Category: Speeches

  • Chris Stephens – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Chris Stephens – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Stephens on 2016-09-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the total expenditure from the public purse was for the social fund funeral payments scheme in 2015-16; and if he will make a statement.

    Caroline Nokes

    During 2015-16 in Scotland there were around 5500 applications for Funeral Expenses Payments and around 3700 awards granted.

    In 2015-16 across Great Britain £40,025,000 was paid out in Funeral Expenses Payments and repayments totalled £183,000. These figures are given on page 12 of the Social Fund Account 2015-16 (linked to below)

    https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/535981/social-fund-account-2015-16.pdf

    “

  • Damian Collins – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Damian Collins – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Damian Collins on 2016-10-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, when he plans to respond to the expression of interest made to his Department by Shepway District Council on proposals for a garden town development near Otterpool in Kent.

    Gavin Barwell

    We plan to respond in the next three weeks.

  • Conor McGinn – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Conor McGinn – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Conor McGinn on 2015-11-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what progress has been made with the implementation of the recommendations made in Lord Ashcroft’s Veterans’ Transition Review, published in February 2014.

    Mark Lancaster

    The Ministry of Defence’s (MOD) resettlement policy is continuously reviewed and the most recent update was issued in October 2015.

    Good progress has been made against the recommendations made in the Veterans’ Transition Review. Of the discrete recommendations 29 are fully in place and considered closed; and a number of remaining recommendations are partially in place with further development planned and time-tabled.

    The MOD continues to work with a number of charities, and the Government is committed to supporting their work. Actions already delivered include the provision of a 24-hour helpline for veterans, better support for those that leave the Service early so that all Service leavers get the provision they need, financial education for new recruits and better transfer of medical records.

    The MOD’s own Veterans Welfare Service is on the ground in every part of the UK providing one to one help and support to veterans with housing and any other problems they may have. Further work is under way to create a directory of Service charities so it is easier for veterans to find the support they need, and the contract for career transition support has been re-let to ensure it best meets the needs of veterans looking for jobs and training.

  • Michael Dugher – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Michael Dugher – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Michael Dugher on 2016-01-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what her Department’s policy is on the use of neonicotinoids, when that policy was last updated; and what plans she has to revise that policy.

    George Eustice

    The Government’s policy on pesticides, including neonicotinoids, is that decisions should be made on the basis of scientific evidence. Restrictions should be put in place if, and only if, these are necessary to protect people or the environment.

    EU restrictions on the use of neonicotinoids imposed in 2013 remain in force and have been fully implemented in the UK. The European Commission has asked the European Food Safety Authority to review the risks to pollinators from neonicotinoids. This review is due to conclude in January 2017 and may lead to changes to the current restrictions.

  • Sadiq Khan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Sadiq Khan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sadiq Khan on 2016-02-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the average age was of first time buyers was in each London borough in (a) 2010 and (b) the last year for which figures are available.

    Brandon Lewis

    The Department does not record or collect this information at London borough level.

  • Jonathan Ashworth – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Jonathan Ashworth – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jonathan Ashworth on 2016-02-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, how much her Department spent from the public purse on industrial tribunals in the last 12 months.

    Andrea Leadsom

    The cost of Employment Tribunals can be found within the HMCTS annual accounts published at:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/433948/hmcts-annual-report-accounts-2014-15.pdf.

    “

  • Ian Murray – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Ian Murray – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Murray on 2016-04-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the (a) average and (b) maximum time taken for contractors to return assessments to his Department was for Scottish claimants of (i) employment and support allowance and (ii) personal independence payments in each of the last four quarters for which information is available.

    Justin Tomlinson

    The information you have requested on the average and maximum time taken for the contractor in Scotland to return ESA assessments to the Department is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.

    PIP average actual clearance times for Scotland, measured from the point of referral to the assessment providers to a decision being made on the claim by the DWP, is available in published data at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/personal-independence-payment-april-2013-to-january-2016. Information on maximum time is not available in the published statistics and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.

    “

  • Louise Haigh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Louise Haigh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Louise Haigh on 2016-04-25.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many prosecutions have been brought under Section 70 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 in each year since the coming into force of that Act.

    Matthew Hancock

    Section 70 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 does not contain an offence. It amends the Data Protection Act 1998 to exempt data falling within section 1(1)(e) of that Act from some of its provisions, including the offence under section 55 of that Act.

  • Michelle Donelan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Michelle Donelan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Michelle Donelan on 2016-06-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate she has made of the number of students who have taken up computer science as an option in the EBacc in each of the last five years.

    Nick Gibb

    Computer science has been included in the science element of the English Baccalaureate (EBacc) since 2014. To enter the EBacc science pillar, pupils can enter core and additional science GCSE; enter GCSE science double award; or enter three single sciences at GCSE. The single sciences are biology, chemistry, computer science and physics.

    A time series of the total number of entries in GCSE computer science for the last three years is published as part of the “Revised GCSE and equivalent results in England: 2014 to 2015 (revised)” statistical first release (SFR).[1]

    [1] https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/502685/SFR01_2016_Subject_Timeseries.xls (“Subject time series tables: SFR01/2016” document)

    “

  • Callum McCaig – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

    Callum McCaig – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Callum McCaig on 2016-09-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent progress his Department has made on developing an Energy Innovation Strategy.

    Mr Nick Hurd

    Following the recent Machinery of Government changes, the detail of the Department’s energy innovation programme is being considered by Ministers. The 2016-2021 programme, over £500m, announced as part of the last Spending Review was developed as a cross-Government initiative by the former Department of Energy and Climate Change. The Department is also collaborating internationally with other countries, including through ‘Mission Innovation’ – a global partnership of 21 members announced at COP21 in Paris, pledging to double support for clean energy innovation over the next five years and strengthening transparency and collaboration.