Category: Speeches

  • Bridget Phillipson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Bridget Phillipson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Bridget Phillipson on 2014-06-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many vehicles built by Nissan are in the Government car pool.

    Stephen Hammond

    There are 84 vehicles operated by the Government Car Service for ministerial use. None of these are currently built by Nissan. The Government Car Service trialled the use of a Nissan Leaf in 2012 and it operated the Nissan Primera within the ministerial fleet until 2005. The ministerial fleet is scheduled for review later this year.

  • Kerry McCarthy – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Kerry McCarthy – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kerry McCarthy on 2014-04-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people in Bristol are waiting for a work capability assessment.

    Mike Penning

    As of 2 April 2014 there are 3,355 people in the Bristol (BS) postcode area either awaiting an appointment or have an appointment arranged for a Work Capability Assessment.

    As of 2 April 2014 for the Bristol (BS) postcode area, 2,540 people who are currently awaiting an appointment or have an appointment arranged for a Work Capability Assessment, have been waiting more than 3 months; 1,766 have been waiting more than 6 months.

  • Paul Flynn – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Paul Flynn – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Flynn on 2014-06-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of MINURSO in implementing its role in Western Sahara.

    Hugh Robertson

    MINURSO is effective in implementing its role in Western Sahara. MINURSO is mandated to monitor the ceasefire between Morocco and the POLISARIO: the situation in Western Sahara is generally calm and the ceasefire continues to hold.

  • Lord Mendelsohn – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Lord Mendelsohn – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Mendelsohn on 2014-04-01.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government on how many occasions an action under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 has also been investigated by HM Revenue and Customs to ensure that tax has been paid by the individuals concerned.

    Lord Deighton

    Actions under the Proceeds of Crime Act (2002) (POCA) could include a variety of different provisions within the Act. For instance, the use of POCA investigative powers, a prosecution for a POCA money laundering offence, the use of criminal confiscation following conviction, the use of POCA civil recovery procedures or financial intelligence received by way of the Suspicious Activity Reporting (SAR) regime.

    Where a law enforcement agency has suspicions of tax evasion it is up to that agency to refer the matter to HMRC to review and investigate as appropriate, using civil or criminal powers. HMRC does not keep a record of how many such referrals are made to them.

    Where HMRC is the investigating agency conducting the POCA actions, they routinely also assess the correct tax position and seek to recover outstanding amounts

  • Chris Ruane – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Deputy Prime Minister

    Chris Ruane – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Deputy Prime Minister

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Ruane on 2014-06-04.

    To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what assessment he has made of the introduction of individual electoral registration in Northern Ireland.

    Greg Clark

    The experience of Northern Ireland has helped inform the plans for the transition to Individual Electoral Registration (IER) in Great Britain. As a result the approach in Great Britain differs from Northern Ireland in several key respects. Unlike the transition to IER in Northern Ireland in 2002, in Great Britain data matching is being used to ‘confirm’ the majority of current electors on the existing register without them having to make a new application. The transition is being phased over two years, which means no one who registered to vote at the last canvass will lose their right to vote at the General Election in 2015. The annual canvass is also being retained and on-line registration is being introduced to make electoral registration more accessible.

  • Lord Bradshaw – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Lord Bradshaw – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Bradshaw on 2014-04-01.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Kramer on 27 March (WA 145), whether the electric stock referred to in her answer will be subject to refurbishment before its transfer to the Northern Rail franchise.

    Baroness Kramer

    The electric stock referred to in my previous answer will be subject to light refurbishment before transfer to the Northern Rail franchise. This will be specified and managed by Northern and the rolling stock company involved. As the Noble Lord may be aware, the Northern Direct Award is for 22 months – from February 2016 a new franchise competition winner will be running services on this franchise. Therefore the new franchisee will develop their own proposals regarding any further refurbishment or replacement of the electric powered rolling stock.

  • Chris Ruane – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Chris Ruane – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Ruane on 2014-06-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what use his Department has made of the National Wellbeing Index introduced by the Office for National Statistics in formulating policy since the introduction of that Index in 2011; and what policies his Department has introduced to improve national wellbeing as defined in that Index since 2010.

    Mike Penning

    The Office for National Statistics (ONS) is measuring National Wellbeing, not as an index but through a framework of 41 indicators which capture social progress around important aspects of life for individuals, communities and the nation. The statistics are experimental and as such we should not expect to have examples of major policies that have been heavily influenced by the wellbeing data at this stage.

    Evidence provided to the Environmental Audit Committee for its Inquiry into Wellbeing can be found at:

    http://www.parliament.uk/business/committees/committees-a-z/commons-select/environmental-audit-committee/inquiries/parliament-2010/well-being/

    “

  • Liam Byrne – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Liam Byrne – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Liam Byrne on 2014-03-31.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what estimate he has made of the effect on his Department’s total resource Departmental Expenditure Limits of the revised guidance on revaluation of student loan impairments in each of the next three years.

    Mr David Willetts

    Student Loan repayments are managed annually under government budgeting rules and any changes, for whatever reason, in forecast repayments, are considered as part of the Parliamentary Supply Process.

    Additional Supply was agreed between this Department and HM Treasury, and approved by Parliament as part of the 2013-14 Supplementary Estimates process.

  • Robert Syms – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Robert Syms – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Robert Syms on 2014-06-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what the unit mitigation cost of Navitus Bay in sterling and in US dollars per Kelvin of global warming abated will be as a result of the proposed wind farm.

    Gregory Barker

    The Department does not undertake analysis or hold information of this nature relating to specific developments.

  • Michael Thornton – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Michael Thornton – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Michael Thornton on 2014-03-31.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of cancer awareness education in schools.

    Elizabeth Truss

    Cancer awareness is important for all young people. However, I do not believe that there should be a statutory requirement for it to be taught in schools. The Government aims to reduce prescription throughout the education system, and trusts schools to provide what is best for their students. The Department for Education does not collect data on this topic.

    Schools are free to teach cancer awareness when it is relevant to the national curriculum. For example, the science curriculum requires pupils to learn about the effects of drugs on their bodies, and the importance of physical activity and a healthy lifestyle is included in the requirements for physical education. In design and technology, schools may highlight the importance of nutrition and a healthy diet. Schools may include cancer awareness as part of personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education, using suitable resources from relevant organisations. The PSHE Association has produced a suggested programme of study as guidance for teachers, and continues to highlight other sources of expertise.