Category: Speeches

  • Dominic Raab – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Dominic Raab – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dominic Raab on 2014-06-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the per capita spending on prison officers was in England and Wales in each of the last five years.

    Jeremy Wright

    Information on the average total salary cost, including national insurance and pension contributions, of a prison officer as at 31 March each year since 2010 is contained in the table below.

    Mean Annual Pay Cost of Prison Officers, Including Employer National Insurance and Pension Contributions – as at 31 March, 2010 to 2014

    Year

    – At 31st March

    Mean Annual Pay Cost (Nominal)

    2010

    32,747

    2011

    34,024

    2012

    34,951

    2013

    35,608

    2014

    36,157

    The pay costs shown are for Band 3 Prison Officers and their equivalents and include basic salary and local pay allowance where applicable.

  • John Spellar – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    John Spellar – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Spellar on 2014-04-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when Ministers in his last met their counterparts from (a) Norway, (b) Finland and (c) Sweden.

    Dr Andrew Murrison

    Defence Ministers meet their counterparts regularly at multinational meetings throughout the year. The Secretary of State for Defence most recently met the Defence Ministers of Norway, Finland and Sweden at the Northern Group meeting in Helsinki in December 2013, and I had a bilateral meeting with the Defence Minister of Sweden at the EU Foreign Affairs Council (Defence) meeting in Luxemboug in April 2014.

  • James Duddridge – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    James Duddridge – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by James Duddridge on 2014-06-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent discussions his Department has had with the insurance industry on the behaviour and attitudes of novice drivers.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    The number of young people being killed on our roads is far too high and we are determined to tackle this issue. It is an issue which, understandably, features prominently in the range of representations which we receive about road safety generally.

    As part of our consideration of the way forward, we met the insurance industry on 27 January 2014 to discuss novice drivers and, in particular, our proposed research into the role which telematics can play in changing the behaviours and attitudes of new drivers. My officials regularly talk to the insurance industry and current discussions are aimed at encouraging participation in the research project before we can get it underway. We will publish the results of the research when they are available.

    We will also publish the findings of the focus groups comprising parents, young people and employers which we undertook in order to get a better understanding of the issues from their perspective.

  • Kerry McCarthy – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Kerry McCarthy – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kerry McCarthy on 2014-04-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, pursuant to his Answer of 14 January 2013, Official Report, column 481W, on biofuels, is biomass feedstock origin recorded in the renewable energy planning database; and what his policy is on the use of biomass feedstock sourced from outside the UK.

    Michael Fallon

    Biomass feedstock origin is not recorded in the renewable energy planning database but this information is required to be submitted as part of the reporting requirements for biomass and bioliquids under the Renewables Obligation and is published annually by Ofgem.

    With regards to bioliquids, the Renewable Energy Directive sets out the sustainability requirements which must be complied with in order to receive financial support. The key considerations of land use criteria and greenhouse gas balance are required to be met by both domestic and imported feedstock.

    In the case of solid and gaseous biomass, the UK has established its own criteria which include a minimum of 60% greenhouse gas (GHG) lifecycle saving against the average EU fossil electricity grid intensity. Transport related carbon emissions as well as any direct land use change, whether in the UK or elsewhere, are considered as part of the GHG lifecycle assessment for biomass electricity.

  • Mark Hendrick – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Mark Hendrick – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Hendrick on 2014-06-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, which jobcentres (a) do and (b) do not have wifi access for jobseekers to use.

    Esther McVey

    The Digital Jobcentres project will modernise the Jobcentre digital infrastructure by delivering WiFi and Web Access Devices (WADs) across the Jobcentre network. From now until the end of October, we will be installing WiFi and new Web Access Devices (WADs) across the Jobcentre network.

    The following 39 Jobcentres already have WiFi available for jobseekers to use:

    London Bridge

    Caerphilly

    Ashton under Lyme

    Sutton

    Newport

    Ebbw Vale

    Hammersmith

    Altrincham

    Rusholme

    Merthyr Tydfil

    Rugby

    Hyde

    Poole

    Tredegar

    Inverness

    Stalybridge

    Newton Abbott

    Wolverhampton

    Wigan

    Stretford

    Chester

    Scarborough

    Warrington

    Airdrie

    Swansea

    Coventry

    Oldham

    Erdington

    Motherwell

    Rotherham

    Harrogate

    Sheffield, Cavendish Court

    Abertillery

    Wakefield

    Bath

    Shotton

    Bargoed

    Blackwood

    Derby

    By the end of October 2014, the remaining offices in the Jobcentre network will have WiFi installed and available for jobseekers to use.

  • 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 2014-04-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with his Icelandic counterpart on strengthening UK-Icelandic business relations.

    Mr David Lidington

    The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague) met both the Icelandic Prime Minister, Sigmundur David Gunnlaugsson, and Foreign Minister, Gunnar Bragi Sveinsson, in London in September and November 2013 respectively. They discussed a range of topics, including the increasingly strong and productive trade relationship between the UK and Iceland.

