Category: Speeches

  • Jonathan Evans – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Jonathan Evans – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jonathan Evans on 2014-07-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many regulated procedures conducted in Wales under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 involved (a) mice, (b) rats, (c) guinea pigs, (d) hamsters, (e) rabbits, (f) horses and other equids, (g) sheep, (h) pigs, (i) birds, (j) amphibians, (k) reptiles, (l) fish, (m) cats, (n) dogs, (o) New World primates and (p) Old World primates in 2013; and how many such procedures involved (i) genetically modified animals and (ii) animals with harmful genetic defects.

    Norman Baker

    During 2013 in Wales, regarding the number of regulated procedures under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 (ASPA):
    (a) 36,010 involved mice, of which:
    (i) 18,886 involved genetically-modified animals
    (ii) 7,206 involved animals with a harmful genetic defect
    (b) 3,345 involved rats, of which:
    (i) 10 involved genetically-modified animals
    (ii) none involved animals with a harmful genetic defect
    (c) 24 involved guinea pigs, of which:
    (i) none involved genetically-modified animals
    (ii) none involved animals with a harmful genetic defect
    (d) none involved hamsters
    (e) 3 involved rabbits, of which:
    (i) none involved genetically-modified animals
    (ii) none involved animals with a harmful genetic defect
    (f) none involved horses and other equids
    (g) 396 involved sheep, of which:
    (i) none involved genetically-modified animals
    (ii) none involved animals with a harmful genetic defect
    (h) none involved pigs
    (i) 643 involved birds, of which
    (i) none involved genetically-modified animals
    (ii) none involved animals with a harmful genetic defect
    (j) 165 involved amphibians, of which
    (i) 9 involved genetically-modified animals
    (ii) none involved animals with a harmful genetic defect
    (k) none involved reptiles
    (l) 11,927 involved fish, of which:
    (i) none involved genetically-modified animals
    (ii) none involved animals with a harmful genetic defect
    (m) none involved cats
    (n) none involved dogs
    (o) none involved new world primates
    (p) none involved old world primates

    During 2013 in Wales, regarding the proportion of regulated procedures under ASPA in different types of designated establishment:
    (a) 2.8% (1,462) were performed in public health laboratories
    (b) 96.7% (50,826) were performed in universities and medical schools
    (c) none were performed in NHS hospitals
    (d) none were performed in Government Departments
    (e) none were performed in other public bodies
    (f) none were performed in non-profit making organisations
    (g) 0.5% (251) were performed in commercial organisations

    During 2013 in Wales, regarding the proportion of regulated procedures under ASPA:
    (a) all (52,539) were carried out for fundamental and applied studies other than toxicity.
    (b) none were carried out for toxicity tests or other safety and efficacy evaluation.

    In 2013 in Wales, regarding the number of animals used in regulated procedures under ASPA:
    (a) 18,707 genetically modified animals were used
    (b) 7,206 animals with a harmful genetic defect were used

    During 2013 in Wales, 59.3% (31,202) of regulated procedures under ASPA were undertaken without anaesthesia.

    During 2013 in Wales, 51,576 animals were used in regulated procedures under ASPA.

    During 2013 in Wales, 52,539 regulated procedures under ASPA were conducted

  • Mike Wood – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Mike Wood – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mike Wood on 2014-07-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what process the civilian police must follow when attempting to arrest, summons or charge a serving member of the armed forces in connection with indictable offences.

    Mike Penning

    If a member of the UK Armed Forces is arrested and detained in police custody for a recordable offence, the custody sergeant is responsible for notifying the circumstances of arrest, detention and offence to the relevant service authorities.

    Civilian criminal courts and service tribunals have concurrent jurisdiction to deal with accused persons who are subject to military law. The decision on which jurisdiction prosecutes a person subject to military law is a matter of consultation between all police agencies involved in the investigation in consultation with the Crown Prosecution Service and Service Prosecutions Authority.

  • Tom Watson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Tom Watson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Watson on 2014-07-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what the value is of duplicate supplier payments identified by her Department since 2010; and what proportion of such payments have since been recovered in each of the last two financial years.

    Lynne Featherstone

    Duplicate payments to suppliers are shown in the table below.

    Value

    Financial Year

    £ 3,721,960.01

    2010/11

    £ 720,052.49

    2011/12

    £ 1,105,217.80

    2012/13

    £ 5,352,323.62

    2013/14

    The proportion of duplicate payments recovered over the last 4 years is 98.74%.

  • Ben Bradshaw – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Public Accounts Commission

    Ben Bradshaw – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Public Accounts Commission

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ben Bradshaw on 2014-07-15.

    To ask the Chairman of the Public Accounts Commission, how many employees of the National Audit Office, broken down by grade, have remained at the same grade since 2010 and in that period received pay rises.

    Sir Edward Leigh

    The following table sets out the number of National Audit Office (NAO) staff who have remained at that grade since 2010 and received a pay rise.

    Grade

    Number

    Band 1

    Band 2

    Band 3

    Admin Officer (Audit)

    Executive Officer (Audit)

    Audit Technician

    Analyst

    Senior Analyst

    Audit Principal

    Audit Manager

    Director

    Director General

    Executive Leader

    Chief Operating Officer

    7

    29

    33

    1

    1

    3

    6

    21

    116

    86

    28

    1

    2

    1

    Total

    335
  • Tom Watson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Wales Office

    Tom Watson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Wales Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Watson on 2014-07-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what the value is of duplicate supplier payments identified by his Department since 2010; and what proportion of such payments have since been recovered in each of the last two financial years.

