Category: Speeches

  • Lord Teverson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Lord Teverson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

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

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to ensure that Post Office accounts can accept monies belonging to customers of credit unions and other providers of low cost lending when those customers and members need to be paid back monies due to them.

    Baroness Neville-Rolfe

    The Post Office is one of the leading challengers in the UK financial services market and offers services under its Post Office Money brand and also services on behalf of third parties. Presently more than 95% of UK current accounts are accessible across Post Office’s counters. Post Office already works with a number of Credit Unions, and customers of these organisations are able to undertake basic financial transactions at Post Office branches. Post Office is also working with the Association of British Credit Unions on its Credit Union expansion project; this is ongoing and Post Office hopes to play a role in any solutions identified.

    All of Post Office’s contracts – including with Credit Unions – are commercial arrangements and it would not be appropriate for Government to intervene in these. We support Post Office’s strategy to grow its successful financial services business to reach more customers, including potentially those of the Credit Union sector.

  • Jonathan Edwards – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Jonathan Edwards – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

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

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the amount of debt owed to HM Revenue and Customs in unpaid taxes.

    Mr David Gauke

    HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) publishes the total unpaid tax debt owed to HM Revenue and Customs within its Annual Reports and Accounts. The latest is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/330670/HMRC-annual-report-2013-14.pdf

    “

  • David Simpson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    David Simpson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

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

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what comparative assessment she has made of the effects of compulsory school starting ages in Sweden and the UK.

    Mr Nick Gibb

    The Department for Education has not made any comparative assessment of the effects of compulsory school starting ages in Sweden and the UK.

  • Luciana Berger – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Luciana Berger – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

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

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether Public Health England plans to publish its analysis of how the public health grant has been spent by each local authority.

    Jane Ellison

    Department for Communities and Local Government published full detail of the amounts spent against the public health grant by local authorities in 2013/14, and recorded in Revenue Outturn forms, on 30 November 2014.

    Public Health England is planning to publish a more in depth analysis of the figures at a national level during March 2015.

  • Keith Vaz – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Keith Vaz – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

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

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to increase the number of people with diabetes receiving regular checks of their blood pressure, blood glucose and cholesterol levels.

    Jane Ellison

    Delivery of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) recommended care processes for diabetes continues to be incentivised through the quality and outcomes framework. The latest data shows a 60% completion rate of all the 8 measurable NICE care processes, a 5% improvement on 2010.

    The diabetes profiles, published by Public Health England, enable local clinical commissioning groups to compare their performance with others on controlling blood pressure, blood glucose and cholesterol levels and so identify where action needs to take place to improve.

  • James Clappison – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    James Clappison – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

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

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assistance her Department provides to religious minorities affected by the activities of ISIL in Iraq and Syria.

    Justine Greening

    UK aid is reaching hundreds of thousands of vulnerable displaced people across Iraq and Syria, including those religious minorities affected by ISIL’s activities. All UK funded aid is distributed on the basis of need to ensure civilians are not discriminated against on the grounds of race, religion, or ethnicity. DFID continues to work with the UN and the international community to ensure all minorities’ rights are protected and our aid reaches those in greatest need. To date, the UK has pledged £800 million in response to the humanitarian crisis in Syria and the region, and a further £39.5 million to the humanitarian crisis in Iraq.

  • Stephen Timms – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Stephen Timms – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

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

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what representations he has received from Jobcentre Plus staff, working on Universal Credit in jobcentres where it has been rolled out, about technical and communications problems associated with Universal Credit.

    Mr Mark Harper

    The Department routinely seeks and receives insight from Work Coaches and other front-line staff on all aspects of DWP operations.

    We use this feedback to ensure our services are operating at an optimal level.

  • Roberta Blackman-Woods – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Roberta Blackman-Woods – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Roberta Blackman-Woods on 2015-02-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how much funding was awarded by the (a) Arts and Humanities Research Council, (b) Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, (c) Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, (d) Economic and Social Research Council, (e) Medical Research Council, (f) Natural Environment Research Council and (g) Science and Technology Facilities Council to institutions and Reseach Organisations in (i) Scotland, (ii) Wales, (iii) Northern Ireland and (iv) each government office region in England in (A) 2010-11, (B) 2011-12, (C) 2012-13, (D) 2013-14 and (E) 2014-15.

    Greg Clark

    This information could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

  • Stephen Barclay – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Stephen Barclay – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Barclay on 2015-02-10.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimates his Department has made of the amount that would be raised from hedge funds, or similar financial institutions, by closing tax loopholes arising from the use of mixed membership partnerships.

    Mr David Gauke

    As part of the partnerships review legislation was introduced in Finance Act 2014 to prevent tax-motivated allocations of business profits in partnerships where the partners include both individuals and companies (mixed membership partnerships).

    During consultation, it became apparent that the use of mixed membership partnerships by hedge funds to avoid tax was widespread. As a result, the yield scored for the measure was increased by £1.92 bn over the scorecard period. All of this additional yield relates to the hedge fund sector.

  • Roberta Blackman-Woods – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Roberta Blackman-Woods – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Roberta Blackman-Woods on 2015-02-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether it is his policy that his Department’s proposed Mayoral Development Orders will be subject to the same guidance under the National Planning Practice Guidance as Local Development Orders.

    Brandon Lewis

    Mayoral development orders will be a new power available to unlock development in London. We will work with the Mayor and London local authorities in developing any guidance in support of the legislation.