Category: Speeches

  • Tristram Hunt – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Tristram Hunt – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tristram Hunt on 2016-01-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many jobs in (a) his Department and (b) each of its non-departmental public bodies, executive agencies, non-ministerial departments, advisory bodies and other accountable statutory bodies (i) have been abolished or relocated from Stoke-on-Trent since 2010 and (ii) will be abolished in or relocated from Stoke-on-Trent by 2020.

    Brandon Lewis

    No jobs in either my Department or each of its non-departmental public bodies, executive agencies, non-ministerial departments, advisory bodies and other accountable statutory bodies have been abolished or relocated from Stoke-on-Trent since 2010 or will be abolished in or relocated from Stoke-on-Trent by 2020.

  • Jim Shannon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Jim Shannon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-02-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to (a) monitor and (b) help limit increases in costs for (i) airport parking and (ii) train travel.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    The Department does not monitor costs for airport parking. Airports are private commercial enterprises operating in a competitive market. Any charges the airport wishes to pass on to passengers or visitors (including car parking) is solely a matter for the airport to manage and justify.

    In terms of train travel, we recognise the pressure on hardworking families and have put a stop to above inflation (RPI) increases in regulated fares until 2020, extending the policy of a cap at RPI +0% for regulated rail fares we introduced in 2014. This will save the average season ticket holder £425 in this Parliament and means average earnings are outstripping rail fare increases for the first time in a decade.

  • Virendra Sharma – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Virendra Sharma – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Virendra Sharma on 2016-02-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the (a) policy and (b) other responsibilities are of each special adviser in his Department.

    Mike Penning

    The Code of Conduct for Special Advisers sets out the role of special advisers and describes the range of activities they may undertake. Copies of the Code of Conduct are available in the Library of the House and online at

    https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/468340/CODE_OF_CONDUCT_FOR_SPECIAL_ADVISERS_-_15_OCTOBER_2015_FINAL.pdf

  • Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead on 2016-03-22.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they are considering ending Conflict, Stability and Security Fund support for community-level peacebuilding in South Sudan more gradually in order to provide time for organisations which are currently receiving funding to secure alternative sources of support.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    Across the Sudan and South Sudan Conflict, Stability and Security Fund (CSSF), we have decided to maintain the same level of funding for community-level peacebuilding programmes in FY16-17.

    We are not ending CSSF support for community-level peace building in South Sudan. All projects have clearly defined end dates and implementers are aware that there is no guarantee of further funding beyond that date. Sustainability beyond that point is something that implementers are required to analyse as part of their original project plan.

  • Diana Johnson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Diana Johnson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Diana Johnson on 2016-04-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, if he will publish a summary of the findings of the Insolvency Service’s inquiry into the collapse of Comet.

    Anna Soubry

    The Insolvency Service investigated Comet under provisions of the Companies Act, which means it is not possible to publish the report.

    However, I can confirm that, after careful consideration of the facts obtained in this investigation, it has been decided that no further enforcement action will be taken at this time.

  • Mark Menzies – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Mark Menzies – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Menzies on 2016-06-03.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, for what reason the British Virgin Islands were not invited to the UK Anti-Corruption Summit on 12 May 2016.

    Matthew Hancock

    The Government invited leaders from those Crown Dependencies and Overseas Territories that had agreed to the recent initiative on automatic exchange of beneficial ownership information.

  • Justin Tomlinson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Justin Tomlinson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Justin Tomlinson on 2016-09-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what further steps her Department plans to take to tackle unsolicited and nuisance telephone calls.

    Matt Hancock

    We are taking forward a range of legislative measures to tackle nuisance calls, which will increase consumer protection and choice by strengthening the Information Commissioner’s Office’s (ICO) ability to take enforcement action against organisations that break the law. Specific actions include; strengthening the ICO’s direct marketing guidance by giving it statutory status; a proposal to extend the ICO’s powers of compulsory audit to more of the organisations that generate nuisance calls; and exploring the options for enabling the ICO to hold company directors to account for breaches of the direct marketing rules.

  • Lilian Greenwood – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Lilian Greenwood – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lilian Greenwood on 2015-11-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what (a) his Department’s and (b) HS2 Ltd’s capital and resource expenditure has been on High Speed 2 in each year since 2009-10.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    The Department for Transport and HS2 Ltd’s capital and resource expenditure on High Speed 2 in each year since 2009-10 is:

    £ million

    2009/10

    2010/11

    2011/12

    2012/13

    2013/14

    2014/15

    2015/16*

    DfT (High Speed Rail Group)

    Resource

    0

    0

    1.6

    5.3

    14.8

    21.5

    10.1

    Capital

    0

    9.6

    19.7

    23.1

    105.3

    180.9

    46.8

    HS2 Ltd

    Resource

    9.4

    14.6

    33.9

    176.4

    210.0

    32.8

    15.5

    Capital

    0.03

    0.1

    0.4

    8.1

    2.9

    155.0

    155.7

    Total DfT/HS2 Ltd

    9.43

    24.3

    55.6

    212.9

    333.1

    390.2

    228.1

    * Figures for 2015 – 16 are year to date up to end September 2015.

  • Neil Gray – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Neil Gray – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Neil Gray on 2015-11-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the effect of the reductions in housing benefit announced in the Spending Review and Autumn Statement 2015 on claimants who receive housing benefit for housing that has been purpose-built for disabled people.

    Justin Tomlinson

    This policy was introduced because in some areas the increases in social rents have outstripped the increases in private rents.

    This policy will cap social sector rents at the relevant Local Housing Allowance rate for the area, but will only apply from April 2018 where a new tenancy is taken out or a tenancy is renewed after April 2016. By only applying the cap when a new tenancy is taken on or an existing tenancy is renewed will mean that claimants will have the opportunity to consider whether they can afford to take on the property before committing to the tenancy.

    The Discretionary Housing Payment scheme will be available for those living in accommodation that has been purpose built or significantly adapted to meet the needs of a disabled person, in the same way as it is for those who receive a reduction in their eligible rent for the removal of the spare room subsidy.

  • Liz Kendall – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Liz Kendall – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Liz Kendall on 2016-01-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many people of each gender work in his Department.

    Mr Edward Vaizey

    Information relating to gender distribution in government departments is collated by the Office for National Statistics and published under the Annual Civil Service Employment Survey each year. The number of each gender working in DCMS is:

    Gender

    Headcount

    %

    Male

    220

    46

    Female

    260

    54

    Total

    480