Category: Speeches

  • Tulip Siddiq – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Tulip Siddiq – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tulip Siddiq on 2016-04-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate he has made of the number of people in the UK who are affected by post-polio syndrome; what steps are being taken to fund (a) treatment of and (b) research into that condition; and if he will make a statement.

    Jane Ellison

    It is estimated that there are around 120,000 people living in the United Kingdom who survived polio when they were younger. Although some of these have or will develop post-polio syndrome (PPS), it is not known exactly how many polio survivors are affected and estimates vary.

    Commissioning of services for PPS is a local matter. People with PPS can usually be managed through routine access to primary or second care provided via a general practitioner (GP) or consultant. Treatment will depend on the severity of a patient’s condition, but care may involve: pain relieving medication; physiotherapy; dietary and exercise advice; and counselling or cognitive behavioural therapy.

    Although not currently funding any research into PPS, the National Institute for Health Research welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health, including PPS. These applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards being made on the basis of the importance of the topic to patients and health and care services, value for money and scientific quality.

  • Tim Loughton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Tim Loughton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tim Loughton on 2016-05-23.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the cost to the public purse has been of all advertising of the Government’s position on the EU referendum on social media to date.

    John Penrose

    The Government published details of the cost of the producing, distributing and publicising its EU Referendum leaflet and associated website on 6th April 2016

    The total cost was £9.3 million, with the breakdown of these costs as follows:
    • production – £458,500
    • print and delivery to over 27 million homes across the UK in 2 waves – £5,947,436
    • digital promotion and website – £2,894,064

  • Emma Lewell-Buck – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Emma Lewell-Buck – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Emma Lewell-Buck on 2016-07-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many people over the age of 65 are using medication for depression; and if he will estimate how many such people cite loneliness as a contributory factor to their depression.

    Nicola Blackwood

    Information about the number of people over the age of 65 using medication for depression is not collected. Conditions for which medicines are prescribed are not recorded.

    Loneliness is a complex problem and affects people in different ways. It is not possible to estimate how many people cite loneliness as a contributory factor to their depression.

  • Andy McDonald – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Andy McDonald – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andy McDonald on 2016-10-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the operator of last report provisions are for each franchise agreement for passenger rail services currently in operation.

    Paul Maynard

    There are a number of provisions throughout each franchise agreement that relate to the continuity and preservation of rail services by a Successor Operator which could include the Operator of Last Resort under the provisions of Section 30 of the Railways Act 1993. Schedules 1.6, 10, 14 and 15 of the National Rail Franchise Terms and Conditions are of particular relevance in this regard.

  • Richard Burden – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Richard Burden – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2015-11-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what conditions are placed on her Department’s funding for the New Alliance for Food Security and Nutrition; and whether such funding is (a) regularly reviewed and (b) preceded by local consultation in those countries that receive such funding.

    Grant Shapps

    In 2012, the UK made a £600m pledge to the New Alliance, consisting of projects in 6 founding member countries, which aim at improving incomes from agricultural production, and the food security and nutrition of smallholder farmers and the extreme poor. The objective of the pledge was to be more transparent about aid to agriculture and food security, in alignment with principles of aid effectiveness and the overall goal of the New Alliance. The £600m also included funding to the Global Agriculture and Food Security Programme (GAFSP, managed by the World Bank) and other international agriculture research and policy initiatives.

    Like every programme funded by DFID, projects pledged under the New Alliance are subject to annual reviews that are posted on the DFID Development Tracker website. At national level, governments lead an annual review of the progress of commitments, in consultation with development and private sector actors, which findings are made public on the New Alliance website.

  • Catherine McKinnell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Catherine McKinnell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Catherine McKinnell on 2016-01-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to paragraph 1.143 of the Spending Review and Autumn Statement 2015, what assessment he has made of the extent of a fraud and claims culture in the motor insurance industry; and what evidence of such a culture he provided to HM Treasury before publication of the Spending Review and Autumn Statement 2015.

    Dominic Raab

    The Government received and analysed data from numerous sources when formulating the announcement in the Chancellor’s Autumn Statement. The quoted figures were arrived at by combining published industry estimates along with data from government and other sources.

