Category: Speeches

  • Lord Empey – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    Lord Empey – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Empey on 2014-06-11.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to recover records of royal pardons granted between 1987 and 1997.

    Baroness Randerson

    The review of Departmental record keeping ordered by the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland is ongoing.

    Northern Ireland Office officials continue to seek information on use of the Royal Prerogative of Mercy (RPM) for the years 1987 to 1997. This includes contact with other Government Departments where relevant material might be held.

  • Maria Eagle – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Maria Eagle – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Maria Eagle on 2014-04-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much income the Environment Agency expects to raise from fracking firms to pay for the regulation of the industry; and if he will make a statement.

    Dan Rogerson

    The Environment Agency does not separately record the income it expects to raise from fracking firms. However, it does hold estimates of the charges it expects to raise from environmental permits and licences for the onshore oil and gas industry as a whole.

    Over the next year, with the current charging scheme, the Environment Agency estimates income of between £300,000 and £350,000. This includes fees from permit applications and annual subsistence, for mining waste, groundwater, radioactive substances and water resources permits. It does not include any site surrender fees as no sites are expected to surrender their permits over the next year. As the onshore shale gas part of the industry grows over time, we would expect the income from permitting charges to change.

  • Sharon Hodgson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Attorney General

    Sharon Hodgson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Attorney General

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sharon Hodgson on 2014-06-10.

    To ask the Attorney General, what proportion of staff within the Law Officers’ Departments who have been dismissed following formal disciplinary proceedings in each of the last five financial years classed themselves as white British.

    Oliver Heald

    I refer the Hon. Member to the answer given to her by the Minister for the Cabinet Office on 16th June (Official Report, Col 433W).

  • Barry Gardiner – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Barry Gardiner – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Barry Gardiner on 2014-04-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the reasons are for the time taken for the review of the Chalara management plan; why the updated plan was not published by the Government’s March 2014 target; and if he will make a statement.

    Dan Rogerson

    The Government will publish an updated management approach to Chalara alongside updated management approaches to other established tree pests and diseases, and those that pose an imminent threat, in a single Tree Health Management Plan. This Plan will set out the action that the Government and others are taking to protect our tree population from pests and diseases. It will be published alongside the wider Plant Biosecurity Strategy later this spring.

  • Sharon Hodgson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Sharon Hodgson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sharon Hodgson on 2014-06-10.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what consideration his Department gives to the diversity policies and records of businesses or other organisations when considering their bid for commercial contracts or grants.

    Mr Francis Maude

    The Prime Minister’s Office and the Deputy Prime Ministers Office are an integral part of the Cabinet Office.

    This Government procures on the basis of value for money. Departments and the Crown Commercial Service will ensure that social, economic and sustainability issues are considered in procurement projects and that specifications, terms and conditions and evaluation criteria are developed to ensure that the relevant issues are addressed as appropriate for the subject matter of the requirements.

  • Richard Fuller – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Richard Fuller – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Fuller on 2014-04-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if she will take steps to establish an early stage co-investment fund in Nigeria.

    Lynne Featherstone

    DFID supports a number of initiatives that help private sector development in Nigeria. These include work alongside CDC to fund investment opportunities in Northern Nigeria; technical assistance to increase lending by Nigerian banks to Small and Medium Enterprises, through the International Finance Corporation (IFC); and start up grants for Nigerian firms through the Business Innovation Facility.

  • Sharon Hodgson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Sharon Hodgson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sharon Hodgson on 2014-06-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what proportion of staff within his Department who have been subject to formal disciplinary proceedings in each of the last five financial years classed themselves as white British.

    Anna Soubry

    The information requested is shown in the tables below.

    Proportion of Ministry of Defence Civil Servant disciplinary cases in which subject was White British

    2009/10 84.7%
    2010/11 83.7%
    2011/12 82.3%
    2012/13 76.8%
    2013/14 78.1%

    Proportion of Ministry of Defence Civil Servant conduct dismissal cases in which subject was White British.

    2009/10 77.2%
    2010/11 86.5%
    2011/12 68.9%
    2012/13 81.1%
    2013/14 72.6%

  • Gloria De Piero – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Gloria De Piero – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gloria De Piero on 2014-04-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of social housing tenants affected by the implementation of the under-occupancy penalty have been given exempt status in each (a) constituency and (b) local authority area.

    Esther McVey

    The only group exempt from the removal of the spare room subsidy and therefore unaffected by the policy are those housing benefit social sector tenants who have reached state pension credit age.

    Registered foster carers are allowed an additional bedroom if they have fostered a child during the last 52 weeks and parents of armed forces personnel who have been deployed on operations are allowed to retain that adult childs bedroom.

  • Sharon Hodgson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Sharon Hodgson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sharon Hodgson on 2014-06-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what proportion of staff within his Department who have been dismissed following formal disciplinary proceedings in each of the last five financial years classed themselves as white British.

    Dan Rogerson

    The data in the table relates to staff in core Defra only.

    Financial year

    Percentage of staff who have been dismissed following formal disciplinary proceedings who have not declared their ethnicity

    Percentage of staff who have been dismissed following formal disciplinary proceedings who have declared themselves to be white British

    2009-10

    No dismissals

    No dismissals

    2010-11

    No dismissals

    No dismissals

    2011-12

    100%

    0%

    2012-13

    No dismissals

    No dismissals

    2013-14

    No dismissals

    No dismissals

    Employees declare their ethnicity and national identity on a voluntary basis.

  • Chuka Umunna – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Chuka Umunna – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chuka Umunna on 2014-04-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what process the Government adopted to (a) identify and (b) select priority investors in the recent Royal Mail privatisation.

    Michael Fallon

    The process of investor engagement commenced 12 months prior to the Initial Public Offering (IPO). In the initial period, Royal Mail’s management met with over 60 high quality institutions to educate them about the business. During pilot fishing in early September 2013, the management team and the Government’s banking advisers engaged further with a focused group of 21 well-informed and longer-term investors. Initial indications of potential demand were received from this group; this gave the Government the confidence to proceed with announcing the Intention to Float on 12th September 2013.