Category: Speeches

  • 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 2014-04-29.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what consideration his Department gave to procuring the Rangeless Airborne Instrumented Debriefing System with Collision Warning software for installation on the Tornado aircraft.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    The requirement of the Ministry of Defence was for an Instrument Debriefing System. Records of any consideration given to the procurement of additional capabilities are no longer centrally held and the retrieval of this information would be possible only at disproportionate cost.

  • Andrew Percy – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Andrew Percy – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Percy on 2014-04-29.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what plans he has to roll out mobile telephone blocking technology across HM prisons estate.

    Jeremy Wright

    The National Offender Management Service is committed to addressing the risks that mobile phones present in prisons. Part of its response is to deploy technology in prisons that prevents mobile phones from working.

    In 2012 the government enacted the Prisons (Interference with Wireless Telegraphy) Act 2012. The Act places the use of mobile phone signal interference technology in prisons on a clear legal footing, enabling maximum use of such technology and to enable private prisons to use it.

    A number of prisons are equipped with ‘fixed’ (as opposed to ‘portable’) signal interference technology. Since 21 October 2013 around 300 short-range portable blockers have been deployed to 88 public sector prisons.

  • Charlotte Leslie – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Charlotte Leslie – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Charlotte Leslie on 2014-04-29.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many surgical care practitioners have practised in the NHS in each year since 2005.

    Dr Daniel Poulter

    The information is not held centrally. The number of surgical care practitioners who have practised in the National Health Service in each year since 2005 are not identified separately in the annual NHS workforce census.

  • Sadiq Khan – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Sadiq Khan – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sadiq Khan on 2014-04-29.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many prisoners were employed in work in jails on 1 April in each of the last four years.

    Jeremy Wright

    Work in prisons is a key priority to ensure prisoners are engaged purposefully whilst they are in custody. It also gives them the opportunity to learn skills and a work ethic which can increase their chances of finding employment on release, a key element to reducing reoffending.

    The number of prisoners working in industrial activity in public sector prisons increased from around 8,600 in 2010-11 (the first year for which figures are available) to around 9,700 in 2012-13. This delivered an increase in the total hours worked in industrial activities from 10.6 million hours to 13.1 million hours. Private sector prisons have also been supporting this agenda and have reported that they delivered over 1½ million prisoner working hours in commercial and industrial workshops in 2012-13 which provided work for over 1,200 prisoners.

    In addition there are substantial numbers of prisoners who work to keep prisons running on tasks such as cooking, serving meals, maintenance and cleaning.

    Figures for public sector prisons are published in the NOMS Annual Report Management Information Addendum: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/225225/mi-addendum.pdf

    Figures for the number of prisoners working in the community are not held centrally and could only be obtained from local records at disproportionate cost.

    “

  • Sadiq Khan – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Sadiq Khan – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sadiq Khan on 2014-04-29.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many assaults against prison staff there have been in HM Prison High Down in each month since September 2013.

    Jeremy Wright

    The number of assaults on staff and prisoner on prisoner assaults at HMP High Down between September 2013 and December 2013 can be found in Table 1. The monthly figures between September 2013 and December 2013 are broadly in line with the average number of assaults at HMP High Down over the last 5 years. Assault statistics by establishment are published annually in April with the latest statistics published covering up to 2013.

    There are many factors that can drive changes in the number of assaults at individual establishments from one month to the next, including changes in admissions rates and composition of the prison population. Short-term monthly figures do not give a good indication of trends, and a view over a long time period should be taken when considering trends.

    Table 1: Number of assaults, HMP High Down, September 2013 to December 2013

    September

    October

    November

    December

    Assaults on staff

    2

    3

    3

    5

    Prisoner on prisoner assaults (including fights)

    19

    11

    12

    8
  • Emma Lewell-Buck – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Emma Lewell-Buck – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Emma Lewell-Buck on 2014-04-29.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if he will make an assessment of the (a) fairness and (b) viability of reforming the firefighters’ pension scheme allow members to retire on the basis of length of service rather than age.

    Brandon Lewis

    The Government is reforming all public service pension schemes to ensure that they remain fair to workers and sustainable for taxpayers. The transitional protection arrangements for the firefighters’ pension schemes are set out in the Proposed Final Agreement which was published in May 2012. The transitional protections use age to calculate a member’s entitlement to protection. More firefighters are protected from changes than any other large public service workforce.

    There has been recent correspondence with the Fire Brigades Union on the scope and timing of discussions on this issue. Copies of this correspondence can be found at:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/firefighters-pension-scheme-reforms.

    “

  • Tim Farron – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Tim Farron – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tim Farron on 2014-04-29.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many landlords have been prosecuted in England for (a) illegal evictions and (b) harassment in the latest three years for which figures are available.

    Kris Hopkins

    The table below lists figures from 2009 to the most recent period for which information is held:

    Statute

    Offence description

    2009

    2010

    2011

    2012

    Protection from Eviction Act 1977 S.1(2)

    Unlawful eviction of occupier

    24

    22

    23

    23

    Protection from Eviction Act 1977 S.1(3)

    Unlawful harassment of occupier

    15

    9

    15

    9
  • Andy Sawford – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Andy Sawford – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andy Sawford on 2014-04-29.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what representations he has received from the (a) Local Government Association, (b) Convention of Scottish Local Authorities and (c) Welsh Local Government Association on issues of staff protection, finance and timing in relation the proposal to establish a single fraud investigation service.

    Esther McVey

    DWP has worked very closely with the Local Government Association, Convention of Scottish Local Authorities and the Welsh Local Government Association throughout the life of the Project and continues to do so. All three organisations hold regular meetings with the Project and also have representatives on the key consultative and governance groups, for example the SFIS Project Steering Committee.

    The subject of staff terms and conditions has been discussed and we have assured all our stakeholders that terms and conditions of employment will be protected. This protection will be documented in the transfer order and employees transferring will not be subject to less favourable terms and conditions when they join DWP. This is in line with the Cabinet Office Statement of Practise for Staff Transfers in the Public Sector.

  • Jim McGovern – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Scotland Office

    Jim McGovern – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Scotland Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim McGovern on 2014-04-29.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what discussions he has had with Ministers in the Scottish Government on consular support for Scottish citizens overseas in the event of Scottish independence.

    Mr Alistair Carmichael

    There have been no discussions with Scottish Ministers on consular support for Scottish citizens in the event of independence.

    As part of the UK, Scots travelling abroad have guaranteed access to consular support by one of the world’s largest, most experienced global networks.

  • Caroline Spelman – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Caroline Spelman – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Spelman on 2014-04-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, if he will take steps to address the barriers to remanufacturing identified in the All-Party Parliamentary Sustainable Resource Group’s recent report on remanufacturing.

    Michael Fallon

    The Government welcomes the broad thrust of the All-Party Parliamentary Sustainable Resource Group’s recent report Remanufacturing: Towards a resource efficient economy. It recognises the important role that remanufacturing has in supporting the long-term sustainability of the UK economy, encouraging resource resilience whilst boosting business opportunities and skilled employment.

    BIS is working closely with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and across Whitehall on a number of areas touched on by the report; such as the regulatory regime that governs waste, where work is already in progress to ensure that it encourages greater re-use of materials in existing and developing manufacturing processes.

    We will use the report to inform a number of areas of policy that impact on sustainability and remanufacturing.