    Stephen Crabb

    The Wales Office has identified no duplicate payments since 2010.

  • Mike Weatherley – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Mike Weatherley – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mike Weatherley on 2014-07-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will bring forward legislative proposals to ensure that cyber criminals who steal online items in video games with a real-world monetary value received the same sentences as criminals who steal real-world items of the same monetary value.

    Mike Penning

    Those who commit theft or fraud on-line can be prosecuted for those offences and face severe maximum sentences. Sentencing for individual cases is a matter for the courts. The independent Sentencing Council issue guidelines to ensure consistency in sentencing.

  • Kevan Jones – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Kevan Jones – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kevan Jones on 2014-07-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the total value of payouts to armed forces veterans and their families under the Armed Forces Pension Scheme as a result of service in Afghanistan has been in each year since 2010.

    Anna Soubry

    It is not possible to provide the value of payouts made to Armed Forces veterans and their families under the Armed Forces Pension Scheme as a result of service in Afghanistan as the information is not held in a format that would enable us to easily answer the question and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

    The AFPS is primarily an occupational pension scheme, the Pensions Computer system does not identify the conflicts in which Service Personnel have served.

  • Henry Smith – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Women and Equalities

    Henry Smith – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Women and Equalities

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Henry Smith on 2015-10-09.

    To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what steps her Department is taking to help tackle homophobic bullying in schools.

    Caroline Dinenage

    Tackling all forms of bullying is a top priority for this Government. All schools are required by law to have a behaviour policy with measures to prevent all forms of bullying. The Government has taken a number of steps to help schools address bullying, including by providing advice on how to prevent and tackle bullying and how schools should support children who are bullied.

    We are providing £1.3 million this year to anti-bullying charities to tackle all forms of bullying, on top of the £4 million provided in 2013-2015. We have also launched a specific programme in 2015-2016 to prevent and tackle homophobic, biphobic and transphobic bullying in schools. £2 million has been awarded to projects to work with schools through classroom-based activities, use of positive role models and specific training for teachers to understand and address this issue effectively. We will share the learning from these projects more widely, so all schools have the tools and knowledge to take appropriate action.

  • Ian Murray – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Ian Murray – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Murray on 2015-10-09.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if his Department will publish a distributional analysis showing the effect on families in (a) Scotland and (b) the UK of the reduction of the higher income threshold for child tax credit from £16,105 to £12,125.

    Damian Hinds

    The Summer Budget offered a new deal for working people. It means Britain moving from a high welfare, high tax, low wage economy to a lower welfare, lower tax, higher wage society.

    A new National Living Wage for workers aged 25 and above, initially set at £7.20 per hour from April 2016, will directly benefit 2.7 million low wage workers, and up to 6 million could see a pay rise as a result of a ripple effect up the earnings distribution. The new National Living Wage will boost pay for those currently earning the National Minimum Wage by £4,800 a year by 2020 when the National Living Wage is expected to rise to over £9 per hour.

    To help working families keep more of what they earn, the personal allowance will increase to £11,000 in 2016-17 and £11,200 in 2017-18. The government has committed to increase the personal allowance to £12,500 by 2020 which will mean that a typical basic rate taxpayer will see their income tax cut by £1,205 a year compared to 2010.

    The government set out its assessment of the impacts of the Summer Budget policies in the Welfare Reform and Work Bill on 20th July 2015. Taken together, the introduction of the National Living Wage, increases in the personal allowance and welfare changes mean that 8 out of 10 working households will be better off as a result of the Summer Budget.

    In response to a request from the Secondary Legislation Scrutiny Committee, the government has chosen to produce and release an impact assessment on the tax credit changes to the Committee. The impact assessment shows that 60% of the tax credit savings come from the half of tax credit claimants with the highest income.

  • Roger Godsiff – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Roger Godsiff – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Roger Godsiff on 2015-10-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate his Department has made of the number of carers who depend on carer’s allowance as their only or primary source of income; and what assessment his Department has made of whether that allowance benefit is set at a high enough level to keep the income of carers above the poverty line.

    Justin Tomlinson

    The information requested is not available. Such data is not collected. It is the circumstances of the claimant themselves, including their earnings, that may affect the Carer’s Allowance award. But any other income that may come into the household does not affect the claim, so we do not record whether Carer’s Allowance is the only or primary source of income.

    This Government recognises and appreciates the vital contribution made by carers. The primary purpose of Carer’s Allowance is to provide a measure of financial support and recognition for people who give up the opportunity of full-time employment in order to provide regular and substantial care for a severely disabled person.

    In addition to Carer’s Allowance, carers on low incomes can claim income-related benefits, such as Income Support and Pension Credit. Income-related benefits help ensure that people can afford to meet their normal daily living needs. These benefits include a carer premium, currently £34.60 a week. Universal Credit also includes a carer element at the rate of £150.39 per monthly assessment period. This means that those on lower incomes can be better off if they have caring responsibilities than others who receive these benefits.