Category: Speeches

  • Sheila Gilmore – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Sheila Gilmore – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sheila Gilmore on 2014-06-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what visits each of the Ministers in his Department have made since January 2013; and what the purpose of each such visit was.

    Jeremy Wright

    The Department is not able to provide this information without incurring disproportionate cost because this would require extensive searches of all current and former Ministers’ diaries over this period and further research to confirm the purpose of each visit.

    I can confirm that Ministers from this Department go on regular visits which are relevant to their portfolios, including to courts and tribunals, prisons, probation services and a wide range of organisations connected to the Department’s work.

  • Angus Robertson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Angus Robertson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Angus Robertson on 2014-03-31.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many times HMS Hermes docked in Portsmouth Harbour.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    The number of times HMS Hermes docked in Portsmouth Harbour for maintenance and refit, is shown in the following table.

    Dates

    Reason

    September – November 1960

    Maintenance

    October 1961 – April 1962

    Refit

    October – November 1962

    Maintenance

    November 1966 – January 1967

    Maintenance

    March – May 1968

    Maintenance

    April – August 1969

    Maintenance

    December 1969 – January 1970

    Maintenance

    November 1978 – January 1979

    Maintenance

    March – May 1979

    Maintenance

    November 1979 – January 1980

    Maintenance

    March 1980 – May 1981

    Refit

    December 1981 – January 1982

    Maintenance

    March – April 1982

    Maintenance

    August – November 1982

    Maintenance

    July – August 1983

    Maintenance
  • David Winnick – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    David Winnick – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

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

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will direct Network Rail to inform officially the hon. Member for Walsall North when the work on the bridge at Broad Lane, Bloxwich, Walsall arising from electrification of the railway line will be finally completed.

    Stephen Hammond

    Network Rail is currently a private sector company limited by guarantee and the duration of the Broad Lane bridge replacement works is an operational matter for the company.

    Network Rail advises that the replacement works are due to be completed and the bridge is due to be re-opened to road traffic on Friday 20 June.

  • David Morris – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    David Morris – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Morris on 2014-03-31.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will include cancer awareness education as part of the national curriculum in personal, social and health education.

    Elizabeth Truss

    Cancer awareness is important for all young people. However, I do not believe that there should be a statutory requirement for it to be taught in schools. The Government aims to reduce prescription throughout the education system, and trusts schools to provide what is best for their students. The Department for Education does not collect data on this topic.

    Schools are free to teach cancer awareness when it is relevant to the national curriculum. For example, the science curriculum requires pupils to learn about the effects of drugs on their bodies, and the importance of physical activity and a healthy lifestyle is included in the requirements for physical education. In design and technology, schools may highlight the importance of nutrition and a healthy diet. Schools may include cancer awareness as part of personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education, using suitable resources from relevant organisations. The PSHE Association has produced a suggested programme of study as guidance for teachers, and continues to highlight other sources of expertise.

  • Stephen Timms – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Stephen Timms – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2014-06-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department taks to investigate allegations from a whistleblower of impropriety in a Work Choice contract.

    Esther McVey

    The Department treats any allegation of fraud by contractors very seriously, regardless of where these emanate from. Any fraud is completely unacceptable. Where we identify, or are notified of, allegations of contractor fraud, these cases are investigated thoroughly by the Department’s professionally trained and experienced investigators to a standard required to support reference to the Police whenever evidence of criminal offences is discovered.

    All contracted employment providers are required to have whistleblowing procedures that support their employees in reporting suspected wrongdoing at work and ‘making a disclosure in the public interest’. If they consider that they cannot raise suspicions of abuse of government funds with their employer, they should contact the Comptroller and Auditor General of the National Audit Office (NAO). This route is used to escalate whistleblower concerns and DWP Internal Investigations work with the NAO to investigate these matters and take appropriate action where issues are identified. This is an important channel in ensuring that employees can raise concerns and that they can be protected legally when doing so.

  • Philip Davies – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Philip Davies – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Philip Davies on 2014-03-31.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many prisons have recycling units run by (a) prisoners and (b) outside contractors.

    Jeremy Wright

    There are currently 108 prisons that have recycling units. Of the 95 recycling units operated by public sector prisons, three of them are supervised by private contractors. 13 private sector prisons also have recycling units, many of these units employ prisoners.

  • Gregg McClymont – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Gregg McClymont – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gregg McClymont on 2014-06-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether he proposes that his planned charge cap on workplace pensions from April 2015 will apply to new collective defined contribution schemes.

    Steve Webb

    The Government’s Defined Ambition Bill will bring new forms of collective pension arrangements to the UK, and it is vital that member protection, good governance and fair charges remain at the heart of this system.

    Details of how any charge cap may be applied to Collective Defined Contribution schemes will be in place before this legislation is commenced.

  • Stephen Doughty – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Stephen Doughty – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Doughty on 2014-03-31.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 13 June 2013, Official Report, column 419W, on employment and support allowance, whether his Department expects to complete the incapacity benefit reassessment process in April 2014.

    Mike Penning

    I refer the hon. Member to the written ministerial statement I made on 27 March 2014. Official Report col. 56-57WS.

    http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201314/cmhansrd/cm140327/wmstext/140327m0002.htm#14032769000011

    “

  • 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 2014-06-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, with reference to the Written Statement of 11 June 2014, Official Report, column 47WS, on UK Green Investment Bank, whether funds additional to the £3.87 billion allocated to the UK International Climate Fund will be provided to the (a) Bank and (b) Fund.

    Michael Fallon

    No. The total amount of funding allocated to the International Climate Fund remains unchanged. The proposal being explored is that the Green Investment Bank would help the Department for Energy and Climate Change (DECC) to invest a limited amount of those funds.

  • Julian Sturdy – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Julian Sturdy – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Julian Sturdy on 2014-03-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to ensure that (a) the welfare of horses is considered a priority in live exports and (b) laws relating to the welfare of horses are being enforced.

    George Eustice

    The Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency (AHVLA) carries out non-discriminatory, risk-based inspections of animals, means of transport and accompanying documentation, as required by Council Regulation (EC) 1/2005. This Regulation is implemented in England by The Welfare of Animals (Transport) (England) Order 2006 (WATEO).

    Local authorities are responsible for enforcement of this legislation, in terms of investigating and, where appropriate, taking prosecution action against any transporters alleged to have committed an offence.