by the Value Indicator, is published annually. The Value Indicator is calculated by comparing the total cost of delivering Net Financing and servicing existing customers deposits with how much it would cost the Government to raise funds through the wholesale market via equivalent maturity gilts. Last year £330m was saved.

    As an arms-length body, NS&I is responsible for its own brand strategy. In line with government Spend Controls, Cabinet Office approval is required for advertising, marketing and communications spend of £100,000 or above.

    NS&I relocated its operations within Glasgow from the Cowglen site to the Capella building in the centre of Glasgow in May 2015. The closure of Cowglen facilitated the move to more modern and cost effective accommodation and released the surplus site for redevelopment for housing, together with a capital receipt for the Exchequer. NS&I’s mail processing and scanning operations previously located at Cowglen, moved to Orbital House in East Kilbride in October 2015. NS&I remains committed to its operations in Scotland.

  • Mark Williams – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Mark Williams – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Williams on 2016-02-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many applications for emergency authorisation for the use of neonicotinoids have been received in 2016; and how many of those applications have been granted.

    George Eustice

    No applications have been received in 2016 for the emergency authorisation of neonicotinoids.

  • Luciana Berger – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Luciana Berger – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Luciana Berger on 2016-03-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will estimate the return on each pound invested in mental health research.

    George Freeman

    The estimated return on each pound invested by government and charities in mental health research is between 22 pence and 25 pence per annum. This consists of an estimate of the net value to the United Kingdom of the health benefit arising from the research of seven pence per annum, and the most recent estimate of the general economic benefit that arises from research of between 15 pence and 18 pence per annum for each pound invested.

  • Lord Myners – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Lord Myners – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Myners on 2016-04-25.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will review the legislation protecting creditors in the event of business failure.

    Baroness Neville-Rolfe

    We do keep insolvency legislation under review. We seek to ensure that the legislative framework strikes the right balance between rescuing a business, which may also save jobs, and the rights of creditors who may lose out financially.

  • Ian Blackford – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Ian Blackford – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Blackford on 2016-06-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, for what reasons people who have leave to remain in the UK while seeking permanent residence do not have the right to work.

    James Brokenshire

    Those with temporary leave to remain keep the conditions of that leave, including any associated work rights, until a new application is decided.

    Those whose leave to remain has already expired do not have permission to work and must normally make an application to regularise their stay within 28 days.

  • Hugo Swire – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Hugo Swire – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Hugo Swire on 2016-07-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will re-evaluate the dualling of the entire A303/A30 corridor.

    Mr John Hayes

    The Government is committed to upgrading all single carriageway sections of the A303 and A358 between the M3 and M5 to dual carriageway standard. In respect of the A303/A30 between Southfields and Honiton, Highways England will assess the options for improvements, including dualling, as part of its South West Peninsula route strategy, for which evidence gathering is underway. All interested parties are encouraged to submit evidence on the performance of this route through the tool at: www.highways.gov.uk/route-strategies.

    “

  • Thangam Debbonaire – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Thangam Debbonaire – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Thangam Debbonaire on 2016-10-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 19 September 2016 to Question 46209, when he expects terms of reference to be published for (a) the clinical expert groups and (b) the clinical steering group.

    David Mowat

    The Terms of Reference refer to management meetings, which are part of the programme structure and not statutory meetings or advisory mechanisms. Consequently NHS England does not plan to publish these.