Category: Speeches

  • Fiona O’Donnell – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Fiona O’Donnell – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Fiona O’Donnell on 2014-06-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make representations to the new Indian government in favour of increased action to tackle caste discrimination, sexual violence and other forms of discrimination and inequality.

    Mr Hugo Swire

    We are committed to working with the Government of India and international partners to address the problem of gender-based violence, human trafficking and child exploitation in India. Through the Department for International Development (DFID) programme, the UK supports measures in India’s 120 poorest districts to promote the empowerment and access to benefits and services of excluded groups. DFID India also provides support to national and state governments in India which includes helping girls to complete basic education and further tackling violence against women and girls.

    The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), invited the Government of India to attend the End Sexual Violence in Conflict Summit and has already discussed the initiative with the new Indian Foreign Minister. The Indian High Commissioner to the UK attended the Summit.

  • Ian Lavery – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Ian Lavery – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Lavery on 2014-03-31.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what increase in staffing levels at HM Prison Oakwood his Department has agreed with G4S.

    Jeremy Wright

    Staffing levels at HMP Oakwood are regularly reviewed by both the Ministry of Justice and G4S. There are currently no plans to increase staffing levels at HMP Oakwood.

  • Chris Ruane – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Chris Ruane – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Ruane on 2014-06-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much a GP practice is paid for each patient visit to a GP.

    Dr Daniel Poulter

    General practitioner (GP) practices are not paid for each patient visit to a GP. GP practices hold contracts with NHS England to provide primary medical services for their registered list and receive capitated payments for doing so.

  • Chris Ruane – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Speaker’s Committee on the Electoral Commission

    Chris Ruane – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Speaker’s Committee on the Electoral Commission

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Ruane on 2014-03-31.

    To ask the hon. Member for South West Devon, representing the Speaker’s Committee on the Electoral Commission, pursuant to the Answer of 3 December 2013, Official Report, columns 611-2W, on electoral registration officers, which local authorities failed to meet performance standard 1 on using local government databases, in each year for which information is available.

    Mr Gary Streeter

    The Electoral Commission informs me that the Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) who did not meet performance standard 1 in each year from 2008 to 2010 are shown in the table below. No EROs have been assessed as not meeting this standard in 2011, 2012 and 2013.

    Table: EROs not meeting Performance Standard 1

    2008

    2009

    2010

    Barnsley

    Bradford

    Barnsley

    Berwick-upon-Tweed

    Nottingham

    Nottingham

    Blaby

    Sefton

    Blackburn with Darwen

    Brentwood

    Chester-le-street*

    Durham*

    Harborough

    Ipswich

    North East Derbyshire

    North Lanarkshire**

    Nottingham

    Sutton

    South Lanarkshire**

    Three Rivers

    Windsor and Maidenhead

    Weymouth and Portland

    Walsall

    *Chester-le Street and Durham are now part of County Durham unitary authority.

    **North and South Lanarkshire are covered by one ERO

    The Electoral Commission also informs me that it published its report, titled ‘Readiness for the transition to Individual Electoral Registration’, which included its assessment of ERO performance in 2013, on 31 March, and wrote to the honourable member with a copy of the report. The report explains that all EROs reported that they were meeting or exceeding standard 1 in 2013, and that the Commission is in the process of conducting a detailed analysis of EROs’ electoral registration data from the 2013 canvass, following which it will publish its final assessment of EROs’ performance.

  • Luciana Berger – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Luciana Berger – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Luciana Berger on 2014-06-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many financial bonuses of what amount have been paid to employees of Public Health England since April 2013; and on what criteria such bonuses were awarded.

    Jane Ellison

    Financial bonuses have been paid to 20 employees of Public Health England since its establishment on 1 April 2013, all of which relate to their performance in predecessor organisations in the 2012-13 reporting year. The criteria used for the performance assessment and subsequent payments for which they were eligible were those of their former employer.

    Of these, 18 were to former employees of the Department of Health, all of which were non-consolidated. The number of payments and amounts were as follows:

    Number of payments

    Amount (£)

    1

    210

    1

    250

    1

    380

    1

    480

    1

    630

    1

    750

    1

    825

    4

    900

    1

    1,000

    4

    1,200

    1

    10,000

    1

    12,500

    The remaining two were to former employees of the Health Protection Agency, which were also non-consolidated, and amounted to £10,000 each.

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

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

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Morrow on 2014-03-31.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in light of the announcement that Atos Healthcare is exiting its contract in respect of fit-for-work tests, whether they plan to initiate an investigation with published terms of reference into that company’s performance, including complaints made directly to Atos Healthcare and through any other agency including the Department for Work and Pensions.

