Category: Speeches

  • Baroness Howe of Idlicote – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Baroness Howe of Idlicote – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Howe of Idlicote on 2015-12-02.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what consultation took place with relevant stakeholders before the announcement that video-on-demand programme services would be regulated by Ofcom from 1 January 2016.

    Baroness Neville-Rolfe

    From 1 January 2016, Video on Demand (VOD) services will be regulated by Ofcom, following an internal review to ensure the regulation of broadcast is as effective and efficient as possible, for the benefit of customers, audiences, and the industry. Ofcom will act as the sole regulator for VOD services, rather than two separate bodies carrying out this work, creating operational efficiencies and allowing editorial content on VOD services to sit alongside Ofcom’s existing regulation of broadcasting.

    Ofcom has communicated the outcome and reasons for its decision to stakeholders. More information can be found here :http://media.ofcom.org.uk/news/2015/1520333/

  • Rachel Reeves – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Rachel Reeves – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rachel Reeves on 2016-01-13.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the amount of income accruing to the Exchequer annually if ISA returns became taxable on pots greater than (a) £250,000, (b) £500,000 and (c) £1 million.

    Harriett Baldwin

    HM Revenue and Customs publishes detailed statistics relating to Individual Savings Accounts on Gov.uk. Links given below:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/487119/Dec15_expenditure_reliefs_Final.xlsx.pdf)

    https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/423438/Table_9.10_2012-13_for_publication.pdf).

  • Catherine West – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Catherine West – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Catherine West on 2016-02-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to (a) measure and (b) evaluate the effect of the men who have sex with men human papillomavirus vaccination programme on reducing rates of infection.

    Jane Ellison

    In November 2015, the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) advised that a targeted human papilloma virus vaccination programme for men who have sex with men attending genito-urinary medicine and HIV clinics should be undertaken, subject to procurement of the vaccine and delivery of the programme at a cost-effective price. The Department and Public Health England are considering the JCVI’s advice, including how such a programme could be monitored and evaluated.

  • Philip Davies – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Philip Davies – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Philip Davies on 2016-02-29.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, in which circumstances magistrates are required to send cases to the Crown Court in cases in which their sentencing powers would be sufficient to deal with the cases in their court.

    Mr Shailesh Vara

    There are a range of circumstances which would require magistrates to send cases within their sentencing powers to the Crown Court for trial including those involving indictable-only offences; or where the offence concerned is linked to one or more other offences which must be tried in the Crown Court; or where the defendant elects for a jury trial; or, in youth cases, where the offence involves an adult co-defendant who must be tried in the Crown Court.

    In accordance with the Allocation Guideline issued by the independent Sentencing Council, magistrates should take account of any potential mitigation and guilty plea, which would bring a case within their jurisdiction. Where they are uncertain about the adequacy of their powers, they should retain a case and commit for sentence if they later take the view that it falls outside their sentencing powers.

  • Chris Stephens – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Chris Stephens – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Stephens on 2016-03-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people with multiple sclerosis claiming benefits whose claim (a) partly and (b) solely relates to that condition have had their benefits payments (i) reduced and (ii) ceased after medical reassessment undertaken on behalf of the Department due to that person being in remission from that condition.

    Priti Patel

    The information requested is not available.

  • Clive Lewis – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Clive Lewis – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Clive Lewis on 2016-05-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what processes her Department has in place to ensure that determinations issued by the Office of the Schools Adjudicator are acted on by schools.

    Nick Gibb

    Where the Schools Adjudicator determines that a school’s admission arrangements do not comply with the School Admissions Code, the admission authority has a statutory duty to revise its admission arrangements to give effect to the Adjudicator’s decision within two months of the decision or by 28 February following the decision, whichever is sooner, unless an alternative timescale is specified by the Adjudicator.

    An Adjudicator’s decision is binding and enforceable by the Secretary of State.

  • Toby Perkins – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Toby Perkins – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Toby Perkins on 2016-06-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what additional funding his Department plans to make available for walking and cycling initiatives as a result of the cycling and walking investment strategy.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    The Government has made clear its intention to make this country a cycling nation. The Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy will be published in the summer and will include details of how the £300m committed in the last Spending Review will be invested to support cycling and walking.

    In addition to the dedicated cycling and walking programmes, there are a number of wider funding streams which are devolved to local bodies and which can and are being used to support cycling and walking projects. In particular, billions are available to Local Enterprise Partnerships and local authorities through the Local Growth Fund and Integrated Transport Block allocations.

    In addition to the above, a record £6.1 billion has been allocated to local highways authorities between 2015 and 2021 for road maintenance, and this funding can help maintain footways and cycleways.

  • Baroness Wolf of Dulwich – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Baroness Wolf of Dulwich – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Wolf of Dulwich on 2016-09-06.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many level 5 and level 6 Construction Industry Training Board Construction NVQ diplomas were awarded in (1) 2014, and (2) 2015.

    Lord Nash

    Final data for 2014/15 show that there were no Level 5 or Level 6 Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) NVQ diploma achievements in the construction, planning and the built environment sector subject area.

    Data reported so far for August to April of the 2015/16 academic year also show that there were no Level 5 or Level 6 CITB NVQ diploma achievements in the construction sector subject area. The data for 2015/16 are subject to change as further data returns relating to the period are received later in the year.

  • Stephen Timms – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Stephen Timms – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2016-10-19.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, on what date HM Revenue and Customs began to share RTI PAYE earnings data with Concentrix for use in its review of working tax credit claims.

    Jane Ellison

    HM Revenue and Customs began sharing Real Time Information data with Concentrix in November 2014.

  • Baroness Randerson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Baroness Randerson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Randerson on 2015-11-10.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of whether their timetable for the HS2 Bill to achieve Royal Assent by the end of 2016 remains achievable.

    Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

    The progress of the Bill is in the hands of Parliament and Royal Assent by December 2016 remains an achievable target.