Category: Speeches

  • Simon Kirby – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Simon Kirby – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Simon Kirby on 2014-04-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions he has had with cities outside London on interoperability of smart tickets between rail and bus services; and if he will make a statement.

    Stephen Hammond

    The Department for Transport is working closely with nine major cities and regions outside London to establish how plans to accelerate smart ticketing on bus and rail can be achieved. The initiative known as the ‘Smart Cities Partnership’ and funded by the Department brings together the authorities concerned, the operators and the policy makers to address some of the technical and commercial challenges.

    This programme will pave the way for other cities and authorities with similar ambitions to have smart interoperable ticket offers to passengers. It will also build upon the South East Flexible Ticketing programme which the Department is leading on which will see rail stations suitably equipped for smart ticketing, and more flexible smart ticket products on offer which are better suited to meet modern working and leisure patterns.

  • Baroness Taylor of Bolton – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Baroness Taylor of Bolton – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Taylor of Bolton on 2014-06-12.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to recognise women who worked in munitions factories during the Second World War as part of the 70th anniversary commemorations marking the end of conflict.

    Viscount Younger of Leckie

    The Government fully appreciates the efforts and the often very dangerous conditions experienced by those who worked in factories producing vital equipment for the armed forces that helped contribute to winning the Second World War. The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has been working with the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Recognition for Munitions Workers, which was set up in 2011 to explore ways to ensure that the valiant collective efforts of all those who worked in munitions factories are not forgotten.

    Following the very successful commemorations to mark the 70th anniversary of D-Day we will now be focussing in more detail across government on how the 70th anniversary of the end of the Second World War in 2015 might be marked in an appropriate manner. No decisions have yet been made on how the anniversary will be marked, but we expect an announcement on the commemorations to be made by the Government later in the year.

  • Mark Hendrick – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Mark Hendrick – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Hendrick on 2014-04-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people in Preston constituency are subject to sanction of their (a) employment and support allowance and (b) jobseeker’s allowance.

    Esther McVey

    Statistics on the number of Jobseeker’s Allowance benefit, and Employment and Support Allowance claimants in the Preston parliamentary constituency who have been sanctioned, from April 2000, the earliest data we have, up to September 2013 which is the latest data available, are published and can be found at:

    https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/

    Guidance for users is available at:

    https://sw.stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/Stat-Xplore_User_Guide.htm

  • Lord Rennard – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Lord Rennard – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Rennard on 2014-06-12.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they consider that online completion of census data could be combined with online electoral registration.

    Lord Wallace of Saltaire

    With the introduction of online registration in England and Wales on 10 June and September in Scotland, registering to vote is now more convenient and accessible.

    The Government will continue to explore the mutual benefits of collaboration between online electoral registration and preparation for the online Census.

  • Mark Hendrick – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture Media and Sport

    Mark Hendrick – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Hendrick on 2014-04-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what Government funding is given to the UK film industry; what contribution the UK film industry makes to the UK economy; and what steps the Government is taking to attract overseas film production and investment to the UK.

    Mr Edward Vaizey

    In 2012-13 the Government provided around £80m in grant in aid and lottery funding to the British Film Institute (BFI) to support film in the UK, and paid out £205million in Film Tax Relief. The UK film industry makes a significant contribution to the UK economy, directly generating 43,900 jobs and contributing £1.6billion to national GDP (Oxford Economics Report 2012). The UK has one of the world’s most generous film tax reliefs which attracted over £1billion in inward investment in 2013. Recent changes to the Film Tax Relief announced at Budget 2014 will also encourage further film production to the UK.

  • Baroness King of Bow – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Baroness King of Bow – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness King of Bow on 2014-06-12.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Stowell of Beeston on 10 March (WA 351) on homelessness, how much was awarded to each of the 47 local authorities for preventing homelessness in 2011–12.

    Baroness Stowell of Beeston

    Under this and the last Administration, the Department for Communities and Local Government has provided grant funding to a number of local authorities to support the provision of advice on preventing homelessness to complement the funding we provide to the voluntary sector.

    The London Borough of Croydon received £1,591,050 in grant in 2010-11 for homelessness prevention, which was intended to support a range of activities including a contribution to the costs of providing homelessness advice to local authorities in London. The payment to Croydon was made under Section 31 of the Local Government Act 2003 (the general power to pay grant to local authorities towards expenditure incurred or to be incurred). The grant was unring-fenced and not subject to any conditions.

