Category: Speeches

  • Cathy Jamieson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Cathy Jamieson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Cathy Jamieson on 2014-06-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 11 June 2014, Official Report, column 176W, on work capability assessment, if he will make it his policy to set a target timescale for employment and support allowance and incapacity benefit reassessment work capability assessments in order to monitor and reduce the waiting times for those assessments.

    Mike Penning

    We are committed to completing Work Capability Assessments as quickly as possible so that eligible claimants receive the appropriate rate of benefit.

    However it is important to get assessments right rather than setting an artificial timescale for completion. We are working with the existing supplier to improve processing times and reduce waiting times. In addition, we are seeking a replacement supplier to undertake Work Capability Assessments.

    In the meantime we continue to rigorously monitor and manage the existing contract to ensure that both quality and performance are maintained as part of our drive to improve the quality of decision making and process claims more quickly.

  • Lucy Powell – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Lucy Powell – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lucy Powell on 2014-04-07.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether the Office for National Statistics includes in its estimate of newly-created private sector jobs those which have been reclassified from public to private sector as a result of privatisation or outsourcing.

    Mr Nick Hurd

    The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.

  • John McDonnell – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    John McDonnell – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by John McDonnell on 2014-06-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will place in the Library and publish the tender and bid for the Child Maintenance Options contract.

    Steve Webb

    Contract documents for the Child Maintenance Options Contract are published on the Contracts Finder website. These documents include the Contract itself, the requirements issued to bidders, and the successful bidder’s response. Contracts Finder is a publicly accessible website where contract documents are published in order to meet government transparency commitments. The specific link to this Contract is: https://online.contractsfinder.businesslink.gov.uk/Common/View%20Notice.aspx?site=1000&lang=en&noticeid=1072427&fs=true

    “

  • Sarah Champion – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Sarah Champion – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sarah Champion on 2014-04-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many firefighters in South Yorkshire retired before the age of 60 in each of the last 10 years.

    Brandon Lewis

    The Department collects information on numbers of normal and early retirements only, it does not collect information on the specific age of these firefighters at retirement. To assist the hon. Member a table containing this information has been provided.

    Wholetime and Retained Duty System firefighters

    leavers from South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Authority

    2002/03 – 2012/13

    Compulsory/voluntary age retirements

    2002-03

    30

    2003-04

    26

    2004-05

    43

    2005-06

    35

    2006-07

    19

    2007-08

    29

    2008-09

    64

    2009-10

    43

    2010-11

    27

    2011-12

    18

    2012-13

    30

    The Department collects information on retirements at Fire and Rescue Authority level only.

    “

  • Jim Shannon – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Jim Shannon – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2014-06-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what support his Department has provided to companies facing bankruptcy in each of the last three years.

    Jenny Willott

    The Department has a suite of business support packages available to companies whether or not they are facing an insolvency event.

    In exceptional circumstances the Department can work with companies in difficulty to help find solutions to their needs. Any such support is commercially sensitive and is normally a matter between the Department and the company.

  • Madeleine Moon – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Madeleine Moon – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Madeleine Moon on 2014-04-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 19 March 2014, Official Report, column 650W, on armed forces: disciplinary proceedings, what the (a) number and (b) total sum was of ex gratia or other payments made to armed forces personnel incorrectly doubly punished following a police caution; and if he will make a statement.

    Anna Soubry

    No such ex-gratia payments have been made.

  • Gregory Campbell – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Gregory Campbell – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gregory Campbell on 2014-06-17.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment HM Revenue and Customs has made of changes in the extent of (a) fuel smuggling and (b) other organised revenue avoidance schemes in Northern Ireland in the last three years.

    Nicky Morgan

    Estimates of the non UK duty paid market for petrol and diesel fuels in Northern Ireland are published in ‘Measuring Tax Gaps 2012-13′. The non UK duty paid estimate covers both the illicit market and cross border shopping. These estimates cannot be disaggregated into its component parts or by the type of illicit activity e.g. through smuggling or other fraud.

    The excise duty losses due to the non-UK duty paid diesel market for 2010-11 were £110m and for 2011-12 were £120m. The excise duty losses due to the petrol non-UK duty paid market for 2010-11 were £30m and for 2011-12 were £30m. Figures for 2012-13 will be published in the autumn.

    The information on other organised revenue avoidance schemes in Northern Ireland is not available. The figures cannot be disaggregated by country. UK figures are available from “Measuring Tax Gaps 2012-13”.

    The methodologies for producing the estimates are provided in the ‘Methodological Annex for Measuring Tax Gaps 2013′.

    Both documents can be accessed via the following page on the HMRC website:

    http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/statistics/tax-gaps.htm

    “

  • Paul Flynn – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Paul Flynn – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Flynn on 2014-04-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what assessment has been made by (a) the RIMNET network and (b) other bodies of the possibility that the sand fallout across the British Isles from the Sahara desert has been contaminated by long-lived radioactive fallout from atmospheric nuclear weapons tests conducted by France in the Algerian Sahara in the 1960s.

    Michael Fallon

    The Radioactive Incident Monitoring Network (RIMNET) is the UK Government’s radiation monitoring and nuclear emergency response system which is operated on a 24 hour a day, seven days a week basis by the Met Office, on behalf of the Department of Energy and Climate Change. Data from RIMNET has been inspected and shows no evidence of increased levels of radioactivity across the UK.

    The Environment Agency (EA) undertakes a programme of far-field monitoring, away from nuclear sites, of radioactivity in air and rainwater. This programme involves constantly sampling air through filters in High Volume Air Samplers. Filters are changed on a weekly basis and subsequently analysed. Past Saharan dust events have not caused any detectable increase in radioactivity on the filters. Results for the changed filters on 31st March and 7th April should be available in the next few days. The results will be published as consolidated data in the annual Radiation in Food and the Environment (RIFE) report which is published jointly by a number of UK and devolved agencies. Previous RIFE reports are available here:

    http://www.sepa.org.uk/radioactive_substances/publications/rife_reports.aspx.

    “

  • David Lammy – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    David Lammy – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Lammy on 2014-06-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, when his Department received the application from Haringey Council for a Compulsory Purchase Order to be issued for the site of 1-3 Paxton Road, London, N17 0PB.

    Nick Boles

    We are currently considering whether to confirm a Compulsory Purchase Order known as The London Borough of Haringey (Northumberland Development Project) (No 1) submitted by Haringey Council which includes the site of 1-3 Paxton Road. The Order was received in the Department on 5 September 2012.

    This is a complex case. After the close of the inquiry there were matters in respect of which further views of the interested parties were sought and considered. This has delayed the decision in this case.

    We hope to issue the decision on this shortly. It is not appropriate to comment further as to do so may prejudice the Secretary of State’s decision.

  • John Woodcock – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    John Woodcock – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

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

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the extent of persecution of Christians in North Korea; what steps he is taking within the international community to address that issue; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr Hugo Swire

    I made clear in my response to Oral questions on 8 April that the UN Commission of Inquiry’s report documents a persecution of christians which is truly shocking. The UK played a leading role in ensuring a strong Human Rights Council resolution in response to this report. My Written Ministerial Statement on 31 March 2014 sets out a summary of the concrete measures in the DPRK resolution to ensure the work of the COI continues in order that those responsible for human right violations and crimes against humanity will one day be brought to account.