Category: Speeches

  • Sarah Champion – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Sarah Champion – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sarah Champion on 2014-06-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many (a) children and (b) vulnerable adult witnesses gave evidence remotely in 2013.

    Damian Green

    Facilities for remote video links are now available in 84 Crown Court centres and 165 Magistrates Courts. These facilities enable the victim or witness to appear by video link from a different court location to that of the trial court.

    As part of the action plan to increase video usage across the Criminal Justice System, we intend to examine how to best extend use of remote links for vulnerable, intimidated and other priority victims, as defined by the Victims’ Code.

    The department does not hold a breakdown of child and vulnerable adult usage of remote links for giving evidence.

  • Maria Eagle – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Maria Eagle – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Maria Eagle on 2014-03-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to his Answer of 24 March 2014, Official Report, column 33W, on flood control, what the reasons are for the disparity between the figures given in that Answer and those contained in the Red Book Table 2.1 Line 34 for 2014-15 and 2015-16.

    Dan Rogerson

    The figures that I provided in my answers of 24 March 2014, Official Report, column 33W, relate to increases in Government funding for flood defence in England announced in the Budget 2014. The figures in the Red Book Table 2.1 Line 34 for 2014-15 and 2015-16 include consequential funding for the devolved administrations. The presentation of these figures is consistent with the rest of the table and the standard way of presenting fiscal costs in Budgets.

  • Dan Jarvis – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Dan Jarvis – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dan Jarvis on 2014-06-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what representations (a) Ministers and (b) officials in his Department have received on the use of constraint in secure colleges.

    Jeremy Wright

    During the passage of the Criminal Justice and Courts Bill through this House my officials and I have received representations from Members of the House and a number of stakeholders on the use of reasonable force for the purposes of ensuring good order and discipline in Secure Colleges.

    The Bill provides for the use of force by a custody officer in discharging his or her duties, but only in circumstances authorised by Secure College rules. At Report stage on 16 May 2014 I announced that we will be consulting on the approach to the Rules, while the Bill is still before Parliament.

  • Heidi Alexander – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Heidi Alexander – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Heidi Alexander on 2014-03-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much has been spent by his Department on platform lengthening on the Integrated Kent Franchise routes in each year since 2000, by station.

    Stephen Hammond

    It is Network Rail who has funded and delivered the platform lengthening on the Integrated Kent Franchise routes. The Department has no detailed information on individual station costs.

  • Adam Afriyie – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Adam Afriyie – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Adam Afriyie on 2014-06-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate he has made of how many properties at risk of flooding in (a) Windsor constituency and (b) the Thames Valley that will not be covered by the new Flood Re scheme.

    Dan Rogerson

    The assessment of the impact the scope of the Flood Re Scheme will have was done at a UK level. There was no specific assessment for individual constituencies or regions.

  • Simon Kirby – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Simon Kirby – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Simon Kirby on 2014-04-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent discussions his Department has had with Brighton and Hove City Council on the condition of roads in that area; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    Officials at the Department for Transport discuss highways maintenance matters with local authorities as and when issues are raised with them. Brighton and Hove City Council also registered to attent the recent "Gearing up for Efficient Highway Delivery and Funding from 2015 Roadshow" where the Department sought views from the sector on the future of funding arrangements for highways maintenance and on improvements to the value for money of the local road network programme.

    The Department for Transport provides capital funding to local highway authorities from the local maintenance highways maintenance capital block grant and over the four year period from 2011 Brighton and Hove City Council’s allocation is £13.9 million.

    The Department has also allocated additional highways maintenance funding to authorities to help repair roads damaged due to severe weather events. For Brighton and Hove City Council this includes £0.152 million in 2010/11, £0.412 million in March 2011 and more recently £0.295 million in March 2014.

    A £200 million Pothole Fund was announced in the recent Budget. From this, £168 million is being made available to councils in England through a bidding exercise. Further details of the fund were made available on 24 April, and can be found at:

    www.gov.uk/government/publications/pothole-fund-2014-to-2015-application.

    Any local authorities wishing to apply for a share of the funding are required to submit an application to the Department for Transport by 22 May 2014.

    “

  • Jim Cunningham – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Jim Cunningham – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2014-06-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what proportion of London Midland’s current rolling stock is within the scope of the company’s fleet maintenance contract with Siemens.

    Stephen Hammond

    Prior to the delivery of the new class 350/3 trains ordered in 2012 , 74 trains (45% of the London Midland fleet) was maintained by Siemens; upon completion of delivery, 84 trains (49% of the fleet) will be maintained by Siemens.

  • Zac Goldsmith – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Zac Goldsmith – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Zac Goldsmith on 2014-04-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how many representations he has received relating to concerns over Grant Thornton’s handling of insolvency or bankruptcy cases since 2010.

    Jenny Willott

    Prior to the introduction of the Insolvency Service’s Complaints Gateway in June 2013 no central record was maintained of numbers of complaints made against individual firms.

    Since June 2013 there have been 794 complaints received via the Complaints Gateway, of which 70 related to recorded complaints about insolvency practitioners from Grant Thornton in respect to formal insolvency procedures.

  • Lord Lexden – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Lord Lexden – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Lexden on 2014-06-11.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what proportion of the Department for International Development’s spending on research and development is devoted to developing new drugs, vaccines and diagnostics for HIV.

    Baroness Northover

    The Research and Evidence Division within DFID spent £320 million during the financial year 2013-14. Research spend covers a wide range of different types of research across a number of themes including agriculture, climate and environment, education, governance, conflict and social development, growth and health research.

    The total spent on developing new drugs, vaccines, diagnostics and microbicides for HIV was £4.5m during the financial year 2013-14. Funding was provided to the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI) and the International Partnership for Microbicides (IPM). This amount represented 1.4% of the total Research and Evidence Division spend.

  • Margaret Ritchie – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Margaret Ritchie – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Margaret Ritchie on 2014-04-03.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what progress has been made on the voluntary exit scheme for staff at HM Revenue and Customs offices in Northern Ireland.

    Mr David Gauke

    HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) launched two voluntary exit schemes in November 2013 for people in 21 of its offices and for people in its Debt Management and Banking division. Further schemes were opened in February 2014, for eligible staff at Administrative Assistant grade across the country and for people affected by the decision to replace enquiry centres with a new service for customers who need extra help.

    There are nine offices or enquiry centres across Northern Ireland where eligible people have been invited to apply for one of the schemes. A summary of the progress at 4 April 2014 can be found in the table below.

    Location

    Invited to apply

    Applied for VE

    Offered VE*

    Accepted VE

    Declined VE

    Pending Decision**

    Antrim

    1

    1

    1

    1

    Ballymena

    4

    3

    3

    1

    2

    Belfast

    17

    14

    11

    5

    3

    3

    Coleraine

    10

    9

    9

    3

    3

    3

    Craigavon

    11

    7

    7

    3

    1

    3

    Enniskillen

    30

    24

    23

    5

    17

    1

    Lisburn

    8

    7

    7

    4

    1

    2

    Londonderry

    79

    66

    66

    32

    34

    0

    Newry

    137

    45

    45

    30

    15

    0

    Total

    297

    176

    172

    83

    74

    15

    * 4 of those that applied withdrew their applications after being successful in obtaining a post in the new service for customers who need extra help

    ** A decision is pending for 15 people as they have until 28 April to decide whether or not to accept a formal offer of voluntary exit.