Category: Speeches

  • Yasmin Qureshi – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Yasmin Qureshi – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Yasmin Qureshi on 2014-03-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she has taken to ensure the Emergency Services Mobile Communications Programme delivers a cost effective network that meets the standards of security and resilience essential for mission-critical communications.

    Damian Green

    The Programme has undertaken an extensive market engagement exercise to help
    determine the technical and commercial feasibility of the proposed Emergency
    Services Network (ESN). The results of these industry soundings indicate that
    it should be possible to move to Commercial Off The Shelf (COTS) solution based
    technologies that will be more cost effective and will allow the Emergency
    Services communications to evolve in line with developments in the consumer
    market. The outline business case, approved in March 2014, included costs for
    the security and resilience enhancements required to provide the appropriate
    service levels for ESN users.

  • 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 2014-05-12.

    To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, whether monies collected from fixed penalty notices issued for failure to register on the electoral register will be retained by the local authority which issues that notice.

    Greg Clark

    It has not proved possible to respond to the Hon Member in the time available before Prorogation.

  • Lucy Powell – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Lucy Powell – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lucy Powell on 2014-03-26.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what proportion of employees in No. 10 Downing Street of what (a) Civil Service pay grade and (b) gender work (i) reduced hours, (ii) flexi-time, (iii) from home, (iv) a compressed working week, (v) job share, (vi) term-time only and (vii) part-time.

    Mr Francis Maude

    The Prime Minister’s Office is an integral part of the Cabinet Office.

    Some of the information requested is not held centrally. However, all of these options are available to employees subject to business needs.

    Fewer than five employees are currently recorded as working (iii) from home in a formal arrangement.

    The proportion of employees by Pay Grade who work part-time hours as at 28 February 2014 is shown in the table below:

    CO Payband (CS Equivalent)

    % Part Time

    PERM SEC

    0%

    SCS3

    14%

    SCS2

    5%

    SCS1

    8%

    A/BAND A (Grade 6/7)

    5%

    B2/BAND B2 (HEO/SEO)

    6%

    B/Faststream

    0%

    B1/BAND B1 (EO)

    9%

    C/BAND C (AA/AO)

    10%

    The proportion of employees by gender who work part-time hours as at 28 February 2014 is shown in the table below:

    Gender

    % Part Time

    Female

    12%

    Male

    1%

  • 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 2014-06-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether a jobcentre is permitted to require a jobseeker to attend a voluntary employment support project in receipt of no statutory funding without the consent of that project.

    Esther McVey

    The role of the Jobcentre Plus Work Coach is to provide support and advise claimants of the best opportunities available to help them secure employment.

    Jobcentre Plus can issue a Jobseeker’s Direction to require JSA claimants to undertake activity they judge will help them back to work. However, before doing so, the Jobcentre Plus Work Coach will take into account the claimant’s individual circumstances, as well as determining that the activity being required will help improve their employment prospects and they can reasonably be expected to undertake it.

  • Dr William McCrea – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Dr William McCrea – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dr William McCrea on 2014-03-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what commercial products his Department or the Highways Agency has mandated for use in road traffic management on the motorway network in the last 10 years.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    There are no products used by the Highways Agency which have been mandated in terms of what is used for road traffic management. These products are used by staff and contractors for the Highways Agency and such items are procured using a specification via a tender arrangement and not directed by the Department for Transport, or Ministers.

  • Mark Williams – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Mark Williams – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Williams on 2014-06-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, for what reasons the UK Government voted against the establishment of a Fund for European Aid to the Most Deprived.

    Esther McVey

    The UK did not refuse any money, it simply voted against adopting the regulation establishing the Fund for European Aid to the Most Deprived on the basis that we think MemberStates, and not the European Union, should decide how the money is spent. This was in line with the reasoned opinions adopted by both the House of Commons and the House of Lords.

  • Dr Eilidh Whiteford – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Dr Eilidh Whiteford – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dr Eilidh Whiteford on 2014-03-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people in Scotland applied for a hardship payment after being subject to benefit sanctions in each month from March 2013 to March 2014.

    Esther McVey

    The Department only records total number of applications made for hardship payments.

  • David Simpson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    David Simpson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Simpson on 2014-06-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department has taken to ensure that costs of public transport do not increase.

    Stephen Hammond

    I recognise concerns passengers have about impacts of fares on household budgets, which is why for the first time in a decade average regulated rail fares have been capped at inflation for 2014.

    Outside London, bus services are deregulated and fares are mainly a matter for the commercial judgement of bus operators. However, the Government has made a commitment to retain the current Bus Service Operators Grant (BSOG) rate for the remainder of this parliament and has frozen the fuel duty rate until May 2015.

    Public transport costs in Northern Ireland are a matter for the NI Assembly.

  • Tom Blenkinsop – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Attorney General

    Tom Blenkinsop – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Attorney General

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Blenkinsop on 2014-03-26.

    To ask the Attorney General, pursuant to the Answer of 24 March 2014, Official Report, column 40W, how many offences charged under section 14(1) and 22 of the Forgery and Counterfeiting Act 1981 reached a first hearing in magistrates’ court in each year since 2008.

    Oliver Heald

    The number of offences charged under section 14(1) and 22 of the Forgery and Counterfeiting Act 1981 that reached a first hearing in magistrates’ courts in each year since 2008 are:

    Make a counterfeit of a

    protected coin with intent

    Make a counterfeit of a

    currency note with intent

    Total

    2008

    2

    22

    24

    2009

    0

    4

    4

    2010

    0

    4

    4

    2011

    3

    17

    20

    2012

    2

    12

    14

    2013

    2

    13

    15

    Total

    9

    72

    81

  • Jim Fitzpatrick – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Deputy Prime Minister

    Jim Fitzpatrick – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Deputy Prime Minister

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Fitzpatrick on 2014-06-05.

    To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what assessment he has made of the Electoral Commission’s efforts to improve the conduct of elections in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets.

    Greg Clark

    The integrity of our elections is central to our democracy.

    I am aware that the Electoral Commission is investigating allegations of electoral misconduct in Tower Hamlets at the recent local elections and the Metropolitan Police are conducting a number of criminal investigations. I have written to the chair of the Electoral Commission, stressing the importance of ensuring public confidence in the electoral process.

    Given the gravity of the allegations it is important that the Electoral Commission provides a robust assessment of what went on in Tower Hamlets and includes firm recommendations of how to ensure the integrity of future elections.