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Category: Speeches

  • Tania Mathias – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Tania Mathias – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tania Mathias on 2016-10-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what additional resources are being provided for post-16 students who are required to resit English and mathematics GCSEs.

    Robert Halfon

    Funding for the study of English and maths, including GCSE resits, is provided through the 16-19 national funding formula. The formula incorporates disadvantage funding for providers including a funding uplift of up to £960 per full time student per year to provide for the additional costs incurred for teaching students who have low prior attainment, as indicated by not achieving English and/or maths GCSEs at grade C or above by the end of year 11 (typically age 16). This additional funding is not intended to solely fund maths and English qualifications, but to fund support for students to achieve their learning goals, including maths and English.

    For the past three years the Government has also invested in programmes to support improvements in the teaching of maths and English in Further Education (FE) settings. This year, funding will provide up to 13,000 training opportunities for FE practitioners to improve their subject knowledge and confidence in their teaching of maths or English, fund bursaries for 300 graduates to train to become maths or English teachers in FE settings and further build evidence on evidence of what constitutes effective delivery and teaching of English and maths for students aged 16 to 18 that have not yet achieved level 2 English and maths.

  • Jim Fitzpatrick – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Jim Fitzpatrick – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Fitzpatrick on 2015-11-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 8 July 2015 to Question 5604, when he expects to provide a full response to the Law Commission’s report on a statutory definition of plying for hire for the taxi and private hire industry.

    Andrew Jones

    In its comprehensive review of taxi and private hire legislation, the Law Commission considered creating a statutory definition of plying for hire. However, after careful consideration the Law Commission recommended an alternative approach that would make it unlawful for anyone other than a local taxi driver to accept a hiring ‘there and then’.

    The Government is currently considering all the recommendations in the Law Commission’s report. The Government will formally respond to the Law Commission and announce its intentions once this scrutiny is completed.

  • Iain Stewart – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Iain Stewart – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Iain Stewart on 2015-11-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what contribution the New Stations Fund has made towards increasing the housing supply.

    Claire Perry

    The New Station Fund has already delivered two new stations at Pye Corner in Wales and Newcourt in Devon. Three more new stations will be delivered as part of the fund at Ilkeston in Derbyshire, Lea Bridge in London and Kenilworth in Warwickshire. All of these new stations will be a catalyst for new housing as they make transport easier between communities and employment. Specifically the stations at:

    • Newcourt will serve thousands of new dwellings (originally estimated as 3,500) as part of the Masterplan for the area;
    • Ilkeston will support plans for significant house building around the town;
    • Lea Bridge is within one of Waltham Forest’s key regeneration areas. The Council tell us that a significant number of housing sites are coming forward near the station and the population is forecast to increase.

  • John Healey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    John Healey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Healey on 2016-01-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the size is of the area of land available for the direct commissioning site for housing at Daedulus Waterfront.

    Brandon Lewis

    The planning process is ongoing for these sites. This will be completed in due course working closely with the local communities and local authorities.

  • Danny Kinahan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Danny Kinahan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Danny Kinahan on 2016-02-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, with reference to the Answer of 28 January 2016 to Question 23467, what progress has been made on the procurement of the HPV vaccine.

    Jane Ellison

    The Department is considering the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation’s advice on this potential programme. Following this, consideration will be given to the procurement of vaccine.

  • Keith Vaz – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Keith Vaz – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Keith Vaz on 2016-02-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much compensation the former Chairman of East Midlands Ambulance Service NHS Trust will receive as a result of her resignation from that post.

    Jane Ellison

    The NHS Trust Development Authority advises that the Chair of the East Midlands Ambulance Service NHS Trust has not resigned. However, the Chief Executive, Sue Noyes, will be leaving her post in June 2016 and will be paid in line with the terms of her contract.

  • Mark Garnier – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Mark Garnier – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Garnier on 2016-03-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps the Government is taking to help pressures on local health care services resulting from an increasing population of elderly people.

    Alistair Burt

    We know there are challenges ahead across the health and care sectors, but the principle with which we will approach the decisions ahead will be to prioritise and maximise funding for frontline services. The Government believes that the answer to these challenges lies in changing the way services are delivered and keeping people well and independent for longer, not in altering the fundamental principles that underpin the National Health Service.

