Category: Speeches

  • Kerry McCarthy – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Kerry McCarthy – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kerry McCarthy on 2014-06-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, which women’s organisations from Burma have been invited to the global summit on sexual violence in conflict being held in London in June 2014.

    Mr Hugo Swire

    Women’s organisation representatives from the Karen Women’s Action Group, the Gender Equality Network and the Women’s League of Burma have all been invited and are attending the Global Summit to End Sexual Violence in Conflict. In addition, faith leaders and other civil society activists are attending as part of a Burmese civil society delegation. I will be hosting this delegation in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office on 10 June.

  • Ian Murray – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Ian Murray – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Murray on 2014-03-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent discussions his Department has had with the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills on the future use of the Post Office Card Account.

    Steve Webb

    The Post Office card account (POca) contract expires in March 2015 with the possibility of a 2 year extension beyond that date.

    The POca is a very simple account designed for the receipt of pensions and legacy benefits. It cannot be used for the payment of wages/salaries and does not offer transactional services such as direct debits so will not be suitable for the majority of working age claimants eligible for Universal Credit.

    No decision has been made on the future of the POca but discussions are currently taking place between DWP, Post Office Ltd and the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills to consider the future needs of customers beyond 2015 and any announcement on this matter will be made in due course.

    Ministers and Officials have also met with relevant stakeholders, including the National Federation of Sub-Postmasters to discuss POca related issues.

  • Jim Fitzpatrick – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Jim Fitzpatrick – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

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

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many immigration officers are deployed at each UK airport.

    James Brokenshire

    The requested information has not been released as it is Border Force policy not to release port-specific staff numbers on grounds of national security.

  • Lord Stoddart of Swindon – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Lord Stoddart of Swindon – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Stoddart of Swindon on 2014-03-10.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of European Union regulations requiring black market activities, including prostitution and illegal drug dealing, to be taken into account in the calculation of the United Kingdom gross domestic product.

    Lord Wallace of Saltaire

    The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.

  • John Healey – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    John Healey – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Healey on 2014-06-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the average rent was for new homes built under the Affordable Homes programme in each local authority from the launch of that programme to date.

    Kris Hopkins

    The information is not held centrally.

  • Mr Frank Field – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Mr Frank Field – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mr Frank Field on 2014-03-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many survivors of human trafficking who have been placed in shelters funded by the Government through the Salvation Army received support from the government victim care contract specialist support providers to develop a move-on strategy in (a) 2012 and (b) 2013; how many of these victims were (i) men and (ii) women; how many (A) men and (B) women are still receiving such support; and if she will make a statement.

    Karen Bradley

    Support to develop a move-on strategy is offered to all victims supported under
    the Government victim-care contract. The number of victims who have received
    Government-funded support are given below.

    Year of Entry to Service

    Female

    Male

    Trans-gender

    Total

    2013

    387

    270

    2

    659

    2012

    246

    163

    409

    Total

    633

    433

    2

    1068

    Of the above, the numbers still receiving such support, by calendar year of
    entry and gender:

    Year of Entry to Service

    Female

    Male

    Total

    2013

    96

    23

    119

    2012

    0

    1

    1

    Total

    96

    24

    120

  • Miss Anne McIntosh – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Miss Anne McIntosh – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

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

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent representations he has received on the 50 per cent rule whereby a GCSE grade may only be awarded for course assessment in the event of a student being severely incapacitated through illness; and if he will make a statement.

    Elizabeth Truss

    The Secretary of State for Education recently received a letter from the hon Member for Thirsk and Malton on this issue, raising the case of a student in her constituency, to which he has responded. From time to time Ministers receive representations from members of the public, and from hon Members on their behalf, on the same matter.

    Neither the Department nor the Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation holds information on the number of pupils who have applied to be assessed for a GCSE grade on the basis of coursework. This information may be held by individual awarding bodies.

    The rules governing the circumstances in which a GCSE grade may be awarded to a student who has not completed all the elements of the assessment are a matter for the Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation. I have therefore asked its Chief Regulator, Glenys Stacey to write directly to the hon Member. A copy of her reply will be placed in the House of Commons Library.

