Category: Speeches

  • Emily Thornberry – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Emily Thornberry – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Emily Thornberry on 2015-11-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many times participants in the Mandatory Intervention Regime under the Help to Work scheme are required to attend appointments at Jobcentre Plus each week.

    Priti Patel

    The Mandatory Intervention Regime (MIR) under the Help to Work scheme delivers all the employment support measures available through the JCP Offer and, to supplement those, provides more intensive, personalised support through increased work coach interviews. The length, nature and frequency of these additional interviews is determined locally on a case by case basis and may vary over time.

  • Emily Thornberry – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Emily Thornberry – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Emily Thornberry on 2015-12-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, for what reasons the Government has ended the (a) Mandatory Work Activity scheme and (b) Community Work Placements element of the Help to Work scheme.

    Priti Patel

    The economy and labour market have improved since the introduction of our employment programmes. Long-term unemployment has fallen by 35% since 2010 to 509,000, the lowest level in six years. The support we provide to claimants needs to reflect recent labour market changes and the needs of claimants. That is why there will be an increase in funding and new contracted provision to help people with disability and health conditions and the very long-term unemployed return to and remain in work.

    The Mandatory Work Activity and Community Work Placement contracts come to an end in March 2016. We always intended to review the contracts at this time. We will provide support to the long-term unemployed through a strengthened JobCentre Plus offer for those out of work for 12-24 months, and for anyone still unemployed after 2 years we will refer them to contracted provision for further support.

    This approach builds on our best evidence of what works to support claimants back into work, and gets a good deal for the taxpayer.

  • Lord Campbell-Savours – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Lord Campbell-Savours – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Campbell-Savours on 2016-01-26.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have received evidence of VAT fraud in the London souvenir and gift trade, and if so, what action they have taken to combat it.

    Lord O’Neill of Gatley

    HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) receive a variety of data and intelligence from numerous sources. Everything from bulk data from third parties to information provided by individuals through the Tax and Customs Evasion Hotlines.

    Clamping down on those who try to cheat the system through evading taxes and over claiming benefits is a key priority for HMRC, and they are committed to ensuring the tax system operates fairly and efficiently. All the information HMRC receive is risk-assessed and a decision made on the most appropriate course of action.

    Data and intelligence received could include information relating to the London souvenir and gift trade. However, there is strict law of confidentiality covering all the work for which HMRC are responsible. The relevant law is Section 18 of the Commissioners for Revenue & Customs Act 2005, which strictly limits the circumstances under which they disclose information they hold and any action taken. This prohibits HMRC from giving specific details of any information received regarding any sector.

  • Lord Hunt of Chesterton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Lord Hunt of Chesterton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hunt of Chesterton on 2016-02-23.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to establish targets to reduce energy use across the government estate to reduce carbon emissions over the next five years.

    Lord Gardiner of Kimble

    The Government has already reduced the greenhouse gas emissions from its estate and operations by 22% from 2009/10 to 2014/15 under the Greening Government Commitments. We are in the process of developing a new set of Greening Government Commitments for this Parliament.

  • Kate Green – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Kate Green – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kate Green on 2016-03-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to the government of Sudan on behalf of Telahoon Rata and Rev. Hassan Taour, arrested on 13 and 21 December 2015 respectively; and what information his Department holds on their (a) location and (b) physical and mental condition.

    James Duddridge

    Our Ambassador in Khartoum met the Minister of Guidance and Religious Endowments and the Sudanese Director of Church Affairs in February and raised the cases of Mr Talahon and Rev. Hassan. Officials from our Embassy in Khartoum are in close contact with their legal team. The legal team have informed us that both men are currently being held at a National Intelligence and Security Service’s facility in Khartoum. Mr Talahon’s family has been able to meet him once while Rev. Hassan has not been granted visitors. Rev. Hassan’s family is particularly concerned about his physical health given his history of stomach ulcers. We will continue to scrutinise these cases closely.

  • Mark Pawsey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Mark Pawsey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Pawsey on 2016-04-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the ratio of GPs to residents is in (a) Rugby constituency and (b) England.

    Alistair Burt

    The ratio of general practitioners (GPs) to residents in Rugby constituency is not collected; however, the ratio of GPs to residents in the Coventry and Rugby Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) is 65.6 GPs (excluding Registrars and Retainers) per 100,000 Office fpr National Statistics (ONS) resident population.

    The Health and Social Care Information Centre publish an annual General and Personal Medical Services workforce census. In the last census as at 30 September 2014, there were 66.5 GPs (excluding Registrars and Retainers) per 100,000 ONS resident population in England. Data for 2015 will be published on 27 April.

  • John Baron – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    John Baron – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Baron on 2016-05-24.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many cases of (a) penile, (b) anal, (c) head and neck, (d) cervical, (e) vulval and (f) vaginal cancer occur each year in (i) men and (ii) women; and what proportion of each of these cancers is caused by HPV.

    Mr Rob Wilson

    The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.

  • The Countess of Mar – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The Countess of Mar – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by The Countess of Mar on 2016-07-11.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 11 July (HL873), whether ExxonMobil was consulted by, or supplied evidence to, the Committee on Toxicity of Chemicals in Food and the Environment (COT) prior to the publication of the 2007 COT Statement and whether the results were conclusive.

    Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

    The Committee on Toxicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment (COT) identified and evaluated over 400 references when producing their 2007 statement, called “Statement on the Review of the Cabin Air Environment, Ill-health in Aircraft Crews and the Possible Relationship to Smoke/Fume Events in Aircraft”. The evidence base consisted of data submitted by the British Airline Pilots Association (BALPA) and references identified as relevant by the COT Secretariat.

    All evidence reviewed can be found listed at the end of the Statement. There are no references to ExxonMobil submitting evidence, or being consulted by the COT during the review.

  • Tim Farron – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Tim Farron – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tim Farron on 2016-10-07.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make it his policy to make available funding at the same level as currently received from the Asylum, Immigration and Integration Fund after the UK leaves the EU.

    Mr David Gauke

    Leaving the EU means we will need to consider carefully how to deliver the policy objectives previously targeted by EU funding, including the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund.

    Over the coming months, we will consult with stakeholders to review all EU funding schemes in the round, to ensure that any ongoing funding commitments best serve the UK‘s national interest.

  • Carol Monaghan – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Carol Monaghan – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Carol Monaghan on 2015-11-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will make it his policy to amend the three month rule for the habitual residence test to allow access to income based jobseeker’s allowance for UK nationals returning to the UK after a period away who have retained financial commitments at home.

    Priti Patel

    It has always been the case that any UK national who returns to this country after an extended period must demonstrate they are habitually resident to be eligible for income-related benefits. Since 1 January 2014, most jobseekers must also have been living in the UK for three months before any consideration can be given to whether they are habitually resident to be eligible to receive income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance.

    Regulations were amended from 9 November 2014 to exempt from the three month residence requirement members of the Armed Forces and Crown servants who were serving abroad and others who had paid certain types of UK national insurance contributions during their absence abroad. We have no plans to introduce further exemptions from the three month requirement.