Category: Speeches

Robert Neill – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Robert Neill on 2015-10-30.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what payments have been made to the devolved administrations under the 2014 Pharmaceutical Price Regulation Scheme to date; on which date each such payment was made; what methodology is used to calculate the level of such payments; and if he will make a statement.

George Freeman

The Government recognises that the Pharmaceutical Price Regulation Scheme (PPRS) payments that companies make under the 2014 scheme in respect of the United Kingdom need to be allocated to each of the devolved administrations in a fair way.

The PPRS payments that companies make under the scheme in respect of the UK are allocated to each of the four countries on an agreed basis each year. Apportionment is not covered by the terms of the PPRS. However, the four countries agreed the current method for apportioning income received under the 2014 PPRS which is based on primary care data for spend on licensed branded medicines, as the most consistent data set available across the UK. Income is apportioned using prescribing data for the same period as the income relates.

The attached table includes the quarterly PPRS income paid to Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales from Q1 2014 to Q2 2015. It should be noted that as well as PPRS payments this income also includes historic cash payments made by companies that were members of the 2009 PPRS.

As requested, the following table contains information regarding the dates PPRS payments were made to the devolved administrations:

	PPRS Payment	Historic Cash Payment
2014 Q1	21 August 2014	10 October 2014
2014 Q2 and Q3	20 February 2015	20 February 2015
2014 Q4	8 April 2015	8 April 2015
2015 Q1	3 July 2015	24 July 2015
2015 Q2	13 October 2015	16 October 2015

01/01/2023

Maria Eagle – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Maria Eagle on 2015-11-26.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how he plans to reinvest the savings achieved by phasing out the commitment bonus for members of the armed forces in the armed forces.

Mark Lancaster

The savings generated by the decision to phase out commitment bonuses for the Armed Forces form part of the overall Ministry of Defence efficiency package for this Parliament.

As detailed in the Strategic Defence and Security Review (Cm 9161), efficiency savings will enable investment in a broad range of high-priority capabilities such as counter-terrorism and military surveillance to help protect the UK and our interests abroad, the procurement of a fleet of maritime patrol aircraft to increase further the protection of our nuclear deterrent and our new aircraft carriers, and funding to ensure our Armed Forces continue to be provided with the equipment they need and force protection when they are deployed.

01/01/2023
Alex Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alex Cunningham on 2016-01-04.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what discussions he has had with the Environment Agency on the guidance given to local authorities regarding housebuilding on floodplains.

Brandon Lewis

The Department, together with the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs, holds regular discussions with the Environment Agency on a variety of matters including to ensure the safeguards in national planning policy to protect people and property from flooding are being applied. Between April 2011 and March 2015 over 99% of proposed new homes had planning outcomes in line with Environment Agency advice where they had objected because of concerns about flood risk and had been made aware of the decision.

01/01/2023
Luciana Berger – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Luciana Berger on 2016-01-28.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 26 January 2016 to Question 23621, which (a) charitable trusts and foundations, (b) institutional investors and (c) dedicated social impact funds have invested in drug and alcohol addiction.

Mr Rob Wilson

There are a broad range of charitable trusts and foundations working in this area, including Action Against Addiction, Mind and the Lifeline Project. Institutional investors such as Big Society Capital and Bridges Ventures have a track record of investing in programmes focused upon tackling complex social problems of this type. We will be working closely with all of these stakeholders to ensure that the Life Chances Fund has a real impact in helping to tackle drug and alcohol addiction.

01/01/2023
Andrew Gwynne – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Gwynne on 2016-02-24.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much of the £390 million funding referred to in paragraph 0.5 of his Department’s paper, Infected blood: reform of financial and other support, published in January 2016, was spent in each year to date; and what the average spend per recipient in each such year was.

Jane Ellison

The Department only holds finance data for payments under the Schemes back to 2007. This information is provided below.

2014-15 £22,278,096

2013-14 £27,043,569

2012-13 £22,052,458

2011-12 £27,192,232

2010-11 £39,805,667

2009-10 £22,461,057

2008-09 £19,240,337

2007-08 £20,532,461

The figures above include the annual payments to those with HIV and hepatitis C stage 2, and the lump sum payments made on joining the scheme and progressing to hepatitis C stage 2. The fluctuation in amounts between the years reflects the variance in number of people newly coming forward or progressing to hepatitis C stage 2 in each year.

The payments to individuals included both discretionary and non-discretionary payments, data on which is only held by the trusts and funds. Therefore, the Department is unable to estimate the levels of individual payments.

01/01/2023
Lord Myners – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Myners on 2016-03-17.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they intend to monitor the role of institutional investors in voting their clients’ shares regarding the potential takeover of the London Stock Exchange, in order to ensure that this reflects the best interests of the clients rather than the fund manager or related parties.

Lord O’Neill of Gatley

The regulatory framework governing asset managers requires managers to take all reasonable steps to identify, prevent, manage and monitor conflicts of interest.

The Financial Conduct Authority are responsible for the supervision of firms to ensure consumers are protected and treated fairly.

01/01/2023
Tom Blenkinsop – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Blenkinsop on 2016-04-22.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent progress has been made on increasing the number of wheelchair accessible stations from street to platform level at National Rail and London Underground stations.

Claire Perry

We take improving station accessibility very seriously and the Access for All programme has delivered step free access at over 150 stations with a further 68 projects in construction or development. In addition, whenever infrastructure work is carried out at stations it must meet current accessibility standards. For example, when Crossrail fully opens in 2019, all 40 stations on the route will also have step free access.

Step free access to London Underground is a matter for Transport for London, but I understand that 66 Tube stations and 57 London Overground stations currently have step-free access, and Docklands Light Railway stations are all step-free.

01/01/2023
Fiona Bruce – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Fiona Bruce on 2016-06-06.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much has been allocated in the current financial year to the married couples tax allowance; and how much he expects the Government to spend on that allowance in this financial year.

Mr David Gauke

The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) revised the forecast for Marriage Allowance at Budget 2016. Details were published in the OBR’s Economic and Fiscal Outlook in March 2016.

The Government remains committed to recognising marriage through the tax system. Marriage Allowance could benefit eligible couples by up to £432 this year if couples also backdate their claim to 2015-16. HM Revenue and Customs is continuing to look at ways to increase take-up of Marriage Allowance, including through further advertising, to ensure all eligible couples are able to take advantage of the allowance.

01/01/2023
Frank Field – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Frank Field on 2016-09-02.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the (a) specific functions and (b) scope of the recently established International Modern Slavery Fund will be.

Sarah Newton

The Prime Minister has announced £33.5 million of Official Development Assistance (ODA) funding over five years. The fund be will be used to prevent slavery in ODA eligible countries and bring perpetratorsto justice; helping communities to fight modern slavery. We have already announced that:

• The Commonwealth Parliamentary Association UK has been funded to work with parliaments across the Commonwealth to support them in considering legislation similar to the UK’s world-leading Modern Slavery Act 2015.

• £2.4 million has been allocated to the £3 million Child Trafficking Protection Fund.

Some funding will be used to support innovative programmes to reduce the prevalence of modern slavery and improve the evidence base on what works. A call for proposals on the innovation fund will be issued later this year.

01/01/2023
Mark Menzies – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Menzies on 2016-10-11.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps the Government is taking to help protect the pensions of long-serving employees.

Richard Harrington

We have a well-established regime of checks and balances in place, for example the Pension Protection Fund and the Pensions Regulator. The Government keeps this framework for pensions under constant review, and amends it when evidence demonstrates such change is needed

01/01/2023