Category: Speeches

  • Lord Lucas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Lord Lucas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Lucas on 2016-01-28.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, following the announcement of the sale of Corbis, Corbis Motion and Veer, what assessment they have made of how the interests of the UK and of the National Gallery, whose picture bank was put into data files and a database by Corbis, have been protected.

    Baroness Neville-Rolfe

    The National Gallery operates at Arm’s length from DCMS, and as such has responsibility for its own mage licensing arrangements. The arrangements between the National Gallery and Corbis in relation to the licensing of National Gallery images came to an end on 31 August 2008. When the arrangements terminated all National Gallery images were returned to the Gallery. As a result, the sale of Corbis, Corbis Motion and Veer, has no implications for the National Gallery. Ownership of the National Gallery database of images rests with, and has always rested with, the Gallery itself.

  • Christopher Chope – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Christopher Chope – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Christopher Chope on 2016-02-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 23 February 2016 to Question 26625, on the Twynham Learning Federation, for what reason it is not possible to place the documents in the Library prior to publication on the Department’s website in May.

    Edward Timpson

    As previously agreed, the application will be published alongside other successful direct free school applications in May 2016. This is in line with the established timetable of publishing applications three months after each announcement. However, the Secretary of State and Twynham Learning Federation have exceptionally agreed to also place a copy of the application and the decision letter signed by Sir David Carter, the former Regional Schools Commissioner for the South West in the House of Commons library. This will be done as soon as both commercially sensitive information and personal information, that may contravene the Data Protection Act, has been redacted. We will write to the Honourable Member when this has been done.

  • Nick Herbert – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Nick Herbert – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nick Herbert on 2016-03-22.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate she has made of the amount of Common Agricultural Policy funding that (a) Scotland, (b) Wales and (c) Northern Ireland will receive in each year between 2014 and 2020.

    George Eustice

    The tables in the attached show, for Pillar 1 (direct payments) and Pillar 2 of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), allocations for England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

  • Cat Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Cat Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Cat Smith on 2016-04-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether the specification for the Work and Health Programme to provide specialist support for long-term unemployed and claimants with health conditions and disabilities will require (a) autism and (b) other conditions of claimants to be recorded by both providers and Jobcentre Plus; and what discussions he has had about which conditions will be recorded.

    Priti Patel

    Development of the Work and Health Programme design is well underway, including engagement with a wide range of stakeholders. The Department has commenced the commercial process for the programme by releasing the Prior Information Notice for potential providers on 28 April.

    Decisions on what the information reporting requirements will be for people with a disability or health condition are yet to be made.

  • Louise Haigh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Scotland Office

    Louise Haigh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Scotland Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Louise Haigh on 2016-06-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what proportion of staff in his Department were (a) payroll and (b) non-payroll staff in each financial year from 2010-11 to 2015-16.

    David Mundell

    The proportion of Scotland Office staff who were (a) payroll and (b) non-payroll staff in each financial year from 2010-11 to 2015-16 is shown below.

    Year

    Payroll

    Non-payroll

    2010-11

    100%

    0%

    2011-12

    96%

    4%

    2012-13

    97%

    3%

    2013-14

    98%

    2%

    2014-15

    91%

    9%

    2015-16

    93%

    7%

  • Andrew Stephenson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Andrew Stephenson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Stephenson on 2016-09-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether his Department has made an assessment of how long it takes British citizens to find work after returning from a long period living overseas.

    Damian Hinds

    No such assessment has been made by DWP.

  • Alison Thewliss – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Alison Thewliss – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alison Thewliss on 2016-10-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will issue a response to the report Scientific and factual? A review of breastmilk substitute advertising to healthcare professionals, published by the First Steps Nutrition Trust.

    Matt Hancock

    I refer my honourable friend to the answer to PQ 47854.

  • Greg Mulholland – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Greg Mulholland – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Greg Mulholland on 2015-10-29.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate he has made of the number of elderly people experiencing loneliness.

    Alistair Burt

    The Government has not made an estimate of the number of elderly people experiencing loneliness, but recognises that in an increasingly mobile and more fractured society, isolation and loneliness is a significant social issue.

    Through the Care Act 2014 the Government has placed a duty on local authorities to have measures in place to identify people in their area who would benefit from universal services to help reduce, delay or prevent needs for care and support. This includes needs that may arise from loneliness and social isolation.

    Given the complexity of loneliness and the different ways that people are affected there is no single solution that can tackle loneliness and having a range of interventions and solutions is helpful. The Department has funded the Social Care Institute for Excellence to develop and run the Prevention Library which includes examples of emerging practice to prevent, reduce or delay peoples care and support needs from deteriorating.

    The Department has supported a ‘digital toolkit’ for local commissioners, which was developed by the Campaign to End Loneliness, and is now incorporated in their guidance Loneliness and Isolation: Guidance for Local Authorities and Commissioners. This supports commissioners in understanding, mapping and commissioning for loneliness and social isolation in their communities, and includes promising approaches to tackling loneliness.

    We are building a better understanding of how prevention can maintain people’s wellbeing and the evidence base on the effectiveness of interventions is expanding. Through the Prevention Library local authorities can learn from emerging practice, and exchange ideas and experience of the impact of information, advice and befriending services.

  • Paul Flynn – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Paul Flynn – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Flynn on 2015-11-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when the most recent review of the emergency response arrangements for a radiation emergency involving the nuclear warhead convoy was completed.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    The Ministry of Defence emergency response arrangements are subject to a continuous process of review through a regular series of exercises which test the effectiveness of the response. The most recent exercise took place on 12 November 2015.

  • Phil Boswell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Phil Boswell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Phil Boswell on 2016-01-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the implications for his polices of the conclusion of the Joseph Rowntree Foundation report, entitled Monitoring Poverty and Social Exclusion 2015, that the number of people living in poverty who depend on housing in the private rented sector has doubled in the last decade.

    Brandon Lewis

    No such assessment has been made. The Government believes that the key to improving affordability is to build more homes. We have several initiatives to improve affordability, including a £10 billion debt guarantee scheme to support the delivery of new homes purpose built for private rent, up to 30,000 additional affordable homes and the delivery of 200,000 Starter Homes at a minimum 20% discount for young first time buyers through the planning system.

    In addition to existing powers already in place, measures being taken forward through the Housing and Planning Bill will give councils stronger powers and incentives to tackle rogue landlords, to prevent those members of society in most need of affordable housing from becoming victims of poor quality and unsafe accommodation.