Category: Speeches

  • 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 (a) verbal and (b) contractual agreement was made with priority investors in relation to their shareholders during the privatisation of Royal Mail.

    Michael Fallon

    No verbal or contractual agreement of any description – including future intentions for shareholdings – was made between the Government and any investor in the Royal Mail Initial Public Offering (IPO). Any suggestion that there was a “gentleman’s agreement” is false.

  • Sharon Hodgson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Sharon Hodgson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

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

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what consideration her Department gives to the diversity policies and records of businesses or other organisations when considering their bid for commercial contracts or grants.

    Mr Alan Duncan

    DFID considers a number of factors including relevant diversity clauses when considering contracts and grants.

  • Stephen Timms – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Stephen Timms – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2014-04-03.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the number of (a) people and (b) women who work in more than one job but do not pay national insurance even though their total earnings are above the lower earnings threshold.

    Mr David Gauke

    Estimates of the number of (a) people and (b) women who work in more than one job but do not pay national insurance, even though their total earnings are above the lower earnings threshold; and, of those, how many are women, are available at:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/state-pension-coverage-lower-earnings-limit-and-multiple-jobs

    The rest of the information requested is not available.

  • Stephen Timms – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Stephen Timms – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2014-06-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the number of employment opportunities resulting from the Commonwealth Games; and if he will make a statement.

    Esther McVey

    It is estimated by the Organising Committee, Glasgow 2014 Ltd, that up to 30,000 employment opportunities will be created by the Commonwealth Games.

  • Chuka Umunna – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Chuka Umunna – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

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

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the extent to which firms in each region will be economically disadvantaged as a result of the Government’s decision to delay the revaluation of business rates; and if he will publish a list of firms likely to be so disadvantaged.

    Brandon Lewis

    The Valuation Office Agency published their high level estimates of the impacts of a revaluation in 2015 on 12 November 2012. Their analysis suggests that around 800,000 premises would have seen a real terms increase in their rates at a 2015 revaluation compared with around 300,000 seeing a decrease. A copy of that analysis, including which sectors would have been hardest hit by a 2015 revaluation, is available in the Library of the House.

  • Baroness Thornton – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture Media and Sport

    Baroness Thornton – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Thornton on 2014-06-17.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the feasibility of issuing non-gender-specific official documents to people who do not identify as a particular gender.

    Baroness Northover

    Under UK law only male or female is recognised as a gender. We recognise that a very small number of people consider themselves to be of neither gender. We are not aware that that results in any specific detriment, and it is not Government policy to identify such people for the purpose of issuing non-gender-specific official documents.

    A specific review on gender markings in the British passport was carried out by Her Majesty’s Passport Office, which has been placed in the Library of both Houses. The review concluded that there would be no significant advantages to including a non-gender category along with male and female.

  • Julie Elliott – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Julie Elliott – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Julie Elliott on 2014-04-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what recent discussions he has had with the (a) Prime Minister, (b) Chancellor of the Exchequer and (c) Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government on the imposition of a cap on the construction and capacity of onshore wind developments.

    Michael Fallon

    DECC Ministers meet regularly with other Ministers to discuss a range of issues.

  • Lord Moonie – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Lord Moonie – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Moonie on 2014-06-17.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what were the annual savings arising from the Warship Support Modernisation Initiative introduced in 2005–06.

    Lord Astor of Hever

    The Warship Support Modernisation Initiative (WSMI), introduced in 2002, encompasses three separate contracts between the Ministry of Defence and the operators within Her Majesty’s Naval Bases (HMNB) at Clyde, Devonport and Portsmouth.

    Figures on savings are provided in the tables below. These are broken down on an annual basis where information is held in that format.

    Annual Savings from the WSMI arrangement with Babcock Marine Ltd at HMNB Clyde

    Based on the contractual share-line arrangements and the final/interim cost settlements the savings to MOD are as attached.

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

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

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2014-04-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what sanctions the UK has imposed on Russia since Russian troops entered Crimea.

    Mr David Lidington

    The EU Foreign Affairs Council imposed asset freezes and visa bans on 33 named individuals, for actions that undermine or threaten the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine. The UK has also frozen military cooperation with Russia, refused export licence requests, which may be used by the Russian military, and has postponed a number of planned Ministerial Summits. Along with other G7 members, the UK has withdrawn participation in the planned G8 Summit in Sochi in June, and will instead take part in a G7 meeting in Brussels.

  • Lord Hunt of Kings Heath – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Lord Hunt of Kings Heath – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath on 2014-06-16.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the detailed breakdown of the estimated £12 to £15 million total cost of the special administration process in relation to Mid Staffordshire NHS Trust.

    Earl Howe

    The £7,250,000 incurred by the special administration process at Mid Staffordshire NHS Trust relates to the period when the trust special administrators (TSAs) were appointed in April 2013, to the point at which the Secretary of State announced his decision to accept the TSAs’ proposals in February 2014.

    We are informed by Monitor that the total figure of £7,250,000 can be broadly broken down as follows:

    – Cost of the TSAs and supporting team to run the Trust – £2,000,000;

    – Cost of solution development – £3,600,000; and

    – Cost of stakeholder engagement and consultation – £1,650,000.

    Monitor has estimated the total cost of the special administration process will be £12 to £15 million. This was first announced as part of its decision to accept the TSAs’ final proposals on 16 January 2104 and re-stated in an announcement on 13 March 2014. This includes the £7,250,000 and £250,000 expenses incurred up to the point of the Secretary of State’s decision.

    The remainder of the estimated total cost consists of costs incurred in the period leading up to the dissolution of the trust. These are the cost of continuing to employ a team to run the trust, and the cost of implementing the recommendations set out in the TSAs’ Final Report.

    We are also informed by Monitor that an original budget for the remaining costs was agreed at approximately £7,000,000.

    That total figure of £7,000,000 can be broadly broken down as follows:

    – Cost of the TSAs and supporting team to run the Trust – £1,500,000;

    – Cost of delivering the transaction – £2,100,000; and

    – Cost of splitting the Trust – £3,400,000.

    The team running the trust will be required to remain in place up to the point at which the trust is dissolved.