Category: Speeches

  • Helen Jones – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Helen Jones – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Helen Jones on 2014-03-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the effect of a regional transport hub at Crewe on the proposal by Warrington Borough Council for an alternative route for the High Speed 2 line north of Crewe; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    HS2 Ltd will undertake work to consider proposals for a hub station at Crewe as part of the consideration of the responses to the Phase Two consultation. This closed on 31 January and all responses, including that from Warrington Borough Council, are currently being considered. No decisions have yet been taken on the route but we will make an announcement on this in the autumn.

  • Lord Jones of Cheltenham – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Lord Jones of Cheltenham – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Jones of Cheltenham on 2014-06-05.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what progress has been made in negotiations to provide air services to St Helena once the new airport is completed in February 2016; and what steps they are taking to develop the local tourism industry there, including the provision of suitable tourist accommodation.

    Baroness Northover

    St Helena Government (SHG) issued the Pre-Qualification Questionnaire (PQQ) for the air service procurement in June 2014. The PQQ is the first stage of the air service procurement and will allow interested airlines to register their intent to bid for the air service.

    Enterprise St Helena (ESH), St Helena’s Economic Development Agency, is leading St Helena’s plans to develop its tourism industry and its accommodation. In parallel, ESH is working with local businesses to ensure that the island’s tourist attractions are developed and accredited to international standards.

  • Peter Aldous – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Peter Aldous – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Peter Aldous on 2014-03-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent discussions his Department has had (a) with Post Office Ltd and (b) other payment services providers on offering a wider range of payment outlets at which Post Office Card Account customers can access pensions and benefits.

    Steve Webb

    The Post Office Card Account can be accessed at any one of around 11,500 branches across the post office network.

    No discussions have taken place with Post Office Ltd or other payment services providers about offering a wider range of payment outlets and there are currently no plans to extend the number of outlets at which Post Office Card Account customers can access pensions and benefits.

  • Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town on 2014-06-05.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many estate agents were subject to (1) a warning notice, and (2) a prohibition order, for each year since 1984 under the Estate Agents Act 1979.

    Viscount Younger of Leckie

    Until 31 March 2014, the Office of Fair Trading was responsible for enforcing the Estate Agency Act 1979. Since then, its functions have been transferred to Powys County Council, under the National Trading Standards Board Umbrella.

    Data from the archived register for prohibition orders and warning notices in relation to the OFT and its predecessors was:

    Year

    Prohibition Orders

    Warning Notices

    Year

    Prohibition Orders

    Warning Notices

    2014

    7

    4

    2007

    13

    2

    2013

    3

    7

    2006

    2

    4

    2012

    10

    0

    2005

    6

    5

    2011

    0

    0

    2004

    1

    6

    2010

    1

    4

    2003

    3

    0

    2009

    9

    5

    2002

    2

    0

    2008

    8

    4

    2001

    0

    0

    Year

    Prohibition Order

    Warning Notice

    Year

    Prohibition Order

    Warning Notice

    2000

    2

    1

    1991

    8

    1

    1999

    2

    0

    1990

    2

    2

    1998

    0

    0

    1989

    1

    0

    1997

    0

    0

    1988

    6

    2

    1996

    2

    0

    1987

    3

    0

    1995

    3

    0

    1986

    12

    2

    1994

    5

    0

    1985

    5

    2

    1993

    7

    0

    1984

    0

    0

    1992

    5

    0

  • Lord Mendelsohn – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Lord Mendelsohn – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Mendelsohn on 2014-03-24.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what customer, user and satisfaction surveys were conducted in the last 12 months in the Department for Work and Pensions and the agencies that report to it; which of them have been reported to the management board in the last 12 months; and which were commissioned by the management board.

    Lord Freud

    The Department for Work and Pensions conducts an annual Claimant Service and Experience Survey which measures customer satisfaction. The survey includes customers of Jobcentre Plus and the former agency Pensions, Disability and Carers Service. Fieldwork for the 2013 survey was completed in September. The survey is approved by the Operations Executive Team and key findings have been reported to them.

    The Child Maintenance Group conducts customer satisfaction surveys to cover all its statutory schemes. Quarterly surveys are run for the 1993/2003 and 2012 schemes and a monthly survey for the Options Gateway to tell how customers think suppliers are delivering service. All of these surveys are commissioned and reviewed for internal use by the CMG Executive Team.

  • Lord Hylton – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Lord Hylton – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hylton on 2014-06-04.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they support the direct and indirect negotiations between the government of Turkey, elected representatives, and the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK); and whether they will encourage the government of Turkey to maintain the current ceasefire and to conclude the negotiations as soon as possible.

    Baroness Warsi

    We applaud the continuing efforts of the Turkish government aimed at concluding a peaceful settlement of the Kurdish issue. We encourage all sides, including members of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, to maintain the current ceasefire and continue negotiations until a just and lasting agreement is achieved.

  • Lord Roberts of Llandudno – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Lord Roberts of Llandudno – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Roberts of Llandudno on 2014-03-24.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have any plans to ensure that petrol filling stations are not too far apart.

    Baroness Verma

    DECC published a report from Deloitte LLP in December 2012, which considered long term changes to the retail market for road fuels in the UK, and the implications of these changes to our energy resilience. This market has changed significantly over the last decade. However, the findings of this report do not suggest that the changes to the size and shape of the retail market for road fuels have had significant impacts on the UK’s ability to be able to respond to supply disruptions or that these have significantly reduced the access of UK motorists to a local supply of fuel. The report found that in 2011, 98% of postcode sectors had a petrol filling station within 10 minutes drive, and 92% had more than two within the same travel time.

    Decisions on the location of individual petrol filling stations are for local planning authorities.

  • Baroness Whitaker – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Baroness Whitaker – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Whitaker on 2014-06-04.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government when they will publish their report on pilots of a virtual head teacher system expressly aimed at redressing the inequalities in education experienced by Gypsies and Travellers.

    Lord Nash

    Two local authorities, Kent and Cambridgeshire, have been involved in piloting the role of a virtual head teacher who helped schools to engage with Gypsy, Roma and Traveller (GRT) pupils to improve their school attendance and attainment. These local authorities are currently finalising their summaries of the projects. The Department for Education will work with these authorities and the GRT education stakeholder group, chaired by the noble Lady, to determine the most appropriate way to disseminate the outcomes of this work.

  • Chris Ruane – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Chris Ruane – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Ruane on 2014-03-24.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what his Department’s policy is on allowing officials to appear before all-party parliamentary groups.

    Mr Francis Maude

    Guidance on officials appearing before all-party parliamentary groups is set out in Volume 2 of the Directory of Civil Service Guidance, copies of which are available in the Library of the House and online at: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/60997/guide-civil-service-guidance-volume-2_0.pdf

    “

  • Baroness Meacher – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Baroness Meacher – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Meacher on 2014-06-04.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the level of support for a change in the law on assisted dying for people with a terminal illness.

    Lord Faulks

    The Government has not itself made any assessment of the level of support for a change in the law on assisted dying.