Category: Speeches

Peter Kyle – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Peter Kyle on 2016-09-06.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if his Department will provide compensation to non-season ticket holders on Southern Rail for the result of strike action in 2016 and for the effect on such ticket holders of the reduced timetable in operation since 11 July 2016.

Paul Maynard

Govia Thameslink Railway already offers passengers Delay Repay, one of the most generous compensation schemes in Europe. Non-season ticket holders can claim as usual for disruption on strike days. In addition, season ticket holders are eligible for strike compensation on the days when the RMT’s industrial action makes travel challenging. Details of how to apply are available on Southern’s website.

Looking forward, we have just confirmed that the provisions of the Consumer Rights Act will apply to the rail industry in full from October 2016.

We will set out further plans shortly.

01/01/2023
Lord Bowness – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Bowness on 2016-10-17.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will seek to preserve the mutual recognition of the European Health Insurance Card throughout the UK and EU in their negotiations to leave the EU.

Lord Prior of Brampton

Nothing has yet been decided on whether the United Kingdom will seek to preserve the mutual recognition of the European Health Insurance Card after leaving the European Union. Officials in both the Department of Health and the Department for Exiting the European Union are considering the position and options available to us with the aim of achieving the best outcome for the UK health system and for the UK as a whole.

01/01/2023

Lord Teverson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Teverson on 2015-11-09.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government which were the 10 countries in which the highest number of interviews for potential international students in the UK took place, and what were the subsequent refusal rates for each country in (1) 2013, (2) 2014, and (3) 2015.

Lord Bates

The top 10 countries, in descending order, in which Tier 4 Student applications were undertaken and the subsequent refusal rates can be found in table to below:

2015 (Jan-Jun)

Nationality	Refusal rate
CHINA	3%
NIGERIA	14%
SAUDI ARABIA	4%
INDIA	16%
TANZANIA	17%
PAKISTAN	41%
TUNISIA	31%
TURKEY	6%
BRAZIL	8%
VIETNAM	15%

2014

Nationality	Refusal rate
CHINA	2%
INDIA	14%
NIGERIA	16%
SAUDI ARABIA	7%
PAKISTAN	31%
THAILAND	3%
BRAZIL	3%
RUSSIA	7%
TURKEY	5%
BANGLADESH	26%

2013

Nationality	Refusal rate
CHINA	2%
INDIA	18%
NIGERIA	19%
PAKISTAN	40%
SAUDI ARABIA	7%
THAILAND	2%
RUSSIA	8%
TURKEY	8%
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES	1%
BANGLADESH	22%

01/01/2023

Lord Maginnis of Drumglass – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Maginnis of Drumglass on 2015-12-03.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government which Peers and MPs who are based in Northern Ireland were invited by the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Theresa Villiers, to her briefing on the Northern Ireland political agreement prior to her statement in the House of Commons on 19 November.

Lord Dunlop

There was no briefing for Peers or MP’s prior to the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland’s Statement to the House of Commons on Thursday 19 November.

An invitation to the briefing on the Northern Ireland (Welfare Reform) Bill held on Monday 23 November was circulated electronically to all Peers via the Usual Channels.

01/01/2023
Jonathan Reynolds – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jonathan Reynolds on 2016-01-14.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what the average number of weeks is for which statutory shared parental pay has been claimed since 1 April 2015.

Nick Boles

The Government does not yet have any information on the take up of Statutory Shared Parental Pay. Information for the 2015-16 tax year will be available from May 2016, although it will also include claims for Additional Statutory Paternity Pay. Information is not held on the number of claims for Statutory Shared Parental Pay that are linked to adoption leave.

01/01/2023
Andrew Rosindell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

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

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the UK’s outstanding public debt obligations are to China.

Harriett Baldwin

The majority of the government’s public debt is financed through the issuance of UK government bonds, known as ‘gilts’. Information on sectoral holdings of gilts is published on a quarterly basis by the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

The latest figures show that £426.9 billion of gilts (25.9% of the total stock) is held by overseas investors, of which £73.3 billion is held by foreign central banks. The government does not hold detailed information on the identity of foreign central banks or other individual investors holding these gilts.

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

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Julian Sturdy on 2016-02-29.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to ensure that small rural businesses can adapt to the changes proposed to the Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2010.

Rory Stewart

The changes referred to do not amend the Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2010. The changes made are to the ‘Environmental Guidance On Waste Incineration’, which now clarifies that small waste oil burners used to burn waste oil must meet the requirements of Chapter IV of the Industrial Emissions Directive or switch to non-waste fuels. This guidance can be found on GOV.UK at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/environmental-permitting-guidance-the-waste-incineration-directive/environmental-permitting-guidance-waste-incineration.

A consultation on the changes to the guidance was undertaken between 14 September and 26 October last year. A summary of responses can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/487892/waste-incineration-consult-sum-resp.pdf.

The impact assessment for the changes to this guidance considered some sensitivities on the price of crude oil with regard to collection fees only. The impact assessment can be found at: www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/487895/waste-incineration-consult-ep-ia.pdf.

“

01/01/2023
Emily Thornberry – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Emily Thornberry on 2016-03-24.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 5 February 2016 to Question 25292, to which countries RAF Reaper or Watchkeeper drones have been deployed on intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance sorties since 5 February 2016.

Penny Mordaunt

From 5 February until 4 April 2016, UK Reapers have been deployed on intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance operations in Iraq and Syria.

01/01/2023
John Glen – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Glen on 2016-04-27.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what representations he has received on the establishment of a national emergency operations centre within Public Health England; and if he will make a statement.

Jane Ellison

The Department and Public Health England (PHE) have specific responsibilities for planning and managing the response to emergencies and health protection incidents and outbreaks in an extended team that works across government. The Department commissions PHE to exercise specific functions on behalf of the Secretary of State under the Health and Social Care Act 2012 and the Civil Contingencies Act 2004, including a duty to ensure effective plans are in place, take part in national exercises, and co-ordinate responses. The Secretary of State has cross-government responsibility to provide assurance on the health system’s emergency preparedness. Thus PHE is required to complete an annual assurance exercise for the Department to ensure arrangements are in place for a sustainable and interoperable response in the event of an incident, emergency or business continuity event.

The PHE National Emergency Operations Centre operates when the response requires national leadership and co-ordination. It coordinates PHE’s activities and as one of its functions produces briefings and situation reports for Ministers, the Cabinet Office briefing room system and officials.

PHE was established in 2013. The National Emergency Operations function was previously carried out by the former Health Protection Agency. Therefore the Department has not been able to specifically identify the historical costs of creating the National Incident Coordination Centre in 2011.

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

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2016-06-09.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many applications there were by developers for housebuilding on brownfield sites in each of the last five years.

Brandon Lewis

The Department for Communities and Local Government does not hold information on the numbers of planning applications made on previously developed (brownfield) land.

01/01/2023