Category: Speeches

  • David Amess – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Prime Minister

    David Amess – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Prime Minister

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Amess on 2014-06-05.

    To ask the Prime Minister, what discussions he has had with the (a) Chairman and (b) Secretary of the Chilcot Inquiry on the publication of its report since March 2013; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr David Cameron

    The Iraq Inquiry is independent of government, and should be allowed to complete its work without interference.

    Neither I nor Ministers have had any discussions with or made any representations to the Inquiry. Nor have I discussed the Inquiry with President Obama.

    The Inquiry has sought the declassification of material for inclusion in its report from many thousands of documents, some of which have been or will be published. Government does not, as a rule, comment on any discussions between officials and the Inquiry.

    The Maxwellisation process is a matter for the Inquiry.

    The Government remains committed to ensuring that the Inquiry’s final report will be able to disclose all but the most sensitive information which will be determined in accordance with the protocol governing the disclosure of documentary evidence which is available through the Inquiry website.

    Timing of the delivery of the report to me is a matter for the Inquiry, but it is my hope that the Inquiry can complete its work before the end of the year. Upon publication, copies of the report will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

  • Baroness Seccombe – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Baroness Seccombe – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Seccombe on 2014-03-25.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps the Department for Communities and Local Government has taken to cut spending on Common Purpose leadership courses.

    Baroness Stowell of Beeston

    I confirm that the Secretary of State has given a clear steer that spending on Common Purpose is not appropriate, and no expenditure has been undertaken since 2010. By contrast, the last Administration spent £235,950 on Common Purpose.

    In ’50 ways to save’ the Department’s best practice guidance on sensible savings, we recommended councils cancel spending on Common Purpose leadership courses as a practical way of saving money.

  • Marcus Jones – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Marcus Jones – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Marcus Jones on 2014-06-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what funding his Department allocated to projects relating to cycling between (a) 2005 and 2010 and (b) 2010 to 2014.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    During the five financial years 2005/6 to 2009/10, the Department for Transport (DfT) provided funding for cycling through Cycling England, an arm’s length organisation set up in 2005; in that period, Cycling England received £105m from the DfT.

    During the five financial years 2010/11 to 2014/15, the DfT allocated a final £63m to Cycling England, and has allocated direct funding of £224m for cycling projects, comprising: the £94m Cycling Cities and National Parks fund, £28.5m for Links to Schools / Linking Communities, the £35m cycle safety fund, £14.5m for Cycle Rail, £4.8m to the Highways Agency and £46.8m for Bikeability. In addition, the DfT’s Local Sustainable Transport Fund is providing £540m for local authorities to prioritise sustainable transport projects, of which 28% or £151m is being allocated to cycling projects. So total investment by this government in cycling in the five financial years 2010/11 to 2014/15 is £438m.

    DfT funding for the LSTF and its Cycling Ambition, Cycle-Rail, and Linking Communities funds is often used to lever matching local contributions. When these other sources are included, spend on cycling in England is equal to £5 per person a year, whilst spend in the eight cycling ambition cities is around £10 per person a year. From 2015/16, the LSTF forms part of the Local Growth Fund, a long-term funding commitment of £2bn a year.

  • Emily Thornberry – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Attorney General

    Emily Thornberry – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Attorney General

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Emily Thornberry on 2014-03-25.

    To ask the Attorney General, how many and what value of asset freezing orders have been enforced in the UK at the request of overseas jurisdictions in each year since 2008-09.

    Oliver Heald

    The number and estimated value of restraint orders obtained by the CPS and SFO pursuant to requests from overseas jurisdictions since 2008/09 are shown in the tables below.

    The value of restrained assets may vary over time due to changes in asset valuations , exchange rates and payments of expenses.

    Crown Prosecution Service

    Year

    Number of overseas restraint orders

    Estimated amount preserved (to nearest 000)

    2008/09

    16

    £60,504,000

    2009/10

    15

    £11,006,000

    2010/11

    7

    £2,693,000

    2011/12

    2

    £50,074,000

    2012/13

    6

    £4,080,000

    2013/14

    3

    £409,000

    Serious Fraud Office

    Year

    Number of overseas restraint orders

    Estimated amount preserved (to nearest 000)

    2008/09

    2

    £1,000,000

    2009/10

    3

    £69,500,000

    2010/11

    2

    £1,500,000
  • Tom Watson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Tom Watson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Watson on 2014-06-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the Answer of 15 January 2014, Official Report, column 578W, on unmanned air vehicles, whether his Department maintains munitions records from the UK Reaper fleet on a sortie-by-sortie basis or for each operation carried out.

    Mr Mark Francois

    After each UK Reaper sortie a mission report is written detailing the aircraft used and events of the flight. This includes weapon releases on a sortie-by-sortie basis.

    “

  • Andrew Percy – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Andrew Percy – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Percy on 2014-03-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the current level of teachers teaching ability whilst using tablet computers in primary schools.

    Elizabeth Truss

    The available evidence suggests that teachers adapt quickly to using tablets as a tool for learning.

  • Kate Green – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Kate Green – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kate Green on 2014-06-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what discussions have been held with HM Treasury about changes in costs of administering the personal independence payment assessment process; what the outcomes of those discussions have been; and how they affect the current Spending Review benefits savings target and the proposed cap on benefit expenditure.

    Mike Penning

    The costs of administering the PIP assessment process were published in the NAO report in February 2014 and quote the current PIP business case (2013-2014)

    http://www.nao.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Personal-independence-payment-early-progress.pdf

    Forecast expenditure on PIP will be updated at Autumn Statement. The most recent forecasts were published by the Office for Budget Responsibility following Budget 2014.

    http://cdn.budgetresponsibility.org.uk/37839-OBR-Cm-8820-accessible-web-v2.pdf

    The Department meets regularly with HM Treasury to discuss progress on all programmes.

    “

  • Dr Julian Huppert – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Dr Julian Huppert – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dr Julian Huppert on 2014-03-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the efficacy of the existing tactics in place for use of water cannon in Northern Ireland.

    Damian Green

    The Home Secretary has now received the request to authorise water cannon for
    use by the police in England and Wales. She is considering this request and
    will announce her decision in due course and lay the relevant information in
    the House Library.

  • Stephen O’Brien – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Stephen O’Brien – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen O’Brien on 2014-06-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how High Speed 2 improve reliability and reduce overcrowding on regional links between towns and cities in the North West.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    By moving long distance passengers off the existing network, HS2 will release capacity for more regional services, reducing overcrowding and improving reliability, as well as improving connectivity. Nationally, the Economic Case for HS2 found that HS2 will deliver reliability benefits worth £5.5bn, and reduced crowding benefits of £7.5bn, which includes benefits to regional services in the North West.

    In response to recommendations made by Sir David Higgins, HS2 Ltd and Network Rail have been commissioned to consider what further improvements can be made to centre to city centre connectivity, east-west links and local connectivity in the Midlands and the North, with a final report on options in 2015.

  • Chris Ruane – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Chris Ruane – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Ruane on 2014-03-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what her Department’s policy is on allowing officials to appear before all-party parliamentary groups.

    Karen Bradley

    I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my Right Hon. Friend the Minister for the Cabinet Office on March 26 2014, Official Report, column 292W.