Category: Speeches

  • Daniel Zeichner – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Daniel Zeichner – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Daniel Zeichner on 2016-09-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment he has made of trends in the level of (a) fuel efficiency and (b) journey times of buses.

    Andrew Jones

    The Department has not carried out a recent detailed assessment of trends in the level of the fuel efficiency of buses. However, information on average journey times for buses is collected as part of the National Travel Survey and can be found in table NTS0311 at the following link:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/456304/nts0311.xls

    “

  • Baroness Altmann – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Baroness Altmann – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Altmann on 2016-10-10.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to ensure that individuals who are currently working in multiple low paid jobs without receiving national insurance credits will not lose out on their future state pension relative to people who are not working and still being credited for National Insurance contributions.

    Lord Freud

    The population working in multiple low paid jobs is not static and there is little evidence that people are engaged in this type of work pattern for significant periods in their working life, or that their state pension outcomes are affected, so many of those affected are likely to build up sufficient qualifying years in the future through paid or credited contributions. There is also a very wide gateway to National Insurance cover already: the lower earnings limit, the threshold for access to contributory benefits (including the State Pension) is set at the equivalent of less than 16 hours per week at the national living wage; there is a comprehensive system for National Insurance credits; people can pay voluntary contributions to protect their State Pension position, and finally, new State Pension allows for substantial gaps in National Insurance cover – up to 15 years over a 50 year working life – without penalty.

  • Louise Haigh – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Louise Haigh – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Louise Haigh on 2015-10-29.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he is taking to increase participation in all-employee tax-advantaged share plans; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr David Gauke

    The tax-advantaged Save As You Earn (SAYE) and Share Incentive Plan (SIP) limits were significantly increased from April 2014. The increases the Government have made are reasonable, given the average monthly SAYE savings and the value of awards currently made to employees under SIP, and they represent the best use of resources. The Government will continue to keep the SAYE and SIP limits under review.

    In addition to increasing the SAYE and SIP limits, the rules of the schemes were substantially reviewed and simplified following the recommendations made by the Office of Tax Simplification in March 2012. Last year, the requirement that these schemes must be approved by HM Revenue and Customs to qualify for favourable tax treatment was replaced by self-certification. Coupled with other changes to simplify some technical aspects of the rules, this will make these schemes more attractive to businesses and employees.

    No data is collected and no estimates are made of the income levels of the participants in SAYE schemes.

    Permitting private equity backed companies to offer all-employee tax advantaged schemes would be likely to involve significant changes to the rules of the schemes, and there would be a number of other factors to consider carefully, including the increased cost and complexity of any extension.

  • Luciana Berger – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Luciana Berger – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Luciana Berger on 2015-11-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many requests under section 42 of the Data Protection Act have been made in respect of (a) Google Commerce Limited, (b) Google Inc., (c) Google Payment Limited and (d) Google UK Limited.

    Mr Edward Vaizey

    Information relating to the number of requests under section 42 of the Data Protection Act that have been made in respect of (a) Google Commerce Limited, (b) Google Inc, (c) Google Payment Limited and (d) Google UK Limited is outlined below:

    Year

    Google Inc

    Google UK Ltd

    Google Payment Limited

    2012/2013

    4

    16

    0

    2013/2014

    1

    4

    0

    2014/2015

    3

    0

    3

    2015/2016

    1

    0

    0

  • Andy Slaughter – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Andy Slaughter – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andy Slaughter on 2016-01-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what reports he has received on Saudi Arabia’s use of counter-terrorism laws; and whether such laws are being used legitimately to tackle terrorism or to supress political and religious opposition.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    We have been following Saudi Arabia’s counter-terrorism and terrorism financing legislation issue closely since it was implemented on 31 January 2014. As we noted in our 2014 Human Rights and Democracy, a number of human rights activists have been sentenced in the Specialised Criminal Court, set up under this legislation for security and terrorism cases. We will continue to monitor this issue carefully.

  • Andrew Gwynne – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Andrew Gwynne – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Gwynne on 2016-01-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what recent discussions he has had with his European counterparts on the Zika virus.

    Jane Ellison

    The Secretary of State regularly discusses matters across his portfolio with his European counterparts. He continues to closely monitor the situation on the Zika virus. Additionally, Departmental officials continue to discuss the development of the virus with relevant European colleagues, and will be participating in a European Health Security Committee meeting on Zika on Tuesday 9 February 2016.

  • Gavin Newlands – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Gavin Newlands – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gavin Newlands on 2016-02-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate his Department has made of the number of businesses which are planning to pass on the increase in their National Insurance contributions from April 2016 to their employees.

    Justin Tomlinson

    The Department does not currently collect this information.

  • Sue Hayman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Sue Hayman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sue Hayman on 2016-03-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to his Department’s consultation on aids and appliances and the daily living component of personal independence payments, Cm 9171, if he will publish the impact assessment prepared for the five options in that consultation.

    Justin Tomlinson

    As confirmed by my right honourable friend the Secretary of State in his statement to the House on 21 March, the proposed changes to PIP will not be going ahead.

    We spend around £50bn every year on benefits alone to support people with disabilities or health conditions, with spending on Personal Independence Payment (PIP) and Disability Living Allowance (DLA) having increased by more than £3 billion since 2010. The government is committed to talking to disabled people, their representatives, healthcare professionals and employers to ensure the welfare system works better with the health and social care systems and provides help and support to those who need it most.

  • Julie Elliott – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Julie Elliott – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Julie Elliott on 2016-04-21.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps his Department is taking to prevent scam and nuisance calls exploiting unknowing consumers.

    Mr Edward Vaizey

    The Government takes all types of fraud, including those operating through telephones, extremely seriously.

    The Government is taking forward a range of measures to tackle nuisance calls, which will increase consumer protection and choice by strengthening the Information Commissioner’s Office’s (ICO) ability to take enforcement action against organisations that break the law.

    Specific actions include; lowering the threshold under the the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulation 2003 (PECR) to make it easier for the ICO to take action against organisations that break the law, resulting in £3,420,000 worth of fines issued; and we recently made an amendment to PECR, requiring direct marketing companies registered in the UK, to display Calling Line Identification.

    The Department is also working closely with Home Office who recently launched a new joint fraud taskforce to tackle the issue of scams. Further information about the taskforce is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/home-secretary-launches-new-joint-fraud-taskforce

    “

  • David Winnick – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    David Winnick – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Winnick on 2016-06-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will arrange for the Chief Executive of West Midlands Ambulance Service to send a reply to the hon. Member for Walsall North to his letter of 9 May 2016; and if he will ascertain for what reason there was no acknowledgment or substantive reply to that letter.

    Ben Gummer

    This information is not available centrally. This information may be obtained from West Midlands Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust. We have written to Sir Graham Meldrum, Chair of the Trust, informing him of the MP’s enquiry. He will reply shortly and a copy of the letter will be placed in the Library.