Category: Speeches

  • Kate Hollern – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Kate Hollern – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kate Hollern on 2015-10-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how many responses he has received to the consultation, Freezing the student loan repayment threshold, launched in July 2015; and when he expects the results of that consultation to be published.

    Joseph Johnson

    The consultation on freezing the student loan repayment threshold closed on 14th October. Over four hundred responses have been received and are being analysed. We will publish the results in due course.

  • Lord Hunt of Chesterton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Lord Hunt of Chesterton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hunt of Chesterton on 2016-10-10.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they plan to provide regular reports to Parliament on the withdrawal by local authorities of public services, including welfare, educational and cultural services, including explanations of how local authorities are meeting statutory obligations for the provision of those services.

    Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth

    Local authorities are independent bodies accountable to their electorate and have a legal obligation to fulfil a range of statutory duties to provide key services. Within the framework of statutory duties, councillors are free to set their own priorities and determine outcomes.

    Local authorities have an important role in making their decisions on resourcing transparent. All local authorities produce public accounts, have open meetings and are required to consult the public, and all are subject to the Freedom of Information Act. The public are also entitled to have access to documents relating to council meetings and documents relating to executive decisions made by executive members or officers.

    The Secretary of State can request an inspection under section 10 and intervene under section 15 of the Local Government Act 1999 where there is clear evidence that an authority is failing either to discharge its functions adequately or meet its statutory obligations.

  • Andy Slaughter – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Andy Slaughter – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andy Slaughter on 2015-12-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 27 October 2015 to Question HL2604, what the cost to the public purse is of salary, expenses and bonuses of the 3.5 full-time staff who worked under the JSi brand.

    Andrew Selous

    As was stated in the Answer to HL 2604, the 3.5 full time equivalent staff who worked under the Just Solutions International (JSi) brand also worked on other core business within the National offender Management Service. Exact calculations were not made to apportion staff time, salaries, expenses or bonuses on JSi.

  • Bill Esterson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Bill Esterson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Bill Esterson on 2016-01-19.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will take steps to improve the monitoring of late payments by insurance companies to claims made by small and medium-sized enterprises.

    Harriett Baldwin

    The Government recognises the importance of prompt payment by insurers and has taken steps in the Enterprise Bill to introduce a requirement for insurers to pay all claims within a reasonable time and entitle policyholders, including small and medium sized enterprises, to damages where claims are paid late.

  • Stephen Hammond – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Stephen Hammond – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Hammond on 2016-02-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to support the Metropolitan Police in tackling terrorism in London.

    Mr John Hayes

    We have ensured the police have the necessary powers and resources to tackle the terrorist threat, including in London, where the Metropolitan Police play a leading role in tackling terrorism across the country.

    Counter-Terrorism Policing spending will be protected over the next Spending Review period. Indeed, for 2016/17 it will be increased in real terms to £670 million for England and Wales. An additional £34 million will also be provided to enable a national uplift in armed policing capability and capacity to respond more quickly and effectively to a firearms attack.

  • Lord Hylton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Lord Hylton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hylton on 2016-03-02.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what progress as regards refugees and migrants they are seeking from the planned France–UK, internal EU, EU–Turkey and UNHCR meetings; and whether they will report to Parliament on the results of those meetings.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    The Government has regular discussions with EU and non-EU partners on refugees and migration. The Government’s consistent focus is on securing a durable and comprehensive solution to the current migration crisis, which tackles the causes of migration as well as the consequences. The UK-France Summit Communiqué contains information on our bilateral cooperation in this area. The Government will report the details of all relevant meetings to Parliament as appropriate.

  • Kate Osamor – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Kate Osamor – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kate Osamor on 2016-04-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment has been made of the effect of the EU-Turkey refugee deal on her Department’s policy on family reunification for refugees.

    James Brokenshire

    The EU-Turkey deal does not affect our family reunion policy.

    Under the family reunion policy a spouse, partner or children under 18 can apply to join someone granted refugee status or humanitarian protection in the UK providing they formed part of their family unit before the sponsor fled their country of origin.

  • Emily Thornberry – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Emily Thornberry – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Emily Thornberry on 2016-05-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the total size was of the core defence capability training budget in each of the last six years.

    Penny Mordaunt

    The Ministry of Defence undertakes a wide range of training activity, from phase 1 and phase 2 training for new recruits to complex joint exercises with other nations and specialist training for specific trades and skills, such as nuclear engineering. The costs for these activities encompass nearly all of the Defence Lines of Development and cannot be broken out without incurring disproportionate cost.

  • John Redwood – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Attorney General

    John Redwood – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Attorney General

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Redwood on 2016-06-20.

    To ask the Attorney General, what EU directives related to the Law Officers’ Departments’ responsibilities are awaiting transposition into UK law.

    Jeremy Wright

    There are no EU directives awaiting transposition into UK law for which the Law Officers’ Departments are responsible.

  • Conor McGinn – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Conor McGinn – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Conor McGinn on 2016-09-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many unsolved murders there are in cases where the remains have not been recovered in (a) England and Wales, (b) Scotland and (c) Northern Ireland.

    Brandon Lewis

    The Home Office Homicide Index contains information on homicides recorded by the police in England and Wales. Information on whether a body was recovered in a homicide has been included in the Homicide Index since 2007/08.

    In the eight years from 2007/08 to 2014/15, there were 30 homicides where no body has been recovered and no suspect has been charged and a further seven where suspects have been acquitted of homicide at court or proceedings have been discontinued.

    The data refer to the position as at 13 November 2015, when the Homicide Index was frozen for the purpose of analysis.

    Information on homicides in Scotland and Northern Ireland are the responsibility of the Scottish Government and Police Service of Northern Ireland respectively.