Category: Speeches

  • David Anderson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    David Anderson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Anderson on 2016-03-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, whether her Department holds data on the amount of heat a tonne of biomass gives off when burned compared to a tonne of coal; and if she will make a statement.

    Andrea Leadsom

    The Department annually publishes the Digest of United Kingdom Energy Statistics (DUKES). Appendix A of DUKES contains data on the calorific value of fuels:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/447648/ DUKES_2015_Annex_A.pdf.

    The gross calorific value of dry biomass fuels, (the DUKES values have been corrected for moisture content), vary between 10 gigajoules per tonne (GJ/t) for poultry litter and 24 GJ/t for meat and bone meal. A typical dry wood based fuel has an energy content close to 19 GJ/t. Treatments such as torrefaction or charcoal production increase the energy density of biomass derived materials. However these manufactured biomass fuels are not commonly used for heating in the UK.

    A tonne of coal can also vary in heat content, depending on the rank of the coal, but lies between 24 GJ/t for bituminous coal as used in the pulp, paper and printing industries and 34 GJ/t of fuel for anthracite used in households. Typical bituminous house coal has a gross heat content of 30 GJ/t.

    These values represent the maximum heat available from a fuel in a laboratory test. The useful heat provided by combustion of that fuel to the business or home will depend on the efficiency of the combustor in which it is burnt and the design of the energy distribution system. The combustor efficiency can range from an open fire which may provide 20% of the energy in the fuel as useful heat, to modern condensing wood pellet boilers with gross efficiencies around 90%.

  • Alan Brown – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Alan Brown – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alan Brown on 2016-04-29.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 13 April 2016 to Question 32963, how many people who have personal independence payments with enhanced mobility payments have initial awards of (a) three years or less and (b) greater than three years before further re-assessment is required.

    Justin Tomlinson

    The review date is set at 12 months before the end of the award so there are no changes to the benefit paid before the re-assessment takes place.

    As at 31st January 2016, there were 218,270 claims in payment with enhanced mobility payments, of which;

    (a) 112,340 had an initial award that had a review date of three years or less

    (b) 105,960 had an initial award that had a review date of greater than three years.

    This is unpublished data and, as such, it does not meet the quality standard required for official statistics publication. It should be used with caution and it may be subject to future revision.

    Notes;

    1) The source of the data is the PIP computer system.

    2) Figures are correct as at 31st January 2016 and have been rounded to the nearest 10.

    3) Figures include both new claims and reassessment claims, and normal rules and special rules for the terminally ill claims.

    4) Figures are for Great Britain.

    5) We have provided data based on when the initial award’s review date was set to be, as this is the point at which the claimant would be invited to undertake an award review (i.e. further reassessment of their claim). The award review date occurs exactly 12 months before the initial claim end date.

  • Tulip Siddiq – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Tulip Siddiq – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tulip Siddiq on 2016-06-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make an assessment of the potential environmental and safety benefits of using single rather than double-decker buses during off-peak times on journeys with small numbers of passengers.

    Andrew Jones

    Whether to use single- or double-decker buses must be an operational decision for local bus operators. They are in the best position to understand and appreciate which type of vehicle to use on their bus routes, at which times during the day.

    The Government is committed to helping local bus operators to operate more environmentally friendly buses. Measures such as the Green Bus Fund, awarded £89m from 2009-2014 for over 1200 low emission buses, including both single and double-decker buses. The £30m Low Emission Bus Scheme, announced last year, is available to fund both single- and double-decker low emission buses and supporting infrastructure.

  • Kevin Foster – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Kevin Foster – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kevin Foster on 2016-09-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what forms of medical evidence his Department accepts for personal independence payments claims from a person suffering from (a) myalgic encephalopathy and (b) other illnesses with variable symptoms that permit part-time work.

    Penny Mordaunt

    Personal Independence Payment (PIP) is a non-means-tested, non-taxable cash benefit that is paid regardless of the employment status of the claimant. It has been designed to take full account of fluctuating and variable conditions.

    The Department encourages claimants to provide as much relevant evidence as necessary to support their claim. The “How your disability affects you” form and accompanying guidance sets out the range of information that can help the Department reach a decision. The guidance for Health Professionals also sets out sources of further evidence which could help inform their advice to the Department (Section 2.3 Further Evidence); this includes family members, carers or anyone else who supports them.

