Category: Speeches

  • Simon Burns – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the House of Commons Commission

    Simon Burns – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the House of Commons Commission

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Simon Burns on 2014-06-16.

    To ask the hon. Member for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross representing the House of Commons Commission, what assessment will be made, prior to the appointment of the next Clerk of the House and Chief Executive, of each candidate’s knowledge of and expertise on procedural and constitutional issues.

    John Thurso

    Three organisations specialising in executive search services were invited to tender to provide support for the recruitment of the next Clerk of the House and Chief Executive. Saxton Bampfylde was selected through this process.

    The selection panel comprises Mr Speaker, Rt Hon Andrew Lansley MP, Angela Eagle MP, John Thurso MP, Rt Hon Margaret Hodge MP and Dame Julie Mellor (Parliamentary & Health Service Ombudsman). No confirmation hearing is envisaged. The composition of the panel for the recruitment of the present postholder was Mr Speaker, Rt Hon Sir George Young MP, Rt Hon Hilary Benn MP, John Thurso MP, Rt Hon Sir Alan Beith MP, Rt Hon Lindsay Hoyle MP and Sheila Drew Smith.

    Knowledge of procedural and constitutional issues will be tested as part of the formal interview process. The Clerk of the House is appointed by the Crown by Letters Patent, on the recommendation of the Speaker to the Prime Minister, and the Prime Minister to the Crown. As part of normal pre-appointment checks it will be a requirement for the next Clerk of the House to be subject to security vetting. The terms of the recruitment brief were agreed by the Commission by correspondence, and the advertisement, finalised by the Speaker and the Director General of HR and Change, was based on the agreed brief.

  • Stephen Phillips – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Stephen Phillips – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Phillips on 2014-04-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to work with other EU member states to reduce the number of deaths of immigrants illegally coming to the EU via the sea.

    James Brokenshire

    The Government continues to have regular discussions with our EU partners in
    order to ensure that all Member States operate effective asylum and border
    management systems, including through cooperation with countries of origin and
    transit beyond the EU. This includes the UK’s participation in the EU’s Task
    Force Mediterranean, established following the Lampedusa tragedy last year to
    develop actions to prevent further deaths at sea.

    The Task Force involves Member States, the European Commission, the European
    External Action Service (EEAS) and key EU agencies (including Frontex, the
    European Asylum Support Office and Europol). It has developed a series of
    coherent actions, including cooperation with third countries and combating the
    organised criminals who facilitate many of these dangerous sea crossings.

    The Government strongly supports the Task Force proposal to develop information
    campaigns in countries of origin and transit as part of wider prevention
    efforts, and has shared our experience in this area with EU partners.

  • Kate Hoey – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Kate Hoey – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kate Hoey on 2014-06-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, on how many occasions the Royal Prerogative of Mercy has been granted in relation to offences occurring as a result and in the course of escaping from or breaking out of prison in the last 25 years; and if he will make a statement.

    Jeremy Wright

    We do not centrally hold data on the number of occasions the Royal Prerogative of Mercy has been exercised for the time period in question. Consequently, the information requested could be obtained only at disproportionate cost, as it would involve a manual trawl through the records of every prisoner who has formed part of the prison population for the last 25 years, to identify, firstly, if they have ever escaped from prison custody and secondly, if a request to exercise the Royal Prerogative of Mercy was successful.

  • Gavin Shuker – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Gavin Shuker – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gavin Shuker on 2014-04-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, with which non-governmental organisations and agencies her Department is working to help residents in the desert region of Thar in Sindh Province, Pakistan.

    Justine Greening

    The UK Government provides funding to the World Food Programme and UNICEF who are responding to the situation in Thar.

  • Ivan Lewis – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    Ivan Lewis – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ivan Lewis on 2014-06-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many (a) permanent and (b) non-permanent staff were employed in her Department on 1 June 2014.

