Category: Speeches

Dr Sarah Wollaston – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dr Sarah Wollaston on 2015-10-26.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what plans he has to provide financial support to help children under the age of three who are eligible for a disabled parking badge but are not eligible for the mobility component of the disability living allowance.

Justin Tomlinson

The principle underpinning Disability Living Allowance (DLA) is that payments are made to families who incur extra costs as a result of meeting the additional care and/or mobility needs of a disabled child.

In deciding to set the lower age limit for entitlement to the higher rate mobility component at 3 years of age, the department considered views of medical advisors and independent research that the majority of children could walk at the age of 2½. By the age of 3 it was realistically possible in the majority of cases to make an informed decision as to whether an inability to walk was the result of disability.

We have no plans to make changes to DLA for children under the age of 3.

01/12/2022

Sadiq Khan – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sadiq Khan on 2015-10-26.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many British Transport Police officers were working night shifts in London on each day of September 2015.

Claire Perry

The table below sets out the number of British Transport Police (BTP) officers working in Greater London (all London boroughs) on 1 October in each year between 2010 and 2015:

2010	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015
1,715	1,638	1,643	1,608	1,592	1,732

The table below sets out the number of officers in Greater London (all London boroughs) which were contracted to work night shifts as at 1 October in each year between 2010 and 2015:

2010	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015
46	49	53	55	52	57

All BTP officers could potentially be rostered on to night shifts if necessary.

The table below sets out the number of BTP officers that were working night shifts in Greater London (all London Boroughs) on each day of September 2015:


01 September 2015	49
02 September 2015	62
03 September 2015	64
04 September 2015	61
05 September 2015	62
06 September 2015	59
07 September 2015	62
08 September 2015	61
09 September 2015	59
10 September 2015	57
11 September 2015	60
12 September 2015	61
13 September 2015	61
14 September 2015	57
15 September 2015	50
16 September 2015	60
17 September 2015	59
18 September 2015	59
19 September 2015	58
20 September 2015	57
21 September 2015	58
22 September 2015	57
23 September 2015	61
24 September 2015	62
25 September 2015	63
26 September 2015	60
27 September 2015	61
28 September 2015	58
29 September 2015	61
30 September 2015	55

It is important to note that the number of officers contracted and due to work night shifts would have increased if the night tube had not been deferred.

01/12/2022

Kate Osamor – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kate Osamor on 2015-10-26.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will discuss with his international counterpart the possibility of setting up a judicial mechanism to independently and impartially investigate reports of violations of international humanitarian law in Yemen.

Mr Tobias Ellwood

We take seriously the reports of alleged violations of international humanitarian law (IHL) and abuses of human rights in Yemen, by all sides to the conflict. We have raised our concerns with Saudi Arabia and other members of the Coalition, and have received repeated assurances of compliance with IHL. We continue to engage with them on those assurances. We are also concerned by reports of alleged IHL violations by Houthi-Saleh forces. We have raised our concerns with the Houthis on the importance of compliance with IHL.

The UK supported the resolution adopted at the recent session of the Human Rights Council which, inter alia, called upon all parties in Yemen to respect their obligations under international humanitarian law, and requested that the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights assist the Yemeni national independent commission of inquiry. This assistance should help the government of Yemen to meet its international obligations in investigating reports of violations of human rights law and international humanitarian law.

01/12/2022
Kevan Jones – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kevan Jones on 2015-10-26.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many former members of each branch of the armed forces are in receipt of (a) child and (b) working tax credits.

Damian Hinds

The information is not readily available and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

01/12/2022
Bob Blackman – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Bob Blackman on 2015-10-26.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department has taken to minimise the extent and length of road works on the motorway network at times when work is not taking place.

Andrew Jones

Highways England combine maintenance and improvement schemes to maximise activity within roadworks. However, lane closures are sometimes left in place through the day and then work undertaken overnight. Removing these completely each day would be time consuming and would delay projects and motorists for longer.

01/12/2022
Baroness Suttie – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Suttie on 2015-10-23.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what role in the Director of Labour Market Enforcement, as set out in the Immigration Bill, will play in setting the operational priorities of and in allocating resources to (1) the Employment Agency Standards Inspectorate, (2) the Gangmasters Licensing Authority, and (3) HM Revenue and Customs National Minimum Wage enforcement teams.

