Category: Speeches

  • Adam Afriyie – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Adam Afriyie – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Adam Afriyie on 2015-11-16.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he is taking to deliver a faster payments infrastructure.

    Harriett Baldwin

    The Faster Payment Scheme (FPS) launched in 2008 and provides near-instant settlement for over one billion payments that consumers and businesses make every year.

    FPS is one of the eight payment systems regulated by the new Payment Systems Regulator – which the Government launched in 2015, equipped with powers to ensure that UK payment systems are competitive and innovative. A key part of the PSR’s work is to ensure that UK payment systems work efficiently to deliver benefits for the individuals and firms that use them.

    The Government is also working with the Financial Conduct Authority’s (FCA) Project Innovate – which looks to foster and support innovative financial technology (“FinTech”) firms, including firms that offer customers new and efficient ways to make payments in the UK.

  • Lord Storey – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Lord Storey – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Storey on 2015-12-08.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps an academy school is legally required to take if it has a budget deficit.

    Lord Nash

    An academy trust is required by its funding agreement with the Secretary of State to balance its budget from each academy financial year to the next. Where the board of trustees of an academy is formally proposing to set a deficit budget for the current financial year, which it is unable to address after unspent funds from previous years are taken into account, it must notify the Education Funding Agency (EFA) within 14 days.

    The EFA may issue a trust with a Financial Notice to Improve (FNtI) in cases of a deficit or projected deficit, setting out the actions it requires the trust to take. The trust must comply with all the terms of the FNtI which would include a requirement to implement a recovery plan to secure financial stability.

  • Kevin Brennan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Kevin Brennan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kevin Brennan on 2016-01-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, pursuant to the Answer of 30 November 2015 to Question 14108, whether the Government has imposed binding conditions in previous privatisations.

    Anna Soubry

    A body such as the Green Investment Bank can only be classified to the private sector if it is not subject to significant government control over its corporate policy. That includes any control Government has over the body in terms of legislation, regulation and its contractual agreements.

  • Michael Fabricant – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Michael Fabricant – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Michael Fabricant on 2016-02-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his French counterpart on the Treaty of Le Touquet; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr David Lidington

    The Le Touquet Treaty is crucial to maintaining the UK’s border security. We meet regularly with our French Counterparts to discuss border security issues and look forward to further cementing our close cooperation at the upcoming UK-France summit on 3 March.

  • Baroness Jowell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Baroness Jowell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Jowell on 2016-03-02.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what special steps have been taken to give better effect to Dublin III’s family reunion provisions in Italy and Greece, and what further steps they plan to take.

    Lord Bates

    As announced on 28 January the Government will provide further resources to the European Asylum Support Office (EASO), to help in border “hotspots” in Greece and Italy to identify and register children at risk on first arrival in the EU. We will continue to meet our obligations under the Dublin Regulation and have UK experts currently deployed in the Greek and Italian Dublin units to assist with the process and transfer of anyone eligible under family unity provisions contained in the Regulation. We continue to liaise closely with EASO to identify and provide resource where it is needed.

  • Jonathan Ashworth – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Jonathan Ashworth – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jonathan Ashworth on 2016-04-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, (a) how many and (b) what proportion of officials of her Department resigned in each of the last six years.

    Karen Bradley

    The number and proportion of officials who have resigned from the Home Office in each of the last 6 years is shown in the attached table.

  • Nicholas Soames – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Nicholas Soames – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicholas Soames on 2016-05-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent discussions he has had about the future of the Knightsbridge Barracks.

    Mark Lancaster

    The Secretary of State for Defence holds regular reviews of the Ministry of Defence estate, including the wider London Estate, in the context of the emerging Estate Optimisation work.

    There have been no recent discussions between the Secretary of State for Defence and the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport about moving Hyde Park Barracks (located in Knightsbridge) to an alternative location in the Royal Parks.

  • Imran Hussain – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Imran Hussain – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Imran Hussain on 2016-06-20.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make an assessment of the effect of the use of telematic black box electronic recording devices by insurance companies on the cost of car insurance.

    Harriett Baldwin

    In general, an insurer will make a decision about the terms on which they will offer cover following an assessment of the risks posed by an individual. Some insurers offer discounts to drivers who choose to use telematics in their cars. This is usually informed by the insurer’s claims experience and other industry-wide statistics. The Government does not intend to intervene in these commercial decisions by insurers as this could damage competition in the market. The respective capabilities of insurers to assess risk is a key element on which they compete. This competition is important and should lead to better products and lower prices for consumers.

  • Stuart C. McDonald – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    Stuart C. McDonald – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stuart C. McDonald on 2016-09-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of UK withdrawal from the EU Customs Union on the policy that there should be no border checks between Northern Ireland and Ireland.

    James Brokenshire

    The Government will consider the advantages and disadvantages of remaining in a Customs Union carefully. There are a number of options, and we have made clear that we will pursue one that works for the unique circumstances of the UK.

    The open border for people and businesses has served us well and no-one wants to see a return to the borders of the past. It is a high priority for the Government that we do not see border controls coming into place. There is a very strong commitment from the Irish government as well as ourselves to see that that does not happen. We must now work closely together to ensure that as the UK leaves the EU we find shared solutions to the challenges and maximise the opportunities for both the UK and the Republic of Ireland.

  • Peter Kyle – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Peter Kyle – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Peter Kyle on 2015-11-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if he will take steps to encourage (a) the training of school children in digital skills before they enter the workforce, (b) graduate schemes on digital skills, (c) improving the digital skills of the workforce of firms in the digital technology industry and (d) other initiatives to promote existing professional training and digital skills initiatives; and whether he plans for such initiatives to be supported by the Apprenticeship Levy.

    Mr Edward Vaizey

    Introduced in September 2014, the new statutory computing curriculum in primary and secondary schools is providing schoolchildren with the digital skills they will need for further study and employment. It is supported by revised computer science A levels, and revised GCSEs will be introduced from 2016. In September 2015 the Higher Education Funding Council for England invited bids for pilot conversion courses in high demand computer science disciplines. This will supply industry with a new stream of graduates with in-demand digital skills from summer 2017.

    Additionally, this Government back a free ‘Introduction to Cyber Security’ course raising awareness of cyber security and developing the necessary skills in the sector. This Government is also funding pilots of short courses in key digital skills areas (web design, database management and digital marketing), designed and accredited by business.