    Government data, compiled by the Compensation Recovery Unit at the Department for Work and Pensions, indicates that claims volumes remain at historically high levels, some 50% higher than in 2006. Over the same period motor accident rates have fallen by around 26%. This is clear evidence that the system is in need of further reform, which is why on 25 November, in his Autumn Statement, the Chancellor announced tough new measures to control costs and reduce the number of unnecessary whiplash claims.

    The Government will consult on the detail of the new reform package in due course and the consultation document will be accompanied by an impact assessment.

  • Mrs Sharon Hodgson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Mrs Sharon Hodgson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mrs Sharon Hodgson on 2016-01-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans her Department has to improve children’s character and resilience.

    Edward Timpson

    All schools should develop character traits like self-confidence, motivation and resilience in their students. These traits support academic attainment, are valued by employers, and encourage young people to make a positive contribution to British society.

    At the Character Symposium in January 2016[1], the Secretary of State for Education outlined her vision for character education. She announced that the Department intends to promote character education through the building and strengthening of our evidence base. We will facilitate this via an online digital platform which will share evidence, innovation, and examples of best practice in character education. We will also promote character education to schools and organisations through a new round of character awards.

    To support schools in this, we are already investing £5 million in character education. This figure includes £3.5m of grants for 14 projects and £1m to the Education Endowment Foundation to build research the most effective ways that character can be developed.

    Of course, many schools and organisations are already supporting children to develop their character, through programmes such as National Citizen Service. We will be investing over a billion pounds over the next four years to make NCS a rite of passage and to ensure that 60% of 16 year olds can take part by 2021.

    School sport can also help children and young people develop positive character traits such as fair play, leadership and resilience. It can teach them how to bounce back from defeat, how to respect others and how to work together in teams to achieve a goal. PE remains a compulsory subject at all four key stages in the new national curriculum which came into force in September 2014.

    [1] https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/nicky-morgan-opens-character-symposium-at-floreat-school

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  • David Crausby – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    David Crausby – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Crausby on 2016-02-22.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps his Department is taking to improve access to all-weather football pitches at grassroots level.

    David Evennett

    In partnership with the Football Association and the Premier League, the government is continuing to invest significant sums in grassroots football facilities every year. In addition to the £10million we give to the Football Foundation each year, this Government has dedicated £8million per year to the new ‘Parklife’ project that will double the number of 3G pitches and enable over 3,500 community sports matches to be played per week.

  • Maria Eagle – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Maria Eagle – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Maria Eagle on 2016-03-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to page 33 of the Budget 2016, how much of the £520 million estimated to be raised by the new sugar levy she expects to be allocated to sporting initiatives through her Department’s budget or arms length bodies in each of the next four years.

    Edward Timpson

    As announced in Budget 2016, a new soft drinks industry levy is expected to raise £520 million in the first year.

    In England, revenue from the soft drinks industry levy will be used to double the Physical Education (PE) and sport premium for primary schools from £160 million a year to £320 million from September 2017. Primary schools will be able to make further improvements to the quality and breadth of PE and sport they offer, including introducing new activities, after school clubs and hiring specialist coaches to work alongside teachers.

    Revenue generated from the levy will also be used to provide up to £285 million a year to give 25% of secondary schools increased opportunity to extend their school day to offer a wider range of activities for pupils. This can include sports clubs.

  • Ruth Smeeth – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Ruth Smeeth – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ruth Smeeth on 2016-04-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 11 April 2016 to Question 32350, how many compliance visits have been carried out on Tier 2 ICT visa recipients employed by Tata Consulting Services in the UK over the last 12 months; and what aspects of employment were assessed on those compliance visits.

    James Brokenshire

    We routinely monitor all licensed sponsors to ensure they are meeting their duties and responsibilities. This includes undertaking visits to sponsors to inspect their compliance with the sponsor guidance. All visits to sponsors are undertaken according to published guidance which is available at the following link:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/points-based-system-sponsor-management

    We are, however, unable to comment on specific cases.