Category: Speeches

  • Paul Blomfield – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Paul Blomfield – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Blomfield on 2016-05-23.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many enquiries have been made by hon. Members to HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) on tax credits claims in the last 12 months; and what the average time taken was for HMRC to respond to those enquiries.

    Damian Hinds

    HMRC receives enquiries from Hon Members about tax credit awards in a number of different ways. HMRC seeks to answer every one as a high priority. No comprehensive figures are held for the time taken to answer all enquiries.

  • Jim Shannon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Jim Shannon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-07-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment his Department has made of the level of compliance with Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency regulations which state that biosimilars should be subject to additional monitoring until the safety of such drugs is well established.

    Nicola Blackwood

    In accordance with European Union pharmacovigilance legislation, biosimilar products authorised in the EU since 1 January 2011 must undergo additional monitoring. The European Medicines Agency maintains and publishes a list of medicines subject to additional monitoring. These medicines are readily identifiable by an inverted black triangle which appears on the product information which is available to health professionals and patients.

  • David T. C. Davies – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    David T. C. Davies – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David T. C. Davies on 2016-10-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many government-owned goods vehicle test stations are based in (a) England, (b) Wales and (c) Scotland.

    Andrew Jones

    The number of government-owned (freehold) goods vehicle test stations are as follows;

    (a) 40 in England (b) 3 in Wales and (c) 12 in Scotland.

  • Lord Alton of Liverpool – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Lord Alton of Liverpool – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool on 2015-11-09.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of Amnesty International’s report highlighting an increase in the number of political prisoners in Burma, what steps they are taking to raise the cases of those prisoners, and to promote the rule of law and the need for reform to meet proper standards of justice in Burma.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    We have welcomed the release of hundreds of political prisoners under the current Burmese government. But we have also spoken out vociferously about the worrying tempo of arrests, detentions and sentencing of political activists in the lead up to the elections on 8 November.

    We have regularly raised our concerns with the government of Burma at the highest levels. Most recently, the Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for East Devon (Mr Swire), raised this issue directly with the Minister for the President’s Office, U Aung Min, during his visit to Burma in July. Officials from our Embassy in Rangoon meet regularly with civil society on this issue and we lobby on individual cases. We also raise our concerns publicly in our Annual Report on Human Rights and in multilateral fora such as the UN General Assembly and the Human Rights Council, where the UK has co-sponsored Resolutions calling for the unconditional release of all political prisoners. We will continue to work with the incoming Burmese government to make progress on this important issue.

  • James Cartlidge – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    James Cartlidge – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by James Cartlidge on 2016-01-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department takes into account cancellation of services when considering the Office of Road and Rail estimated usage of stations.

    Claire Perry

    The Office of Rail and Road’s (ORR’s) Estimates of Station Usage statistics provide an estimate of the number of people entering, exiting and interchanging at the station. Entries and exits are estimated using ticket sales data, using the origin and destination of the ticket.

    As Great Britain does not have a fully gated rail network, a complete recording of passenger flows is not possible and as a result, it is not possible to tell whether a passenger has used their purchased ticket or not. Therefore, in the case of cancelled trains, ORR assume that the passenger has still used their ticket, potentially on a later service or via a different route.

    More information about how these statistics are compiled is available in the Estimates of Station Usage 2014-15 Methodological Report on the Office of Rail and Road website at http://orr.gov.uk/statistics/published-stats/station-usage-estimates.

    “

  • Angela Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Angela Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Angela Smith on 2016-01-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 13 January 2016 to Question 21517, whether funding for the Farming Recovery Fund has been increased since its extension to farmers affected by recent flooding in Yorkshire and Lancashire.

    George Eustice

    We will pay out on all eligible claims from farmers. Extending the Farming Recovery Fund to eligible farmers in Lancashire and Yorkshire impacted by Storm Eva will therefore increase the total amount that will be paid out from the fund.

  • Justin Madders – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Justin Madders – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Justin Madders on 2016-02-22.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps he plans to take to help prevent disproportionate increases in the price of football tickets.

    David Evennett

    While ticket prices are matter for individual clubs, this Government is aware how important this is to so many football fans. Football is enjoying an enormous amount of financial success at present, however it should not be forgotten that this is built on the hard work and the money of millions of loyal supporters. Clubs should ensure that ticket pricing strikes the right balance between value for supporters, and generating the income necessary to sustain their business.

    I will be looking for football to embrace fully a key recommendation from a recently published Government Expert Working Group on supporter ownership and engagement that requires clubs meet with fans at least twice yearly to discuss matters of most importance.

  • Maria Eagle – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Maria Eagle – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

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

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how many jobs his Department estimates would be created by the completion of the Digital Single Market.

    Mr Edward Vaizey

    The Department has made no estimation of the number of jobs that would be created by the Digital Single Market. According to the European Parliament, completing the Digital Single Market could add €415bn or around 3% to the EU’s GDP.

  • Stuart C. McDonald – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Stuart C. McDonald – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stuart C. McDonald on 2016-04-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the average time taken was to make a final decision on take charge requests under each article of the Dublin regulations for decisions made each month since April 2015.

    James Brokenshire

    Whilst all asylum claims, including those accepted under Dublin III, are registered on the main immigration database the specifics of each case are not currently available in the form requested as the data is not held in a way that allows it to be reported on automatically.

  • Chi Onwurah – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Chi Onwurah – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chi Onwurah on 2016-05-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what plans he has to support Newcastle upon Tyne’s Freedom City 2017 festival.

    Mr Edward Vaizey

    Freedom City 2017 is an important and exciting prospect for Newcastle-upon-Tyne. Arts Council England’s (ACE) North Director in Newcastle sits on the steering group for the festival and, in April 2015, ACE provided a Grants for the arts award of £15,000 to the Northern Roots, a partner in the development of the Freedom City 2017 event. ACE are continuing discussions with the Festival organisers on how they can further support the event.