Category: Speeches

  • Simon Burns – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the House of Commons Commission

    Simon Burns – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the House of Commons Commission

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Simon Burns on 2014-06-16.

    To ask the hon. Member for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross representing the House of Commons Commission, who determined the terms of the advertisement seeking applications for the post of Clerk of the House and Chief Executive.

    John Thurso

    Three organisations specialising in executive search services were invited to tender to provide support for the recruitment of the next Clerk of the House and Chief Executive. Saxton Bampfylde was selected through this process.

    The selection panel comprises Mr Speaker, Rt Hon Andrew Lansley MP, Angela Eagle MP, John Thurso MP, Rt Hon Margaret Hodge MP and Dame Julie Mellor (Parliamentary & Health Service Ombudsman). No confirmation hearing is envisaged. The composition of the panel for the recruitment of the present postholder was Mr Speaker, Rt Hon Sir George Young MP, Rt Hon Hilary Benn MP, John Thurso MP, Rt Hon Sir Alan Beith MP, Rt Hon Lindsay Hoyle MP and Sheila Drew Smith.

    Knowledge of procedural and constitutional issues will be tested as part of the formal interview process. The Clerk of the House is appointed by the Crown by Letters Patent, on the recommendation of the Speaker to the Prime Minister, and the Prime Minister to the Crown. As part of normal pre-appointment checks it will be a requirement for the next Clerk of the House to be subject to security vetting. The terms of the recruitment brief were agreed by the Commission by correspondence, and the advertisement, finalised by the Speaker and the Director General of HR and Change, was based on the agreed brief.

  • Tom Watson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Tom Watson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Watson on 2014-04-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has issued any authorisations under section 42(3) of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 which permit intrusive surveillance by unmanned aircraft systems in the UK.

    James Brokenshire

    As a matter of long-standing practice we do not comment on the operational use
    of covert surveillance, or provide a breakdown of the number of warrants signed
    by particular Secretaries of State, or in relation to specific circumstances or
    methods of surveillance.

    Existing regulation relating to surveillance includes the surveillance camera
    code of practice issued under the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012, which
    provides a framework of good practice for surveillance camera operators and
    sets out obligations arising from other legislation including those for the
    processing of personal data under the Data Protection Act 1998 and a public
    authority’s duty to adhere to the Human Rights Act 1998. Any covert
    surveillance undertaken by a public authority which is likely to obtain private
    information would be subject to authorisation under the Regulation of
    Investigatory Powers Act 2000 (RIPA).

  • Andy Slaughter – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Andy Slaughter – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andy Slaughter on 2014-06-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many Aarhus claims in England and Wales have been successful for the claimant since 1 April 2013.

    Mr Shailesh Vara

    The information requested cannot be provided without incurring disproportionate cost. The data is not held centrally and providing information at the level of detail sought would require a review of many manual files.

  • Emma Lewell-Buck – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Emma Lewell-Buck – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Emma Lewell-Buck on 2014-04-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what guidance her Department makes available to applicants for Tier 4 student visas on maintenance funding requirements; and what types of accounts or financial instruments count towards meeting this requirement.

    James Brokenshire

    The Home Office provides guidance on the maintenance funding requirements for Tier 4 student visas to applicants in Appendix C of the Immigration Rules, in
    the Tier 4 Policy guidance for applicants, and on the Tier 4 application form. The Tier 4 application form also calculates the level of funds an applicant requires and advises them which documents they can submit as evidence.

    The guidance does not specify an exhaustive list of accounts or financial instruments that can be used to satisfy the maintenance requirement. Instead,
    the Immigration Rules set out the attributes an acceptable account must satisfy. The rules specifically exclude financial instruments such as shares, bonds, credit cards and pension funds from use as acceptable evidence.

  • Jim Shannon – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    Jim Shannon – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2014-06-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what steps her Department has taken to ensure further opportunities for Northern Ireland’s film industry are secured.

    Mrs Theresa Villiers

    The hon Member will appreciate that this is a devolved matter. However I take every opportunity to promote the Northern Ireland film industry which has been significantly boosted by the high end television tax credit introduced by my Rt hon Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer.

    I have met the senior team at Home Box Office on two occasions. Last month I wrote to the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills to coincide with the publication of the UK Creative Industries International Strategy in China, in order to promote some 250 media production companies based in Northern Ireland that are already delivering on a global stage and offering world-class talent across the sector.

  • Tom Blenkinsop – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Tom Blenkinsop – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Blenkinsop on 2014-04-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, on how many occasions practical driving tests have been appealed to magistrates’ and sheriff courts in each year since 2008; how many such appeals were upheld; and for what reasons.

    Stephen Hammond

    Since 2008 DVSA holds record of 12 practical driving test appeals that have come before the magistrate’s court; we have no record of any practical driving test appeals that have come before the Sheriff’s court. None of these appeals were upheld as detailed in the chart below.

    Date and place of hearing Under S90 or S133 RTA Outcome
    11.06.2008 – Croydon S133 Dismissed
    27.01.2009 – Bexley Heath S90 Dismissed
    25.03.2009 – Caernarfon S133 Withdrawn
    01/06/2009 – UNKNOWN S90 Settled without prejudice prior to hearing
    15.07.2009 Leicester S90 Dismissed
    31.07.2009 Leicester S133 Withdrawn
    5.11.2010 – UNKNOWN S90 Failed to attend preliminary hearing
    28.02.2011 Coventry S133 Withdrawn
    13.09.2011 Sheffield S90 Not upheld
    26.07.2012 Wakefield S90 Cancelled preliminary hearing
    02.08.2012 Bournemouth S90 Withdrawn
    11.11.2013 Wolverhampton S133 Withdrawn at hearing on judge’s advice

  • Mike Weir – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Deputy Prime Minister

    Mike Weir – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Deputy Prime Minister

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mike Weir on 2014-06-16.

    To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what estimate he has made of the charges made by external (a) public affairs consultants, (b) creative agencies and (c) printing, logistics and delivery companies for work relating to the production of the booklet, What staying in the United Kingdom means for Scotland.

    Greg Clark

    The total cost to-date of What Staying in the United Kingdom Means for Scotland is £723,501 (plus VAT).

    Each booklet cost around 30p to design, produce, print and deliver to every household in Scotland. As is standard practice, detail and spending data will published in the Cabinet Office transparency returns.

  • Jim Cunningham – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Jim Cunningham – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2014-04-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will make it his policy to take mortgage payments into account when calculating pension credit.

    Steve Webb

    Pensioners who are entitled to State Pension Credit may receive an additional element called Support for Mortgage Interest. This makes a contribution towards the interest on eligible loans taken out to purchase the property, and specific loans for repairs and improvements which are necessary to maintain the home’s fitness for habitation

  • 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 2014-06-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to improve support for people over 50 provided through the Work Programme.

    Esther McVey

    The Work Programme is continuing to offer tailored support to those people over 50 at risk of becoming long-term unemployed and providers are continuing to design support based on their individual need.

    Last year, the Government launched the Work Programme ‘Building Best Practice Group’, which is considering the best ways of addressing the particular needs of claimants, including older workers. The group will report back to Ministers later in 2014.

  • Katy Clark – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Katy Clark – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Katy Clark on 2014-04-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the average waiting time for a decision for a reconsideration of an employment and support allowance decision has been since 28 October 2013.

    Mike Penning

    While mandatory reconsideration data is being collected, it is not sufficiently robust and reliable to make available.

    The Department is looking into what can be published. The data will need to be validated in order to ensure that it satisfies the relevant standards.