Category: Speeches

  • 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 works will be undertaken as part of the upgrade of the Halton Curve.

    Claire Perry

    This scheme involves the installation of new crossovers at Halton and Frodsham with a track upgrade enabling trains to operate in both directions. This work reinstates a rail link which will enable passenger services from North Wales and West Cheshire to directly access Liverpool City Centre and Liverpool John Lennon airport. Further details of the work to be provided by Network Rail early next year.

  • Sadiq Khan – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Sadiq Khan – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sadiq Khan on 2014-07-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much his Department paid to (a) G4S, (b) Serco, (c) Sodexo, (d) GEOAmey, (e) Capita, (f) Atos, (g) Mitie, (h) Working Links, (i) A4E, (j) MTC Amey, (k) GEO Group and (l) Carillion in (i) 2010-11, (ii) 2011-12, (iii) 2012-13 and (iv) 2013-14.

    Steve Webb

    Please see table below:

    Supplier

    2010/11

    2011/12

    2012/13

    2013/14

    G4S Group

    £81,433

    £17,951,654

    £32,123,087

    £46,377,724

    Serco Group PLC

    £73,458,641

    £29,569,238

    £45,457,786

    £58,823,106

    Sodexo Ltd

    NIL

    £685

    £2,895

    £558

    GEO Amey

    NIL

    NIL

    NIL

    NIL

    Capita Group PLC

    £57,821,217

    £40,754,470

    £42,255,394

    £50,702,838

    Atos Origin UK Ltd

    £150,589,213

    £143,524,261

    £146,857,967

    £102,646,905

    Mitie Managed Services

    £4,889

    £859

    £648

    £20,277

    Working Links

    £85,337,045

    £54,253,693

    £78,302,405

    Action for Employment

    £175,360,690

    £89,243,572

    £75,616,533

    £104,396,574

    MTC Amey

    NIL

    NIL

    NIL

    NIL

    GEO Group

    NIL

    NIL

    NIL

    NIL

    Carillion

    £923

    NlL

    NIL

    £11,339
  • Maria Miller – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Maria Miller – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Maria Miller on 2014-07-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the effect of the recent Supreme Court ruling concerning which individuals in care homes and hospitals should be subject to a deprivation of liberty assessment; and if he will make a statement.

    Norman Lamb

    On 19 March 2014, the Supreme Court handed down a judgment that clarified the test for what constitutes a deprivation of liberty. The clarified test is: “An individual who lacks the mental capacity to consent to the arrangements for his or her care and is under continuous control and supervision and is not free to leave”.

    Following the judgment, the Department issued an advice note to health and care professionals and local authorities to highlight this legal interpretation and its implications.

    The Department is currently monitoring the effects of the judgment on the health and care system and on local authorities. The Health and Social Care Information Centre will carry out an additional voluntary data collection. This will gather information from local authorities on how many applications have been received for authorisations in care homes and hospitals under the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards since the judgment. We expect the data to be available in October 2014; this will facilitate an assessment of the judgment’s impact.

    At the Department’s request, the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services is leading a task group to consider the implications of the judgment. This group has representation from local authorities, NHS England, the Care Quality Commission and the Department. The group intends to issue advice in the autumn.

  • John Pugh – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    John Pugh – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Pugh on 2015-10-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what (a) funds and (b) grants his Department makes available for the refurbishment or improvement of railway stations.

    Claire Perry

    The Department for Transport currently operates a number of schemes that makes funds available to enhance facilities at stations.

    The Access for All programme and the Small Schemes fund provide improvements in accessibility. The National Stations Improvement Programme and Stations Commercial Project Facility are designed to deliver enhancements to passenger facilities. The New Station Fund has been established to help fund the construction of new stations.

  • Carolyn Harris – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Carolyn Harris – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Carolyn Harris on 2015-10-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether he plans to commission an independent review of the benefits and sanctions regime.

    Priti Patel

    I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 5 June 2015 to Question UIN 170.

    “

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

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

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Doughty on 2015-10-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent assessment he has made of Child Support Agency enforcement rates for payment of child maintenance.

    Priti Patel

    The latest published figures show 88% of cases on the 1993 and 2003 schemes and 88% of case groups on the 2012 scheme contributing towards their current maintenance liability.

    Where a non-resident parent fails to meet their liabilities, the Child Support Agency has a range of enforcement powers. For example, child maintenance can be taken directly from bank accounts and wages; and the Government has also introduced a new power to disclose non-compliance to credit reference agencies.

    The total number of enforcement actions taken by the Agency can be found on page 41 of the Child Support Agency Quarterly Summary of Statistics June 2015 available at https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/child-support-agency-quarterly-summary-statistics–2.

    “

  • Phil Boswell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Phil Boswell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Phil Boswell on 2015-10-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the report by the Social Mobility and Child Poverty Commission, Downward mobility, opportunity hoarding and the glass floor, published in June 2015, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of that report’s findings that relatively high levels of income inequality are a contributing factor to why social mobility in the UK is relatively low by international standards and has not increased in the past 40 years.

    Priti Patel

    This Government is committed to tackling poverty, extending opportunity and ensuring that every child, regardless of their background, can fulfil their potential. We know that having parents in work, and educational attainment are the strongest determinants of future life chances.

    Our approach to improving life chances is based on high levels of employment, a welfare and tax system that supports work and allows people to keep more of what they earn, and raising educational attainment for all children.

  • Lord Birt – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Lord Birt – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Birt on 2015-10-05.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will consider introducing identity cards for all United Kingdom residents.

    Lord Bates

    The Government has no plans to introduce an identity card system for British Citizens. The Biometric Residence Permit is issued to non-EEA nationals staying in the UK for more than six months. These provide evidence of the holders’ immigration status in the UK.

  • Lord Hunt of Kings Heath – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Lord Hunt of Kings Heath – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath on 2015-10-05.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what guidance they have given to acute trusts about how to respond to Care Quality Commission inspection report recommendations to increase staffing levels whilst meeting Monitor requirements to reduce spending.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    The Government has been clear that acute trusts are responsible for delivering high quality care within available resources. The Care Quality Commission (CQC) looks at staffing levels as part of its rating of safety in its programme of comprehensive inspections. These assessments include ward level discussions of acuity levels and achievement of planned staffing levels. Where an acute trust is failing to use staff in the best way to support patient care, the CQC is right to make that public. Monitor and the NHS Trust Development Authority are responsible for ensuring that acute trusts are providing high quality care in a financially sustainable manner. It is in the interests of future care quality that the finances of acute trusts are healthy; and many of the improvements that are needed to improve quality of care will also improve efficiency.

  • Baroness Kramer – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Baroness Kramer – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Kramer on 2015-10-05.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many meetings (1) the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, (2) ministers within the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, and (3) civil servants at the level of private secretary or above in the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, have had with companies employing fewer than 50 employees since May.

    Baroness Neville-Rolfe

    This information is not held centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate costs.