    Lord Freud

    The Department has closely monitored the performance of Atos Healthcare and will continue to do so until Atos exits the contract as described in the Written Ministerial Statement of 27 March 2014. There are no plans to carry out any investigations into performance.

  • Jessica Morden – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Jessica Morden – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jessica Morden on 2014-06-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what proportion of fast-track passport applications made in the last six months have been processed within seven days.

    James Brokenshire

    The table below gives the proportion of fast-track passport applications that
    were processed within seven days.

    December 2013: 99.97%
    January 2014 99.99%
    February 2014 99.97%
    March 2014 99.95%
    April 2014 99.99%
    May 2014 99.96%

  • Lord Willis of Knaresborough – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Lord Willis of Knaresborough – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Willis of Knaresborough on 2014-03-31.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whatchanges to the existing arrangements for the periodic roadworthiness testing of motor vehicles and their trailers are envisaged following the repeal of European Union Directive 2009/40/EC and the agreement of a new directive at Strasbourg on 11 March.

    Baroness Kramer

    The negotiations on the new Directive have been very successful, in terms of avoiding substantive, potentially inappropriate, changes to the MOT system while enhancing road safety in several areas. There will be changes regarding testing pre 1960 vehicles, and we will discuss options with interested parties in coming months. There will also be minor changes in how test results are provided.

  • Keith Vaz – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Keith Vaz – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Keith Vaz on 2014-06-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people were employed by HM Passport Office on 1 January (a) 2010, (b) 2011, (c) 2012, (d) 2013 and (e) 2014.

    James Brokenshire

    The formal record for workforce data is made on the last day of each calendar
    month.

    The data as of 31 December in each year were as follows.

    31 December 2010: 3,700 full-time equivalents
    31 December 2011: 3,286 full-time equivalents
    31 December 2012: 3,164 full-time equivalents
    31 December 2013: 3,333 full-time equivalents

    These figures are for permanent civil servants employed by HMPO, including part
    year appointments and permanent members of staff employed on contracts for nine
    months of the year. This excludes staff on secondment or loan, and agency and
    temporary staff – with these staff included, the March 2014 figure is 3,444.

  • Hilary Benn – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Hilary Benn – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Hilary Benn on 2014-03-31.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what his Department’s (a) catering and (b) hospitality budget was in (i) 2012 and (ii) 2013.

    Brandon Lewis

    My Department has no separate budget for catering and hospitality in 2012 and 2013.

    To assist the rt. hon. Member, I would note that this Government has dramatically cut spending compared to the last Labour Government and put in place far tighter rules and restrictions on spending.

    · The Department spent £553,230 on catering and hospitality in 2008-09, and £456,142 in 2009-10.

    · By 2012-13, spending had been reduced to £58,882 (plus £16,727 of delayed billing from the year before).

    · We anticipate spending in the region of £36,000 in the year 2013-14 (the precise figure will be audited at financial year end).

    The expenditure undertaken is essentially for light refreshments for a large number of small official events such as:

    · European Regional Development Fund events (meetings with external visitors and Local Management Committee meetings);

    · Conferences and workshops with representatives of local government, housing, planning and local communities;

    · Public roadshows and Portas Pilot events;

    · All-day recruitment assessment centres, training and induction courses.

    We do not routinely incur any expenditure on refreshments for Ministers other than de minimis expenditure on tea and coffee for Ministers’ meetings with external visitors, or on the rare occasion when Ministers undertake overnight stays on official business outside London.

    Our Departmental savings has also been assisted by terminating Ministerial group spending on Government Procurement Cards, as practiced by the Labour Government at taxpayers’ expense at the likes of Sky City Casino, the Cinnamon Club, the Wolseley, Brasserie 44, Boisdales, Inn the Park, Mango Tree, Shepherds, Incognico, Buffalo Bar, Mr Chu’s China Palace, Tantric Jazz and Fat Tuesdays.

    We have showed that there is considerable scope for the public sector to generate significant savings in this area, as evident from the ongoing saving of up to half a million pounds a year.

    To place our savings in context, as noted in the answer of 8 April 2014, Official Report, House of Lords, Column 270WA, when the rt. hon. Member was Secretary of State, he spent £444,891 on catering, hospitality and refreshments in 2008-09 and £552,367 in 2009-10.

    I know that the rt. hon. Member has a particular interest in biscuits, so to help quantify this amount, his spending in his last year in office is equivalent today to buying 720,479 packets of Jamie Dodgers from Waitrose (albeit, with a free cup of coffee thrown in).