Category: Speeches

  • Roger Godsiff – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Roger Godsiff – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Roger Godsiff on 2014-06-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, if he will increase the minimum rate of pay for apprentices from £2.68 per hour to £2.96 per hour.

    Jenny Willott

    This Government is fully committed to the National Minimum Wage set by the independent Low Pay Commission at a level that maximises the wages of the low paid without damaging their employment prospects by setting it too high.

    We ask the Low Pay Commission to consider the evidence and recommend the National Minimum Wage rates, to achieve this.

    This Government has accepted an above inflation increase in the NMW including an increase in the apprentice rate from £2.68 to £2.73. The increase will come into effect on 1 October 2014 and will provide low paid workers with the biggest cash increase in their pay packets since 2008.

    The Low Pay Commission has judged that a higher increase in the minimum wage would risk damaging employment prospects for the lowest paid.

  • Mark Hendrick – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Mark Hendrick – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Hendrick on 2014-04-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people are currently auto-enrolled in the National Employment Savings Trust (NEST); and what the mean monthly contribution paid in by members of NEST is.

    Steve Webb

    The National Employment Savings Trust (NEST) announced on 1 April 2014 that they have over a million members.

    The Department for Work and Pensions does not hold information about the level or amount of member contributions to NEST.

  • Mike Crockart – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture Media and Sport

    Mike Crockart – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mike Crockart on 2014-06-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, when his Department plans to publish draft legislation to amend the legal threshold from substantial damage and distress to nuisance, annoyance, inconvenience or anxiety for the International Commissioner’s Office to take enforcement action from substantial damage or distress under the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations 2003; and when he expects that legislation to be in force.

    Mr Edward Vaizey

    We plan to publish a consultation document shortly, which will seek views on proposals to lower the legal threshold for enforcement of the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (PECR) 2003. Following consultation we will look to implement any reforms as soon as parliamentary time allows.

  • Ann McKechin – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Ann McKechin – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ann McKechin on 2014-04-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what steps his Department has taken to improve levels of customer service in UK businesses.

    Jenny Willott

    Well-functioning, competitive markets encourage growth by creating incentives for firms to become more efficient and innovative to compete for customers including through better service quality. Markets can only be fully competitive if consumers are active and confident, meaning that they are willing to challenge firms to provide a better deal, switch between suppliers, and take up new products.

    That is why this Government has undertaken the most fundamental reform to the competition and consumer landscape in decades to make the UK’s already world class market framework fit for the future. That has included establishing a new Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), streamlining the landscape of Government-funded consumer organisations to put Citizen’s Advice at its centre, and overhauling the UK framework of consumer rights through the Consumer Rights Bill.

  • Jeremy Corbyn – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Jeremy Corbyn – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jeremy Corbyn on 2014-06-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what facility rekit projects have taken place at the Atomic Weapons Establishment under the scope of the Nuclear Weapons Capability Sustainment Project; and what the cost of each such project was.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    The term rekit is used by the Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE) to mean the replacement or modernisation of process plant and /or equipment within an existing facility, including upgrading of building services. The following is a list of major facility rekits that have or are taking place at AWE. There are also a number of more minor rekits underway which are not listed.

    Depleted Uranium Upgrade
    Beryllium Facility
    Plutonium Capability Programme (A90)
    Enriched Uranium Facility (A45)
    Explosive storage and processing Facility
    Salts Sustainment
    Facility for assembly/disassembly of Warhead

    The information relating to individual rekit costs for each facility for the years 2003 to date is not centrally held and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

  • Andrew Percy – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Andrew Percy – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Percy on 2014-04-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to encourage local authorities to improve mobile signal coverage in rural areas by permitting use of their land for mobile network base stations.

    Nick Boles

    Local authorities have an active role to play in mobile network deployment by assisting operators to find suitable land and structures. This is set out in the “Code of Best Practice on Mobile Network Development in England”, facilitated by Government, signed by operators, local authorities and other interested parties which was issued in July 2013. It is available at:

    http://www.mobilemastinfo.com/images/stories/2013_Code_of_best_practice/Code_of_Best_Practice_on_Mobile_Network_Development_-_Published_24-07-2013.pdf

    “

  • Kevan Jones – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Kevan Jones – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kevan Jones on 2014-06-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the National Audit Office report, Army 2020, HC 263, published on 11 June 2014, page 10, which Minister in his Department signed off on the decision not to provide supporting ICT infrastructure for Capita’s new recruitment software as part of his Department’s contractual arrangements with Capita in relation to the Recruiting Partnering Project.

    Anna Soubry

    I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 21 January 2014 (Official Report, column 111W).

  • Madeleine Moon – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Madeleine Moon – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Madeleine Moon on 2014-04-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 19 March 2014, Official Report, column 650W, on armed forces: disciplinary proceedings, how many and what amount of ex gratia payments were made to armed forces personnel incorrectly disciplined following receipt of a police caution; and if he will make a statement.

    Anna Soubry

    No such ex-gratia payments have been made.

  • Madeleine Moon – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Madeleine Moon – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Madeleine Moon on 2014-06-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many (a) male and (b) female recruits dropped out of training at Catterick Infantry Training Centre before completing Phase 1 in each year since 2006; how many such recruits in each category were aged under 18 when they enlisted; and if he will make a statement.

    Anna Soubry

    Infantry training at Catterick is comprised of the Combat Infantryman’s Course, which is a combined phase one and phase two course. For this reason it is not possible to provide the information requested for those who dropped out of training before completing Phase 1. The table shows all those who failed to complete the Combat Infantryman’s Course.

    No female recruits undergo infantry training and therefore figures shown relate to males only:

    Year

    Discharged at ITC (Male)

    Under 18 on entry (Male)

    2006-07

    950

    320

    2007-08

    1,090

    290

    2008-09

    1,060

    210

    2009-10

    1,400

    250

    2010-11

    840

    90

    2011-12

    1,260

    120

    2012-13

    910

    100

    2013-14

    680

    80

    Figures have been rounded to 10; numbers ending in ‘5′ are rounded to the nearest multiple of 20 to prevent systematic bias.

  • Mark Tami – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Mark Tami – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Tami on 2014-04-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what the estimated value of the contract of Dounreay Site Restoration was at the time of the award in April 2012; what the estimated savings to the public purse were; what the estimated value of the contract is to date; and what the estimated savings to the public purse are to date.

    Michael Fallon

    The estimated Target Cost at the time of contract award in 2012 was approximately £1.5 billion in 2012/13 money values. It covered all of the scope in the Dounreay Lifetime Plan to bring the site to its Interim End State which was capable of definition at the time of tender; it excluded scope that was not capable of definition at the bid stage. The contract contained provisions for change control for new scope and also for indexation for inflation. The Target Cost at 31 March 2014 is £ 1.7bn. The estimated saving to the public purse arising from the Preferred Bidder’s target costs compared to the extant Lifetime Plan was, and remains, well in excess of £1 billion.