Category: Speeches

  • Mary Creagh – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Mary Creagh – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mary Creagh on 2015-01-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what budget was allocated by her Department to the Global Small and Medium Enterprise Financial Initiative in each financial year from 2009-10; and what budget is allocated to that organisation for 2015-16.

    Justine Greening

    Information on previous budget allocations is available at http://devtracker.dfid.gov.uk/. 2015-16 allocations remain subject to ministerial approval.

    “

  • Mary Creagh – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Mary Creagh – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mary Creagh on 2015-01-14.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how his Department defines non-fiscal spend.

    Danny Alexander

    “Non-fiscal spend” is not a formal term in the UK National Accounting framework. It is sometimes used to refer to items of public expenditure, which although included in departmental budgets, are either not classified as spending in the National Accounts or use a different source.

  • Andrew Griffiths – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Andrew Griffiths – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Griffiths on 2015-01-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many children were excluded from school for (a) possession and (b) supply of illegal drugs in each of the last five years.

    Mr Nick Gibb

    The Department for Education does not collect information on the number of pupils excluded from school for the possession and supply of illegal drugs. The Department publishes information on the number of pupils excluded permanently or for a fixed period for ‘drug and alcohol’ related reasons. Guidance to schools clarifies that this category includes exclusions for alcohol abuse, drug dealing, inappropriate use of prescribed drugs, possession of illegal drugs, smoking and substance abuse.

    Information showing the number of drug and alcohol related exclusions for 2008/09 to 2012/13 has been included in the attached Excel document. Further information on permanent and fixed period exclusions can be found in the “Statistics: exclusions” series [1].

    [1] https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/statistics-exclusions

    “

  • John Denham – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    John Denham – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Denham on 2015-01-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how many students started a level 5 apprenticeship in (a) 2013-14, (b) 2012-13 and (c) 2011-12 in each parliamentary constituency.

    Nick Boles

    Information on the number of Higher Apprenticeship starts in England by Level and Parliamentary Constituency is attached.

    Although level 4 and 5 apprenticeships were available in all three years, level 6 and 7 apprenticeships were only enabled by legislation from April 2013. Official apprenticeship data provides complete information for government-funded apprenticeships and this shows that there were no starts on the four available level 6 apprenticeships during the 2013/14 academic year.

  • Grahame M. Morris – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Grahame M. Morris – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Grahame M. Morris on 2015-01-13.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what criteria his Department uses to assess the effectiveness of quantitative easing.

    Andrea Leadsom

    The UK’s monetary policy framework, set out in the Bank of England Act 1998, gives operational responsibility for monetary policy to the independent Monetary Policy Committee (MPC).

  • – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by on 2015-02-11.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they will take following the recent report of Passenger Focus, Ticket to Ride”

    Baroness Kramer

    To coincide with the publication of Passenger Focus’s report, ‘Ticket to Ride – an Update’, the Government commenced a consultation on 3 February 2015 on changes to the process for administering penalty fares appeals. The consultation closes on 27 April 2015. A copy of the consultation document is attached.

  • Lord West of Spithead – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Lord West of Spithead – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord West of Spithead on 2015-02-11.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord De Mauley on 10 February (HL4601), whether the three offshore patrol vessels referred to as fulfilling the Royal Naval commitment to fishery protection included the Offshore Patrol Vessel presently deployed to the West Indies for five months.

    Lord De Mauley

    There is a formal agreement between the Marine Management Organisation (MMO) and the Royal Navy that provides for the Royal Navy to supply surveillance and fisheries inspection services to the MMO. The agreement contains a commitment from the Royal Navy to provide 500 days of service annually to the MMO. It has three offshore patrol vessels based in UK waters: HMS Severn, HMS Tyne and HMS Mersey. The MMO do not specify how many or which vessels will be used at any one time to fulfil this role.

    HMS Severn was available to contribute to delivery of that commitment between 1 April and 19 November 2014 after which it was tasked with other high priority duties. On projected figures it is anticipated that the Royal Navy will meet its commitments to the MMO for the financial year through the combined use of HMS Tyne, HMS Severn and HMS Mersey.

  • Lord Morris of Aberavon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Lord Morris of Aberavon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Morris of Aberavon on 2015-02-11.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the level of funding into the artificial pancreas; and why there has not been a call for artificial pancreas research by the National Institute for Health Research.

    Earl Howe

    Research infrastructure funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) contributes to international artificial pancreas research. This infrastructure includes the NIHR biomedical research centres at Cambridge and Imperial College London, the NIHR/Wellcome Trust Imperial Clinical Research Facility, and the NIHR Clinical Research Network. Spend on artificial pancreas research cannot be disaggregated from total expenditure through this infrastructure.

    There has been no specific call for artificial pancreas research by the NIHR. However, the NIHR welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health, including artificial pancreas systems. These applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards being made on the basis of the importance of the topic to patients and health and care services, value for money and scientific quality.

  • David Simpson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture Media and Sport

    David Simpson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Simpson on 2015-02-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what progress has been made on the provision of superfast broadband to rural businesses in all parts of the UK.

    Mr Edward Vaizey

    In 2010 nearly half of UK premises could access superfast broadband. Current superfast broadband coverage is almost 80% of UK premises and the Government remains committed to providing 95% coverage by 2017. This will benefit rural businesses across the UK.

    BDUK works with local authorities and the devolved administrations to determine how funding for broadband projects is deployed and where the roll out of superfast broadband is carried out.

  • Ian Lavery – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Ian Lavery – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Lavery on 2015-02-11.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether any former officials of his Department have taken employment with Rio Tinto plc in the last five years.

    Andrea Leadsom

    The Civil Service Business Appointments Rules, which are published on GOV.uk, apply to civil servants who intend to take up an appointment or employment after leaving the Civil Service and the approval process will differ depending upon the applicant’s seniority.

    The destination of leavers are not held centrally.