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 2014-06-18.

    To ask the hon. Member for South West Devon, representing the Speaker’s Committee on the Electoral Commission, which 100 wards in which town, county and constituency had the lowest turnout for voting in person at the last General Election.

    Mr Gary Streeter

    The Electoral Commission informs me that it does not hold the data requested at ward level.

    The Commission collects electoral data at each set of polls. In nearly all cases this is collected down to the level of individual contests, which means that it only holds ward level data for local elections.

  • Chuka Umunna – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Chuka Umunna – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chuka Umunna on 2014-04-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what due diligence was undertaken by officials in his Department in relation to the reliability of the gentlemen’s agreement on the holding of Royal Mail shares by priority investors.

    Michael Fallon

    There was no agreement – gentleman’s or otherwise – on the holding of Royal Mail shares by priority investors.

  • 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 2014-06-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people started to receive universal credit in March 2014.

    Esther McVey

    Statistics on how many people started Universal Credit in March 2014 can be found at:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/universal-credit-statistics

  • John Stevenson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    John Stevenson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Stevenson on 2014-04-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how much compensation was paid by the Land Registry following fraudulent registrations in each year since 2005.

    Michael Fallon

    Indemnity figures are published in Land Registry’s annual report and accounts and the information for the years requested is collated below:

    Financial Year

    Indemnity paid due to fraud and forgery (£)*

    2005/06

    9,834,617.73

    2006/07

    2,123,496.34

    2007/08

    3,953,378.02

    2008/09

    5,074,113.43

    2009/10

    4,947,650.06

    2010/11

    7,367,416.18

    2011/12

    7,190,094.82

    2012/13

    5,101,916.00

    2013/14

    7,209,713.53

    *Substantive loss plus costs

  • Katy Clark – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Katy Clark – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Katy Clark on 2014-06-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when he last reviewed the level of income disregard threshold for employment and support allowance.

    Esther McVey

    The occupational pension income threshold for Employment and Support Allowance was last reviewed as part of the 2014/15 annual uprating exercise. It was decided that no change would be made.

  • Shabana Mahmood – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Shabana Mahmood – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Shabana Mahmood on 2014-04-07.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will estimate the cost to the Exchequer of raising the £325,000 inheritance tax threshold to (a) £1 million and (b) £500,000 in each of the next five financial years.

    Mr David Gauke

    This Government has no current plans to increase the inheritance tax threshold.

  • Stephen Metcalfe – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Stephen Metcalfe – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Metcalfe on 2014-06-18.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what fiscal measures he has introduced to reduce taxes on families.

    Mr David Gauke

    This government appreciates that times are tough and budgets are squeezed for families, which is why we have taken continued action to help ease the burden on hard working families.

    Measures have included raising the Personal Allowance to £10500; abolishing the previous government’s fuel duty escalator, and introducing a further 2 years of Council Tax freeze funding in 2014/15 and 2015/16 for local authorities which choose to freeze Council Tax.

  • Kerry McCarthy – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Kerry McCarthy – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kerry McCarthy on 2014-04-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what meetings (a) he and (b) Ministers in his Department have had with (i) secularist and (b) humanist organisations since May 2010.

    Stephen Williams

    Ministers have regular meetings with a range of different partners and organisations. Details of Ministers’ meetings with external organisations are published on the Department’s website.

  • Thomas Docherty – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Thomas Docherty – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Thomas Docherty on 2014-06-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, whether export licences to Syria have been granted for the period since 1 July 2012; and if he will describe any such material so exported.

    Michael Fallon

    Five Standard Individual Export Licences (SIELs) and one Open Individual Export Licence (OIEL) have been granted.

    The information provided relates to goods or services that have been licensed for export. The licences were granted to international and humanitarian organisations to support and protect staff working in these organisations. The six licences granted authorise export of the following:

    SIEL for: components for body armour;

    SIEL for: NBC (nuclear, biological and chemical) protective/defensive equipment;

    SIEL for: body armour, components for body armour, military helmets;

    SIEL for: body armour, military helmets;

    SIEL for: components for all-wheel drive vehicles with ballistic protection;

    OIEL for: cryptographic software; equipment employing cryptography.

    The licences were granted to international and humanitarian organisations to support and protect staff working in these organisations.

  • Dan Jarvis – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Dan Jarvis – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dan Jarvis on 2014-04-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what information his Department holds on the number of (a) aggravated assaults against members of the armed forces and (b) times members of the armed forces were discriminated against in bars, restaurants and hotels in each year since 2003.

    Anna Soubry

    This information is not held by the Department.