    As was the position with funding provided to Newham, as set out in the answers to the noble Lady on 13 February 2013, Official Report, column WA165 and of 27 March 2013, Official Report, column WA247, there was no contract either between the Department and the London Borough of Croydon or the Department and Andy Gale.

    While departmental officials had discussions with Croydon about how the grant was to be spent, Ministers in this Administration had no involvement with local authorities on commissioning such services.

    A copy of the The Homelessness Revenue Grant Determination 2011-12 (31/1974) dated 1 March 2012 which lists the amount of funding received by 47 local authorities in 2011-12 for homelessness prevention work has been placed in the Library of the House.

  • Graham Evans – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Graham Evans – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Graham Evans on 2014-04-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answers of 7 April 2014, Official Report, columns 114-5W and of 14 January 2014, Official Report, columns 481-6W, on human trafficking: victim support schemes, for what reason information on each individual, whether male or female, and location found, is excluded from the figures for January 2013; and if she will provide this information for future questions on the subject.

    Karen Bradley

    The requested information on the gender of potential victims and the regions in
    which they were found in January 2014 was provided in the Answer of 7 April
    2014, Official Report, columns 114-5W, on human trafficking: victim support
    schemes. However, this data was provided in a number of separate tables. The
    information was not withheld and is provided below in an alternative format,
    giving the same data broken down by individual case, in one table.

    The victim care contract does not require support providers to maintain any
    form of formal contact after the recovery and reflection period. However, some
    survivors do maintain informal contact with their support provider. All support
    providers will work with victims throughout their support period to help them
    move on from the service. We are looking at what more we can do to help victims
    reintegrate effectively.