    As a result of the Spending Review, NHS funding will be £10 billion higher in real terms by 2020-21 than 2014-15. And the NHS will not have to wait until the end of the parliament for much of this investment. We will be giving the NHS £3.8 billion more next year, over and above inflation, and almost £6 billion of the £10 billion in the first two years of the six year period. This shows that the Government has listened and responded to what the NHS has said about the level of investment it needs to deliver the Five Year Forward View.

    The Five Year Forward View – the NHS’s own plan – takes account of rising demand from demographic change and sets out new models of care that can meet the changing needs of patients, including better meeting the needs of the frail elderly, and maximising the opportunities presented by new technologies and treatments. The aim of the new care models programme is to secure the future of the NHS for all of us to continue receiving high quality care, when and where we need it.

  • Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2016-04-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 21 April 2016 to Question 34010, what the cost of providing NHS dental services in the West Midlands was in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

    Alistair Burt

    The table below shows the expenditure on National Health Service dental services in the West Midlands. The total expenditure figures have been broken down into primary care (delivered by high street dentists through General or Personal Dental Services contracts (GDS/PDS)) and other services (delivered in community and secondary care settings).

    2010/11 £000

    2011/12 £000

    2012/13 £000

    2013/14 £000

    2014/15 £000

    1

    GDS/PDS Cost

    279,997

    290,274

    286,385

    197,166

    200,904

    2

    Fees Charged

    (63,328)

    (65,765)

    (66,682)

    (47,667)

    (50,014)

    3

    Net Cost

    216,669

    224,509

    219,703

    149,499

    150,890

    4

    Other (community and secondary care)

    69,132

    65,093

    139,583

    71,233

    73,131

    5

    Total Expenditure

    349,129

    355,367

    359,286

    220,732

    224,021

    Source: Rows 1, 2, 3 – Primary care expenditure, Department of Health accounts (2010/11, 2011/12 and 2012/13) and NHS England accounts (2013/14 and 2014/15); Row 4 – other programme budgeting NHS England.

    Notes:

    1. Figures provided are the expenditure incurred by primary care trusts (PCTs) within the former West Midlands Strategic Health Authority (SHA), and, from April 2013, NHS England West Midlands Area Teams regional teams, in commissioning dental treatment. The balances show the gross expenditure incurred in providing GDS and PDS, which are alternative models of dental care, and the fees charged to the recipient in providing the treatment.
    2. Total expenditure is the sum of rows 3 and 4.
    3. Expenditure figures between years are not directly comparable owing to changes in commissioning arrangements from PCTs to NHS England from April 2013. The 2013/14 and 2014/15 columns do not include areas formerly known as Shropshire and Staffordshire, and Telford and Wrekin, which were part of the West Midlands SHA footprint.
    4. In addition, responsibility for public health and prevention programmes moved from PCTs to local authorities in April 2013.
  • Caroline Spelman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Caroline Spelman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Spelman on 2016-05-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how much funding her Department has provided to (a) the UNHCR and (b) other organisations to support Eritrean refugees in Ethiopia in each of the last three years.

    Mr Nick Hurd

    Over the past three financial years DFID has disbursed £16,999,196 to UNHCR in Ethiopia (of which £7,010,225 was in 2013/14, £9,896,334 in 2014/15 and £91,637 in 2015/16).

    From this total, £1,108,571 was allocated for child protection services for Eritrean refugees (£368,068 in 2013/14 and £740,503 in 2014/15).

    A further £1,846,027 from this total was allocated over the three years in question for core relief items (basic household goods) for all refugees in Ethiopia, including Eritreans.

    Funding for Eritrean refugees was not provided directly to any other organisation in Ethiopia.

  • Tom Blenkinsop – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

    Tom Blenkinsop – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Blenkinsop on 2016-07-21.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he is taking to ensure that energy costs are competitive to support manufacturing industries.

    Mr Nick Hurd

    The Government is working hard to ensure energy costs are not a barrier to growth and investment in the UK.

    We have put in place a package of measures to alleviate the impact of electricity policy costs passed through in energy intensive businesses electricity bills. Due to this action, by 2020, this Government will have reduced the impacts of energy and climate change policies passed through in energy bills for the most energy intensive businesses by 80%.

    To date, we have paid 105 companies including nine steel companies a total of £294m to address these costs. A number of energy intensive sectors are also exempted from the costs of the Climate Change Levy.

    Additionally the Government is working closely with eight key energy intensive sectors to support energy efficiency and decarbonisation measures to help reduce energy costs, improve their competitiveness and cut emissions.