Category: Speeches

  • Angus Robertson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Angus Robertson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Angus Robertson on 2014-06-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the conflict in Central African Republic as described in UN OCHA Central African Republic Situation Report No. 2.

    Mark Simmonds

    Reports from the Central African Republic (CAR), including those of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), show that the country remains beset by violence and instability. We welcome the vital ongoing work of African Union, French and EU security forces, without whom the situation would likely be far worse. The UK will continue to work with the UN to ensure the effective deployment of the UN Peacekeeping Operation (MINUSCA), and with the AU to support MISCA’s efforts ahead of the transition to MINUSCA. I last discussed the situation in CAR with interim President Catherine Samba-Panza on 23 May.

  • Andrew Rosindell – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Andrew Rosindell – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2014-03-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to prevent married couples from fraudulently claiming council and housing tax-related benefit available only for single people.

    Steve Webb

    There are no social security benefits relating to housing costs or council tax that are available only to single people. There is a reduction of 25% in the council tax payable available to those who live alone, but the administration of this is a matter for local authorities.

    Generally, suspicions that claimants may be living together as if they were married or in a civil partnership without informing the relevant benefit payer come from various sources, including members of the public and members of staff. The Department currently does not investigate cases that only involve housing benefit as these are a matter for local authorities.

    Council tax benefit ceased to exist on 1 April 2013 and has been replaced by the local council tax reduction (LCTR) scheme, the administration of which is a matter for local authorities.

  • Edward Garnier – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Edward Garnier – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Edward Garnier on 2014-06-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the Answer of 13 May 2014, Official Report, 462W, on private investigation, whether she plans to consult upon the terms and conditions of licences for private investigators prior to their implementation under the new statutory licensing requirement.

    Karen Bradley

    The Security Industry Authority (SIA) – the regulator of the private security
    industry – will engage with the private investigations sector on the development
    of licensing criteria and conditions prior to the implementation of the new
    licensing regime.

  • Lord Mendelsohn – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Lord Mendelsohn – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Mendelsohn on 2014-03-11.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many staff are currently employed for more than 50 per cent of their working week to support the Permanent Secretary of the Department for Work and Pensions in his role as Accounting Officer; and what are their job titles.

    Lord Freud

    In one sense, all DWP staff support the Accounting Officer through their individual responsibilities to work confidently within the system of control for which the Accounting Officer is ultimately responsible, to ensure the effective operation of a major government department, which will make some £136.4 billion in welfare payments this year.

    More narrowly, the Accounting Officer is directly supported in his role by his Finance Director General, the 40 Senior Civil Servants that comprise that DG’s senior management team; and – in turn – by other colleagues when they handle issues which require explicit Accounting Officer involvement.

  • Jim Fitzpatrick – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Jim Fitzpatrick – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

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

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to promote telematics in cars (a) for young drivers and (b) generally.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    The Department is conducting focus groups with young people, parents and employers to gain a better understanding of their perspective on the safety of young drivers, including the use of telematics.

    During a meeting with the insurance industry, the Department agreed to commission new research into how telematics can change the behaviour and attitudes of learner drivers. We are currently working with insurance companies to encourage participation before tendering the research.

    We will publish the findings of both the focus groups and research in due course.

  • 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 2014-03-10.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many consultants have been engaged in the Crown Oversight Function since its creation; what each of their job roles were; and how much has been paid in consultancy fees to date.

    Francis Maude

    Prior to the last General Election the Civil Service lacked commercial and procurement skills. This Government’s commercial and procurement reforms saved taxpayers £3.8 billion last year alone. The Government is strengthening central procurement skills to ensure further savings can be realised. The Crown Oversight Function was created on 1 November 2013 and has 52 Civil Service roles. Further details will be available via the department’s organogram. Consultants were not employed at Government expense.

  • Kevin Brennan – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Kevin Brennan – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kevin Brennan on 2014-06-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, on what dates he has met the Secretary of State for the Home Department to discuss extremism in schools since May 2010.

    Mr Edward Timpson

    My Rt hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, has regular discussions with ministerial colleagues and others on a wide range of subjects.

  • Dan Jarvis – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Dan Jarvis – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dan Jarvis on 2014-03-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, which secure children’s homes Ministers of his Department have visited since May 2010; and what the date of each such visit was.

    Jeremy Wright

    Ministers from the Department have made two visits to secure children’s homes since May 2010; Crispin Blunt to Vinney Green Secure Children’s Home on 3rd August 2010 and Ken Clarke to Clayfields House Secure Children’s Home on 14th October 2011. I am also scheduled to visit Clayfields House on 10th April 2014.

  • Miss Anne McIntosh – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Miss Anne McIntosh – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Miss Anne McIntosh on 2014-06-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent representations he has received on the funding formula for flood defence; and if he will make a statement.

    Dan Rogerson

    Defra regularly receives representation from those seeking Government funding for flood and coastal risk management schemes to be more focussed on delivering a particular type of outcome such as improved protection for homes, agricultural areas or infrastructure at risk of flooding. These representations are not in a consistent direction.

    A recent external evaluation found that, on the whole, the current partnership funding approach is progressing well in meeting its policy objectives and that the funding formula should not be changed at present.

    Our focus is on working with Risk Management Authorities and local communities to put together a six-year investment programme on the basis of the current funding formula, for announcement this autumn. The programme will reduce flood risk for 300,000 households by March 2021.

  • Andrew Gwynne – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Speaker’s Committee on the Electorial Commission

    Andrew Gwynne – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Speaker’s Committee on the Electorial Commission

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Gwynne on 2014-03-10.

    To ask the hon. Member for South West Devon, representing the Speaker’s Committee on the Electoral Commission, what the electoral registration figures were in each ward in the recent confirmation dry run conducted in (a) Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council, (b) Tameside Metropolitan Council and (c) Denton and Reddish constituency.

    Gary Streeter

    The Electoral Commission informs me that the confirmation dry run involved matching all entries on the electoral registers against the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) Customer Information System database. Entries would be marked as green if they matched with DWP, amber if they were a partial match or red if there was no match.

    The ward results for Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council were as follows:

    The ward results for Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council were as follows:

    The ward results for the Denton and Reddish constituencywere as follows:

    Results for all wards are available on the Commission’s website here: http://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/__data/assets/excel_doc/0003/163146/Confirmation-dry-run-2013-Results-Wards.xls

    “