Category: Speeches

  • 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 2014-03-26.

    To ask the hon. Member for South West Devon, representing the Speaker’s Committee on the Electoral Commission, pursuant to the Answer of 29 November 2013, Official Report, columns 455-6W, on the Electoral Register, if he will place in the Library a copy of the Electoral Commission’s review of public engagement strategies.

    Mr Gary Streeter

    The Electoral Commission informs me that its Report, titled ‘Readiness for the transition to Individual Electoral Registration’ was published on 31 March with a copy placed in the House Library. The Commission’s report includes the conclusions of its assessment of all Electoral Registration Officers’ (EROs’) public engagement strategies, which found that all EROs have the right plans in place to identify the challenges for their particular local area and what mechanisms they will use to engage with residents to maximise registration. The Commission has also written to the honourable member with a copy of its report.

  • Mark Williams – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Mark Williams – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Williams on 2014-06-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what recent estimate he has made of the demand for (a) homes built to lifetime home standards and (b) wheelchair accessible homes.

    Stephen Williams

    The Department for Communities and Local Government, does not hold information on the overall demand for lifetime homes or wheelchair-accessible properties in the UK.

    While the Department’s English Housing Survey does ask respondents whether their current accommodation requires adaptations given their disability or long standing illness, these questions do not ask specifically about wheelchair accessibility. It is therefore not possible to estimate demand for wheelchair accessible properties in England using this data source.

    Estimates using the English Housing Survey show there to be around 1.1 million wheelchair-accessible homes in England, equating to 5 per cent of the dwelling stock. Data reported by social landlords, in England, shows that around 1 per cent (2,700 of 240,000 general needs lettings) of tenants taking up a social letting in 2011/12 identified their household as needing wheelchair accessible housing (source: The Continuous Recording of Lettings and Sales of Social Housing in England).

  • 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 2014-03-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what measures he has in place to establish the extent to which work programme providers have assisted participants to improve their literacy and numeracy skills.

    Esther McVey

    The Work Programme is designed to be flexible and tailored to each individual, with some participants requiring more support than others which may include assistance in improving their literacy and numeracy skills. The Department has a robust performance management regime which includes assurance of service delivery at individual participant level

  • Luciana Berger – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Luciana Berger – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Luciana Berger on 2014-06-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to increase the amount of research undertaken into ways to detect the origin of primary cancer in those suffering from cancer of the unknown primary.

    Dr Daniel Poulter

    Research infrastructure funded by the Department’s National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) is currently hosting the following study:

    A multi-centre phase II trial to assess the efficacy of epirubicin, cisplatin and capecitabine in carcinomas of unknown primary: incorporating the prospective validation of molecular classifiers in diagnosis and classification and exploratory metabonomics.

    Overall NIHR investment in cancer research increased from £102 million in 2009-10 to £133 million in 2012-13. The NIHR welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health, including cancer of unknown primary. These applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards being made on the basis of the importance of the topic to patients and the National Health Service, value for money and scientific quality.

  • Mr Michael Meacher – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Mr Michael Meacher – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mr Michael Meacher on 2014-03-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many benefit claimants have been sanctioned for (a) four weeks, (b) three months and (c) three years (i) nationally and (ii) in Oldham in the last year.

    Esther McVey

    The information requested is not readily available and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

  • Gavin Williamson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Gavin Williamson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gavin Williamson on 2014-06-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what guidance his Department gives local authorities on the suspension of school staff.

    Mr David Laws

    The School Staffing (England) Regulations 2009 require local authority-maintained schools to establish procedures to regulate the conduct and discipline of staff, including the suspension of staff. This requirement is set out in the Department’s guidance on Managing Staff Employment in Schools. The Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (ACAS) also provides detailed advice for all employers including self-governing schools and local authorities on the suspension of school staff.

  • Mr Jim Cunningham – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Mr Jim Cunningham – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mr Jim Cunningham on 2014-03-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what recent assessment he has made of the appropriateness of the current recommended age of retirement for firefighters.

    Brandon Lewis

    [Holding Reply: Monday 31 March 2014]

    An independent review for the Firefighters’ Pension Committee in 2013 found that, under current practices, firefighters would be operationally fit at age 60 if they maintain a physically active and healthy lifestyle. One in three members of a firefighters’ pension scheme is in the New Firefighters’ Pension Scheme 2006, which already has a Normal Pension Age of 60. The Public Service Pensions Act 2013 set the Normal Pension Age for the reformed firefighters’ pension scheme to be age 60 from 2015, in line with the recommendation from Lord Hutton’s independent report.

    A firefighter with a full career earning £29,000 will be able to retire at age 60 with a pension of £19,000 per annum. Firefighters will be able to retire before the scheme’s Normal Pension Age with an actuarial reduction.

  • David Crausby – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    David Crausby – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Crausby on 2014-06-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the five most common causes of admission to hospital have been for (a) children and (b) adults in Bolton since 2010.

    Jane Ellison

    The information is shown in the attached table.

  • Diana Johnson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Diana Johnson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Diana Johnson on 2014-03-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many people have been convicted of an offence contrary to section 42 of the Armed Forces Act 2006 which (a) corresponds to an offence contrary to any provision specified in part 1 of the table in paragraph 1 of the Schedule to the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006 (Prescribed Criteria and Miscellaneous Provisions) Regulations 2009 and was committed in circumstances specified in the entry in the second column of that part of that table which corresponds to the relevant entry in the first column of that part of that table or (b) corresponds to an offence contrary to a provision specified in part 2 of that table in each of the last four years.

    Anna Soubry

    The information will take time to collate, I will write to the hon. Member shortly.

  • Sarah Teather – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Sarah Teather – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sarah Teather on 2014-06-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will hold an inquiry into trends in the number of deaths of individuals detained in immigration detention.

    James Brokenshire

    Any death in immigration detention is a tragic event and each death is subject
    to independent investigation, as appropriate, by the police, the Coroner and
    the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman.

    Any recommendations made by the investigating authorities are thoroughly
    examined to see how they can be used to help prevent further tragedies across
    the detention estate and action plans are drawn up to monitor their
    implementation.

    For example, firm written reminders were issued to all suppliers on the
    requirements of the current Detention Services Order on use of handcuffs, which
    was followed up by a workshop on their appropriate use and the importance of
    proper risk assessments. Recommendations relevant to medical care for detainees
    have been shared with NHS England to inform their commissioning of healthcare
    services from 1 September 2014.