Category: Speeches

  • Hilary Benn – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Hilary Benn – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Hilary Benn on 2016-03-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what information he holds on the number of civilians (a) killed and (b) injured in the Yemen conflict to date.

    Mr Philip Hammond

    The UN reports that between 26 March 2015 and 17 March 2016 there have been just under 9,000 casualties in Yemen including 3,218 civilians killed and a further 5,778 injured. The UK Government uses UN reports as one of its primary data sources.

  • Alan Brown – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Alan Brown – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alan Brown on 2016-04-29.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 26 April 2016 to Question 35018, how many funeral expense payments were processed by his Department in 2015-16; and what proportion of such applications were processed within (a) 15, (b) 20 and (c) 25 working days.

    Justin Tomlinson

    For 2015/16 the Department processed 45,467 applications for Funeral Expense Payments with 69.7% cleared within 15 working days and 83.4% cleared within 20 working days. We are unable to provide data on how many applications were processed within 25 working days as the Management Information system that the Department uses for Funeral Expenses does not provide this level of detail.

    Source:

    Number processed – Department for Work and Pensions – Management Information System Program (MISP) – Management Information Portal

    % processed – Department for Work and Pensions – Office Print Report Tool (OPRT) – Management Information Statistics

  • Lilian Greenwood – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Lilian Greenwood – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lilian Greenwood on 2016-06-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 26 May 2016 to Question 37816, on level crossings, what his Department’s expenditure on the level crossing reform programme was in the last Parliament; and how much such expenditure is budgeted in the current Parliament.

    Claire Perry

    Network Rail has closed almost 1,000 level crossings since 2009 and the Department is supporting its on-going risk reduction programme through a dedicated £99 million fund during 2014-19 to secure further improvements.

  • John Healey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    John Healey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Healey on 2016-09-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the Answer of 16 February 2016 to Question 26142, if he will publish the names of the successful bidders to become trusted partner pilots for the purposes of universal credit alternative payment arrangements.

    Damian Hinds

    The landlords selected give a representative sample and consist of stock owning Local Authorities, Arm’s length managed organisations (ALMOs) and Housing Associations.

    The six Housing Associations below form the original proof of concept landlords who have continued to pilot Trusted Partner since it began in March 2015.

    • Magenta Living
    • First Choice Homes Oldham
    • Places for People
    • Community Gateway
    • Your Housing Group
    • New Charter

    The individual landlords below form the second phase of the Trusted Partner Pilot:

    • A2Dominion Group
    • Aster Group
    • Babergh & Mid Suffolk District Councils
    • Catalyst Housing Ltd
    • Eildon Housing Association
    • Highland Council
    • Home Group Ltd
    • Kirklees Neighbourhood Housing
    • London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham
    • NPT Homes
    • Riverside
    • Sanctuary Housing Association Ltd
    • Shoreline Housing
    • Shropshire Towns and Rural Housing
    • Southampton City Council
    • Together Housing Group
    • Wheatley Housing Group
    • Your Homes Newcastle
    • Cardiff consortium

    This is a group of social landlords piloting a collaborative working approach where they are building on an existing partnership working approach towards housing in Cardiff. The members of the group are:

    • Cardiff Council
    • Wales & West Housing Association
    • United Welsh Housing Association
    • Linc Cymru
    • Cardiff Community Housing Association
    • Hafod Housing Association
    • Taff Housing Association
    • Cadwyn Housing Association
  • Lord Blencathra – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Lord Blencathra – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

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

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 17 June (HL475), what is the justification for requiring self-employed vehicle courier drivers to have third party insurance but not cyclist couriers.

    Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

    Current legislation requires the use of motor vehicles to be covered by third party liability insurance. Compulsory insurance only applies to motor vehicles because the average speed and construction of motor vehicles means that they are much more likely than a pedal cycle to cause serious property damage or personal injury to a third party.

    We have no plans to make insurance compulsory for cyclists. However, all cyclists are encouraged to take out liability insurance and a range of products are available on the market.

  • David T. C. Davies – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    David T. C. Davies – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David T. C. Davies on 2015-11-05.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many people who have been granted refugee leave have claimed backdated child benefit in each of the last three years for which figures are available.

    Damian Hinds

    HMRC does not hold the requested information.

  • Jim Shannon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Jim Shannon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2015-11-30.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the programme to reintroduce the great bustard on Salisbury plain.

    Rory Stewart

    This project is run by the independent Great Bustard Group. I understand that by the end of 2016 there should be enough evidence available on the survival and dispersal of the birds to know whether the population on Salisbury Plain can successfully rear new birds to join the adult population.

  • Lord Green of Deddington – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Lord Green of Deddington – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Green of Deddington on 2016-01-11.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many applicants claimed asylum only on discovery in each of the last 10 years; how many of those applicants were granted asylum; and how many of those unsuccessful applicants were removed successfully.

    Lord Bates

    Over the last 10 years there have been 83,912 asylum claims made by individuals encountered by local Immigration and Enforcement Staff and the outcome of these cases is detailed below.

    Year Of Claim

    Grant Asylum

    Grant Other

    Refused

    Other

    No Decision

    Grand Total

    2005

    70

    224

    1,636

    220

    –

    2,150

    2006

    389

    713

    5,222

    938

    12

    7,274

    2007

    712

    743

    5,525

    1,244

    –

    8,224

    2008

    1,136

    1,102

    6,010

    2,438

    7

    10,693

    2009

    695

    898

    5,236

    2,360

    5

    9,194

    2010

    965

    491

    4,796

    1,471

    2

    7,725

    2011

    1,427

    428

    4,597

    1,476

    11

    7,939

    2012

    1,618

    288

    5,200

    2,011

    37

    9,154

    2013

    2,464

    235

    5,697

    1,983

    145

    10,524

    2014

    4,416

    266

    4,570

    1,389

    394

    11,035

    Grand Total

    13,892

    5,388

    48,489

    15,530

    613

    83,912

    Note: The figures quoted have been derived from internal management information and are therefore provisional and subject to change.

    The table below details the 23,264 cases that have been successfully removed from this group of cases.

    Year of Claim

    Number of Cases

    2005

    628

    2006

    2,461

    2007

    2,665

    2008

    2,893

    2009

    2,628

    2010

    2,372

    2011

    2,418

    2012

    2,598

    2013

    2,903

    2014

    1,698

    Grand Total

    23,264

    Note: The figures quoted have been derived from internal management information and are therefore provisional and subject to change.

  • Paula Sherriff – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Paula Sherriff – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paula Sherriff on 2016-02-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department has requested the British Transport Police to set out options for a reduction in the British Transport Police budget.

    Claire Perry

    I refer the Hon. Member to my previous answer of 11 January 2016 http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-questions-answers/?page=1&max=20&questiontype=AllQuestions&house=commons%2clords&uin=20671.

    “

  • Gordon Marsden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Gordon Marsden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gordon Marsden on 2016-02-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what discussions he has had with the heads of further education colleges about the implications for recruitment and retention of college staff of the Government’s restrictions on public sector pay increases.

    Nick Boles

    Further Education (FE) colleges are independent organisations. Each college determines the terms and conditions of its employees, in accordance with their own circumstances. FE Colleges are therefore not affected by the Government’s restrictions on public sector pay increases.