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Category: Speeches

  • William Cash – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

    William Cash – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by William Cash on 2016-07-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether his Department plans to create a new independent system operator to remove any potential conflict of interest between National Grid and its electricity balancing and management responsibilities.

    Jesse Norman

    There is a case for greater independence for the system operator to promote more competition and flexibility in our electricity system. We are working alongside National Grid and Ofgem to this end, so that the electricity system continues to be operated in the best interest of consumers.

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

    Justin Tomlinson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

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

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make it her policy to ensure funding parity for the fast track and graduate training schemes for social workers.

    Edward Timpson

    The Government remains committed to providing appropriate levels of funding to a range of entry routes to social work.

    An independent evaluation of the Frontline programme was published in March 2016, and is accessible online at: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/509240/DFE-RR507-Frontline-pilot-independent-evaluation.pdf

    The first cohort of Think Ahead participants started the programme in summer 2016. Plans are being made to evaluate the effectiveness of the programme.

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  • Richard Burden – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Richard Burden – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2015-11-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 16 November 2015 to Question 16052, if he will estimate the number of vehicles likely to be tested; and what criteria is being used to decide which models will be tested.

    Andrew Jones

    The two Skoda cars tested are part of the Vehicle Certification Agency fleet. Their engines are of the type that VW has confirmed as being equipped with software that recognises test conditions. Our testing has confirmed differences in exhaust emissions when measured using the type approval tests and with an alternative procedure. However, it cannot be guaranteed that a single alternative procedure would identify defeat strategies on other vehicles and therefore our planned programme of work will involve a number of alternative tests, including real driving, to interrogate their emission behaviour.

    Our programme will consider, without bias, approximately 40 vehicles that are representative of some 70 different models in the UK market. These have been selected based both upon the volume of sales over each of the last 5-years and the overall number of each model currently licensed for use on the roads of Great Britain.

    We have agreed with ministers in France and in Germany to exchange knowledge and understanding as our respective programmes develop. This collaboration may allow our programmes to be rationalised to avoid duplication of testing and secure best value for the taxpayer.

    An update on progress will be prepared early in the New Year and a full report will be issued at the conclusion of the work.

  • Baroness Redfern – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Baroness Redfern – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Redfern on 2015-12-16.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what measures are being introduced to improve access to information and advice for those choosing specialist care packages to ensure that the support they receive is best suited to their individual requirements.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    The Care Act 2014 places a duty on local authorities to establish and maintain information and advice services relating to care and support for all people in its area. Statutory guidance sets out the detail of what this is required to cover and the manner it in which it should be provided. This includes providing information and advice to those people who are known to the local authority and the wider population, and to those who have not presented to local authorities for assessment but are likely to be in need of care and support. Where it appears to a local authority that an adult may have needs for care and support, the authority must assess their needs. The aim of the assessment is to identify what needs the person may have and what outcomes they are looking to achieve to maintain or improve their wellbeing. The outcome of the assessment is to provide a full picture of the individual’s needs so that a local authority can provide an appropriate response at the right time to meet the level of the person’s needs. This might range from offering guidance and information to arranging for services to meet those needs.

    The Department has supported local authorities to meet this duty with a range of practical and practice based guides, developed with a wide range of interests through the Think Local Act Personal partnership.

    General information on care and support is provided nationally through the NHS Choices website. This includes a search facility for all registered providers of care and support that gives practical and quality information on their services. This information is available for all local authorities and other providers of care and support information to re-use through syndication.

  • Stephen Phillips – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Stephen Phillips – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Phillips on 2016-01-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, on how many occasions his Department has been notified by external consultants or other third parties of breaches by employees or subcontractors of those consultants of document retention or security policies relating to confidential or secure materials in each of the last two years.

    Mr David Lidington

    Our records show 57 breaches by commercial third party suppliers in handling secure materials for the years in question. This is broken down by year as follows:

    2014/15 – 47

    2015/16 – 10

    The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has rigorous formal procedures for reporting, investigating and monitoring any incidents involving the loss or compromise of sensitive data for which it is responsible. Our policies and procedures are designed to ensure that we are compliant with the Data Protection Act 1998 and HMG’s Security Policy Framework. Responsibility for this compliance is shared with Suppliers through appropriate contract terms and conditions.

