Category: Speeches

  • Jim Cunningham – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Jim Cunningham – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2015-10-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what recent assessment her Department has made of the role of fracking in meeting the future energy needs of the UK; and if she will make a statement.

    Andrea Leadsom

    The Written Ministerial Statement by my rt. hon. Friends, the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change and the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government on 16 September 2015 (Official Report, Column 34-38WS), sets out the Government’s view that there is a national need to explore and develop our shale gas and oil resources in a safe, sustainable and timely way, to help meet our objectives for secure energy supplies, economic growth and lower carbon emissions.

    A successful shale industry could help create jobs and grow local economies. Investment in shale could reach £33billion and support up to 64,000 jobs in oil, gas, construction, engineering and chemical sectors. The opportunity to extract this energy, as well as to secure jobs and investment, cannot be ignored.

  • Jessica Morden – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Jessica Morden – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jessica Morden on 2015-10-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, at what level tolls at the Severn Bridge will be set from January 2016.

    Andrew Jones

    An announcement regarding the toll levels for the Severn River Crossings is made by the concessionaire every year, and I understand they will announce in the coming weeks the 2016 toll levels. The Severn Bridges Act 1992 stipulates the level of increases in Severn tolls each year – in line with RPI during the concession period.

  • Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb on 2015-10-23.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many people currently receive Universal Credit, and at what cost to the public purse.

    Lord Freud

    The Universal Credit programme publishes official experimental statistics which are available on GOV.UK.

    The statistics to 10 September show that 125,877 people were on the Universal Credit caseload. Cost information for the current UC caseload is not available for publication.

  • Caroline Flint – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Caroline Flint – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Flint on 2015-10-23.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the practice of insurers automatically signing up customers to annual renewals without the explicit consent of those policy holders.

    Harriett Baldwin

    I refer my hon. Member to the answer given on the 26 October 2015 to Question UIN 12727.

  • Zac Goldsmith – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Zac Goldsmith – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Zac Goldsmith on 2014-02-27.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many deaths of (a) infants, (b) children, (c) adults and (d) elderly people have been recorded in the UK from antibiotic-resistant bacterial meningitis infection by age group in each year since 1990.

    Mr Nick Hurd

    The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.

  • Mrs Sharon Hodgson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Mrs Sharon Hodgson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mrs Sharon Hodgson on 2014-02-24.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what proportion of civil servants in his Department who were promoted in each of the last five years were (a) male and (b) female.

    Mr Francis Maude

    Promotion in the Cabinet Office is based on merit and suitability for the post in question.

    The requested statistics on promotion are not readily available. However, we estimate that male staff constituted 51% of all those promoted since April 2011. This closely reflects the overall proportion currently working in my Department.

    Figures for ethnicity and disability are not available. Cabinet Office does not compel staff to declare against workforce diversity indicators, including ethnicity and disability.

  • Mr David Hanson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Mr David Hanson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mr David Hanson on 2014-02-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to investigate the English language test results of students who completed English language tests organised by ETS in each of the last three years.

    James Brokenshire

    The Home Office has suspended acceptance of all ETS tests taken and used in the
    UK whist the scope of the issue is ascertained and to determine the number of people who
    have taken a test and been involved in fraud. We have specialist teams in place
    to undertake this analysis.

    We are looking at all current and past applications. Anyone who is found to
    have used or is currently trying to use evidence that they obtained dishonestly
    can expect to have their leave curtailed and be removed from the UK or have any
    outstanding application refused and leave the UK. We will also seek criminal
    prosecution where appropriate and use all of the measures that we have
    available.

    Our reforms have curbed abuse by closing bogus colleges, making the application
    process more rigorous and imposing more rules on colleges to improve course
    quality. However, as the recent BBC Panorama programme highlighted, much more
    needs to be done.
    The Government will take all necessary steps, but our approach also requires
    the education sector, particularly private or further education colleges and
    those providing secure English language testing, to take on their
    responsibility to tackle abuse.

  • Andrew Rosindell – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Andrew Rosindell – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2014-01-22.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many citizens of other EU member states currently living in the UK receive child benefit.

    Nicky Morgan

    HMRC are not able to provide the information in the manner requested. HMRC do not record the nationality of the claimant receiving Child Benefit for children living in another member state.

    Published Child Benefit statistics provide annual estimates of the number of families and children claiming. The latest available (August 2012) show that there were 7.92 million families, responsible for 13.77 million children and qualifying young people receiving Child Benefit.