    Nationality

    Gender

    Region

    Agency Type

    Nigerian

    Female

    South

    Self Referral

    Lithuanian

    Female

    South

    Police

    Vietnamese

    Male

    East

    NGO

    Romanian

    Female

    West Midlands

    NGO

    Lithuanian

    Male

    South West

    Police

    Lithuanian

    Male

    South West

    Police

    Albanian

    Female

    Wales

    Self Referral

    Bulgarian

    Female

    South

    Police

    Polish

    Male

    West Midlands

    GLA

    Albanian

    Female

    Yorkshire

    NGO

    Nigerian

    Female

    South

    Home Office

    Sierra Leonean

    Female

    South

    Home Office

    Indian

    Male

    South East

    Home Office

    Vietnamese

    Female

    North West

    Home Office

    Nigerian

    Female

    South East

    Home Office

    Ugandan

    Female

    South East

    Home Office

    Vietnamese

    Male

    South East

    Legal Representative

    Ghanaian

    Male

    South

    Police

    Ghanaian

    Male

    South

    Police

    Romanian

    Male

    West Midlands

    Police

    Romanian

    Male

    West Midlands

    Police

    Romanian

    Male

    West Midlands

    Police

    Romanian

    Male

    West Midlands

    Police

    Romanian

    Male

    West Midlands

    Police

    Togolese

    Female

    East

    Police

    Nigerian

    Female

    South East

    Local Authority

    Czech

    Male

    Yorkshire

    NGO

    Albanian

    Female

    South East

    Home Office

    Ugandan

    Female

    East

    Self Referral

    Indian

    Female

    South East

    Home Office

    Albanian

    Female

    South East

    Home Office

    Albanian

    Female

    Not Known

    Home Office

    Albanian

    Female

    South

    Police

    Vietnamese

    Female

    Not Known

    Home Office

    Albanian

    Female

    South

    Home Office

    Slovakian

    Male

    Yorkshire

    Local Authority

    Slovakian

    Female

    Yorkshire

    Local Authority

    Nigerian

    Female

    South

    Other

    Moroccan

    Female

    West Midlands

    Home Office

    Cameroonian

    Male

    North East

    Other

    Not known

    Female

    South

    Home Office

    Nigerian

    Female

    Not Known

    Home Office

    Chinese

    Male

    West Midlands

    NGO

    Hungarian

    Male

    Yorkshire

    NGO

    Polish

    Male

    Yorkshire

    Police

    Nigerian

    Female

    South

    NGO

    Albanian

    Female

    Yorkshire

    Home Office

    Lithuanian

    Male

    South West

    Police

    Romanian

    Female

    West Midlands

    Police

    Czech

    Male

    North West

    Other

    Sri Lankan

    Female

    South

    Police

    Pakistani

    Male

    Yorkshire

    Home Office

    Vietnamese

    Male

    South

    Legal Representative

    Romanian

    Female

    South

    Other

    Albanian

    Female

    South

    Home Office

    Albanian

    Female

    Yorkshire

    Home Office

    Nigerian

    Female

    South

    NGO

    Albanian

    Female

    West Midlands

    NGO

    Kenyan

    Female

    East

    Home Office

    Hungarian

    Female

    South East

    Police

    Slovakian

    Male

    Yorkshire

    Local Authority

    Slovakian

    Female

    Yorkshire

    Local Authority

    Kenyan

    Female

    South

    Self Referral

    Cameroonian

    Female

    North West

    NGO

    Albanian

    Female

    South

    Police

    Slovakian

    Female

    West Midlands

    Police

    Albanian

    Male

    South East

    Police

    Iranian

    Male

    South

    NGO

    Nigerian

    Female

    Yorkshire

    Home Office

    Albanian

    Female

    Yorkshire

    Home Office

    Albanian

    Female

    Yorkshire

    Home Office

    Albanian

    Female

    Yorkshire

    Home Office

    Albanian

    Female

    South

    Home Office

    Albanian

    Female

    South East

    Other

    Czech

    Female

    South West

    NGO

    Bulgarian

    Male

    South West

    Police

    Hungarian

    Male

    South

    NGO

    Albanian

    Female

    South

    Home Office

    Albanian

    Female

    South

    NGO

    Nigerian

    Female

    Wales

    Home Office

    Polish

    Male

    Yorkshire

    Police

    Ugandan

    Female

    South

    Legal Representative

    Vietnamese

    Male

    East Midlands

    Legal Representative

    Slovakian

    Male

    Yorkshire

    Police

    Slovakian

    Female

    Yorkshire

    Police

    Albanian

    Female

    South

    Legal Representative

    Ethiopian

    Female

    South

    NGO

    Albanian

    Female

    South

    NGO

    Iraqi

    Female

    East Midlands

    NGO

    Albanian

    Female

    Yorkshire

    NGO

  • Sheila Gilmore – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Sheila Gilmore – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sheila Gilmore on 2014-06-12.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what visits (a) each of the Ministers in his Department, (b) the Prime Minister and (c) the Deputy Prime Minister have made since January 2013; and what the purpose of each such visit was.

    Mr Francis Maude

    Details of Ministers’ visits overseas are published quarterly and can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/ministers-transparency-publications

  • Fiona O’Donnell – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Fiona O’Donnell – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Fiona O’Donnell on 2014-04-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the provision of statutory maternity and paternity pay to parents of premature and sick babies.

    Jenny Willott

    The UK’s maternity leave provision is one of the most generous in the world; all employed women have a “day one” entitlement to 52 weeks of maternity leave. Mothers with 26 weeks qualifying service and meeting the earnings requirement are entitled to Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP). Those mothers who do not qualify for SMP may be entitled to Maternity Allowance. This means that expectant mothers and mothers can take time off work to prepare for and recover from childbirth and bond with their babies, and to deal with unexpected eventualities including ill health, premature births and any complications associated with sick babies.

    Through the Children and Families Act 2014, the Government is introducing a new system of shared parental leave which will give parents much more flexibility in how to use their leave entitlement. This flexibility will be particularly valuable to parents who have to deal with difficult or unexpected circumstances and it will allow parents, for the first time, to take leave together in a way that suits them. The system will be available for working parents whose baby is due on or after 5 April 2015 (irrespective of when the baby is born), and will be introduced later this year so that it catches babies who are born early.

    The Government has committed to explicitly considering the issues facing families with babies admitted to neonatal care within the context of the review that the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has announced it will undertake on the review of changes to employment law enacted by the Children and Families Act after 2018.

  • John McDonnell – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture Media and Sport

    John McDonnell – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by John McDonnell on 2014-06-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps his Department plans to take to improve equality monitoring of employment within the media industry; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr Edward Vaizey

    Promoting greater equality of opportunity in the workforce is a matter the Government takes seriously. The Government is actively engaging with leading organisations in the media industry who are working together through the Creative Diversity Network to help address the under-representation of ethnic minorities in that sector. The industry will outline the steps it intends to take at a roundtable event in early July. Equality data monitoring is among a number of issues that will be discussed. In addition, Ofcom has a number of duties relating to equality of opportunity, as set out in the Communications Act 2003. These include requiring all UK licensed radio and television broadcasters’ licences to have in place arrangements for promoting equal opportunities in employment on the basis of gender, race and disability, and to review those arrangements with regard to any relevant guidance published by Ofcom.