Category: Speeches

  • Paul Flynn – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Deputy Prime Minister

    Paul Flynn – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Deputy Prime Minister

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Flynn on 2014-03-13.

    To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what steps he has taken to restrict access to departmental meetings by lobbyists since 2011.

    Greg Clark

    Details of meetings held by Ministers and Permanent Secretaries with external organisations are published quarterly and can be found on GOV.UK. That transparency will be further extended by the recently enacted Transparency of Lobbying, Non-Party Campaigning and Trade Union Administration Act, Part 1 of which will require consultant lobbyists that meet with Ministers and senior officials to declare their clients on a publicly available register.

  • Julian Sturdy – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Julian Sturdy – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Julian Sturdy on 2014-06-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, with reference to the Cystic Fibrosis Trust’s report entitled Hope for More: Improving access to lung transplantation and care for people with cystic fibrosis, what assessment he has made of the donor lung utilisation rate for transplantation; and what measures he has identified as having the greatest potential to increase such utilisation.

    Jane Ellison

    Currently donated lungs are allocated to the designated cardiothoracic transplant centres on a zonal basis. However, the Cardiothoracic Organs Advisory Group (CTAG) have recently reviewed the allocation policy and have recommended that the size of the allocation zones be adjusted to help ensure equity of access. NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) have therefore confirmed that for cardiothoracic organs, the zones will be reviewed in August 2014 to coincide with changes in liver allocation zones and from August 2015, heart and lung zones will be disaggregated and the zones reviewed separately.

    CTAG have also recommended that NHSBT reviews the consequences of introducing two levels of priority for listing for lung transplants – urgent and routine, and suggest a national allocation scheme for urgent listed patients, and zonal allocation for routine listed patients.

    Any proposed change would need to be validated by NHSBT, who will review the criteria for urgent listing and the statistical modelling of the potential impact of such a system. NHSBT will continue to work closely with the Cystic Fibrosis Trust to improve outcomes for patients requiring lung transplants.

  • Stephen Timms – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Stephen Timms – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2014-03-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 20 January 2012, Official Report, column 1032W, on Work Programme, when he expects to publish the independent evaluation of the Work Programme.

    Esther McVey

    The Department will publish findings once the independent evaluation of the Work Programme is complete.

  • Tony Cunningham – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Tony Cunningham – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tony Cunningham on 2014-06-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, for what reasons legal aid funding in relation to the case of the constituent of the hon. Member for Workington, Gary Tomlinson, Claim Number OWH0080, Cert number JBIRQK61BB77/A/E/1, was withdrawn.

    Mr Shailesh Vara

    The receipt of legal aid is considered to be personal data and the Department has obligations under the Data Protection Act 1998 which would prevent it from disclosing this type of information. Furthermore, the Legal Aid Agency is further prohibited by statute from disclosing information relating to the provision of legal aid in individual cases (under section 34 of the LASPO Act 2012, section 20 of the Access to Justice Act 1999, and before this under section 38 of the Legal Aid Act 1988).

  • Hilary Benn – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Hilary Benn – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Hilary Benn on 2014-03-12.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what estimate he has made of the empty property business rates for the vacant properties recorded on the e-PIMS database owned by (a) his Department and (b) any executive agencies or non-departmental public bodies of his Department in the current financial year.

    Francis Maude

    At the time of the last General Election the central Government estate was far larger than required and taxpayers were paying to maintain, run and rent properties which were under-occupied while other part of the freehold estate remained vacant.

    The Government Property Unit has been supporting departments to rationalise rapidly the Government’s estate including by taking a whole of Government view of property. Since the 2010 General Election over £1.25 billion has been raised by selling surplus freehold properties. Through the exiting of property across the central civil estate, we have also delivered cumulative, gross run rate savings of over £454 million per annum.

    Where surplus property is awaiting disposal or lease end, the government looks to explore all disposal options, including commercially sub-letting all or part of the space. Surplus property is listed on gov.uk

    There is no liability at taxpayers’ expense for business rates on any vacant Cabinet Office properties in the current financial year.

  • Kwasi Kwarteng – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Kwasi Kwarteng – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kwasi Kwarteng on 2014-06-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what rights prisoners in HM Prison High Down Sutton have to association and exercise; and whether he has received representations that prisoners at that prison are being permitted less than half an hour to exercise per day.

    Jeremy Wright

    Prisoners at High Down have the same access to exercise and association as in all prisons in England and Wales. The details are set out in Prison Service Instruction (PSI) 58/2011 Physical Education for Prisoners. In addition, prisoners are entitled to association time outside of their cells that may include forms of exercise.

