Category: Speeches

  • 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.

  • Margaret Ferrier – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Margaret Ferrier – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Margaret Ferrier on 2016-06-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, whether he plans to raise the national living wage to the same rate as the living wage set by the Living Wage Foundation.

    Nick Boles

    The Government’s ambition is for the National Living Wage to reach 60% of median earnings by 2020 – which would currently be around £9 per hour. The Government has asked the Low Pay Commission to recommend the National Living Wage rate going forward.

  • Nigel Dodds – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Nigel Dodds – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nigel Dodds on 2016-09-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions she has had with the Northern Ireland Executive on tackling radicalisation of young people by Islamist extremists.

    Mr Ben Wallace

    Tackling the radicalisation of young people is a key priority for this Government. Prevent is a key part of our counter – terrorism strategy (CONTEST). It safeguards vulnerable individuals by building resilience to extremist ideologies, countering the ideology that terrorists espouse, and removing access to terrorist propaganda online.

    Many of the issues dealt with under the CONTEST strategy and the principles it sets out are relevant to the threat in Northern Ireland. We work closely with the Northern Ireland Executive, the PSNI and other partners as they respond to those who would seek to undermine peace and prosperity.

  • Richard Burgon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Richard Burgon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burgon on 2015-11-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps his Department is taking to improve the UK’s productivity.

    Mr Edward Vaizey

    SQW Consulting’s UK Broadband impact study in 2013 estimates that the availability and take-up of faster broadband speeds will add about £17 billion to the UK’s annual Gross Value Added (GVA) by 2024.

    This Government is helping increase productivity across the UK by investing in and widening access to key digital infrastructure. We are on track to deliver our commitment to provide superfast broadband coverage to 95% of the UK by the end of 2017.Our£40m Broadband Connection Voucher Scheme was taken up by over 55,000 small and medium sized businesses – who employ a million people right across the UK and are already reporting, on average, a £1,300 per year increase in profits and a new job being created for every four new connections. ThePrime Minister recentlyannounced plans to ensure that every home and business can have access to fast broadband by the end of this Parliament.