Category: Speeches

  • Andy Slaughter – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Andy Slaughter – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andy Slaughter on 2016-03-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what average amount of time a prisoner spends on education or work-related activities at each (a) young offender institution and (b) secure training centre.

    Andrew Selous

    Under-18 YOIs

    Since 16 August 2015, education providers in public sector under-18 Young Offender Institutions (YOIs) have been required to provide 27 hours of education a week, supplemented by three hours of physical education. Whist the majority of education time is protected, young people will miss some lessons to attend appointments such as court appearances, medical appointments and legal visits and therefore the average hours of educations received will be less than the 27 provided.

    Although youth crime is down, reoffending rates are far too high and the care and supervision of young offenders in custody is not good enough. That is why the Justice Secretary has asked Charlie Taylor to conduct a review of youth justice.

    The following table provides the average number of classroom based education hours, alternative activities hours and physical education hours accessed by under-18 public sector YOIs since 16 August 2015.

    Table 1: Average hours of education or alternative activities and physical education at public sector under-18 Young Offenders Institutions since 16 August 2015

    Feltham

    Cookham Wood

    Werrington

    Wetherby

    Average hours accessed by young offenders

    23.15

    17.07

    24.78

    20.44

    Notes

    (1) Average hours includes alternative activities (interventions relating to offending behaviour, focus groups, release on temporary licence, unit cleaning and catering etc) and physical education.

    (2) Data are provided by the National Offender Management Service. These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems, which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing and can be subject to change over time.

    (3) This table does not include outreach education provision, which is provided to young people who are not able to engage with class room based education. The YJB currently commissions up to 15 hours of this type of provision for a set number of young people at each YOI.

    Under-18 YOI Parc

    YOI Parc is operated by G4S and is currently contracted to provide 25 hours of education and 5 hours of interventions each week. The average number of hours of education or vocational training delivered per young person per school week at Parc YOI in calendar year 2015 was 23.7 (see notes below).

    Secure training Centres (STCs)

    STCs are currently contracted to provide 25 hours of education and 5 hours of interventions each week. From 1 April 2016 at Medway STC and 5 May 2016 at Rainsbrook STC new contracts will require 30 hours education and interventions a week, of which 25 hours must be education.

    Table 3: Average number of hours of education or vocational training delivered per young person per school week in each Secure Training Centre in calendar year 2015

    Medway

    Oakhill

    Rainsbrook

    Average hours accessed by young people

    24.9

    24.8

    24.9

    Notes

    (4) Data for YOI Parc and Medway, Oakhill and Rainsbrook STCs is taken from YJMIS from the figures submitted by secure establishments.

    (5) These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems, which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing and can be subject to change over time.

  • Julian Sturdy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Julian Sturdy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Julian Sturdy on 2016-04-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the publication by HS2 Ltd, Broad options for upgraded and high speed railways to the North of England and Scotland, published in March 2016, whether the Government is planning to extend High Speed 2 beyond Manchester and Leeds.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    When Phase One of HS2 opens in 2026, new HS2 trains will serve Manchester, north west England and Glasgow. When the full Y Network opens in 2033, the new HS2 route will extend to just south of Wigan and York and HS2 trains will then also serve Leeds, York, Newcastle and Edinburgh. The UK and Scottish Governments share an ultimate ambition for 3 hour journeys between London and Scotland’s central belt, but we recognise the further work needed to understand the benefits and business cases of different options.

  • Nigel Adams – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Nigel Adams – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nigel Adams on 2016-05-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, by what technical mechanisms her Department plans to take coal-fired power plants offline.

    Andrea Leadsom

    My rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State has announced that the Department will be launching a consultation on proposals to end unabated coal generation by 2025. Options will be set out in that consultation.

  • Lord Willoughby de Broke – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Lord Willoughby de Broke – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Willoughby de Broke on 2016-06-27.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Gardiner of Kimble on 11 May (HL8277), whether the Chief Executive of the Rural Payments Agency will receive a bonus payment this year.

    Lord Gardiner of Kimble

    The Chief Executive of the Rural Payments Agency did not receive a bonus payment for the 2015/16 performance year.

  • Justin Tomlinson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Justin Tomlinson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Justin Tomlinson on 2016-09-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will commission the Behavioural Insights Team to conduct research on efficiency and passenger journeys in the rail sector.

    Paul Maynard

    The Department has recently commissioned the Behavioural Insights Team to deliver a programme of workshops on the use of behavioural insights research in policy making, including rail passenger experience. In addition, the Department is currently exploring a range of behavioural insight approaches as part of its wider programme of rail research.

  • Kate Green – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Scotland Office

    Kate Green – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Scotland Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kate Green on 2015-11-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, 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; and if he will make a statement.