    Mrs Theresa Villiers

    As of 1 June 2014, my Department employed 155 permanent members of staff made up of Home Civil Servants and Northern Ireland Civil Servants staff seconded to the Northern Ireland Office. Three part-time members of staff are engaged on an annual contract.

  • Tom Watson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Tom Watson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Watson on 2014-04-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what progress has been made by the cross-government working group on remotely piloted aircraft systems.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    The Cross Government Working Group has been discussing its draft Terms of Reference (extract copied below) and its membership. The focus of its work so far has been to gather information from the relevant departments to identify areas of common interest requiring collaboration.

    RPAS Cross Government Working Group Vision and Activities

    Vision : To provide a consistent government message on RPAS issues.

    Objectives:

    • Inform RPAS-related Departmental policies and publish a UK Cross Government vision / strategy for UAS.
    • To identify Cross Government synergies and opportunities for efficiencies.
    • To identify and address barriers to a successful UK industry base, to support the Government’s growth agenda.

    Approach

    • Focus for the co-ordination of all UK Government RPAS related activities.
    • Developing a better knowledge and a shared understanding of Departmental priorities, activities, ambitions & concerns.
    • Help industry understand Government needs and vision.
    • Identify opportunities.
    • Identify key questions.
    • Community of users [identification of user requirements].
    • UK PoC for RPAS.

    Issues to Address

    • Identifying the extent to which the UK can support safe and secure RPAS operations in the UK, including options for the certification of RPAS, pilot licensing, and associated systems.
    • Identifying the key characteristics of RPAS infrastructure, including the potential radio spectrum for RPAS operations in the UK.
    • Seek to identify common Cross Government user requirements to understand future concepts for shared assets / system procurement and maintenance.
    • Determining how the UK might best position itself to take advantage of RPAS industry and technology.

    Engagement

    Understand the potential benefits of RPAS to Government.

    Inform and be informed by active industry associations e.g.

    • Aeronautical and Aerospace and Defence Knowledge Transfer Network Autonomous Systems National technical committee.
    • Robotics and Autonomous Systems Special Interest Group.
    • Through identification of best practice and successful projects.
    • UK industry

  • Barry Sheerman – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Barry Sheerman – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Barry Sheerman on 2014-06-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he expects High Speed 2 will require a separate ticket pricing structure from regular rail services.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    The HS2 business case demonstrates that the project can deliver significant benefits for the country without any fares differential being required for journeys using the high speed line. It is too soon to know what fares will be set for travel on HS2 services. Government decisions about fares structures and regulation will be taken closer to the commencement of HS2 Phase One services in 2026.

  • Kate Green – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Kate Green – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kate Green on 2014-04-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what costs his Department has incurred in the development, promotion, monitoring and evaluation of the Sorting Out Separation web app to date; and what budget his Department assigned for the future promotion, updating, monitoring and redesign of that web app.

    Steve Webb

    The costs of the Sorting out Separation web app are £417.5k to date. This includes initial build, maintenance and development, hosting and promotion. It also includes the costs of the development of the diagnosis tool and the videos hosted on Sorting out Separation.

    The Department is in the process of considering the future direction of the Sorting out Separation web app and will shortly be taking steps to improve the profile of the app through search engine optimisation.

  • Fiona Mactaggart – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Fiona Mactaggart – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Fiona Mactaggart on 2014-06-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, how many households with a below-average income have received support for comprehensive insulation of their homes in the last year.

    Gregory Barker

    The Coalition Government is committed to fighting fuel poverty through the installation of robust energy efficiency measures.

    Statistics published this morning show that from the start of 2013 to the end of April 2014, 394,000 low-income and vulnerable consumers, or households in specified areas of low income, had benefitted from energy efficiency measures being installed under the new Energy Company Obligation.

  • Tracey Crouch – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Tracey Crouch – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tracey Crouch on 2014-04-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department has taken to provide families with financial assistance in caring for a child; and if he will make a statement.

    Mike Penning

    The Department provides families with financial assistance in caring for a child through Disability Living Allowance, Carer’s Allowance and the disability and carer premiums in the income-related benefits.