Category: Speeches

  • David Ward – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    David Ward – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Ward on 2014-06-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what estimate he has made of how many claim management companies operated in each region since 2008.

    Mr Shailesh Vara

    With rigorous new measures being brought in across the board, we are taking strong action to rein in the rogue firms operating in this sector.

    Continued action to remove licenses from companies with poor practices alongside forthcoming Claims Management Regulation reforms, proves just how much work is going on to get tough on companies that defy the rules and bombard the public with unwelcome calls and misleading information.

    We are changing the law to further toughen the regime, including introducing fines, and ensuring firms cannot buy in any contact details which have been gathered unlawfully.

    The number of claims management companies (CMCs) operating in each region between April 2008 and April 2014 were as follows:

    Regional Analysis

    Apr-08

    Apr-09

    Apr-10

    Apr-11

    Apr-12

    Apr-13

    Apr-14

    East

    107

    134

    165

    173

    146

    138

    114

    East Midlands

    56

    97

    131

    139

    152

    137

    120

    London

    253

    378

    545

    531

    524

    444

    340

    Northern Ireland

    0

    0

    5

    3

    3

    6

    4

    North East

    30

    71

    95

    98

    76

    68

    49

    North West

    514

    685

    784

    803

    775

    706

    576

    Overseas

    6

    11

    9

    6

    3

    16

    13

    Scotland

    21

    26

    30

    32

    28

    29

    33

    South East

    193

    294

    358

    370

    361

    326

    267

    South West

    62

    81

    100

    113

    113

    100

    93

    Wales

    61

    73

    95

    81

    101

    88

    66

    West Midlands

    206

    321

    408

    404

    358

    292

    208

    Yorkshire & Humbers

    230

    316

    366

    387

    329

    245

    176
  • Mr David Hanson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Mr David Hanson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mr David Hanson on 2014-03-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate she has made of the cost of merging the e-borders programme into the border system programme.

    James Brokenshire

    The activities of the e-Borders programme have been absorbed into the Border
    Systems Programme. The estimated cost to close the e-Borders programme and
    define the Border Systems Programme was £340,000. These costs are attributable
    to civil servants already in post and there has been no additional expenditure
    or procurement in order to move the work from e-Borders to Border Systems.

    The procurement approach to replacing the primary border security elements of
    the Border Systems Programme will reflect broader Government ICT and Commercial
    strategy, and there will be no single, large supplier. The Home Office will
    lead development, with services procured from a range of providers, potentially
    including small and medium enterprises; no tenders have been received at this
    time.

    By March 2015 the Border Systems Programme aims to:

    • Complete resilience of all current business critical systems;
    • Develop replacement primary border security systems;
    • Provide the capability to support commitments on exit checks;
    • Establish a programme for the next generation of Radiological and Nuclear
    detection (Cyclamen);
    • Continue the implementation of second generation e-Gates across the estate;
    • Develop and implement new freight targeting capability for Sea Containers;
    • Establish contracts to purchase new detection equipment;
    • Continue to assure live operations of existing systems.

    The breakdown of FTE Civil Servants engaged by the e-Borders and subsequently
    the Border Systems Programme in each year since 2010, is:

    Dec-10 Dec-11 Dec-12 Dec-13
    SCS PB 2 1 1 1 0
    SCS PB 1 2 1 2 2
    G6 7.8 7.8 7.8 9.8
    G7 11.8 9.8 10.8 17.8
    SEO/HMI 33.5 34.7 48.8 49.7
    HEO/CIO 26 25.4 22.5 30.9
    EO/IO 22 19.3 25 20.8
    AO/PS 7 5 5 3

  • Gareth Thomas – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Gareth Thomas – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gareth Thomas on 2014-06-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many mortgage possession claims were approved by the courts in each (a) region of England and (b) London borough in (i) 2011-12, (ii) 2012-13 and (iii) 2013-14; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr Shailesh Vara

    The Ministry of Justice collects data on mortgage possession claims and these are published at:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/mortgage-and-landlord-possession-statistics

    The tables provided give figures on the number of mortgage claims in the County Courts from 2011-12 to 2013-14.

    “

  • Chris Ruane – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Speaker’s Committee on the Electorial Commission

    Chris Ruane – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Speaker’s Committee on the Electorial Commission

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Ruane on 2014-03-13.

    To ask the hon. Member for South West Devon, representing the Speaker’s Committee on the Electoral Commission, what recent assessment the Electoral Commission has made of reasons for differential turnout between socio-economic groups.

