Category: Speeches

  • 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 2014-03-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when he received the Work Programme Evaluation: Interim meta-report; what his plans are for its publication; and if he will make a statement.

    Esther McVey

    Draft findings from the phase of the evaluation covered by the interim report were received by the Department in August 2013. The Department will publish findings once the independent evaluation of the Work Programme is complete.

  • Michael McCann – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Michael McCann – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Michael McCann on 2014-06-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many cases funded by legal aid taken against her Department where public interest lawyers have represented clients were won by her Department each of the last 10 years.

    Karen Bradley

    The Home Office does not keep a central record of which cases brought against
    it are legally aided, or of the law firms that represent litigants.

  • Jonathan Edwards – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Deputy Prime Minister

    Jonathan Edwards – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Deputy Prime Minister

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jonathan Edwards on 2014-03-12.

    To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, if he will amend the guidance given to the Electoral Commission on whether prohibiting public officials who are suspended or under criminal investigation retain their responsibilities as returning officers.

    Greg Clark

    The Government does not provide guidance to the Electoral Commission on the status of returning officers.

  • Jim Shannon – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Jim Shannon – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2014-06-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will take steps to ensure that there is no age discrimination in NHS treatment of breast, prostate and bowel cancer.

    Jane Ellison

    The National Health Service has a statutory duty to reduce health inequalities and improve the health of those with the poorest outcomes. The NHS Constitution makes clear that a core duty of the NHS is to promote equality for all groups in society, including older people. A ban on age discrimination in NHS services was introduced in 2012, meaning that NHS services need to do everything they can to ensure that services do not unwittingly discriminate against older people.

    As well as the legal and moral imperative, improving the treatment and care of older people affected by cancer can also play a significant role in improving outcomes. Tackling health inequalities and promoting equality of outcome in England is essential to achieving cancer survival rates which match the best performing countries in the world. Furthermore, cancer treatment should always be based on what is right for each individual patient, whatever their age.

    In December last year, NHS England National Clinical Director for Cancer, Sean Duffy, launched a ‘call for action’ on the treatment for older people, a priority for NHS England and its partners. As part of this, NHS England is setting up an advisory group so it can identify where real improvements can be made in cancer services for older people. We are also supporting an initiative which will make sure that patients are better informed about the options available to them and they are fully involved in decisions about their treatment.

  • Mr Frank Field – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Mr Frank Field – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mr Frank Field on 2014-03-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many and what proportion of (a) magistrates’ courts, (b) County courts and (c) County Court money claims centres use higher-rate telephone numbers.

    Shailesh Vara

    The information held centrally on how many and what proportion of (a) magistrates’ courts, (b) County courts and (c) County Court money claims centres use higher-rate telephone numbers is as follows:

    (a) Magistrates’ courts: 33 out of 330 courts

    (b) County Courts: 17 out of 216 courts

    (c) The County Court Bulk Centre in Northampton which centrally

    manages money claims, also uses higher rate telephone numbers.

    Some of the individual numbers are used for more than one court.

    As stated in previous answers to parliamentary questions, the Department’s approach is not to use 084 or 087 for non-geographic numbers and instead, wherever possible, to assign 0300 numbers, for which the tariff is similar to calling an 01 or 02 (geographic) number, whether the caller is using a fixed line or a mobile phone —see: http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201213/cmhansrd/cm130423/text/130423w0004.htm#130423w0004. htm_wqn27

    and

    http://www.theyworkforyou.com/wrans/?ids2013-11-20a.175002.h&s=Vaz+0845#g175002.q0

    The number of 08 numbers used by the department has fallen by 55% since December 2009.

    “

  • Tim Loughton – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Tim Loughton – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tim Loughton on 2014-06-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what steps he has taken to speed up payments by public bodies and private concerns to small businesses; and what recent assessment he has made of average payment times.

    Matthew Hancock

    We announced further reforms to public procurement on 30 May to speed up payments by public bodies to small businesses. These include improvements to e-invoicing, procurement processes and greater powers for Ministers to investigate complaints raised by the Cabinet Office’s ‘mystery shopper scheme’.

