Category: Speeches

  • Robert Flello – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Robert Flello – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Robert Flello on 2015-01-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, if the Government will launch an inquiry into the price of fuel to identify the reasons for the disparity between global oil prices and the domestic prices paid by motorists.

    Matthew Hancock

    The Government has made it clear to the industry that it is vital the benefits of plunging oil prices are passed on quickly to the domestic prices paid by motorists.

    UK national average pump prices are now at their lowest levels since March 2010 for diesel and at its lowest since Dec 2009 for petrol. We expect fuel retailers to cut prices further as the decline in crude oil prices in recent weeks continues to feed through the system.

    We continue to monitor price movements very closely.

  • Caroline Flint – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Caroline Flint – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Flint on 2015-01-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, with reference to the contribution of 6 November 2014 by the Minister of State in his Department, Official Report, column 949, what his Department’s policy is on the provision of state aid to UK Coal in respect of Thoresby and Kellingley coal mines.

    Matthew Hancock

    UK Coal submitted a request for additional public sector support to extend the working life of the Thoresby and Kellingley coal mines on 16 January 2015. The Government is carefully considering this request including whether it represents acceptable value for money and is a good use of taxpayer’s money.

    If the Government concludes there is merit in supporting the new plan, it would need to ensure the plan is consistent with state aid rules applying to the coal sector and seek approval from the European Commission to pay aid to UK Coal.

  • Dame Tessa Jowell – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Dame Tessa Jowell – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dame Tessa Jowell on 2015-01-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many vacant A&E consultant posts there are in (a) London and (b) England; and how many such vacant posts there are in each category in each of the last six years.

    Dr Daniel Poulter

    Information on vacancies is not collected by the Department. The last annual National Health Service vacancy survey in England was undertaken by the Health and Social Care Information Centre in 2010. The survey was suspended in 2011 and then discontinued in 2013 following the publication of the Fundamental Review of Data Returns, which aimed to reduce the burden of the collection of data from NHS organisations.

    The attached table provides vacancy data for 2009 and 2010, the only two years within the last six years for which data is available.

  • Cathy Jamieson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Cathy Jamieson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Cathy Jamieson on 2015-01-15.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many agents providing guidance through the Pension Wise scheme will be based in Scotland.

    Mr David Gauke

    Citizens Advice Scotland continue to work with HM Treasury to finalise the number of agents who will be providing coverage for the Pension Wise service across Scotland.

  • Emma Reynolds – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Emma Reynolds – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Emma Reynolds on 2015-01-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, when he plans to answer Question 217185, tabled on 4 December 2014 by the hon. Member for Wolverhampton North East.

    Brandon Lewis

    Question 217185 was answered on 17 March 2015.

  • Philip Davies – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Philip Davies – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Philip Davies on 2015-01-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential for misuse of the kinship carer system.

    Mr Edward Timpson

    Children live with kinship carers for a wide range of reasons: parental difficulties, mental or physical ill health, divorce or separation, imprisonment or bereavement. The circumstances and legal statuses of children and carers in these arrangements vary widely. There is not, therefore, a single “kinship carer system” and for this reason the Government has not given consideration to making an assessment of the potential for any general misuse of kinship care arrangements

    In 2011, the Department for Education issued ‘Family and Friends Care: Statutory Guidance for Local Authorities’,[1] this guidance is clear that children and young people unable to live with their parents should receive the support they and their carers need to safeguard and promote their welfare, whether or not they are looked after.

    [1] www.gov.uk/government/publications/children-act-1989-family-and-friends-care

    “

  • Dame Joan Ruddock – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Dame Joan Ruddock – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dame Joan Ruddock on 2015-01-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether there will be a joint P5 statement on the Vienna Conference on the Humanitarian Impact of Nuclear Weapons.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    The UK attended the Vienna Conference on the Humanitarian Impact of Nuclear Weapons and made a statement afterwards. Not all the P5 Nuclear Weapons States attended; there are therefore no plans for a joint P5 statement on the Vienna Conference.

  • Tim Loughton – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Tim Loughton – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tim Loughton on 2015-01-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate he has made of the number of 111 referrals to A&E departments in NHS hospitals in Sussex over the Christmas and New Year period in (a) 2013-14 and (b) 2014-15.

    Jane Ellison

    The information is not available in the format requested.

  • Philip Davies – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Philip Davies – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Philip Davies on 2015-01-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many foreign national prisoners from each country were convicted of each offence type from September 2013 to September 2014.

    Andrew Selous

    International prisoner transfer arrangements may enable non-nationals to apply to transfer to their state of normal residence or to the state to which they have close ties. There is no requirement on a state to accept the transfer of a non-national resident. Since 2010, no such transfers have taken place to England and Wales. Prisoner transfer is a devolved matter and is the responsibility of the relevant Minister in Scotland and in Northern Ireland.

    The numbers of foreign national prisoners from each country convicted of each offence in the violence offence group from April 2013 to March 2014 are in the attached table 1.

    The numbers of foreign national prisoners from each country, convicted of each offence type from 1 October 2013 to 31 March 2014 are at the attached table 2. Prison receptions data for April to June 2014 is not available by offence group due to problems with data quality. Figures for this period will be published in due course subject to the result of ongoing investigations. Prison receptions data for July to September 2014 is currently not available and is due to be published on 29 January 2015.

    The number of foreign national offenders in our prisons has reduced since 2010, compared to that number doubling between 1997 – 2010.

  • Andrew Gwynne – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Andrew Gwynne – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Gwynne on 2015-01-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the cost to the Highways Agency was of the removal of graffiti from road signage and structures for which it has maintenance responsibility in the latest period for which figures are available.

    Mr John Hayes

    The Highways Agency does not separately identify the exact annual cost of removing graffiti from its road signs and structures as this activity forms part of a wider contracted service which includes a number of other general maintenance activities.