Category: Speeches

  • Lord Laird – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Lord Laird – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Laird on 2015-11-18.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of whether all quasi-judicial decisions made by government departments or agencies should be made public.

    Lord Bridges of Headley

    There are a wide variety of quasi-judicial decisions and each are subject to different statutory requirements. In many cases the reasons behind the decisions are published with the decisions, for instance where a Secretary of State decides to make, or not make, a Development Consent Order under the Planning Act 2008, the decision letter and associated order, if applicable, must be published.There are several reasons why decisions might not be published and those include national security, sensitive personal data or commercial sensitivity.

  • Steve McCabe – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Steve McCabe – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2016-10-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 10 October 2016 to Question 46239, what options for loan repayment are made available to people who contact his Department on returning to the UK.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    British nationals to whom we have issued an emergency loan are able to discuss with FCO staff a repayment plan that is convenient to them. They can pay as much (minimum payment of £5) and as frequently as they wish. They can pay by telephone, using a credit or debit card – we accept most cards which are linked to a British bank; electronic bank transfer; personal cheque; Postal Order; or online.

    We explain to the individual that their outstanding debt will be subject to a surcharge of 10% if it is not cleared within six months, and that they will not have their passport returned, or be able to apply for a new one, until their debt is repaid in full.

  • Angela Rayner – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Angela Rayner – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Angela Rayner on 2015-12-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what recent progress his Department has made in helping improve digital skills in the workforce.

    Mr Edward Vaizey

    This Government is committed to improving digital skills in the workforce and creating a strong digital skills talent pool. Recent schemes include working with the Open University to create a free online course ‘Introduction to Cyber Security’, taken up by 70,000 learners, and reformed apprenticeships to provide employers with the digital skills they need in the workforce. From September 2015, 300 degree level digital apprenticesstartedtheir programmes – double what wasoriginallyannounced -providing the digital and professional skills that employers needand value.

  • Charlotte Leslie – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Charlotte Leslie – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Charlotte Leslie on 2016-01-18.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the financial effects of removing contributory third party funding from the Landfill Communities Fund.

    Damian Hinds

    A policy costing for the changes to the LCF announced at Autumn Statement 2015 was published in Spending Review and Autumn Statement 2015: policy costings. This document is available at:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/spending-review-and-autumn-statement-2015-documents

    “

  • Daniel Zeichner – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Daniel Zeichner – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Daniel Zeichner on 2016-02-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when he plans to respond to the report by the Law Commission on taxi and private hire services, published in May 2014.

    Andrew Jones

    I refer the hon Member to the answer I gave on 20 November 2015, http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-question/Commons/2015-11-09/15469/.

    “

  • Jake Berry – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Jake Berry – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jake Berry on 2016-03-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many type 1 diabetics have received a prescription penalty charge in each of the last three years.

    Alistair Burt

    Data is not available to indicate the number of diabetic patients who have received a prescription penalty charge in each of the last three years.

  • Emily Thornberry – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Emily Thornberry – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Emily Thornberry on 2016-04-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many members of the Privy Council have been briefed on special forces operations in the most recent year for which figures are available.

    Penny Mordaunt

    This Government has demonstrated its commitment to our Special Forces by announcing a £2 billion programme of investment over the course of this Parliament. All military operations, including the activities of the Special Forces, are discussed and scrutinised at the highest levels of Government, including at the National Security Council. However, as it is the longstanding policy of the Government not to comment on our Special Forces, or to release information relating to them, I cannot comment on specific questions about personnel, equipment, discussions or activities in relation to these units.

  • Nick Thomas-Symonds – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Nick Thomas-Symonds – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nick Thomas-Symonds on 2016-05-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many safety inspections the Health and Safety Executive carried out in the last year for which figures are available; and what estimate he has made of the number of such inspections the Executive will be able to make with the planned budget for 2019-20.

    Justin Tomlinson

    The Health and Safety Executive undertook approximately 18,000 targeted inspections in 2015/16, and will seek to maintain current levels of its core regulatory activities, including inspection, each year.

  • Martin Docherty-Hughes – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Martin Docherty-Hughes – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Martin Docherty-Hughes on 2016-06-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions his Department has had with West Dunbartonshire Council on the near collision between an unmanned drone and a passenger aircraft above Clydebank on 6 March 2016.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    There is a process in place for reporting such incidents. The independent UK Airprox Board (UKAB) has a well-established and high reputation for investigating all airprox incidents effectively and to make safety recommendations which it believes are necessary. More information about this process can be found at the following link https://www.airproxboard.org.uk/Learn-more/The-Airprox-process/.

    “

  • Angela Crawley – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Angela Crawley – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Angela Crawley on 2016-09-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of the UK leaving the EU on the protection of passenger rights in the UK.

    Andrew Jones

    The Government is considering carefully all the potential implications arising from the UK’s exit from the EU, including the implications for passenger rights. Until we leave, EU law still applies, so EU rules on passenger rights will continue to apply in the UK, alongside national rules.