Category: Speeches

  • Caroline Lucas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Caroline Lucas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2016-02-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what contingency plans the Government has in place to ensure security of energy supply in the event of the proposed Hinkley nuclear power station not being completed.

    Andrea Leadsom

    We remain confident that Hinkley Point C will go ahead on schedule. Security of supply is ensured through the Capacity Market, in which National Grid recommends a volume of capacity to secure ahead of each four year- and one year-ahead auction. The process in determining the amount of capacity to secure, uses a thorough plant level assessment of what capacity the UK is likely to be able to rely on from other plants.

  • The Lord Bishop of Leeds – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The Lord Bishop of Leeds – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by The Lord Bishop of Leeds on 2016-02-24.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the financial costs to other EU member states of the social security benefits received by UK nationals resident in those member states.

    Lord Freud

    We do not hold this information.

  • Debbie Abrahams – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Debbie Abrahams – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Debbie Abrahams on 2016-03-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many applications for reconsideration or appeal of a sanction decision were submitted in (a) 2013-14 and (b) 2014-15.

    Priti Patel

    The information requested is not readily available and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

  • Nusrat Ghani – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Nusrat Ghani – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nusrat Ghani on 2016-04-29.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much funding his Department has allocated to charities which support women affected by endometriosis in each of the last three years.

    Jane Ellison

    Endometriosis can be asymptomatic; however, some studies have shown that the length of time from the onset of symptoms to the diagnosis of endometriosis can be up to eight years in the United Kingdom.

    Due to the fact that endometriosis can be asymptomatic it is not possible to estimate the precise prevalence of the condition. The number of people who are affected by endometriosis but have not been diagnosed with the condition is therefore unknown.

    However, estimates of the prevalence of the condition range from 2% to 10% of women of reproductive age, to 50% of infertile women. Endometriosis UK estimates that around 1.5 million to 2 million women in the UK have the condition.

    The number of people who have been diagnosed with endometriosis is not collected centrally. However the table below shows a count of finished admission episodes (FAEs) with a primary or secondary diagnosis of endometriosis, for the years 2010-11 to 2014-15. However, the data only includes the diagnosis of endometriosis where there was a hospital admission. There may be further cases of the condition that were diagnosed and treated in another healthcare setting. These data should not be described as counts of people as the same person may have been admitted to hospital on more than one occasion within any given time period.

    Count of finished admission episodes (FAEs) with a primary or secondary diagnosis of endometriosis, 2010-11 to 2014-15

    Year

    FAEs

    2010-11

    34,963

    2011-12

    37,370

    2012-13

    37,742

    2013-14

    40,218

    2014-15

    42,977

    Source: Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), Health and Social Care Information Centre

    The Department’s Innovation, Excellence and Strategic Development Grant for Endometriosis UK was awarded in the 2014/15 funding round. The project title to which the grant was allocated to was ‘Endometriosis Patient Support Groups aligned to Specialised Endometriosis Centres’. The funding granted per the award letter (2015-16 and 2016-17 funding was indicative at the time of the grant) was:

    2014-15 £63,686

    2015-16 £59,718

    2016-17 £65,403

  • Chris Law – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Leader of the House

    Chris Law – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Leader of the House

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Law on 2016-06-07.

    To ask the Leader of the House, how many times he has visited Scotland in an official capacity since the 2015 General Election; and what meetings were held on each such visit.

    Chris Grayling

    I have not visited Scotland in an official capacity since the 2015 General Election.

  • John Spellar – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    John Spellar – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

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

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she plans to hold urgent discussions with her French counterparts on border controls at Dover and other British ports.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    The Home Secretary met with her French counterpart, Interior Minister, Bernard Cazeneuve, on Tuesday 30 August.

    The two nations committed to a number of specific steps, including:

    Further securing the ports and tunnel in the region – Britain has already provided around £85 million to reinforce security;

    Addressing humanitarian challenges in Calais, where around 7,000 migrants are now gathered – including 5,000 without housing;

    Continuing to work together to return illegal migrants in Calais who are not in need of protection;

    Bringing unaccompanied asylum-seeking children to the UK when in their best interest.

    A joint statement from both governments after talks reaffirmed the commitment to working together to strengthen the security of our shared border, and to preserve the vital economic link supported by the juxtaposed controls in Calais.

  • Lord Bradshaw – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

    Lord Bradshaw – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

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

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 19 October (HL2257), how much has been spent by departments other than the Department for Transport.

    Baroness Neville-Rolfe

    There has been no further expenditure made by any other ministerial department into the Competition and Markets Authority inquiry regarding the overlap between Arriva buses and Arriva Trains.

    As an independent non-ministerial department, the CMA is responsible for merger inquiries. In this role, it has spent approximately £480k (including staff time, legal fees and consulting fees) investigating the acquisition of the Northern rail franchise by Arriva Rail North Ltd. It is not possible to establish what proportion of this figure was spent on the assessment of the overlap between Arriva Buses and Arriva Trains.

  • Imran Hussain – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Imran Hussain – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Imran Hussain on 2015-11-18.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many HM Revenue and Customs jobs in (a) Bradford and (b) West Yorkshire will be lost as a result of the proposed restructuring plan.

    Mr David Gauke

    HM Revenue and Customs’ (HMRC) restructuring plans will mean it is even more effective in raising the taxes on which public services depend.

    HMRC has around 3,774 Full Time Equivalent (FTE) jobs in the Yorkshire and the Humber Region. The intention to consolidate HMRC operations across Yorkshire and the Humber into a single regional centre in Leeds accommodating between 4,100 and 4,400 FTE, by 2021, is expected to result in an overall increase in jobs in the region.

    In offices which will close and are outside reasonable travel distance of Leeds, HMRC employees will have the opportunity to discuss their personal circumstances in one-to-one meetings with their manager. Until then HMRC cannot be certain of the number staff who are unable to move to a Regional Centre.

    More details on the number of people relocating from individual offices, including Bradford, Leeds and Shipley, will be known when lines of business have finalised their plans and individuals have had the opportunity to discuss their personal circumstances in one-to-one meetings with their manager.

    HMRC will look at redeployment opportunities for people who are unable to move, helping and supporting them to find another role, possibly in other government departments.

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

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

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Arkless on 2015-11-30.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps his Department has taken to provide to internet service providers detailed information relating to the broadband Universal Services Obligation announced by the Prime Minister on 7 November 2015.

    Mr Edward Vaizey

    The Government’s Universal Service Commitment will allow universal access to speeds of at least 2 Megabits per second through the option of satellite broadband connections by the end of 2015.

    In addition, an £8 million Market Test Pilot fund is piloting a number of technologies and funding models, including satellite solutions. The results of these pilots will help inform future policy to extend superfast broadband coverage beyond 95%. Avanti, a broadband provider using satellite technology, is currently operational in Dumfries and Galloway and providing superfast coverage.

  • Lord West of Spithead – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Lord West of Spithead – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord West of Spithead on 2016-01-12.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the number of Tornado aircraft fully modified and available for operations in relation to the total air fleet.

    Earl Howe

    As of 13 January 2016, 48 Tornado aircraft are held in the Forward Available Fleet. This includes aircraft that are held at readiness for contingent operations alongside those deployed on operations

    I am withholding the exact number of Tornado aircraft that are available for operations on the grounds of safeguarding national security.