Category: Speeches

  • Mike Kane – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Mike Kane – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mike Kane on 2014-03-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the effect of recent changes to the funding of Greater Manchester Police on crime rates in that region.

    Damian Green

    The funding settlement for the police is a challenging one. However, as the
    vast majority of forces, including Greater Manchester Police are
    demonstrating, it is manageable. The latest report from Her Majesty’s
    Inspectorate of Constabulary (Policing in Austerity: Rising to the Challenge
    July 2013) found that crime is falling and the proportion of officers on the
    front line is increasing. The Government has protected the police from the
    additional 2014/15 reductions that were announced in the Chancellor’s December
    Autumn Statement, which means the police will face a 3.3% cash reduction in
    central Government funding (5.75% in real terms) compared to 2013/14. Once
    future police precept income is taken into account, the reduction in overall
    funding is even lower.

    In the Greater Manchester Police force areas, recorded crime fell by 7% between
    September 2012 and September 2013.

  • Tom Blenkinsop – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Tom Blenkinsop – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Blenkinsop on 2014-06-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the quality of provision of primary care in Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland.

    Dr Daniel Poulter

    No assessment has been made centrally. NHS England is responsible for the commissioning of primary care health services and for securing the best possible outcomes for patients.

  • Sheila Gilmore – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Attorney General

    Sheila Gilmore – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Attorney General

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sheila Gilmore on 2014-03-27.

    To ask the Attorney General, what the (a) 20 highest and (b) 20 lowest value contracts awarded by the Law Officers’ Departments’ were in each financial year since 2009-10.

    Oliver Heald

    I refer the Hon. Member to the answer given to her by the Minister for the Cabinet Office on the

    2nd April 2014 (Official Report, Col 721W).

  • Liam Byrne – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Liam Byrne – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Liam Byrne on 2014-06-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, if he will publish all forecasts held by his Department of the annual budget to be allocated to Unionlearn.

    Matthew Hancock

    The Skills Funding Statement published annually, sets out the funding priorities and available budget to support the further education (FE) and skills sector.

    Annual budgets allocated to individual programmes from the FE and skills budget, including Unionlearn is not published separately.

    As FE and skills budgets for future years have not been agreed, no annual budget has been forecast for unionlearn.

  • Sheila Gilmore – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Sheila Gilmore – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sheila Gilmore on 2014-03-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the (a) 20 highest and (b) 20 lowest value contracts awarded by his Department were in each financial year since 2009-10.

    Dan Rogerson

    The 20 highest and 20 lowest value contracts awarded by Defra for the respective financial years are set out in the table attached.

    We are unable to provide data for 2009/10 as we did not have a central contracts management system in place prior to April 2010.

    The lowest value for contracts shown here is £10,000. Any purchasing below that level is made under standard purchase order terms and conditions rather than through a specific contract. These are not recorded on our central system.

    The data does not included contracts for research and development which are not held centrally and could only be included at disproportionate cost.

  • Stewart Jackson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Stewart Jackson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stewart Jackson on 2014-06-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department has taken to support children with special educational needs in (a) Peterborough and (b) England.

    Mr Edward Timpson

    Part 3 of the Children and Families Act 2014, to be implemented from this September, introduces the largest reform to the system for special educational needs and disability for 30 years. It builds on the experience of 20 pathfinders and will place children and families at the heart of a more integrated system focused on improving outcomes for children and young people.

    The Department for Education is providing substantial funding to local areas to deliver the reforms. Last week, the Department announced an injection of an additional £45.2 million in 2014-15 on top of the £70 million Special Educational Needs (SEN) Reform Grant already provided this year for implementing the reforms. Peterborough will receive £200,615 of this most recent funding on top of the £307,940 SEN Reform Grant it has already received.

    We are also providing £30 million over two years to voluntary, community and private sector organisations to provide independent supporters to families to help them navigate the new system.Bids to offer independent supporters have been invited by 25 June. The Department for Education’s strategic partner, the Council for Disabled Children, will then work with interested organisations to secure support for families across the whole of England.

    This is supplemented by a wide range of activity to support implementation, from Pathfinder local authorities sharing their experience particular aspects of the reforms, through to funding for a range of specialist voluntary and community sector experts to provide materials and support for professionals on specific conditions.

  • Heidi Alexander – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Heidi Alexander – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Heidi Alexander on 2014-03-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, on what date he expects all peak services provided by Southeastern to be formed of 12 car trains.

    Stephen Hammond

    We do not expect all peak services provided by Southeastern to be formed of 12 car trains as demand on some routes does not require this level of capacity provision. It is for the Train Operating Company running the service to best match its rolling stock with passenger demand.

    Through the Government’s Rail Investment Strategy we are investing in additional capacity across the country, for where it is most needed.

  • Caroline Lucas – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Caroline Lucas – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2014-06-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether Ministers or officials of his Department have (a) met the Attorney General of Nigeria since January 2012 and (b) had any conversations about the sale of the OPL 245 oil concession in Nigeria involving Shell and ENI with (i) the Attorney General of Nigeria and (ii) any other senior official of the Nigerian government.

    Mark Simmonds

    No FCO Ministers have met the Nigerian Attorney General since January 2012. Given the range and frequency of meetings between FCO officials with the Nigerian Attorney General, I am unable to offer a full list of them. The Metropolitan Police Proceeds of Corruption Unit are investigating complaints made about the case of oil block OPL-245 in Nigeria. Because this is an on-going investigation, it would not be appropriate to comment any further.

  • 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 2014-06-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many unfilled vacancies there were on 1 June 2014 in (a) each community rehabilitation company and (b) the National Probation Service.

    Jeremy Wright

    The National Probation Service (NPS) and Community Rehabilitation Companies (CRCs) commenced operation on 1 June, and all staff have now moved to the new structure. Detailed information on vacancies is not held centrally. CRCs and NPS Divisions are currently developing their workforce plans, building on the staff structures inherited from Trusts. Once these are completed, they will be reviewed centrally and will inform the current round of recruitment for trainee probation officers. In the meantime, NPS Deputy Directors and CRCs are continuing to monitor and manage staffing in their areas.

  • Peter Luff – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Peter Luff – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Peter Luff on 2014-04-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions he has had with the European Commission on its programme of cinema advertising to promote the Common Agricultural Policy.

    George Eustice

    No such discussions have taken place.