    David Mundell

    The Family Test was announced by the Prime Minister in August 2014 and introduced in October 2014. It is an integral part of the policy making process and is applied in the development of all new policy.

    DWP published guidance for Departments and officials on how the test should be applied when formulating policy and my Department follows that guidance. While the guidance states that departments should consider publishing assessments carried out under the Test, there is no requirement to do so.

  • Baroness Gould of Potternewton – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Baroness Gould of Potternewton – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Gould of Potternewton on 2015-12-09.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the suffragettes and the feminist movement will remain part of the new Politics A-level syllabus.

    Lord Nash

    A public consultation on reformed content for politics AS and A level closed on 15 December. The proposed new content for politics A level will require all students to study core political theories. This is an improvement on the current system which does not require students to study any political ideologies, including feminism.

    We are analysing the responses to the consultation and have started work with the exam boards to develop the content in light of the views expressed. We will listen carefully to the views of the sector and the wider public as part of this full consultation process.

  • Sadiq Khan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Sadiq Khan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sadiq Khan on 2016-01-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, on how many occasions the Thames Barrier has been used in each of the last 30 years.

    Rory Stewart

    The following table shows the number of Thames Barrier closures in each flood season since its opening in 1982. A “flood season” is defined as the time period from September to April.

    Year

    Combined Tidal/Fluvial

    Tidal

    Grand Total

    1982 – 1983

    0

    1

    1

    1983 – 1984

    0

    0

    0

    1984 – 1985

    0

    0

    0

    1985 – 1986

    1

    0

    1

    1986 – 1987

    0

    1

    1

    1987 – 1988

    0

    0

    0

    1988 – 1989

    0

    1

    1

    1989 – 1990

    3

    1

    4

    1990 – 1991

    0

    2

    2

    1991 – 1992

    0

    0

    0

    1992 – 1993

    0

    4

    4

    1993 – 1994

    4

    3

    7

    1994 – 1995

    2

    2

    4

    1995 – 1996

    0

    4

    4

    1996 – 1997

    0

    1

    1

    1997 – 1998

    0

    1

    1

    1998 – 1999

    0

    2

    2

    1999 – 2000

    3

    3

    6

    2000 – 2001

    8

    16

    24

    2001 – 2002

    1

    3

    4

    2002 – 2003

    12

    8

    20

    2003 – 2004

    0

    1

    1

    2004 – 2005

    0

    4

    4

    2005 – 2006

    0

    3

    3

    2006 – 2007

    0

    8

    8

    2007 – 2008

    0

    6

    6

    2008 – 2009

    4

    1

    5

    2009 – 2010

    3

    2

    5

    2010 – 2011

    0

    0

    0

    2011 – 2012

    0

    0

    0

    2012 – 2013

    5

    0

    5

    2013 – 2014

    41

    9

    50

    2014 – 2015

    0

    1

    1

    Grand Total

    87

    88

    175

  • Baroness Walmsley – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Baroness Walmsley – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Walmsley on 2016-02-09.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assurances the Department of Health has received that neurology services will not be disadvantaged in comparison to other condition areas by the absence of national clinical leadership for neurology services, in the light of NHS England’s decision not to renew the role of National Clinical Director for adult neurology.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    Sir Bruce Keogh, NHS England’s Medical Director, has undertaken a review of the National Clinical Director (NCD) resource designed to focus clinical advisory resources on areas where major programmes of work are currently being taking forward, or areas identified as priorities for improvement. As a result of the review, NHS England has proposed to change the way in which clinical advice is received in speciality areas in the future.

    Where there will no longer be a specific NCD role, NHS England will secure expert clinical advice from its Clinical Networks and through its relationships with professional bodies and by appointing clinical advisors. For neurology it is planned that access to advice will be through clinical leads and members of the NHS England-funded neurology clinical networks, the Neurology Clinical Reference Group and Royal Colleges. It is expected that these new arrangements will be in place from 1 April 2016.

    The Neurology Intelligence Network (NIN) is a joint partnership programme between Public Health England (PHE) and NHS England to support the generation and dissemination of neurology related health intelligence. PHE currently funds the on-going design, development and management of the NIN.

  • Luciana Berger – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Luciana Berger – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Luciana Berger on 2016-03-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what safeguards his Department has in place to ensure that people with mental health problems who are unable to attend a work capability assessment or report to the jobcentre when requested due to their mental health problems do not have their benefits sanctioned as a result.

    Priti Patel

    Claimants with mental health conditions are considered “vulnerable”, therefore if they failed to attend a Work Capability Assessment, attempts will be made to contact them by telephone and, if appropriate, to arrange a “safeguarding home visit” before a decision on entitlement is made.

    The Jobcentre Plus sanctions regime has a range of safeguards for vulnerable claimants, including ensuring all requirements are reasonable and taking into account individual capability and circumstances, such as mental health conditions.