Category: Speeches

  • Simon Kirby – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Simon Kirby – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Simon Kirby on 2014-04-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent representations he has received regarding the need for a vaccine for bovine TB; and if he will make a statement.

    George Eustice

    We have received representations on all aspects of tackling Bovine TB, including vaccination for cattle and badgers, from a very wide range of stakeholders. The role that cattle and badger vaccination can play in eradicating Bovine TB is outlined in our comprehensive Strategy for achieving Officially Bovine Tuberculosis Free status for England.

  • Lord Laird – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture Media and Sport

    Lord Laird – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture Media and Sport

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

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Warsi on 25 January 2011 (WA 132), what were the final overall installation costs of the Divis transmitter which enables the broadcasting into Northern Ireland of TG4, and of the new low-power television multiplex; what were their annual running costs in the last three years; which government paid what costs; and in which departmental budget they are accounted for.

    Lord Gardiner of Kimble

    The capital costs for the installation of the analogue transmitter at the Divis site to carry Telefis na Gaeilge (TG4) services are as set out in the reply by Baroness Rawlings on 25 January 2011 (Column WA132). The operational costs of broadcasting TG4 services in analogue from the Divis site were met by Foras na Gaelige. These arrangements ended with digital switchover on 23 October 2012.

    Since 23 October 2012, TG4 services in Northern Ireland have been carried on the new Northern Ireland Multiplex. These arrangements were made under the Memorandum of Understanding between the Governments of UK and Ireland in February 2010 which sets out a framework for co-operation on broadcasting issues in Northern Ireland. Under this arrangement, the Northern Ireland Multiplex carries RTE 1 and RTE 2 services as well as TG4. DCMS meets one third costs of the multiplex (including transmission services) with RTE meeting the remaining two thirds of costs. The costs since October 2012 are shown in the table.

    2012-13 £149,984.84

    2013-14 £264,211.45

  • 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 discussions he has had with his Greek counterpart on whether protests will be permitted to coincide with the upcoming EU meeting.

    Mr David Lidington

    Ihave not raised this specific issue with my Greek counterpart. Authorities in Greece have the constitutional right to place restrictive or preventative measures on outdoor demonstrations. No such restrictions were in place on 4 and 5 April 2014, the dates on which the informal meeting of EU Ministers of Foreign Affairs was held in Athens.

  • Lord Kennedy of Southwark – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Lord Kennedy of Southwark – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Kennedy of Southwark on 2014-06-16.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what advice has been issued to local authorities to make the required changes to their information technology services to remain connected to the gov.uk secure network.

    Lord Wallace of Saltaire

    The Public Services Network (PSN) is a new and trusted single network for government. Ninety-eight per cent of local authorities have already transitioned to PSN, with the remainder due to transfer before the end of summer.

    The Cabinet Office is supporting local authorities as they transition to PSN by providing guidance, project managers and information assurance specialists.

  • Margaret Curran – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Speaker’s Committee on the Electoral Commission

    Margaret Curran – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Speaker’s Committee on the Electoral Commission

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Margaret Curran on 2014-04-03.

    To ask the hon. Member for South West Devon, representing the Speaker’s Committee on the Electoral Commission, which parliamentary constituencies in Scotland are part of local authority areas whose electoral registration officers did not reach the required performance indicators on Standard 3 in respect of electors who failed to register to vote.

    Mr Gary Streeter

    The Electoral Commission informs me that no EROs in Scotland reported not meeting standard 3 at the recent 2013 canvass. The Commission is in the process of conducting a detailed analysis of EROs’ electoral registration data from the 2013 canvass, following which it will publish its final assessment of EROs’ performance.

  • Helen Jones – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Helen Jones – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Helen Jones on 2014-06-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how many businesses in Warrington North constituency received funding from the Regional Growth Fund in each year since 2011-12; and how much each such business received.

    Michael Fallon

    No businesses in Warrington North have received project funding directly from the Regional Growth Fund (RGF) but they can apply to regional and national RGF programmes for support.

  • Chuka Umunna – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Chuka Umunna – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

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

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 2 April 2014, Official Report, column 723W, on conditions of employment, how many and what proportion of vacancies available on Universal Jobmatch are zero-hours contracts jobs.

    Esther McVey

    In answering question 195183 we have interpreted “employee only jobs” as meaning “employee owner status jobs.”

    Universal Jobmatch revolutionises the way jobseekers look for work and it has already helped many jobseekers find the jobs they want. It is part of the government’s plan for providing easy online access to government services for all.

    Universal Jobmatch has streamlined our existing services for employers and empowered claimants to take more responsibility for their jobsearch and get more targeted support from advisers.

    It does not capture information on the number and proportion of zero-hours contracts or ‘employee owner’ status jobs.

    Jobcentre Plus guidance stipulates that claimants should not be mandated to apply for a job offering a zero hours contract. It also states that no sanction action will be taken if claimants refuse or fail to apply.

  • Paul Blomfield – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Paul Blomfield – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Blomfield on 2014-06-16.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what recent estimate he has made of potential savings to the public purse from the Shared Services Connected Ltd venture.

    Mr Francis Maude

    There has been cross-party agreement on the need for Shared Services for a decade but until recently all too little was achieved.

    Independent Shared Service Centres will deliver a lower cost better quality of service, helping us to deliver a faster, smaller and more unified Civil Service.

    Shared Service Connected Limited will contribute to the savings deliveredto the taxpayer by the transformation of back office functions, which will total over £400m by 2015/16.

  • Lord Lee of Trafford – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Lord Lee of Trafford – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Lee of Trafford on 2014-04-03.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether HM Revenue and Customs keeps records of the amount of Gift Aid claimed by, or paid to, attractions in respect of qualifying admission fees paid to view charity property; and, if so, in what form the records are kept.

    Lord Deighton

    HM Revenue and Customs does not collect information about Gift Aid claimed by, or paid to, charities in respect of admission fees to view charity property, except for charities subject to enquiry. It would be administratively burdensome for charities to routinely provide a detailed breakdown of their income with every Gift Aid claim they make.

  • Richard Fuller – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Richard Fuller – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Fuller on 2014-06-16.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many times HM Revenue and Customs has met with (a) the Ministry of Justice and (b) the Insolvency Service to discuss the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 reforms to insolvency litigation on creditors since 2012.

    Mr David Gauke

    HM Revenue and Customs regularly meet with other departments as a matter of course.