Category: Speeches

  • Oliver Dowden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Oliver Dowden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Oliver Dowden on 2016-09-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if the Government will consider setting up a system of Finnish-style care packages for elderly people leaving hospital and going into care homes.

    David Mowat

    Despite a welcome shift towards more care provision in community settings, our ageing population means a growing number of people require care in care and nursing homes, with an increasing level of acuity and complexity of need.

    The Enhanced Health in Care Homes vanguards, implemented by NHS England, are beginning to show how addressing this inequity in access to services can reduce unnecessary, unplanned and avoidable admissions to hospital, shorten the length of hospital stays and improve peoples’ quality of life, wellbeing and clinical outcomes.

    NHS England is also leading the multi-agency Community Services and Hospital Discharge programme, which will deliver a series of interventions to transform community services and improve discharge of older people from hospital. These include initiatives such as “discharge to assess”, which will increase the number of patients who are discharged quickly and safely to their usual place of residence.

    The Department is not aware of a clothing grant for people who enter care homes and is therefore unable to consider reinstatement. Where a local authority arranges care and support to meet an adult’s eligible needs, it may charge them. Where care is arranged in a care home, a local authority must not, through charges, reduce the adult’s income below the Personal Expenses Allowance of £24.90 per week.

    The allowance means that local authority supported care home residents have money to spend as they wish on personal items, including clothing. It must not be spent on meeting their eligible care needs.

    Local authorities have discretion to be more generous where they think this would be appropriate.

  • Drew Hendry – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Drew Hendry – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Drew Hendry on 2015-11-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether (a) his Department and (b) its agencies plan to review their estates as a result of spending reductions agreed with HM Treasury.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    The Government will provide full details of the Spending Review outcome on 25 November.

  • Jim Cunningham – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Jim Cunningham – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2015-12-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment his Department has made the effectiveness and reliability of small arms equipment issued as standard across the armed forces; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    The effectiveness of small arms is regularly reviewed, with current performance routinely compared to other equipment used by military peers and developed by industry. The requirement for small arms to achieve defined levels of reliability is set prior to procurement and tested prior to purchase. Equipment already in service is continually reviewed, with any emerging issues investigated to resolution.

  • Ian C. Lucas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Ian C. Lucas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian C. Lucas on 2016-01-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many motability vehicles were held by people in (a) Wrexham, (b) Wales and (c) the UK in receipt of the enhanced mobility component of personal independence payments in each of the last six months for which records are available.

    Justin Tomlinson

    The Department does not hold this information. Motability is an independent charitable organisation that is wholly responsible for the administration of the Motability scheme. Whilst the Department meets regularly with Motability to discuss scheme performance, questions relating to the details of the scheme’s operation should be directed to Motability itself.

  • John Mann – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    John Mann – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Mann on 2016-02-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to prevent the use of fraudulent roofing materials in the building of new houses.

    James Wharton

    Building Regulations require that building work is carried out with adequate and proper materials which are appropriate for the circumstances in which they are used. Building control bodies are responsible for checking compliance as with any other Building Regulations’ requirements. In addition, if a building material is covered by a harmonised European standard, the requirements of the European Construction Products Regulation will apply. This Regulation is enforced by local authorities (trading standards in England, Scotland and Wales and District Councils in Northern Ireland).

  • David Morris – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    David Morris – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

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

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what information his Department holds on the progress of repairs to the Loyn Bridge in Gressingham in the Lune Valley in Morecambe and Lunesdale constituency.

    Andrew Jones

    Progress in respect to the repairs to the Loyn Bridge following damage caused by the winter storms is entirely a matter for Lancashire County Council as local highway authority. The Department for Transport ‎has provided £5 million funding to the Council and they will undertake repairs to the bridge as soon as practicable.

  • Holly Lynch – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Attorney General

    Holly Lynch – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Attorney General

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Holly Lynch on 2016-04-11.

    To ask the Attorney General, what assessment the Government has made of the use of the European Arrest Warrant as a prosecutorial tool in the event of a vote to leave the European Union.

    Jeremy Wright

    I refer the Hon. Member to the answer I gave to the oral questions from the Hon. Member for Stalybridge and Hythe and the Hon. Member for Kingston Upon Hull North on the 14th of April 2016.

    “

  • Lord Laird – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    Lord Laird – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Laird on 2016-05-18.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the concept of parity of esteem as outlined in the Belfast Agreement 1998 applies to security service people who have a residence elsewhere but are, or were, resident in Northern Ireland for a period.

    Lord Dunlop

    This Government understands the concept of parity of esteem, as set out in the 1998 Belfast Agreement, as placing a general obligation on the UK Government to treat people of different traditions in Northern Ireland fairly and with equal respect. In the Agreement it is clearly expressed and defined in relation to people living in Northern Ireland.

    As a general obligation there is no definition of particular circumstances in which it does or does not apply.

    As I have set out in previous replies to the Noble Lord, this Government is firm in its commitment to the protection of people against any form of discrimination, and the promotion of opportunity for all, across the whole of our United Kingdom.

    In respect of the Noble Lord’s question about those who might march wearing army uniforms but who are not members of an army, the concept of parity of esteem clearly does not absolve people from upholding the law. This Government has made clear many times that we will never accept any form of equivalence between members of the security forces and those who engage in terrorism or other forms of paramilitary activity.

  • Danny Kinahan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Danny Kinahan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Danny Kinahan on 2016-06-24.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how the £15 million tampon tax fund has been allocated in the UK.

    Mr David Gauke

    The Tampon Tax Fund supports women’s charities that are making a significant impact in the lives of women and girls in the UK, including health, wellbeing and education initiatives, and services for vulnerable women. The bids selected represent a range of different initiatives to benefit women across the whole of the UK.

    In total, 25 charities have been allocated funding so far. This includes £5.2 million of funding allocated to Comic Relief and Rosa, to disburse funding over the coming year to a range of grassroots women’s organisations across the UK, in recognition of the high number of applications received.

  • Holly Lynch – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Holly Lynch – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Holly Lynch on 2016-09-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many police dogs are available at any given time to the West Yorkshire Police Force; and how such police dogs are geographically deployed.

    Brandon Lewis

    Operational decisions on the availability and deployment of dogs are made on a force by force basis and are a matter for chief constables, working with their Police and Crime Commissioners.