Category: Speeches

  • David Amess – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture Media and Sport

    David Amess – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Amess on 2014-06-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what funding his Department has allocated to the maintenance of war memorials in each of the next three years; what steps it takes to ensure that war memorials are maintained to a high standard; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr Edward Vaizey

    The DCMS-run Memorial Grant Scheme has a budget of £543,000 for this financial year. Grants are available to charities and faith groups, and can be used to repair and maintain war memorials. The Government has today announced that it will give the War Memorials Trust up to £3 million over the First World War centenary period to boost the funds available to local communities for the repair and conservation of war memorials. English Heritage, Imperial War Museums and Civic Voice will together be given £1.5 million over the same period to deliver better protection through Listing, a greater pool of specialist skills, a national register of war memorials, and a network of trained volunteers.

  • Menzies Campbell – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Menzies Campbell – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Menzies Campbell on 2014-06-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when the (a) Royal Scots Dragoon Guards, (b) 2 Close Support Battalion REME and (c) 110 Provost Company RMP are scheduled to move to Leuchars; how many military personnel make up each unit; and how many (i) spouses and (ii) school-age children are attached to each unit.

    Mr Mark Francois

    The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards (Royal Scots DG) and 2 Close Support Battalion Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (2 CS Bn REME) are due to relocate to RAF Leuchars during the summer of 2015, whilst 110 Provost Company (110 Pro Coy), Royal Military Police, will arrive in tranches from late 2015 to 2018.

    The number of personnel, spouses and school aged children are as follows:

    UNIT Personnel Spouses Children(0-4) Children(5-16)
    Royal Scots DG 404 141 118 151
    2 CS Bn REME 263 108 53 91
    110 Pro Coy 138 38 30 35
    Total 805 287 201 277

    Dependents data is subject to change due to inflow and outflow of personnel to and from the units and has been estimated for planning purposes.

    Fife Education Authority has visited the units in Germany and are in regular contact with officials regarding the number of children relocating to RAF Leuchars.

  • Mark Reckless – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Mark Reckless – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Reckless on 2014-06-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many places for initial teacher training starting in 2014 have been allocated to (a) Schools Direct and (b) higher education providers.

    Mr David Laws

    We initially allocated 15,254 places to School Direct and 23,095 places to higher education institutions for the 2014/15 academic year.

    Further details of the initial allocations have been published on the gov.uk website:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/initial-teacher-training-allocations-for-academic-year-2014-to-2015

    We will publish final allocation information reflecting any changes later this year.

    “

  • Nick Gibb – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Nick Gibb – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nick Gibb on 2014-06-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what current contracts (a) his Department and (b) each of his Department’s executive agencies or non-departmental public bodies hold with the Educational Testing Service or any of that organisation’s subsidiaries.

    Gregory Barker

    Neither (a) The Department of Energy and Climate Change nor (b) its non-Departmental public bodies hold any contracts with the Educational Testing Service or its subsidiaries.

  • Jim Shannon – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Jim Shannon – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2014-06-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make representations to the Iranian govrnment on the arrest of Silas Rabbani, Karaj Farshid, Fathi Alireza, Seyydin, Mohammad Rohangir, Surush Saraie, Escander Rezale, Shahnin Lahouty and Medhei Ameruni; and if he will urge that government to confirm that those people are healthy and safe in the location where they are and that their families be made aware of this.

    Hugh Robertson

    We are aware of the arrests of Silas Rabbani, Karaj Farshid, Fathi Alireza, Seyydin, Mohammad Rohangir, Surush Saraie, Escander Rezale, Shahnin Lahouty and Medhei Ameruni. We remain deeply concerned about the detention and treatment of all prisoners of conscience in Iran and the ongoing discrimination against Christians and other minority religious groups. We have called for the Iranian government to protect the rights of all minority groups in Iran and end the persecution of individuals on the basis of their faith. The UK’s non-resident Chargé d’Affaires raised the issue of freedom of religion with the Iranian authorities during his visit to Iran on 12 March.

  • Andrew Rosindell – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Andrew Rosindell – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2014-06-30.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department has taken to help people with autism find appropriate work.

    Mike Penning

    The Government has contributed significantly to the development of the ‘Rethink Autism’ strategy, owned by the Department of Health.

    DWP is an active member of the Autism Programme Board and is working closely with colleagues from across government to address a number of key commitments that support the employment of people with Autistic Spectrum Conditions including Asperger’s Syndrome and associated Hidden Impairment Conditions.

    DWP is working with an extensive range of partner organisations and the Hidden Impairment National Group (HING), which the Minister has agreed to sponsor.

  • John Pugh – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture Media and Sport

    John Pugh – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Pugh on 2014-06-30.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment he has made of the effects of the distribution of cultural funds and subsidies throughout the regions of the UK.

    Mr Edward Vaizey

    Funding decisions for the arts are made independently of Ministers by Arts Council England (ACE). Earlier this week, ACE announced an increase in the proportion of spend on regional arts and major partner museums.

  • Hugh Bayley – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture Media and Sport

    Hugh Bayley – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Hugh Bayley on 2014-06-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how much funding the Football Youth Development Programme has provided to York City FC to date.

    Mrs Helen Grant

    Between 1998 and 2006 Sport England invested £556,163 in York City FC for the Football Youth Development programme. No funding has been requested since 2006.

  • Hugh Bayley – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Hugh Bayley – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Hugh Bayley on 2014-06-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the average pay for teachers was in York Unitary Authority area in 2008-09 and in each year since.

    Mr David Laws

    I refer the hon. Member to the reply given on 10 July 2013, Official Report 297W, which provided the gross average salary of full-time regular qualified teachers in service in local authority maintained schools in cash terms and real terms for York local authority, in each March, 1997 to 2009 and November 2010 to November 2011.

    The gross average salary of full-time regular qualified teachers in service in publicly funded schools in cash terms and real terms for York local authority, in November 2012 is £36,300 in both cash and real terms (rounded to the nearest £100). 2013 figures will be available in late July 2014. Publicly-funded schools include both local authority maintained schools and academies. The source of this information is the November 2012 School Workforce Census.

    Real terms figures were calculated from HMT GDP deflators, financial year, published on 1 April 2014 at the following web link:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/gdp-deflators-at-market-prices-and-money-gdp

    “

  • Andrew Turner – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Andrew Turner – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Turner on 2014-06-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, by what process Tony Blair was appointed to the post of Middle East peace envoy; and who approved that appointment.

    Hugh Robertson

    Tony Blair was appointed by the Quartet (US, EU, UN and Russia) as the representative of the Middle East Quartet in June 2007. The Quartet principals (Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, High Representative for European Foreign and Security Policy Javier Solana) approved his appointment.