    This guidance can be accessed on the gov.uk website:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/547146/pip-assessment-guide.pdf

    “

  • Lord Blencathra – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Lord Blencathra – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

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

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many UK civil servants, and of what grade, who work in units, directorates or sub-departments within the FCO are charged with EU policy formulation, advising on EU policy or enforcing EU policy.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    Staff in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s (FCO) Europe Directorate lead on providing advice to FCO Ministers on European Union (EU) and EU-related issues. However, staff in other Directorates in London, as well as staff in our diplomatic missions around the world, also on occasion work on EU or EU-related issues. It is not possible, therefore, to give precise figures.

  • Philip Davies – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Philip Davies – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Philip Davies on 2015-11-05.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, which regulations his Office introduced as a result of EU legislation in (a) 2013, (b) 2014 and (c) 2015 to date; which regulations his Office expects to implement as a result of EU legislation in (i) 2016 and (ii) 2017; and what estimate he has made of the cost of each such regulation to the (A) public purse and (B) private sector.

    Matthew Hancock

    No regulations were introduced by the Cabinet Office as a result of EU legislation in 2013 and 2014.

    So far in 2015 the Cabinet Office has introduced the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 which have estimated net annual savings of £3.6 Billion. No further regulations arising from EU legislation are planned for introduction in 2015.

    Looking ahead to 2016 two regulations are expected to be implemented by the Cabinet Office as a result of EU legislation. These are the Utilities Contract Regulations and Concessions Contract Regulations.

    Details of all the estimated costs to the Public Purse and Private Sector are provided in the table below:

    Year

    Title of Regulation

    Cost to Business

    Cost to Public Purse

    2013

    None

    2014

    None

    2015

    Public Contracts Regulations 2015

    £3.6Billion saving

    2016

    Utilities Contract Regulations

    £0.14M

    £0.09M

    Concessions Contract Regulations

    £0.3M

    £0.85

    2017

    None

    “

  • Ms Margaret Ritchie – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Ms Margaret Ritchie – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ms Margaret Ritchie on 2015-11-30.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions her Department has had with the EU Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development on (a) sheep carcase classification and (b) price reporting for sheep; and if she will make a statement.

    George Eustice

    The Commissioner has established a series of workshops on the future of the sheep sector in the European Union. This forum is providing an opportunity to discuss a wide range of issues relevant to the sector, including carcass classification and price reporting. Defra and the devolved administrations are fully engaged in these discussions.

    In addition, Defra and the devolved administrations are contributing to the Commission’s review of regulations on carcass classification and price reporting as part of the EU Commission’s legislation simplification programme.

  • Baroness Finlay of Llandaff – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Baroness Finlay of Llandaff – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Finlay of Llandaff on 2016-01-11.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government when and by which ministerial department the decision was taken to cancel the transfer of police custody healthcare services to the NHS; when that decision was announced; and what were the reasons for that change of policy.

    Lord Bates

    My rt hon Friend the Home Secretary has decided that a reallocation from the overall police settlement in respect of custody healthcare costs would not be appropriate at this time. This decision was communicated to Police and Crime Commissioners on 17 December 2015 in correspondence on the provisional police funding settlement. Police and Crime Commissioners will therefore retain responsibility for commissioning such services, and have flexibility to prioritise resource towards police custody healthcare, based on local needs.

    In most areas police forces and NHS Commissioners have already developed close effective partnerships in respect of custody healthcare provision and we expect that they will continue to build on these.

  • Christian Matheson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Christian Matheson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Christian Matheson on 2016-02-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many (a) deaths, (b) missing persons incidents and (c) sexual assaults or serious crimes against the person have been reported against UK citizens whilst at sea in each year since and including 2010.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    The Department for Transport does not hold statistics on the number of UK citizens who die at sea, become missing persons or are the victims of sexual assault or serious crimes against the person whilst at sea.

  • Karl McCartney – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Karl McCartney – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Karl McCartney on 2016-02-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what assessment the Government made of the effect on (a) high streets, (b) small businesses and (c) post offices of the temporary changes to Sunday trading laws during the 2012 Olympic Games in London.

    Anna Soubry

    The Office for National Statistics analysed the impact of the short term Olympic relaxation of the Sunday trading rules and found that it was not possible to make any inference from the data. They found no definite pattern amongst the growth rates of retail sales and noted that other factors, such as the weather and time of year, will have impacted sales.