    We have also announced new legislation that will require larger businesses to report on their payment performance and practices. Increasing transparency and driving openness is at the heart of building a more responsible payment culture that UK businesses need to thrive.

    Recent research suggests that UK businesses experience an average 17 day delay to payment of invoices. This is a reduction in the past two years but a figure that is still too high and is holding back investment and growth.

  • Helen Jones – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Helen Jones – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Helen Jones on 2014-03-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people in Warrington currently have benefits of which type paid into a Post Office card account.

    Steve Webb

    The information is not available in the format requested as data held relates to payment accounts rather than people. A customer may receive benefits in the form of a separate payment for each benefit to which they are entitled or a single, combined payment. Each of these payments is termed a payment account which would be paid into the same Post Office card account.

    The number of payment accounts paid into a Post Office Card Account split by benefit type in Warrington Local Authority as at February 2013 is shown in the table below.

    Number of payment accounts paid via a Post Office Card Account by benefit type in Warrington Local Authority: February 2013

    Total Benefits paid via Post Office Card Accounts

    9,540

    Attendance Allowance

    390

    Bereavement Benefit

    10

    Disability Living Allowance

    1,260

    Employment and Support Allowance

    610

    Incapacity Benefit

    200

    Carer’s Allowance

    170

    Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit

    190

    Income Support

    480

    Jobseeker’s Allowance

    440

    Pension Credit

    1,730

    State Pension

    3,970

    Severe Disablement Benefit

    90

    Widow’s Benefit

    10

    Source: DWP Information, Governance & Security Directorate, 100% data

    Notes:

    1. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10.

    2. Figures refer to payment accounts. Claimants with more than one account will be counted for each account. Figures only relate to accounts live and in payment on the specified date.

  • Maria Eagle – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Maria Eagle – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Maria Eagle on 2014-06-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much of the Flood Defence Repair Fund paid to the Environment Agency has been (a) allocated to the Environment Agency and (b) spent by the Environment Agency to repair flood defences to date.

    Dan Rogerson

    Defra has made available to the Environment Agency an additional £30 million in 2013/14 and up to £135 million in 2014/15, to respond to the winter floods and repair flood and coastal defences. The Environment Agency spent £31.2 million on repairs and emergency response between January and March 2014. This includes £26 million on asset repair costs, £1.5 million of which was paid to local authorities. The remaining £5.2 million was spent on other associated costs, such as incident management and emergency response. These are the latest figures available.

  • Charlie Elphicke – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Charlie Elphicke – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Charlie Elphicke on 2014-03-11.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment his Department made before the 2012 Budget of the effect on stamp duty land tax and inheritance tax receipts of the introduction of a so-called mansion tax designed to raise a net sum of £2 billion per annum.

    David Gauke

    The number of residential properties in the UK valued at more than £2 million was estimated before Budget 2012 to be around 55,000.

    Before Budget 2012, an assessment of the average annual payment required from each property above £2 million in order to raise a net sum of £2 billion per annum was not made.

    On 1 July 2013, during Report stage of the Finance Bill, I referred to “a simple calculation arrived at by dividing £2 billion by 55,000 (an internal HMRC estimate of the number of properties valued at over £2 million) to give a ‘mean’ average of £36,000.”

    A so-called mansion tax would depress stamp duty land tax and inheritance tax yields. The exact impact would be dependent on the rates and bands chosen.

  • Mike Freer – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Mike Freer – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mike Freer on 2014-06-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the implications for the Middle East peace process of recent reports that Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal said his organisation will not renounce violence or recognise Israel.

    Hugh Robertson

    Reuniting Gaza and the West Bank under a Palestinian Authority committed to peace with Israel is a necessary step towards resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and a key element of a viable negotiated solution. We welcome the formation on 2 June of a new interim technocratic government for the Occupied Palestinian Territories. We have made clear that our continued support to the new Palestinian government will rest on its commitment to the principle of non-violence, a negotiated two state solution, and an acceptance of all previous agreements and obligations, including Israel’s legitimate right to exist. We now look to the new government to demonstrate these commitments through its actions as well as its words.