Category: Speeches

  • Frank Field – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Frank Field – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Frank Field on 2014-06-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many calls were made on higher-rate telephone numbers to (a) magistrates’ courts, (b) county courts and county court money claims centres in England in 2012-13 and 2013-14; and what the average duration was of calls to such numbers.

    Mr Shailesh Vara

    I refer the hon. Member to the replies given to him on 12 May 2014, Official Report, Columns 413-414W (for volume and average duration of calls), and on 10 April 2014, Official Report Columns 396-397W (for a note on money claims centres).

  • Andrew Stephenson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Andrew Stephenson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Stephenson on 2014-03-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many criminal offences by foreign-born nationals were recorded in Pendle constituency in each of the last five years.

    Norman Baker

    The Home Office does not hold data on the nationality of offenders, and so cannot provide data on the number of offences committed by foreign-born nationals that were recorded by police in Pendle.

    The Home Office collects aggregate data on the number of offences recorded by the police, available at police force area and Community Safety Partnership level. However, we do not hold details about the people responsible for these offences.

    The Ministry of Justice collects details on the number of offenders and offender characteristics, but does not collect information on the number of offences that these offenders commit.

  • Nicholas Soames – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Nicholas Soames – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicholas Soames on 2014-06-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what contracts are outstanding in the Astute programme.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    The following table describes the current Ministry of Defence contracts solely for the Astute class submarine programme. All contracts, except serial 9, are with BAE Systems Marine Ltd. Once in service, platforms, including the Astute class, are supported via extant Fleet wide arrangements.

    Serial Contract Description
    1 Batch 1 The build of Astute boats 1-3.
    2 Boat 4 The build of Astute boat 4.
    3 Boat 5 The provision of long-lead materials and activities to support the build of Astute boat 5.
    4 Boat 6 The provision of long-lead materials and activities to support the build of Astute boat 6.
    5 Boat 7 The provision of long-lead materials and activities to support the build of Astute boat 7.
    6 Base Spares To provide the initial spares provisioning for Astute boats leaving Barrow.
    7 Foundation Placed to deliver the savings required by the 2010 SDSR through performance improvement and cost-benefit initiatives. To note that this contract impacts on both the Astute and Successor programmes.
    8 Submarine Design Services The provision of In Service technical assistance.
    9 Astute Class Training Service A PFI contract for the provision of Astute class crew training. The contract is placed with FAST Training Services Ltd (a consortium of BAE Systems, L-3 Communications and Babcock International).

  • Mr Barry Sheerman – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the House of Commons Commission

    Mr Barry Sheerman – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the House of Commons Commission

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mr Barry Sheerman on 2014-03-17.

    To ask the hon. Member for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross representing the House of Commons Commission, what steps he is taking to improve the support available to hon. Members.

    John Thurso

    The fundamental aims of the Commission are not only to ensure that the House is valued and effective in holding the Government to account and scrutinising legislation, but that individual Members have the information, advice, support and technology they need to be effective in their work and to engage closely with their constituents.

    We are coming to the end of a programme of savings, during which the governing principle has been that any cost reductions should not adversely affect the ability of the House and its Members to carry out their parliamentary functions. Indeed many of the changes have been a spur to innovation in the support available to Members. Now that we are on track to achieve the savings target, we have the opportunity to re-appraise the provision of resources and ensure, for example in the area of select committees, that we are providing the right level of support.

  • John Robertson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    John Robertson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

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

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the effects on carers of (a) each change and (b) all changes to the benefits system since 2010.

    Mike Penning

    The Universal Credit Impact Assessment was published in December 2012, full details of the report can be found here

    https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/welfare-reform-act-2012-impact-assessments

    “

  • Andy Sawford – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Andy Sawford – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andy Sawford on 2014-03-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much in discretionary housing payments has been allocated in Corby and East Northamptonshire constituency for those affected by the under-occupancy penalty in (a) 2013-14 and (b) 2014-15.

    Steve Webb

    Discretionary Housing Payments(DHP) are allocated by Local Authority not parliamentary constituency. The table below details the overall DHP allocation and the Removal of the Spare Room Subsidy (RSRS) element for Corby and East Northhamptonshire local authorities.

    Government allocation of DHP by Local authority

    2013/14

    2014/15

    RSRS

    Total DHP

    RSRS

    Total DHP

    Corby

    £25,669

    £92,250

    £92,809

    £134,854

    East Northamptonshire

    £24,304

    £85,490

    £59,253

    £99,565
  • Jonathan Djanogly – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Jonathan Djanogly – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jonathan Djanogly on 2014-06-04.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many applications have been made (a) successfully and (b) unsuccessfully under the second stage of the Government’s Help to Buy mortgage guarantee scheme in Huntingdon constituency.

    Andrea Leadsom

    The Government publishes quarterly official statistics relating to the Help to Buy: mortgage guarantee scheme. The first of these were published on 29 May 2014.

    This report, along with accompanying tables, can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/help-to-buy-mortgage-guarantee-scheme-quarterly-statistics-october-2013-to-march-2014

    “

  • Mr Frank Field – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Deputy Prime Minister

    Mr Frank Field – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Deputy Prime Minister

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mr Frank Field on 2014-03-13.

    To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, if he will introduce legislative proposals to provide that the heirs of people who disclaim hereditary peerages cannot claim any hereditary right to membership of the House of Lords; and if he will publish details of how many people entitled to hereditary peerages have renounced their titles where their oldest eligible son has subsequently claimed the title on their death.

    Nick Clegg

    The Government’s proposals introduced to the House of Commons on 10 July 2012 included plans to end hereditary peerages altogether.The Government has no further specific plans to legislate in this area. Currently anyone in this position has every right to disclaim the title should they so wish.

    Eighteen people have disclaimed their titles since the passage of the 1963 Peerage Act, the first being the late Tony Benn. Of those disclaimed peerages, seven have subsequently been claimed by the entitled heir.

  • Gareth Thomas – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Gareth Thomas – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gareth Thomas on 2014-06-04.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many people were members of a credit union in each (a) region of England and (b) each borough of London in (i) 2011-12, (ii) 2012-13 and (iii) 2013-14; and if he will make a statement.

    Andrea Leadsom

    The Government does not hold information on the numbers of credit union members or their total savings or lending by region. The data is held by the Prudential Regulation Authority and the Financial Conduct Authority.

  • Mr David Hanson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Mr David Hanson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mr David Hanson on 2014-03-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of report by the Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration of the critical system vulnerabilities in Semaphore and Warnings Index; and what steps she took in response to that report.

    James Brokenshire

    The Home Office has responded to the report on Exporting the border?: An
    inspection of e-Borders. This response can be found at:
    http://icinspector.independent.gov.uk/inspections/inspection-reports/2012-inspec
    tion-reports-2/.