Category: Speeches

  • – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by on 2014-04-01.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the statement in Practical Steps to Improve Management Information in Government that ill-informed public comment can create a conflicting incentive on departments and reduce the impartiality of reporting and thereby data integrity”

    Lord Wallace of Saltaire

    The Government’s position is to be as transparent as possible. We consult widely on what data should be published in Dr Martin Read’s report "Practical Steps to Improve Management Information in Government” commissioned by the Minister for the Cabinet Office and Chief Secretary to the Treasury in 2012 and regularly consider publication of performance data as part of this consultation.

  • Chris Ruane – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Deputy Prime Minister

    Chris Ruane – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Deputy Prime Minister

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Ruane on 2014-06-04.

    To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, if he will bring forward legislative proposals to provide that the freeze dates for population size for boundary reviews and the census be in the same year.

    Greg Clark

    The Government has no plans to do so. Using population figures derived from census data would not provide a better basis for a review of constituency boundaries than using the electoral register.

  • Lord Rooker – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Lord Rooker – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Rooker on 2014-04-01.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Taylor of Holbeach on 26 March (WA 122), what are the relevant trigger dates for consideration of any documents they may hold relating to Hilda Murrell.

    Lord Taylor of Holbeach

    The relevant trigger date for the one file that the HO holds relating to Hilda Murrell is July 2014 when Home Office will make an application to that month’s Lord Chancellor’s Advisory Council to allow this file to be transferred to The National Archives. Providing this application is approved, this file will be available for perusal by members of the public by 31 December 2014.

  • 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 2014-06-04.

    To ask the hon. Member for South West Devon, representing the Speaker’s Committee on the Electoral Commission, what (a) number and (b) proportion of voters voted (i) at a polling station and (ii) by postal ballot in each European parliamentary constituency in each such election since 1984.

    Mr Gary Streeter

    The Electoral Commission was formed in 2000 and as a result it only holds information from the 2004 European parliamentary elections onwards. It has placed the data it holds in the library.

    The full datasets for the 2014 European parliamentary elections will be available at the end of August.

  • Iain Wright – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Iain Wright – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Iain Wright on 2014-03-31.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how much of the £60 million provided to support proof of concept development of near-market agricultural innovations described in A UK Strategy for Agricultural Technologies has been allocated.

    Mr David Willetts

    To date eleven feasibility studies have been agreed, which will be supported by £2.8 million of Government funding and £1.4 million of industry co-investment. A further tranche of funding will be announced shortly.

  • Dan Byles – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Dan Byles – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dan Byles on 2014-06-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what assessment he has made of the proportion of the Demand Side Balancing Reserve that will comprise of active demand reduction rather than switching on generation assets.

    Michael Fallon

    The Demand Side Balancing Reserve is operated by National Grid independently from Government. Once National Grid has concluded the procurement of the reserve in the autumn it will be possible to identify the proportion of the reserve that comprises ‘load reduction’ rather than the export of additional generation onto the grid (though initial expressions of interest to National Grid suggest that around 75% of the reserve may be provided by load reduction). However, it will not be possible to determine whether this load reduction is achieved through a reduction in demand, or by turning on local back up generation to meet local needs.

  • 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, how many local authorities affected by the recent floods are offering council tax discounts to flooded-out householders under section 13A of the Local Government Finance Act 1992.

    Brandon Lewis

    [Holding Reply: Thursday 3 April 2014]

    My rt. hon. Friend, the PrimeMinister announced on 19 February 2014 that Government will reimburse local authorities for providing council tax discounts for flooded homes. 48 local authorities have reported that they had already offered discounts by 17 March, with a further 63 planning to do so in using their discretionary powers under section 13A of the Local Government Finance Act 1992. It is for local authorities to determine whether they wish to take up the Government’s offer of funding, depending on the precise scale and extent of local flooding.

  • Roger Williams – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Roger Williams – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

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

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to ensure that the UK’s sanitary and phytosanitary rules in food production are not affected by the agreement of the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership.

    George Eustice

    The Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership could be worth £10 billion a year to the UK economy, with potential to deliver significant opportunities for the UK agriculture, food and drink sectors. Sanitary and phytosanitary issues are likely to be critical to a successful agreement. I am pursuing these in consultation with industry and other interested parties to ensure progress is made, based on sound science and consistent with our biosecurity and food safety standards.

  • Jonathan Edwards – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Jonathan Edwards – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jonathan Edwards on 2014-03-31.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans he has to encourage the use of alternatives to chlorine as a disinfectant in drinking water; and if he will make a statement.

    Dan Rogerson

    By law, water companies are required to supply safe drinking water at the tap. Companies are free to choose the technology they use to treat water and in doing so are required to ensure it is correctly designed, operated and maintained. Increasingly a combination of filtration and ultra violet light is used by companies in England and Wales as an alternative to chlorine.

  • David Simpson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    David Simpson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Simpson on 2014-06-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the human rights situation in China.

    Mr Hugo Swire

    We do have concerns about restrictions to civil and political freedoms in China, particularly around ethnic minority rights; the death penalty; and freedom of expression, association and assembly.

    The climate for human rights defenders and civil society is very difficult, and security in areas with ethnic minorities remains tight.

    Ministers regularly raise human rights issues with Chinese counterparts, and we highlight our concerns in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s Annual Report on Human Rights and Democracy.