Category: Speeches

  • Simon Kirby – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Simon Kirby – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Simon Kirby on 2014-04-02.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what progress he has made on reform of the Civil Service; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr Francis Maude

    In July 2013 we published a One Year On report that gave a frank account of progress against the Civil Service Reform Plan. This is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/civil-service-reform-plan-one-year-on–2:

    I took the opportunity to update the House on progress during the backbench debate on Civil Service Reform on 3 April 2014 and will update the House further in our Two Years On report this summer.

    “

  • Richard Burden – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Richard Burden – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2014-06-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the effect of school closure for local elections on parents and children.

    Elizabeth Truss

    The Department has made no such assessment. Local returning officers can require a school to act as a polling station and may do so where no suitable alternative venue is available. It is often possible for schools to remain open in such circumstances, but whether to close is an operational decision for the headteacher. We expect headteachers to keep schools open whenever it is reasonable for them to do so.

    Where a headteacher decides to close a school on polling day, we expect them to take all necessary steps to minimise any damage to pupils’ education. This may include making up the missed day later in the year, or combining the day with one of the five annual training days. We also expect schools to give as much notice as possible to parents of any school closures, including for local elections.

  • 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 2014-04-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the use of public money by the Mayor of Tower Hamlets to fund third sector organisations; and if he will make a statement.

    Brandon Lewis

    I refer the rt. hon. Member to the Written Ministerial Statement made today by my rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (Eric Pickles).

  • Bob Ainsworth – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Bob Ainsworth – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Bob Ainsworth on 2014-06-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions (a) he and (b) Ministers in his Department have had with their (i) Indian and (ii) Pakistani counterparts on the increase of trade and transit between the two countries.

    Mr Hugo Swire

    Ministers engage regularly with their counterparts in both India and Pakistan to discuss these and many other issues. We welcome the recent meeting between the countries two Prime Ministers in Delhi and subsequent exchange of letters.

  • Steve McCabe – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Steve McCabe – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2014-04-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what guidance his Department provides to local authorities on care leaving arrangements for asylum seekers who came to the UK alone as children.

    Mr Edward Timpson

    Guidance to local authorities on care leaving arrangements for asylum seekers who came to the UK alone as children is included in Volume 3 of ‘The Children Act Guidance and Regulations: Planning Transition to Adulthood for Care Leavers’. http://resources.leavingcare.org/uploads/c4f7aeaf941cdefb8f4a18f478aa1f19.pdf

    The Department for Education published for consultation in January of this year draft statutory guidance to local authorities on the care of unaccompanied asylum seeking and trafficked children.

    https://www.education.gov.uk/consultations/index.cfm?action=conResults&consultationId=1945&external=no&menu=3

    This new guidance brings together guidance on transition planning with wider guidance on providing care for unaccompanied asylum seeking children. That consultation has now closed and final guidance will be published in due course.

    “

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

    David Ruffley – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Ruffley on 2014-06-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate his Department has made of the average travelling distance to a 24-hour accident and emergency department for people in (a) Bury St Edmunds constituency, (b) Suffolk and (c) England and Wales.

    Jane Ellison

    No estimate has been made by the Department. NHS England has, however, published best practice guidance ‘Planning and delivering service changes for patients’. In the guidance, commissioners are reminded that where any changes are proposed to urgent and emergency care services they need to provide analysis of travelling times and distances, identifying the impact on pedestrians and public and private transport users, as well as the ambulance service where relevant.

  • Maria Eagle – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Maria Eagle – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Maria Eagle on 2014-04-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many staff at the Environment Agency are working on the regulation of fracking in England and Wales; and what reductions in the budget of the Environment Agency have affected people working on that regulation.

    Dan Rogerson

    The Environment Agency has set up a team of ten national officers working full time to develop the regulatory regime for oil and gas activities. This work covers conventional and unconventional oil and gas activities.

    This team is supported by additional technical resource from elsewhere in the organisation. The workload fluctuates and these specialists are not solely dedicated to regulating and permitting unconventional activities. It is therefore not possible to give an exact answer, but the Agency estimates that approximately 40 further members of staff are currently involved in this work across England.

    UK Government policy is to ensure the shale industry is able to develop in a safe, sustainable and environmentally responsible way within a well-regulated environment. Regulating the industry will remain a priority for the Environment Agency. Funding for setting up the regulatory regime comes from Defra grant-in-aid. Work to regulate individual sites is financed through the charges the Environment Agency raises for environmental permits and licences, supported where necessary by the grant-in-aid.

  • David Hanson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    David Hanson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Hanson on 2014-06-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what representations she has received from the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on the processing of passport applications from abroad since 1 January 2014.

    James Brokenshire

    Home Office Ministers have regular discussions with Ministerial colleagues and
    others. As was the case with previous administrations, it is not the government’s
    practice to provide details of all such meetings.

  • Maria Eagle – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Maria Eagle – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Maria Eagle on 2014-04-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the total number of projects involved was in Lot 2, Phase 1 of his Department’s Biodegradable Plastic Carrier Bags Solutions through Innovation Research Call; and how many of those projects addressed the technical and economic issues outlined in the research call.

    Dan Rogerson

    Defra received two bids for Lot 2, Phase 1 of this research call.

    Both bids addressed the technical and economic issues outlined in the research call and are being funded by Defra.

  • David Winnick – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the House of Commons Commission

    David Winnick – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the House of Commons Commission

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Winnick on 2014-06-16.

    To ask the hon. Member for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross representing the House of Commons Commission, if the Commission will incorporate into commemorations of the 800th Anniversary of the Magna Carta commemoration of the Peasants’ Revolt of 1381 and the Putney debates in 1647 on how the country should be ruled.

    John Thurso

    Parliament will be managing a year-long programme to celebrate both the Magna Carta and De Montfort Parliament anniversaries in 2015. The programme will be entitled ‘Parliament in the Making’ and as such will include stories from throughout the last 800 years. Parliament is being advised on the content by the History of Parliament Trust. Through school resources, exhibitions, cultural projects and special events the significant moments, movements and individuals who have made a difference on the journey to rights and representation will be commemorated.

    The programme is still in development but plans do include an exhibition in Westminster Hall. Using large scale banners this will chart the evolution of parliamentary democracy which we hope will refer to the Putney debates and the Peasants’ Revolt in the context of the fight for representation and freedoms.