    The main purpose of Child Benefit is to support families in the UK. Consequently, the rules generally do not provide for them to be paid in respect of children who live abroad.

    Nevertheless, Child Benefit is a family benefit under EC Regulation 883/2004. This regulation protects the social security rights of nationals of all member states of the European economic area, including the UK, and Switzerland when they exercise their rights of free movement under EU law.

    HMRC holds information on the number of Child Benefit awards under EC Regulation 883/2004. As at 31 December 2013, there were 20,400 ongoing Child Benefit awards under the EC Regulation in respect of 34.268 children living in another member state.

    This is a fall of 3,682 (15.3%) awards in respect of 5,903 (14.7%) fewer children since 31 December 2012.

    The breakdown by member state is as follows:

    *We have withheld the number where it is fewer than 5, as there is risk that the information could be attributed to an identifiable person, which would prejudice their right to privacy and would therefore be a breach of Principle 1 of the Data Protection Act.

    Child Benefit

    Country of residence of children

    Number of awards

    Number of children

    Austria

    23

    37

    Belgium

    75

    140

    Bulgaria

    186

    245

    Croatia

    *5

    *5

    Cyprus

    39

    61

    Czech Republic

    124

    203

    Denmark

    13

    23

    Estonia

    45

    65

    Finland

    12

    23

    France

    789

    1429

    Germany

    283

    495

    Greece

    44

    69

    Hungary

    136

    196

    Iceland

    *5

    *5

    Italy

    156

    273

    Latvia

    797

    1091

    Liechtenstein

    0

    0

    Lithuania

    1215

    1712

    Luxembourg

    7

    14

    Malta

    15

    22

    Norway

    30

    61

    Poland

    13174

    22093

    Portugal

    202

    309

    Republic of Ireland

    1231

    2505

    Romania

    230

    392

    Slovakia

    692

    1232

    Slovenia

    11

    21

    Spain

    600

    1019

    Sweden

    49

    95

    Switzerland

    77

    150

    The Netherlands

    142

    288

    Totals

    20400

    34268

    As announced in the 2014 Budget, to prevent EEA migrants claiming benefits they are not entitled to, the Government will increase compliance checks to establish whether EEA migrants meet the entitlement conditions to receive Child Benefit

    Under domestic law, in order to claim Child Benefit EEA Migrants must be present in the UK, ordinarily resident and have a right to reside in the UK and their children must live in the UK.

    The recent changes to migrants’ access to benefits announced by the Government sends a strong message that the UK benefit system is not open to abuse, as well as deterring those who may seek residence in the UK primarily to claim benefits.

    Strengthening compliance checks will help prevent EEA migrants from claiming, and continuing to claim, benefits they are not entitled to. Checks will be applied to both new claims and existing awards.

  • Mr Clive Betts – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Mr Clive Betts – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mr Clive Betts on 2013-05-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether he plans to consult on eligibility for free school meals ahead of the introduction of universal credit.

    Mr David Laws

    We are working very closely with other departments, including the Cabinet Office and the Department for Work and Pensions, to simplify free school meals criteria under universal credit, while ensuring that free lunches continue to be available to the families who need them most. These discussions, which include consideration of a phased implementation timetable, are in recognition of the significant number and complexity of passported benefits across Government, most of which have different eligibility criteria.

    We will allow good time to enable schools, local authorities and children’s charities to comment on our proposals before we introduce new entitlement criteria for free school meals under universal credit.

  • Stephen Timms – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Stephen Timms – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2015-10-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what plans he has to increase enforcement rates for the national minimum wage.

    Nick Boles

    The Government is committed to cracking down on employers who break the National Minimum Wage (NMW) law. In 2014/15, HMRC conducted 2,204 investigations into potential NMW non-compliance, totalling £3,291,529 of arrears for 26,318 workers.

    This is up from 1,455 investigations conducted in 2013/14, totalling £4,645,547

    of arrears for 22,610 workers.

    Building on our existing reforms, the Prime Minister announced on 1 September 2015 further measures to strengthen the enforcement of the NMW. These include:

    • increasing penalties from 100% to 200% of the arrears employers owed.
    • the setting up of a dedicated team in Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) focused on tackling the most serious cases of wilful non-compliance.
    • increasing the enforcement budget in preparation for the National Minimum and Living Wage from April 2016.
    • the creation of a statutory Director of Labour Market Enforcement and Exploitation.