  • Mr David Anderson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Speaker’s Committee on the Electorial Commission

    Mr David Anderson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Speaker’s Committee on the Electorial Commission

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mr David Anderson 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) Gateshead Council and (b) Blaydon 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 Gateshead Council were as follows:

    Ward

    Green matches

    Amber matches

    Red matches

    BIRTLEY

    85.6%

    1.4%

    13.0%

    BLAYDON

    84.0%

    1.2%

    14.8%

    BRIDGES

    73.7%

    2.0%

    24.3%

    CHOPWELL & ROWLANDS GILL

    85.1%

    1.8%

    13.1%

    CHOWDENE

    88.7%

    1.3%

    10.0%

    CRAWCROOK & GREENSIDE

    84.6%

    1.9%

    13.5%

    DECKHAM

    82.8%

    1.5%

    15.7%

    DUNSTON & TEAMS

    80.5%

    1.4%

    18.1%

    DUNSTON HILL & WHICKHAM EAST

    87.6%

    1.4%

    11.0%

    FELLING

    84.5%

    1.3%

    14.2%

    HIGH FELL

    85.5%

    1.9%

    12.6%

    LAMESLEY

    84.8%

    2.0%

    13.1%

    LOBLEY HILL & BENSHAM

    82.1%

    1.7%

    16.2%

    LOW FELL

    85.1%

    1.3%

    13.6%

    PELAW & HEWORTH

    85.6%

    1.2%

    13.2%

    RYTON, CROOKHILL & STELLA

    85.3%

    1.6%

    13.1%

    SALTWELL

    76.9%

    2.1%

    21.0%

    WARDLEY & LEAM LANE

    88.0%

    1.0%

    11.0%

    WHICKHAM NORTH

    86.4%

    1.2%

    12.4%

    WHICKHAM SOUTH & SUNNISIDE

    88.2%

    1.4%

    10.4%

    WINDY NOOK & WHITEHILLS

    88.1%

    1.0%

    10.9%

    WINLATON & HIGH SPEN

    87.1%

    1.7%

    11.2%

    The ward results for the Blaydon constituency were as follows:

    Ward

    Green matches

    Amber matches

    Red matches

    BIRTLEY

    84.0%

    1.2%

    14.8%

    BLAYDON

    85.1%

    1.8%

    13.1%

    CHOPWELL & ROWLANDS GILL

    84.6%

    1.9%

    13.5%

    CRAWCROOK & GREENSIDE

    87.6%

    1.4%

    11.0%

    DUNSTON HILL & WHICKHAM EAST

    84.8%

    2.0%

    13.1%

    LAMESLEY

    85.3%

    1.6%

    13.1%

    RYTON, CROOKHILL & STELLA

    86.4%

    1.2%

    12.4%

    WHICKHAM NORTH

    88.2%

    1.4%

    10.4%

    WHICKHAM SOUTH & SUNNISIDE

    87.1%

    1.7%

    11.2%

    WINLATON & HIGH SPEN

    84.0%

    1.2%

    14.8%

    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

    “

  • Mike Weir – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Mike Weir – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mike Weir on 2014-06-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, with reference to the Answers of 12 May 2014, Official Report, column 328W, on developing countries: marketing and of 21 June 2004, Official Report, coumn 1215W to question to 179188 on ACTIS/CDC, what the nature of the work conducted by Acanchi was; and how much was paid for that work.

    Justine Greening

    CDC is a public limited company with an independent management and Board. DFID is not involved in CDC operational matters and therefore does not hold the information requested.

  • Chris Ruane – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Chris Ruane – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Ruane on 2014-03-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the accuracy of his Department’s databases of people (a) in receipt of and (b) not in receipt of benefits for the purposes of data matching with the electoral register.

    Esther McVey

    Results of DWP data matching with the Electoral Register have been subjected to review by both the Electoral Commission and Electoral Registration Transformation Programme with positive results

    No separate assessment has been made of accuracy of data for benefit and non-benefit recipients for the purposes of data matching with the electoral register.

    To undertake such an assessment would entail disproportionate costs due to the need to contact and compare citizen details against data held by DWP.