    We have no record of any formal representations made by prisoners at HMP Highdown on the lack of opportunity to exercise

  • Mr Gregory Campbell – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Speaker’s Committee on the Electorial Commission

    Mr Gregory Campbell – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Speaker’s Committee on the Electorial Commission

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mr Gregory Campbell on 2014-03-12.

    To ask the hon. Member for South West Devon, representing the Speaker’s Committee on the Electoral Commission, what steps are being taken by the Electoral Commission in Northern Ireland to promote electoral registration in rural areas where residents live some distance from permanent electoral offices.

    Gary Streeter

    The Electoral Commission informs me that it runs public awareness campaigns across Northern Ireland to encourage electors to register to vote. Its most recent campaign was conducted during the 2013 canvass of electors when all households in Northern Ireland were contacted. It also plans to conduct a public awareness campaign ahead of the upcoming elections this May.

    The Chief Electoral Officer is responsible for maintaining the electoral register in Northern Ireland and the Electoral Office for Northern Ireland run a number of registration and electoral identity clinics throughout Northern Ireland.

  • Jim Shannon – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Jim Shannon – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

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

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to increase the number of song birds in the UK.

    George Eustice

    The UK has designated 615 sites as Special Areas of Conservation under the Habitats Directive, and 270 sites as Special Protection Areas under the Birds Directive to provide protection to our most vulnerable and threatened wild birds.

    Agri-environment schemes are the principal means of improving habitat for farmland songbirds, assisting farmers to provide additional habitat and food on their farms for birds and other wildlife. The Government also supports the Campaign for the Farmed Environment to provide better habitats for farmland birds.

    The Government has provided £7.5 million to establish twelve Nature Improvement Areas. These are intended to benefit birds by improving existing habitat, creating new habitat and improving connectivity between habitats.

  • Helen Jones – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Helen Jones – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Helen Jones on 2014-03-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people in Warrington currently have benefits of which type paid into a Post Office card account.

    Steve Webb

    The information is not available in the format requested as data held relates to payment accounts rather than people. A customer may receive benefits in the form of a separate payment for each benefit to which they are entitled or a single, combined payment. Each of these payments is termed a payment account which would be paid into the same Post Office card account.

    The number of payment accounts paid into a Post Office Card Account split by benefit type in Warrington Local Authority as at February 2013 is shown in the table below.

    Number of payment accounts paid via a Post Office Card Account by benefit type in Warrington Local Authority: February 2013

    Total Benefits paid via Post Office Card Accounts

    9,540

    Attendance Allowance

    390

    Bereavement Benefit

    10

    Disability Living Allowance

    1,260

    Employment and Support Allowance

    610

    Incapacity Benefit

    200

    Carer’s Allowance

    170

    Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit

    190

    Income Support

    480

    Jobseeker’s Allowance

    440

    Pension Credit

    1,730

    State Pension

    3,970

    Severe Disablement Benefit

    90

    Widow’s Benefit

    10

    Source: DWP Information, Governance & Security Directorate, 100% data

    Notes:

    1. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10.

    2. Figures refer to payment accounts. Claimants with more than one account will be counted for each account. Figures only relate to accounts live and in payment on the specified date.

  • Luciana Berger – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Luciana Berger – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Luciana Berger on 2014-06-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what Government-funded education and support on alcohol consumption during pregnancy is available to pregnant women.

    Jane Ellison

    The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence’s 2008 guideline includes recommendations for doctors and midwives on the advice they should give to pregnant women about drinking alcohol.

    This advice is complemented by Government funded information provided through the Start4Life Information Service for Parents, Start4Life and NHS Choices websites.

    The Government funds the Start4Life Information Service for Parents service, which provides pregnant women/new mothers and their partners with comprehensive advice on staying healthy in pregnancy, preparing for birth and looking after their baby, and includes advice on risks of drinking before conception and during pregnancy.

    The Information Service for Parents is a digital service which provides National Health Service and other quality assured advice, including on alcohol consumption via regular text and email updates. Since launching on 18 May 2012, 339,277 new parents have signed up to the service (as of 1 June 2014).

    The Government is also committed to improving the labelling of alcoholic drinks, including a warning for women who are pregnant or trying to conceive.

    As part of the Public Health Responsibility Deal, alcohol retailers and producers have a responsibility to help raise this awareness and committed to putting an agreed warning or a pregnancy warning logo on 80% of labels on bottles and cans by the end of 2013. An independent market survey is underway to measure compliance.