    The UK remains committed to a robust commercial relationship with Iceland, and there are many lucrative areas of trade and investment that we continue to cooperate on closely, such as fish-processing in Humberside and the proposed IceLink electricity interconnector.

  • Biography information for Ben Bradshaw – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Biography information for Ben Bradshaw – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Biography information for Ben Bradshaw on Justice.

    1

    Simon Hughes

    There has been a significant decrease in referrals to publicly funded family mediation since April 2013 when the legal aid reforms were implemented. This is in part due to fewer people visiting solicitors who previously would have directed clients to mediation.

    Before April 2013, attendance at a Mediation Information Assessment Meeting (MIAM) was a pre-requisite for legal representation for people eligible to obtain public funding. We introduced a statutory MIAM in April 2014 as part of the Children and Families Act. This placed a legal obligation on an applicant to attend a MIAM for the purpose of considering mediation, before being permitted to issue court proceedings in certain private family law matters (children and financial disputes).

    Legal aid remains available for mediation (and for legal help with mediation) for those who meet the eligibility criteria. We are keen to encourage mediation as an alternative to court both for those eligible for public funding and for privately funded cases.

    We are aware that a small number of mediation services have closed or are in difficulty. The Legal Aid Agency (LAA) is constantly monitoring the situation to make sure there is sufficient provision for client access to mediation services. While a decline in demand is a contributory factor in mediation service closures, another significant factor is poor and unsustainable business models. There is some evidence that a number of the mediation services which have closed following legal aid reforms were vulnerable to closure before the reforms took effect.

    I have convened a Family Mediation Task Force, chaired by David Norgrove, which has considered many of the issues raised by the Member of Parliament for Exeter, including how to reverse the fall in referrals and engage the second party in the mediation process, and incentivising mediators and lawyers to work in partnership to support clients through the resolution of their dispute in compliance with the new legislation. A number of short-term financial options have been considered as well as the long term view for the future of dispute resolution services.

    The Taskforce report will be published imminently. The Government will respond to the report in due course.

  • Andrew Bingham – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Andrew Bingham – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Bingham on 2014-04-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate has he made of the cost to the economy of untreated mental illness.

    Norman Lamb

    The International Classification of Diseases is the standard diagnostic tool for epidemiology, health management and clinical purposes. This includes the analysis of the general health situation of population groups. It is used to monitor the incidence and prevalence of diseases and other health problems.

    The Tenth Revision of the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems includes in Chapter V a detailed classification of more than 300 mental and behavioural disorders. Its publication follows extensive field-testing by more than 100 clinical and research centres in 40 countries.

    Aggregate primary care trust (PCT) expenditure on mental health was £11.28 billion in 2012-13, which is 11.9% of the £94.78 billion total spend by PCTs. The estimate of expenditure on mental health does not include the majority of expenditure on primary care appointments which is recorded as a separate programme category.

    It is not possible to provide an estimate of expenditure on physical health. A number of programme categories will have elements of expenditure which could be classified as non-physical, for example, learning disabilities, neurological and social care.

    The Department has made no estimate of the cost to the economy of untreated mental illness.

  • Biography information for Helen Jones – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Biography information for Helen Jones – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Biography information for Helen Jones on Treasury.

    1

    Mr David Gauke

    The latest information on the number of families receiving Child Benefit, by each parliamentary constituency, local authority and region is available in the HMRC snapshot publication “Child Benefit Statistics Geographical Analysis. August 2013”. This can be found at:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/286668/Child_Benefit_statistics_geographical_analysis_August_2013.pdf

    Table 6 has this information by Parliamentary Constituency.

    “

  • Yasmin Qureshi – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Yasmin Qureshi – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Yasmin Qureshi on 2014-04-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment his Department has made of the performance of cancer services against statements 11 and 12 in the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence Breast cancer quality standard.

    Jane Ellison

    The Health and Social Care Act (2012) places a duty on NHS England to have regard to National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) Quality Standards. Commissioners should have regard to them in the planning of services they commission according to their population needs.

    Whilst no assessment has been made of the performance of services against the Breast Cancer Quality Standard, compliance with Quality Standards generally could be monitored through a range of mechanisms depending on the specific Quality Standard. For example, the 30 national clinical audits funded by NHS England, the Best Practice Tariff, Commissioning for Quality Improvement Initiatives arrangements and the Clinical Commissioning Group Outcome Indicator Set. These levers are designed to drive quality improvement in the National Health Service using Quality Standards where appropriate.

    At the request of NHS England, the Healthcare Quality Improvement Partnership will shortly begin commissioning a new national breast cancer clinical audit. There is an expectation that national clinical audits, where appropriate, support the implementation of NICE clinical guidelines and Quality Standards. The new national clinical audit will be in place by the end of 2014-15.