Category: Speeches

  • Baroness Seccombe – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Baroness Seccombe – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Seccombe on 2014-03-25.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what was the breakdown of departmental spending in the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on catering, hospitality and refreshments in (1) 2008–09, and (2) 2009–10.

    Lord De Mauley

    This table sets out the information requested, in respect of Core Defra.

    £

    2008-09

    2009-10

    Catering and Hospitality

    426,317

    545,253

    Refreshments

    18,574

    7,114

    The figures for Catering and Hospitality include a subsidy paid to the Department’s providers of in-house catering, hospitality and refreshments. The Department no longer pays such a subsidy.

  • Dan Jarvis – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Dan Jarvis – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dan Jarvis on 2014-06-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much has been spent from the public purse on accommodating asylum seekers in (a) hotels and (b) bed and breakfasts, hostels and other establishments that provide lodging paid on a short-term basis in each year since May 2010; and how much was spent in each region.

    James Brokenshire

    Accommodation is provided to asylum applicants through contracts with third party suppliers. Providers are required to provide accommodation that is safe, fit for purpose and correctly equipped in line with the contractual Statement of Requirements agreed between themselves and the Home Office.

    There is no added expense to the Home Office when providers use B&B or hotel accommodation as short term contingency accommodation. Any and all additional costs are borne by the provider.

  • Jake Berry – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Jake Berry – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jake Berry on 2014-03-25.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many cases of child benefit fraud his Department is investigating.

    Nicky Morgan

    HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) approach to Child Benefit error and fraud is to verify all new claims and, on a risk basis, to check existing claims for incorrect information against data from other systems. Where HMRC consider that a claim may not be correct, they open an enquiry. Where the enquiry determines that the claim is incorrect, the claim or part of the claim is terminated.

    Child Benefit compliance enquires are carried out continually throughout the year and as at 31 March 2014, HMRC had 3565 ongoing cases.

  • Tom Watson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Tom Watson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Watson on 2014-06-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the Answer of 10 February 2014, Official Report, column 474, on unmanned air vehicles: guided weapons, if his Department will publish the method and results from the UK-US firing trials of Brimstone missiles from MQ-9 Reaper.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    The firing trials successfully demonstrated rapid integration of Brimstone missiles onto the MQ-9 Reaper remotely piloted air system – safe carriage, safe release and system targeting – with a high success rate against static and high-speed manoeuvring targets.

    However, the final trials report has not yet been completed and it remains too early to say what information from the report, or the trial method, will be published.

  • Paul Flynn – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Paul Flynn – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Flynn on 2014-03-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what steps the Government plans to take to deliver the commitments on nuclear security contained in paragraph 27 of the Hague Nuclear Security Summit Communiqué held in the Hague on 24 and 25 March 2014.

    Michael Fallon

    Safety and security are top priorities for the Government and there is a robust security framework in place for the civil nuclear industry. We seek continuous improvement in line with internationally established principles. The UK has a strong and effective independent regulator, the Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR), which ensures compliance with the requirements placed on duty holders by the Nuclear Industries Security Regulations 2003 (as amended) and the performance-based National Objectives, Requirements and Model Standards (NORMS). There is extensive engagement between the Government, ONR and duty holders. The full set of UK commitments made at the Nuclear Security Summit which go towards meeting paragraph 27 of the Summit’s Communiquécan be found at the following link:

    https://www.nss2014.com/sites/default/files/documents/140321_uk_national_statement_on_commitments.pdf

    “

  • Sheila Gilmore – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Sheila Gilmore – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sheila Gilmore on 2014-06-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when the Help and Support for Separated Families Co-ordinated Telephone Network started full operation; and which organisations are taking part.

    Steve Webb

    The Help and Support for Separated Families telephone network began full operation in March 2014 and the participating organisations are:

    Family Lives;

    Relate;

    Wikivorce; and

    The National Youth Advocacy Service.

    £344k of awards have been made for the co-ordinated telephony network. £344k is the maximum amount payable under the terms of the grant for the period to 31st May 2014. This covers both actual invoices paid to date and amounts not yet billed by suppliers. The evaluation of the telephony network will be carried out in-house.

  • Dr Julian Huppert – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Dr Julian Huppert – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dr Julian Huppert on 2014-03-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what draft guidance on the instances where water cannon may be deployed has been (a) written and (b) consulted on.

    Damian Green

    The Home Secretary has now received the request to authorise water cannon for use by the police in England and Wales. She is considering this request and will announce her decision in due course and lay the relevant information in the House Library.

  • Stephen O’Brien – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Stephen O’Brien – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen O’Brien on 2014-06-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he has made of the excess capacity on peak High Speed 2 services.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    The HS2 Economic Case published in October 2013 indicates that the average all-day load factor for HS2 services in 2036 for the full network is expected to be 41%. Peak period load factors are expected to be significantly higher.

  • Sarah Teather – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Sarah Teather – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sarah Teather on 2014-03-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she will announce the asylum support rates for 2014-15.

    James Brokenshire

    There are no immediate plans to change the support rates provided to destitute asylum seekers.

  • Katy Clark – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Katy Clark – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Katy Clark on 2014-06-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many passport (a) applications and (b) renewal applications were received by the Passport Office in each (i) month and (ii) year of the last five years.

    James Brokenshire

    The following table provides the requested information.