Category: Speeches

  • Helen Goodman – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture Media and Sport

    Helen Goodman – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Helen Goodman on 2014-06-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what proportion of public libraries replenished their full lending stock within eight and a half years in (a) 2010-11, (b) 2011-12, (c) 2012-13 and (d) 2013-14.

    Mr Edward Vaizey

    The detail requested is not held centrally by this Department. However the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA) collect, annually, from the individual library authorities comprehensive information relating to library service provision in the United Kingdom, which includes data relating to the questions raised. Copies of CIPFA statistics are available in the House Library.

  • Paul Blomfield – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Paul Blomfield – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Blomfield on 2014-04-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment she has made of international efforts to improve levels of safety and conditions of work in Bangladesh’s garment industry.

    Mr Alan Duncan

    I spent most of last week in Bangladesh, assessing the progress that has been made one year on from the tragedy of Rana Plaza. Steps have been taken to improve working conditions in the garment sector, including through factory inspections and strengthening the labour inspection regime. The UK’s support is focused on all areas where action is needed: improving building safety and working conditions, empowering workers and urging buyers to take responsibility for their supply chains.

  • 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 2014-06-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the completion date is for refurbishment of existing hydrodynamics research facilities at the Atomic Weapons Establishment Aldermaston; what the cost is of the refurbishment; and what the expected lifetime is of the new facilities.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    The refurbishment of the existing hydrodynamics research facilities at the Atomic Weapons Establishment Aldermaston is planned to be completed by summer 2016.

    The forecast cost of the refurbishment is £25.5 million.

    The refurbished facilities will have a range of expected lifetimes, estimated at between 10 and 15 years.

  • Gloria De Piero – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Gloria De Piero – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gloria De Piero on 2014-04-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how many and what proportion of small and medium-sized businesses were registered in each parliamentary constituency; and what the equivalent figures were in each of the last five years.

    Michael Fallon

    There is no central register of businesses. Companies House does have a register of companies but it cannot determine the number of companies classified as small and medium sized as defined by the Companies Act 2006. Information on companies registered in each parliamentary constituency could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

  • Bridget Phillipson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Bridget Phillipson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Bridget Phillipson on 2014-06-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will place a copy of 2014DIN07-082 on 2014/2015 Defence Cyber Practitioner Courses in the Library.

    Mr Mark Francois

    I have placed a redacted copy of the Defence Information Notice 2014DIN07-082 in the Library of the House.

  • Gregory Campbell – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Gregory Campbell – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gregory Campbell on 2014-04-02.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the likely reduction to the block grant for Northern Ireland in the current financial year arising from lack of progress on welfare reform.

    Danny Alexander

    I have written to the Northern Ireland Minister for Finance and Personnel setting out that the Treasury will reduce Northern Ireland Executive budgets to reflect savings foregone as a result of the lack of progress on welfare reforms already in place in the rest of the United Kingdom. For 2014/15 those estimated savings are £87m and in 2015/16 they will rise to £114m.

  • Liam Byrne – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Liam Byrne – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Liam Byrne on 2014-06-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many meetings he has had with his Department’s Chief Scientific Adviser in the last 12 months.

    Dan Rogerson

    The Secretary of State meets his Chief Scientific Adviser at least weekly, sometimes more frequently.

  • Tom Watson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Tom Watson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

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

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 27 March 2014, Official Report, columns 322-3W, on unmanned air vehicles, whether the training of UK personnel in the six countries identified has involved unmanned aircraft actively engaged in operations.

    Mr Mark Francois

    Training of UK personnel in the six countries identified has not involved unmanned aircraft actively engaged in operations. Unmanned aircraft system (UAS) training has only ever occurred in non-operational environments, specifically the countries listed in my previous answer on 27 March 2014. Army UAS actively engaged in operations have always been, and continue to be, remotely piloted solely by fully trained personnel operating on the ground in the country in which the operation is active. This has only been in Iraq and Afghanistan.

  • Douglas Carswell – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Douglas Carswell – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Douglas Carswell on 2014-06-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to ensure GPs are accessible to patients.

    Dr Daniel Poulter

    Through the Prime Minister’s Challenge Fund, more than 7.5 million people in England will start to be offered increased access to local general practitioner (GP) services, including seven-day opening and appointments outside of office hours. The Fund is supporting over 1,110 practices covering every region as part of a pilot scheme.

    The PM Challenge Fund is for one year and patients are expected to see positive changes from services from June/July onwards. An interim evaluation report is due in November this year. The full and final report is expected to be published in the early part of 2015-16. There will be a rolling programme of feedback on the pilots with case studies available from the summer onwards to help spread best practice across the country.

    In addition, the new GP contract introduced a new Enhanced Service, which includes a commitment to same day phone consultations with a professional in the GP surgery where necessary for the most at risk in the population.

  • Mark Tami – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Mark Tami – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Tami on 2014-04-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what involvement his Department had in overseeing the activities of the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority in awarding the Magnox/RSRL contract; and if he will make a statement.

    Michael Fallon

    The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) is responsible for running the competition to secure a new Parent Body Organisation for Magnox Ltd and Research Sites Restoration Ltd in line with its statutory duties and responsibilities under the Energy Act 2004. The competition is run in strict accordance with UK and EU procurement regulations. Oversight and governance is provided by the NDA’s Competition Programme Board, on which the Government is represented by the Shareholder Executive (on behalf of DECC), HM Treasury and Infrastructure UK. Formal Government approval will be required before the contract can be awarded in September.