Lord Bates

The consultation we have recently published on tackling labour exploitation sets out the role envisaged for the Director of Labour Market Enforcement. The measures we have introduced in the Immigration Bill require the Director to set the priorities for the three enforcement bodies: the Employment Agency Standards Inspectorate, National Minimum Wage enforcement function of HMRC and the Gangmasters Licensing Authority. These will be set out in an annual strategic plan, subject to the approval of the Secretaries of State at the Department for Business Innovation and Skills and the Home Office. This will set out the clear priorities for tackling serious exploitation and the role of the agencies in delivering them.

01/12/2022
Bob Stewart – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Bob Stewart on 2015-10-23.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, which psychiatric disorder had the highest mortality rate in each of the last five years.

Mr Rob Wilson

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

01/12/2022
Chris Ruane – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Deputy Prime Minister

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Ruane on 2013-05-08.

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what assessment he has made of the outcome of his Department’s matching of the electoral register with Department for Work and Pensions data in communities with (a) seaside towns and (b) towns with high student populations; and what effect this work will have on the size of electorates in these constituencies.

Chloe Smith

As part of the transition to Individual Electoral Registration (IER), entries on the electoral register will be matched against data held by Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) for the purposes of confirming existing electors, a process which will simplify the transition for the majority of existing electors. Last year the Cabinet Office undertook pilots to test this process and we published our evaluation of these pilots earlier this year which is available to download from:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/simplifying-the-transition-to-individual-electoral-registration

The evaluation report includes an analysis of match rates by population groups and while no specific analysis was undertaken of seaside towns, the results did suggest that match rates were lower in areas with high student populations. However, anyone who cannot be confirmed will still be invited to register individually and will retain their ability to vote in the 2015 general election. By using confirmation to simplify the process for the majority of electors it means resources can be focused on maximising registration among those people who cannot be confirmed, including individuals who are not currently registered. We are also currently running a separate set of pilots exploring whether data matching against DWP and other trusted national data sets can be used to find potential electors who are not currently registered but may be eligible to do so, in order to invite them to register. The results of the pilots, which are specifically targeted at boosting registrations among students, attainers and home-movers, will be published in the summer.

01/12/2022
Biography information for Lord Morris of Aberavon – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Biography information for Lord Morris of Aberavon on 2014-02-24.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the statement by the Prime Minister on 15 June 2009 (HC Deb, col 21–38) that the final report of the Chilcot Inquiry would be able to disclose all but the most sensitive information—that is

Lord Wallace of Saltaire

The terms under which the Chilcot Inquiry is operatingare set out in the Protocol between the Inquiry and Her Majesty’s Government regarding documents and other written and electronic communication. They have not changed since the Inquiry’s inception in June 2009. A copy of the Protocol is available on the Inquiry’s website:

http://www.iraqinquiry.org.uk/background/protocols.aspx

Each request under the Freedom of Information Act is considered on its merits and handled accordingly. The reasons for the use of the veto on the disclosure of Cabinet minutes prior to the Iraq war are a matter of public record.

“

01/12/2022
Mr David Ward – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mr David Ward on 2014-02-04.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what proportion of (a) permanent, (b) temporary and (c) contract staff in his Department as paid the living wage or above.

Andrea Leadsom

100% of permanent and temporary staff at HM Treasury are paid the Living Wage or above.

HM Treasury fully complies with EU procurement directives and awards contracts on the basis of the best value for money for the taxpayer. Nevertheless, we have encouraged contractors to commit to paying a living wage and expect all employers to pay at least the national minimum wage.

The Government supports businesses that choose to pay the Living Wage however the Government’s main policy on wages is the National Minimum Wage, which has continued to protect the relative wages of the low paid. This is independently set by the Low Pay Commission at a level that maximises their wages without reducing employment prospect. It is for workers and employers to decide the level of wages above the minimum wage based on current circumstances. This includes the Government as a procurer and an employer. Over 95%, around 20 million employees earn above the minimum wage and the majority of public sector workers currently earn above the Living Wage.

01/12/2022