Category: Speeches

Oliver Dowden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Oliver Dowden on 2016-01-27.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what guidance his Department provides to local planning authorities on whether (a) a Local Plan and (b) other local planning policies can be amended following the granting of planning permission on appeal for substantive development.

Brandon Lewis

The National Planning Policy Framework says that Local Plans can be reviewed in whole or in part to respond flexibly to changing circumstances. Our planning guidance also indicates that a local planning authority should review the relevance of the Local Plan at regular intervals to assess whether some or all of it may need updating. It is for the local planning authority to decide whether and when to review its planning policies.

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 2016-02-19.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the cost to the public purse has been of his Department reimbursing local authorities for payments to (a) households and (b) businesses in flood protection grants.

James Wharton

To date over £48 million has been paid out to local authorities through the Community and Business Recovery Fund and Council Tax and Business Rates discounts to assist households and businesses affected by the floods caused by Storms Desmond and Eva.

Local authorities have not notified the Department of any allowable costs not covered by the sums transferred. It is expected that further payments will be made shortly as flooded property numbers are confirmed and further funds requested.

01/01/2023
Gloria De Piero – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gloria De Piero on 2016-03-15.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how many apprenticeships were (a) started and (b) completed in each (i) parliamentary constituency and (ii) region of England and Wales in each of the last five years.

Nick Boles

Information on Apprenticeship starts and achievements by parliamentary constituency and region, in England, is published as a supplementary table (first link: starts, second link: achievements) to a Statistical First Release (third link).

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/493777/apprenticeships-starts-by-geography-learner-demographics-and-sector-subject-area.xls

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/504335/apprenticeships-achievements-by-geography-learner-demographics-and-sector-subject-area.xls

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/learner-participation-outcomes-and-level-of-highest-qualification-held

The Department does not collect further education information relating to the devolved administrations.

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

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Luce on 2016-04-19.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government in what way the criteria for the regulation of financial services vary between the UK and British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies.

Lord O’Neill of Gatley

The regulation of financial services are domestic responsibilities of the governments of the Crown Dependencies and the Overseas Territories. As part of the EU internal market for financial services, the UK Government and Government of Gibraltar regulate financial services in line with their own domestic and EU law. Other British Overseas Territories and the Crown Dependencies’ governments regulate financial services in line with their own domestic law, and are encouraged by the UK to meet internationally agreed standards.

01/01/2023
Catherine West – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Catherine West on 2016-05-26.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, with reference to the Answer of 12 May 2016 to Question 37016, what assessment he has made of the change in the number of full-time equivalent paramedics employed by the London Ambulance Service over the last three years.

Ben Gummer

We are advised by London Ambulance Service NHS Trust (LAS) that during 2015/16, it recruited 717 frontline staff. In doing so, LAS achieved its recruitment target and filled all its available frontline posts.

01/01/2023
Craig Whittaker – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Craig Whittaker on 2016-07-18.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to tackle and prevent organised dog fighting.

George Eustice

The Government considers that the necessary laws to tackle dog fighting are already in place. The police have specific powers under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 to tackle dog fighting and work closely with the Special Operations Unit of the RSPCA to gather intelligence against gangs involved in organised dog fights.

01/01/2023
Gregory Campbell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gregory Campbell on 2016-10-10.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make urgent representations to the Pakistani government on the case of Asia Bibi.

Alok Sharma

I remain concerned about Ms Asia Bibi ahead of her Supreme Court hearing due this week. We raise regularly our concerns about misuse of the blasphemy laws with the Pakistani Government, and continue to urge Pakistan to adhere to its international obligations and uphold the rule of law. During his visit to Pakistan in March, the former Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond), made clear our concerns about minority communities and misuse of the blasphemy laws. The UK supported the EU statement of October 2014 following the decision of the Lahore High Court to uphold the conviction of Ms Bibi. We will continue to work with our EU and other international partners to ensure our views are made clear to the Pakistani authorities.

01/01/2023

Richard Burden – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2015-11-23.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many cars the DVLA clamped in each month of each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Jones

The table below shows the information requested.

	2010	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015
January	9,023	8,370	5,131	5,197	5,696	8,890
February	10,892	10,550	4,947	5,391	5,115	8,741
March	12,722	9,517	5,356	5,450	5,333	8,630
April	8,978	8,911	4,636	5,802	5,214	8,228
May	8,887	8,265	5,065	5,450	5,549	8,511
June	8,790	8,217	4,339	4,968	5,530	9,957
July	8,970	7,365	5,257	4,238	5,634	10,554
August	8,883	7,947	4,644	2,079	5,384	8,050
September	8,562	7,472	4,525	3,918	5,530	9,444
October	9,435	5,533	4,275	4,576	5,806	9,778
November	9,873	2,828	4,349	4,791	5,756
December	7,587	4,507	1,870	4,283	6,740
Total	112,602	89,482	54,394	56,143	67,287	90,783

By way of context, the equivalent total figure for 2009 is 123,695 cars.

These vehicles would have been clamped by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency’s national wheelclamping contractors or by local authorities and police forces with devolved powers to clamp and impound unlicensed vehicles.

01/01/2023

Emily Thornberry – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Emily Thornberry on 2015-12-17.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to his Department’s report, Universal Credit Extended Gateway Evaluation, published on 6 December 2015, what assessment he has made of the reasons for the report’s finding on page 39, that participants in the study who were claiming universal credit were more flexible regarding the type of work they would consider at the outset than people claiming jobseeker’s allowance.

Priti Patel

The research finding that Universal Credit claimants appeared to be more flexible regarding the type of work they would consider is broadly consistent with other findings from the same research report that indicate that UC claimants are more engaged with the labour market than their JSA counterparts. UC claimants are spending longer on job search per week, and Universal Credit appears to be driving more active labour market behaviour, resulting in better labour market outcomes.

The key finding from another recently published report entitled, ‘Estimating the Early Labour Market Impacts of Universal Credit’, is that UC has a substantial impact on the chances of people moving into work after they make a new claim. UC claimants were 8 percentage points more likely to get a job within 270 days of claiming than equivalent new claims to JSA made at the same time in similar areas by similar individuals.

01/01/2023
Kate Hollern – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kate Hollern on 2016-01-27.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the estimated completion and entry into service dates are for each of the proposed Successor Trident submarines.

Mr Philip Dunne

As set out in the Strategic Defence and Security Review 2015, we expect the first Successor submarine to enter service in the early 2030s. As detailed Planning Assumptions for Service Entry are classified, I am witholding that information.

01/01/2023