  • Lord Hain – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Lord Hain – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hain on 2016-02-11.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions they have had with Welsh Government about its position that a number of clauses of the Trade Union Bill relate to devolved issues, and in particular regarding its position that (1) provisions in clause 3 regarding the 40 per cent threshold, (2) provisions in clauses 12 and 13 regarding facility time, and (3) provisions in clause 14 regarding check-off, relate to devolved issues.

    Baroness Neville-Rolfe

    Ministers have engaged with the Devolved Administrations on the Trade Union Bill.

    As part of our engagement, Nick Boles, the lead Minister for the Trade Union Bill, has received four letters from Leighton Andrews, Minister for Public Services in the Welsh Government on 20 November 2015, 18 January 2016, 27 January 2016, and 9 February 2016. These letters related to specific aspects of the Bill and on the Welsh Government position on their applicability in Wales. On 5th February 2016 Nick Boles had a telephone conversation with Leighton Andrews on the Bill; and on 4 March, he replied to the letters and has placed a copy of the correspondence in the Library.

    The Trade Union Bill relates to employment rights, duties and industrial relations, all of which are reserved.

  • Mrs Anne Main – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Mrs Anne Main – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mrs Anne Main on 2016-03-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what estimate he has made of the annual cost to UK businesses of implementing EU harmonised legislation.

    Anna Soubry

    The Government produces Impact Assessments that set out the impacts to business of legislation. These are published on the LEGISLATION.GOV.UK website.

    The UK has one of the lightest regulatory regimes in the OECD. The Netherlands, also in the EU, has the lightest. The European Commission has already reformed its approach to regulation, reducing the number of new initiatives proposed in its annual work programmes by over 80 per cent since 2014.

    As part of the UK’s settlement with the EU, the European Commission is now committed to reviewing the burden of regulation each year, looking in particular at cutting red tape for small businesses. For the first time ever, specific targets to reduce costs for businesses will be introduced in the most burdensome areas.

  • Jeremy Lefroy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Jeremy Lefroy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jeremy Lefroy on 2016-04-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when she plans to commence Section 154 of the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014, on fixed penalty notices for leaving litter.

    Rory Stewart

    No timetable has been set for when Section 154 of the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 will be commenced.

    Defra has announced plans for a new litter strategy and we are working with industry, experts and councils across England to improve the way we all tackle the scourge of litter. The litter strategy will promote affordable and replicable ways to influence littering behaviour and reduce littering. This will include work on ways to deal with littering from vehicles.

  • Fiona Bruce – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Fiona Bruce – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Fiona Bruce on 2016-05-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what representations his Department has received on (a) noise and dust and (b) other disruptions affecting local residents caused by current major road works on the M6; and whether he has considered taking steps to reduce that disruption to those residents by those works.

    Andrew Jones

    Since work commenced on the smart motorway upgrade on the M6 between junctions 16 and 19 in December 2015, a total of 4 representations from local residents have been made to Highways England in regards to noise from the construction work. These representations were also made to Cheshire East County Council, who made Highways England aware of them.

    A further 4 representations have been made concerning an increase in traffic on the A50 to the east of the M6 due to vehicles choosing to divert on to the local road network to avoid the roadworks on the motorway. This concern was also raised with Highways England by Brereton Parish Council.

    A number of measures are in place to reduce the disruption to local people including the use of temporary noise screens to minimise noise from excavation works near homes and dust suppression measures. Highways England are in regular communication by letter, email and newsletter with local people to keep them informed about up-coming works.

  • Kevin Hollinrake – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Kevin Hollinrake – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kevin Hollinrake on 2016-07-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of (a) the effect of the National Tariff on the choice of antibiotic therapy available in hospitals and (b) the implications of the cost of such therapy for that availability.

    Nicola Blackwood

    The Health and Social Care Act 2012 Act transferred responsibility for developing payment systems for health care services from the Department to NHS England and NHS Improvement (formerly Monitor). The costs of drugs that are used in the course of a patient’s stay in hospital are reimbursed via the Healthcare Resource Group tariff that the provider receives for that spell.

    We are advised by NHS England that they are not aware of issues with the national tariff having an impact on the choice of antibiotic therapy available in hospitals.

    The decision on whether to prescribe an antibiotic is entirely a matter for the clinician, based on his or her clinical judgement.