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 (a) genetically-modified animals and (b) animals with a harmful genetic defect were used in regulated procedures conducted in Wales under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 in 2013.

    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

  • Tom Watson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Tom Watson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

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

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, 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.

    Karen Bradley

    The information requested is shown in the following table:

    The volume and value of duplicate supplier payments identified since the 2010-11 Financial year up to June 2014 is 54 payments for a total value of £2,495,793.63. We have recovered 53 payments totalling £2,494,661.63; the remaining payment was partially recovered and the company went into liquidation with the balance outstanding.

    In the last two financial years the proportion of duplicate payments recovered by value was:
    2013-14: 100%
    2012-13: 99.53% (amount outstanding is for a company that went into liquidation after partial payment).

    The volume and value of duplicate payments since 2010 have decreased significantly compared to the financial years prior to 2010-11.

  • Laurence Robertson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Laurence Robertson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Laurence Robertson on 2014-07-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether courts link maintenance and contact with respect to children following the separation of the parents; and if he will make a statement.

    Simon Hughes

    The payment of child maintenance and the operation of children arrangements are two separate issues which are both vitally important for separated parents. Children have a right to care and support and parents have a responsibility to provide it, regardless of whether they are separated. There is also great benefit to most children of continued contact with both parents, regardless of the financial circumstances. A dispute about child maintenance should not therefore deprive a child of meaningful contact with the other parent and vice-versa.

    The purpose of the child maintenance scheme is to make sure that parents fulfil their financial obligations to make provision for children with whom they no longer live. The Government believes that this is something parents should be able to manage for themselves through a family-based arrangement (in the vast majority of cases). The Department for Work and Pensions provides support to help them do so through the Child Maintenance Options Service (contactable on 0800-988-0988 or via www.cmoptions.org).

    The family courts deal with arrangements for children where parents have been unable to come to an agreement themselves. Here again, parents are encouraged to resolve their differences themselves. The Children and Families Act 2014 introduced, from April 2014, a legislative requirement on those who seek to issue certain family proceedings to first attend a Mediation Information and Assessment Meeting (MIAM) to find out about family mediation. The other party is also expected to engage in the process.

  • Ian Lucas – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Ian Lucas – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Lucas on 2014-07-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent discussions he has had with the (a) Welsh Government and (b) Secretary of State for Wales on improving rail connectivity with north Wales utilising the Halton Curve.

    Claire Perry

    The Secretary of State for Transport met with Edwina Hart the Minister for Economy, Science and Transport, National Assembly for Wales on 16th July 2014, to discuss the rail connectivity in North Wales which included Halton Curve.

  • Tom Watson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Tom Watson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

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

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, 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.

    Steve Webb

    This information could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

  • Kevan Jones – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Kevan Jones – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

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

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many Twitter accounts are run by his Department; how much his Department spends annually on (a) Twitter accounts and (b) all social media; and how many people in his Department are employed to work on social media.

    Mr Francis Maude

    A list of official Twitter accounts run by Cabinet Office, including those used by senior officials, can be found at https://twitter.com/cabinetofficeuk/cabinet-office-teams/members. The department also runs the @Number10gov and @Number10press accounts.

    No member of staff is employed to specifically work on social media.

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  • Keir Starmer – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Keir Starmer – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Keir Starmer on 2015-10-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when funds will be made available to enable the eastern section of the station at Euston to be redeveloped; and if he will ensure that this is developed as a level-deck station with platforms at the same levels as those for High Speed 2.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    HS2 Ltd deposited an Additional Provision (AP3) to the HS2 Phase One hybrid Bill on 16 September 2015 which includes revised plans for London Euston station. The new plans focus on an incremental strategy which will deliver new high speed platforms (Stages A and B1) and do not preclude wider redevelopment of the existing station in the future (Stage B2).

    The redevelopment of the existing station (Stage B2) will be subject to separate planning and funding decisions that will be made at an appropriate point in the process. Network Rail is preparing plans for the feasibility work of this redevelopment which will be submitted as part of its Control Period 6 (CP6) submission (which covers the period 2019-2024). These plans will consider the impacts of all options for station redevelopment including level-deck and split-level concourses and will include an assessment of the effects of this redevelopment, including the potential effects on local residents, businesses and rail users. The process will start with the Initial Industry Plan which is anticipated to be published in September 2016.

  • Jon Trickett – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Jon Trickett – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jon Trickett on 2015-10-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will amend existing legislation relating to police widow pensions to bring parity with other public sector pensions.

    Mike Penning

    In common with other public sector pensions, the police pension schemes provide a pension for the widow, widower or civil partner of a police officer who dies. For the 2006 and 2015 police pension schemes that pension is paid for life regardless of future remarriage, civil partnership or cohabitation. As the Home Secretary announced in the House of Commons on 12 October 2015, in recognition of the level of risk that police officers face in the execution of their duty, the 1987 Police Pension Scheme will shortly be amended to ensure that widows, widowers and surviving civil partners of police officers who died on duty in England and Wales will no longer lose their survivors’ benefits if they remarry, form a civil partnership or cohabit in the future. The Government will lay these regulations in the coming weeks and the change will be backdated to 1 April 2015.

  • Valerie Vaz – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Valerie Vaz – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Valerie Vaz on 2015-10-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the merits of providing concessions to ease the cost of automatic-enrolment pensions for small businesses.

    Justin Tomlinson

    In 2010 the independent Making Automatic Enrolment Work (MAEW) review considered the impact of automatic enrolment on small businesses. Following the recommendations of the MAEW review, the Pensions Act 2011 introduced a package of measures to reduce costs and make implementation easier for small employers. DWP’s impact assessments continue to monitor the costs and benefits of automatic enrolment on small businesses.

    DWP is working hard to minimise the additional costs of automatic enrolment, particularly for small employers. The National Employment Savings Trust (NEST) was established by the Government specifically to ensure that smaller firms have access to high quality, good value pension provision.

    NEST continues to undertake service improvements, including making it possible for small employers to set up and run NEST directly through their payroll software. The Pensions Regulator is also undertaking research and testing in order to enhance its tools and educational material, and to simplify the automatic enrolment process for small employers.

    The decision to defer the staging period of small and micro firms from April 2014 to June 2015 brought significant easement to small and micro employers, leading to lower contribution costs and lower administrative costs. Additionally the contribution level is being phased in, in order to help employers adjust to these costs. The minimum employer contribution is currently 1% and this will rise to 3% when the auto-enrolment programme is fully rolled out over the next few years.

  • Helen Hayes – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Helen Hayes – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Helen Hayes on 2015-10-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the representations made by Shelter and the Money Advice Trust on the effect on tenant choice of the removal of a tenant’s ability to have payment of the housing element of the universal credit paid directly to their landlord.

    Priti Patel

    The independent evaluation of the Universal Credit (UC) Direct Payment Demonstration Projects report showed that asking claimants to take responsibility for paying their rent did not lead to big increases in rent arrears. We are drawing on the findings from these Projects as part of our approach to continually improving the service. The reports can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/direct-payment-demonstration-projects-final-reports

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