Category: Speeches

  • Jim Shannon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Jim Shannon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-10-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps she is taking to assist families who are in a position to lose their homes as a result of county court judgements.

    Sir Oliver Heald

    If a person finds that a county court judgment has been entered against them and they did not owe the money, they can apply to the court to have the judgment ‘set aside’. The Ministry of Justice is working with other government departments to check that creditors are using accurate address details when making money claims.

    The Department for Communities and Local Government is responsible for housing policy. Under the homelessness legislation (Part 6 of the Housing Act) any family with dependent children will be provided with accommodation. Homelessness teams will often be able to help families with debt advice or assist them to obtain that advice.

  • Lord Bradshaw – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Lord Bradshaw – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Bradshaw on 2015-11-04.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of whether the train service in the Lincoln area, to both London and Birmingham, is adequate to meet present needs, and what firm plans they have for developing the service along those rail corridors.

    Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

    The Government believes that Train Operators are better placed to respond to the changing demands of their customers in the creation of train services and it is the Government’s view that timetable development is an activity that should be managed by Train Operators with minimum interference from Central Government.

    In 2016 we will open the competition for the East Midlands franchise, and will engage with stakeholders and run a public consultation to help specify services.

    From May 2019, Stagecoach Virgin have been contracted by the Department for Transport to operate 5 additional services each day between London and Lincoln.This will provide a regular service of approximately 1 train every 2 hours in each direction. Delivery of this is subject to the rail industry’s normal timetable development process and to the Office of Road and Rail granting the necessary access rights to the operator.

  • Ian Mearns – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Ian Mearns – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Mearns on 2015-12-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will take steps to update the National Maritime Security Strategy to 2019 to include the Government’s policy on the role of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary.

    Penny Mordaunt

    The National Strategy for Maritime Security was published in May 2014 and remains relevant to today’s challenges in the maritime domain. However, as we implement the outcomes of the Strategic Defence and Security Review 2015, we will consider whether the strategy should be reviewed.

  • Rosie Cooper – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Rosie Cooper – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rosie Cooper on 2016-01-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if her Department will provide guidance to residents whose homes have been flooded in circumstances where the failure of a local agency, local authority or private company to maintain the water management infrastructure adequately can be demonstrated, on how those residents can seek redress or compensation.

    Rory Stewart

    The Environment Agency and local authorities have permissive powers to maintain flood defences, flood risk assets, culverts or drains. Sewerage companies have a duty under section 94 of the Water Industry Act 1991 to effectually drain their area.

    Lead Local Flood Authorities (LLFAs) are responsible, under the Flood and Water Management Act 2010, for investigating and publish reports on incidents of flooding. These reports may identify the causes of a flooding incident. Those who have been flooded may wish to contact their local LLFA about these reports.

  • Baroness Randerson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Baroness Randerson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Randerson on 2016-02-03.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the remarks by Lord Bates on 28 January (HL Deb, col 1408), when Cardiff Council last inspected Lynx House; whether a written report was produced; and whether asylum seekers were required to wear red wristbands at the time of that inspection.

    Lord Bates

    Cardiff Council Environmental Health officers conducted a routine check of food hygiene matters on 26th January 2016.

    Cardiff Council Housing Enforcement officers also inspected Lynx House premises on 2nd February 2016. We understand that a report will be produced and shared with both the accommodation provider and the Home Office in due course. Home Office can confirm that the requirement for asylum seekers accommodated in Lynx House to wear wristbands in order to access meals ended on 25 January.

  • Lord Roberts of Llandudno – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Lord Roberts of Llandudno – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Roberts of Llandudno on 2016-02-29.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many asylum applications by those aged 18 to 25 have been overturned on appeal in the past five years.

    Lord Bates

    The table provided gives annual figures for the number of appeals allowed from applicants aged between 18 and 25 at the time of applying for asylum. This is a subset of published data.

    Asylum appeals allowed, for applicants aged 18 to 25 at the time of asylum application, 2011 to 2015

    Year

    Appeals allowed, age 18 to 25 (1)

    2011

    804

    2012

    622

    2013

    549

    2014

    476

    2015

    949

    Source: Home Office, subset of published appeals allowed figures in table as_14, volume 4 of the Asylum data tables, Immigration Statistics October to December 2015

    (1) Age relates to the age at initial asylum application

    A copy of the latest release, Immigration Statistics October to December 2015, is available from https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/immigration-statistics-october-to-december-2015.

  • Derek Twigg – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Derek Twigg – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Derek Twigg on 2016-03-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what plans his Department has to increase the retention rate of doctors working in general practice.

    Alistair Burt

    The number of full time equivalent doctors working in general practice has increased by 1,677 since September 2010.

    The Department has committed to further increasing the primary and community care workforce by 10,000 by 2020, including an additional 5,000 doctors working in general practice. In January 2015, NHS England, Health Education England, the Royal College of General Practitioners and the British Medical Association’s General Practitioners Committee published Building the Workforce, a ten point plan to address general practitioner (GP) workforce issues.

    The ten point plan includes actions to improve retention, as well as to increase recruitment and support GPs to return to practice. As part of this work, NHS England has commissioned a detailed review to identify the most effective measures to encourage experienced GPs to remain in practice.

  • Tulip Siddiq – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Tulip Siddiq – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tulip Siddiq on 2016-04-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how many cases of alleged malpractice by directors of companies the Insolvency Service investigated in each year since 2009; and in each of those years how many directors of such companies were disqualified from practising on account of offences committed (a) in the UK and (b) abroad.

    Anna Soubry

    When a company enters into formal insolvency proceedings, the insolvency practitioner (IP) has to file a report on the conduct of the directors unless an official receiver is in office; and each of those reports is assessed by the Insolvency Service to determine if a more detailed investigation is appropriate. When a company enters into compulsory liquidation, although this is not itself an indication of misconduct, the official receiver will in all cases make enquiries to determine the cause of insolvency and the conduct of the directors of the company.

    The number of reports of misconduct submitted by IPs is detailed in the table below, alongside the total number of compulsory liquidations each year.

    Reporting year

    IP reports of misconduct

    Compulsory liquidations

    Total disqualifications

    09/10

    7,030

    5,418

    1,386

    10/11

    5,373

    4,573

    1,453

    11/12

    5,401

    5,125

    1,165

    12/13

    5,335

    4,001

    1,034

    13/14

    4,671

    3,734

    1,282

    14/15

    4,620

    3,588

    1,210

    15/16

    4,277

    2,778

    *810

    *Disqualifications in the period from April 2015 to December 2015, the latest period for which official statistics are available.

    All of these cases relate to companies based in and trading in the UK. In many cases, a disqualification will be obtained in a period subsequent to the submission of a report or the insolvency of the company. Each case may encompass a number of directors.

  • Craig Whittaker – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Craig Whittaker – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Craig Whittaker on 2016-06-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent representations he has received from Calderdale Council on the construction of a new rail station at Elland.

    Claire Perry

    We are aware of aspirations for a new station at Elland but have not received any representations about it from Calderdale Council. The promotion of any new station is a matter for the relevant local transport authority, in this case West Yorkshire Combined Authority.

  • Andrew Rosindell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Andrew Rosindell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2016-09-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the change in defence spending has been since May 2015.

    Michael Fallon

    The Spending Review 2015 set out the Ministry of Defence’s (MOD) budget for the rest of this Parliament reflecting the Government’s commitment to spend at least 2% of GDP on defence. The MOD budget will increase by 0.5% above inflation each year from 2016-17 to 2020-21, during which time the Department will have access to the new Joint Security Fund.

    The Defence Budget for 2016-17 is £35 billion.