Category: Speeches

  • Virendra Sharma – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Virendra Sharma – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Virendra Sharma on 2014-05-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when NHS England plans to publish its report on specialised service derogations; and what additional steps it is taking to ensure compliance.

    Jane Ellison

    NHS England advises that the publication date has yet to be determined. However, the report will not be published until after the pre-election period for the forthcoming local authority and European Parliamentary elections is completed on 22 May 2014.

    NHS England continues to work with their Area Teams on ensuring that all providers have robust plans for delivering services that meet the service specification.

  • 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 2014-05-06.

    To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what the main lessons were from the electoral registration dry run for registration levels under individual voter registration amongst (a) black and ethnic minority, (b) young and (c) low paid and unemployed people.

    Greg Clark

    The evaluation from the Confirmation Dry Run is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/evaluation-confirming-electors-through-data-matching .

    “

  • 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 2014-05-06.

    To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, with reference to the Answer of 20 October 2011, Official Report, column 1099W, on electoral register, what the results were of the pilot scheme data matching electoral registers against other data services such as the National Pupil Database.

    Greg Clark

    Results were published in March 2012 and July 2013 and can be found via this link:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/60723/FINAL-Data-Matching-Evaluation-Report-new.pdf

    https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/223850/Data_Mining_Evaluation_FULL_Report_FINAL.pdf

    “

  • Chris Ruane – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Speaker’s Committee on the Electoral Commission

    Chris Ruane – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Speaker’s Committee on the Electoral Commission

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Ruane on 2014-05-06.

    To ask the hon. Member for South West Devon, representing the Speaker’s Committee on the Electoral Commission, if the Electoral Commission will write to all hon. Members to inform them whether or not their electoral registration officer (ERO) conducted data matching for the purposes of individual electoral registration (IER) in the recent dry run; and what steps the Electoral Commission can take against EROs who do not undertake data matching activities for the purpose of IER.

    Mr Gary Streeter

    The Electoral Commission informs me that the use of local data-matching to support confirmation and verification under Individual Electoral Registration (IER) is at the discretion of Electoral Registration Officers (EROs). Ministerial guidance sets out the considerations EROs should take into account in determining whether to conduct local data matching for these purposes, which includes an assessment of the costs and benefits of doing so in their local area.

    Following the dry-run of the confirmation exercise in summer 2013, 137 EROs reported to the Commission on the trials that they had carried out of local data-matching to support the confirmation process. However, in a survey of EROs after the dry-run, 91% of respondents said that local data-matching would be important in their area during the confirmation live run in 2014.

    The Commission published the confirmation dry-run data and an analysis of this and the survey responses received from EROs on its website and emailed hon. Members on publication.

    The Commission informs me that it will continue to work with the Cabinet Office and its Regional Delivery Managers to provide support to EROs throughout the transition to IER to ensure that they are carrying out all necessary activities to meet the challenges of IER in their local areas.

    The Commission will also collect and publish data from EROs at key stages in order to monitor the progress of the transition, as follows:

    · on conclusion of confirmation – August 2014 (England and Wales) and October 2014 (Scotland)

    · on conclusion of the write-out and following publication of the revised register – December 2014 (England and Wales) and March 2015 (Scotland)

    · after the registration deadline for the May 2015 elections – April 2015

    The Commission will make this information available to all hon. Members on publication, along with information on what questions they can ask their local ERO to establish progress with delivering the transition in their area.

  • Paul Maynard – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Paul Maynard – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Maynard on 2014-05-06.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, which organisations have received how much funding from his Department aimed at supporting access to short breaks and respite provision for children, young people and their families experiencing all types of disadvantage in each of the last five financial years.

    Mr Nick Hurd

    I am not aware of any specific direct payments of this type made by the Cabinet Office. Details of organisations funded by the Cabinet Office can be found on gov.uk

  • Philip Davies – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Philip Davies – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Philip Davies on 2014-05-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many (a) court possession orders and (b) interim possession orders in relation to squatting in non-residential buildings have been made since the introduction of the criminal offence of squatting in a residential building; and how many such orders were made in the equivalent period preceding this law being implemented.

    Mr Shailesh Vara

    While we hold records on the total number of possession orders and interim possession orders applied for and granted by the civil courts, our databases do not show what proportion of these related to non-residential buildings or, in the case of possession orders, actions against trespassers. Such information could only be obtained by manually checking court case files at a disproportionate cost.

  • Liz Kendall – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Liz Kendall – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Liz Kendall on 2014-05-06.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, when he intends to answer Question 195074, from the hon. Member for Leicester West, on social care providers and non-payments of the National Minimum Wage.

    Mr David Gauke

    I have done so today.

  • Martin Horwood – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Martin Horwood – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Martin Horwood on 2014-03-18.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps he is taking to encourage charities to become signatories to the Financial Reporting Council’s UK Stewardship Code.

    Nick Hurd

    The Financial Reporting Council’s Stewardship Code does not direct itself to matters particular to charities such as their responsibilities under charity law and their focus on beneficiaries. ‘Good Governance – a Code for the Voluntary and Community Sector’ developed by a coalition of charity and voluntary sector bodies is a code designed for charities and the voluntary sector. This Code has the support of the Charity Commission which encourages its adoption through publications and signposting on its website.

  • Lord Alton of Liverpool – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Lord Alton of Liverpool – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool on 2014-05-06.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what progress has been made by the leading donor countries, including the United Kingdom, in South Sudan in promoting civil society, effective governance and accountability.

    Baroness Warsi

    The current crisis in South Sudan has significantly set back the development of civil society and effective governance. As a member of a Troika (UK, US and Norway) we have worked closely with the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) mediators to identify opportunities for civil society participation in the political process, and, in particular, the engagement of women, youth and faith group representatives. IGAD has proposed to both parties that representatives of civil society are present in the talks themselves, and assist in informing of the agenda.

    We are clear that accountability for human rights violations and abuses will be an essential part of the peace process. We support the work of the African Union Commission of Inquiry on South Sudan and UNMISS (UN Mission in South Sudan) human rights team as first steps towards ensuring that perpetrators are held to account.

    The promotion of civil society voices and effective governance will continue to be part of the UK’s development programmes to support stabilisation and peace-building in South Sudan.

  • Robert Halfon – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Robert Halfon – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Robert Halfon on 2014-03-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans he has to visit university technical colleges.

    Elizabeth Truss

    The Secretary of State for Education visited JCB Academy shortly before that university technical college (UTC) opened. Lord Nash has visited both Hackney and Aston UTCs since his appointment as an Education Minister. Skills Minister, Matthew Hancock, recently visited South Devon UTC, which has now been approved for pre-opening.

    This Government has already opened 17 UTCs, and approved a further 33 for pre-opening. These UTCs are introducing innovative ways of combining academic subjects with high quality technical education giving young people the skills and experience that industry wants.

    The Secretary of State regularly visits all types of schools and plans to visit a UTC in due course.