    Gary Streeter

    The Electoral Commission informs me that it has not made its own assessment of the reasons for differential turnout between socio-economic groups. However, the Commission is aware of the fact of differential turnout between not only social but demographic and other groups and targets its campaigns accordingly.

    For instance, the Commission ensures that its campaigns reach young people by advertising on channels used by that demographic, including Facebook and video-on-demand services, and that its television adverts are frequently placed during programmes with a high viewership amongst young people.

  • Graham Stringer – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Graham Stringer – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Graham Stringer on 2014-06-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the Answer of 8 May 2014, Official Report, column 272W, on biofuels: air pollution, for what reasons estimated social costs of biomass emissions of fine particles contained in his Department’s Answer of 26 March 2009, Official Report, column 697W, on air pollution, were not reflected in that Answer; and for what reasons his Department no longer estimates the social costs of fine particles emitted by biomass combustion.

    Dan Rogerson

    The social (health) costs included in the answer of 26 March 2009 were calculated by Defra to evaluate specific scenarios of uptake of biomass heat in 2020. These costs were calculated for policy development purposes in accordance with Treasury Green Book guidance and methodologies developed with the support of the Interdepartmental Group on Costs and Benefits.

    Estimates of emissions by source (including biomass emissions) are updated annually and reported in the National Atmospheric Emissions Inventory, but social (health) costs by emissions source are not routinely calculated.

    Estimates of the health burden due to total anthropogenic fine particulate matter (PM2.5) in the UK are calculated as part of the Public Health Outcomes Framework indicator. This is based on modelled annual population weighted mean total anthropogenic PM2.5 levels in the UK.

  • Jonathan Edwards – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Deputy Prime Minister

    Jonathan Edwards – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Deputy Prime Minister

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jonathan Edwards on 2014-03-12.

    To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what assessment he has made of the suitability of the chief executives of Carmarthenshire County Council and Pembrokeshire County Council acting as returning officers in future elections.

    Greg Clark

    It is the responsibility of individual local authorities to appoint an officer of the council to be the returning officer for local government elections in their area. Electoral law provides that returning officers for local government elections shall also be local returning officers for European Parliamentary elections. It therefore does not fall to the Government to assess the suitability of individuals carrying out these roles.

  • Michael McCann – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Michael McCann – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Michael McCann on 2014-06-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many cases against the Ministry of Defence were funded by legal aid in each of the last 10 years.

    Mr Shailesh Vara

    The Legal Aid Agency (LAA) cannot separately identify legal aid cases against the Department for Work and Pensions, the Ministry of Defence and the Home Office. Opponents are not systematically recorded against Legal Aid cases.

    The net payments to Public Interest Lawyers over the past ten tears were:

    Financial Year

    Net Payments

    FY2003-2004

    £139,620.72

    FY2004-2005

    £158,282.52

    FY2005-2006

    £251,844.27

    FY2006-2007

    £299,667.99

    FY2007-2008

    £577,263.60

    FY2008-2009

    £628,527.75

    FY2009-2010

    £267,433.88

    FY2010-2011

    £439,268.02

    FY2011-2012

    £331,238.85

    FY2012-2013

    £50,633.27

    These payments cover all work undertaken by the firm under legal aid. The payments made will be offset by recoupment on successful cases where the opponent has paid the costs.

  • Nicholas Soames – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Nicholas Soames – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicholas Soames on 2014-03-12.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many non-EU students (a) came to the UK and (b) departed the UK in the last period for which figures are available.

    Nick Hurd

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

  • Jim Shannon – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Jim Shannon – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2014-06-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what recent discussions he has had with NHS England on the potential for exercise to reduce the need for patients to have back surgery.

    Norman Lamb

    There is evidence that physical activity can alleviate lower back pain and can benefit musculoskeletal health. However, there have been no specific discussions between Department of Health Ministers and NHS England on the potential for exercise to reduce the need for patients to have back surgery.

    The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence recommends that a structured exercise programme, tailored to the person, be offered as a treatment option for early management of persistent, non-specific back pain.

    Public Health England is working with partners, including the Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Alliance, Arthritis Research UK and the business sector to encourage better prevention and management of back pain, particularly through the promotion of physical activity.

  • Ms Karen Buck – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Ms Karen Buck – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ms Karen Buck on 2014-03-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many households have been placed in temporary accommodation by London councils in each local authority area outside London since March 2010.

    Kris Hopkins

    [Holding Reply: Monday 17 March 2014]

    I refer the hon. Member to my answer to her of 19 December 2013, Official Report, Column 713W.