Category: Speeches

  • James Clappison – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    James Clappison – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by James Clappison on 2014-06-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the position of (a) the Christian community and (b) other religious minorities in Mosul, Iraq; what reports he has received of Christians fleeing their homes in Mosul; and if he will make a statement.

    Hugh Robertson

    We are concerned by the impact of the security situation in Mosul for all Iraqis living there, including religious minorities. Reports estimate that 500,000 people have left the Mosul area to escape violence caused when the Islamic State of Iraq and Levant (ISIL) attacked the city on 10 June. Many have sought refuge in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. A team from the Department for International Development arrived in Erbil on 13 June to assess the situation on the ground and co-ordinate with partners. We continue to monitor the situation closely.

  • Angus Robertson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Angus Robertson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Angus Robertson on 2014-03-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assets he has designated for search and rescue under section 2.5 of Annex 12 of the Convention on International Civil Aviation; and where each such asset is located.

    Stephen Hammond

    I refer the Hon. Member to my answer of 2 September 2013 [Official Report, Column 153W].

  • Karen Lumley – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Karen Lumley – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Karen Lumley on 2014-06-11.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent assessment he has made of whether Atos is an appropriate body to conduct (a) the delivery of tax-free childcare and (b) other outsourced work on behalf of National Savings and Investments.

    Nicky Morgan

    On the 23 May the Government published a further consultation on the delivery of childcare accounts within Tax-Free Childcare. The consultation will be open until 27 June and the Government will consider the responses alongside those to the first consultation before it makes its decision on the provision of childcare accounts.

    Atos was awarded the contract to provide services to NS&I, and to use the NS&I related assets, processes and infrastructure to provide services to others on a shared service basis subject to assessment of scope and nature, and agreement of NS&I. The contract was awarded following an open and competitive tender process and commenced on the 1st April 2014, and is subject to ongoing scrutiny based on defined service levels, transparency requirements and a clear risk strategy.

  • Katy Clark – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Katy Clark – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Katy Clark on 2014-04-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many times the Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centre, Liverpool, was staffed at below risk-assessed levels in March 2014.

    Stephen Hammond

    During March 2014 Liverpool Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) was staffed below risk assessed levels on 8 occasions out of 62 shifts.

    Where there are specific issues at a MRCC Her Majesty’s Coastguard is using the current long established pairing arrangements between MRCCs. This enables each MRCC to be connected to at least one other MRCC which is available to provide mutual support.

  • 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 estimate he has made of the value of London Midland’s rolling stock maintenance contract with Siemens after the direct award of the franchise for the period September 2015 to June 2017.

    Stephen Hammond

    Negotiations for the direct award of the West Midlands franchise are yet to commence and the Department has not made any estimate on the value of London Midland’s contract with Angel Trains. It should be noted that the value of rolling stock contracts are a commercial matter between the operator and the rolling stock owner.

  • Chi Onwurah – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Chi Onwurah – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chi Onwurah on 2014-04-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what evidence his Department has collected on public perception of health and safety regulation.

    Mike Penning

    I have been asked to respond as Minister with responsibilty for the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).

    Reviews of health and safety regulation carried out for the Government by Lord Young and by Professor Ragnar Löfstedt, and endorsed in HSE’s recent triennial review, found a near universal agreement that the UK legal framework is fit for purpose. However, there does exist some misunderstanding about what H&S legislation actually requires.

    Partly in response to this, the Health and Safety Executive’s Myth Busters Challenge Panel allows the public to challenge decisions and policies ascribed to health and safety if they believe them to be incorrect.

    To date the Panel has considered over 270 cases. Details can be found at http://www.hse.gov.uk/myth/index.htm

  • Baroness Scott of Needham Market – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Baroness Scott of Needham Market – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Scott of Needham Market on 2014-06-11.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what analysis has been made of the ability of Universal Credit recipients to meet other essential needs after rent arrears have been deducted at the proposed level of 40 per cent.

    Lord Freud

    Deductions from Universal Credit are made after considering the claimant’s individual circumstances and ability to afford the deductions. The maximum that can be deducted for all deductions, including rent arrears, is an amount equivalent to 40 per cent of the claimant’s Universal Credit Standard Allowance. The only exceptions to this rule are deductions for normal consumption of utilities and in cases where a sanction or penalty is being applied or a (Universal Credit) advance is being recovered. Where appropriate the rate of deduction can be reduced.

  • Simon Hart – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Simon Hart – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Simon Hart on 2014-04-03.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps the Government has taken to allow the movement of UK refined oil products to UK oil terminals in coastal tankers on a duty suspended basis.

    Nicky Morgan

    This information is held on a HMRC database and includes excise identification and approval numbers unique to the traders listed. For taxpayer confidentiality reasons this information is not publically available, and there is no intention to publish it.

    Eligibility criteria for a duty deferment guarantee waiver under the Excise Payment Security System do not apply to or exclude particular sectors. These criteria are published by HMRC, and apply to all applicants.

    HMRC is considering the future of the vapour recovery scheme as part of the wider work programme to determine the appropriate course of action in respect of all their extra-statutory concessions.

    The Government’s policy is not to allow duty suspended movements within the UK, this is both for administrative simplicity and to reduce the opportunities for criminal activity and fraud.

  • Baroness Tonge – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Baroness Tonge – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Tonge on 2014-06-11.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their most recent assessment of the level of medical supplies in Gazan hospitals.

    Baroness Northover

    DFID is deeply concerned at the shortage of medical supplies and drugs in Gazan hospitals. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has estimated that in Gaza at 29% of drugs are at zero stock (less than 1 month’s supply). DFID is supporting the UN Access Coordination Unit to work with the WHO, Israel, the Palestinian Authority, and aid agencies to facilitate the transfer of medical equipment and supplies and patient referrals in and out of Gaza.

  • Graham Jones – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Graham Jones – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Graham Jones on 2014-04-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, whether his proposed changes to the energy company obligation will reduce funding availability for flood-risk homes which are automatically defined as hard-to-treat.

    Gregory Barker

    Homes at risk of flooding are not automatically defined as having hard-to-treat cavity walls, however flood-risk homes with hard-to-treat cavity walls are eligible for funding under the Energy Company Obligation. Proposed changes to the scheme will enable more homes to receive funding for energy efficiency measures, including those homes that are at risk of flooding.