Category: Speeches

  • Kate Green – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Kate Green – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kate Green on 2014-06-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of measures adopted following the Kinsella Review of anti-knife crime projects, published in February 2011; and if she will make a statement.

    Norman Baker

    There has been no formal assessment of the measures introduced following the
    publication of the Kinsella Review. However, we keep the current Ending Gang
    and Youth Violence programme under close review, which supports the work of the
    33 areas in England and Wales identified as having the most significant gang
    problems. This programme is aimed at tackling gang and youth violence and
    includes knife crime. Our assessment of the first year (2012-13) of the
    programme was positive, with local areas considering it to have been a success.
    We are currently finalising the assessment of the second year (2013-14).

  • Jeremy Corbyn – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Jeremy Corbyn – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jeremy Corbyn on 2014-06-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what representations he has received from local authorities about the extension of fines to letting agents who fail to publish their fees tariff in full.

    Kris Hopkins

    Requiring letting agents to be transparent about their fees will prevent the small minority of rogue agents from imposing unreasonable, hidden charges. This common sense approach avoids excessive state regulation which would just push up rents for tenants. This and mandatory membership of redress schemes will give local authorities the tools they need to weed out the cowboys that give agents a bad name; and drive up standards.

    We have not received particular representations from local authorities on this issue. We will undertake a New Burdens assessment in due course in the usual way.

  • Baroness Jones of Whitchurch – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Baroness Jones of Whitchurch – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Jones of Whitchurch on 2014-03-27.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to ensure that 40 per cent of two-year-olds will be able to receive free childcare by September 2014 as announced by the Deputy Prime Minister on 2 September 2013.

    Lord Nash

    The Government is investing £525 million this year, rising to £755 million in 2014-15, in the new entitlement to early learning for two-year-olds. In February 2014 local authorities reported that over 100,000 two-year-olds were already benefitting from funded early learning places. Local authorities have received £100 million capital funding, and we are reducing bureaucracy and red tape to help support the expansion of successful providers and the creation of new places. We are encouraging more schools to provide early education places and to open from 8-6pm and are also establishing childminder agencies. These measures are part of the Government’s wider childcare reform programme which will improve the affordability and accessibility of childcare by increasing the supply of places across the country.

  • John Mann – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    John Mann – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Mann on 2014-06-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many new houses are under construction in Bassetlaw district.

    Kris Hopkins

    The Department does not hold data centrally on the number of homes currently under construction. Data is recorded when a building is started, defined as the laying of the foundations and when the residence is completed, defined as when ready for occupation or supplied with a completion certificate. The length of time between these two points will vary and therefore we cannot know how many are currently under construction.

    Statistics on house building starts in Bassetlaw District are published in the Department’s live tables 253 (annually) and 253a (quarterly), which are available at the following link:

    http://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/live-tables-on-house-building

    “

  • Yasmin Qureshi – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Yasmin Qureshi – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Yasmin Qureshi on 2014-03-26.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what Red, Amber, Green ratings the Major Projects Authority has given to the Emergency Services Communications Programme.

    Mr Francis Maude

    The Major Projects Authority (MPA) has been applying MPA assurance processes to the Emergency Services Mobile Communications Programme (ESMCP) including a Project Assessment Review and Gateway Reviews. Further information on the ESMCP Programme is available at the link below:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-emergency-services-mobile-communications-programme

    Delivery Confidence Assessment ratings are supplied according to the MPA’s Transparency Policy which is on the Cabinet Office website. The policy allows for non-disclosure of information which should properly remain confidential, for example where it is market sensitive or necessary to safeguard national security.

    This will be in line with the principles of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 which is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/major-projects-transparency-policy-and-exemptions-guidance

    The DCA for ESMCP was not revealed in MPA’s first annual report last year in line with the above policy. The next annual report of the MPA is due to be published in May.

  • Stephen Phillips – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture Media and Sport

    Stephen Phillips – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Phillips on 2014-06-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps his Department is taking to work with counterparts in other EU Member States to encourage tourism to the UK from Europe.

    Mrs Helen Grant

    VisitEngland works closely with a network of National Tourism Organisations through the National Tourism Board Forum. Members include Ireland, Germany, Switzerland, France, Malta, Denmark, Austria, Montenegro and Belgium. Activities of the forum include: regular meetings, sharing insights and best practice and marketing development.

  • Mr Laurence Robertson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Mr Laurence Robertson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mr Laurence Robertson on 2014-03-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 26 February 2014, Official Report, column 558W, on land drainage, what funding will be made available to SuDS Approving Bodies to enable them to maintain balancing tanks and sustainable urban drainage systems; who will be responsible for providing that funding; and if he will make a statement.

    Dan Rogerson

    The Department will be consulting shortly on funding arrangements for the maintenance of sustainable drainage systems (SuDS) that will be subject to the provisions of Schedule 3 of the Flood and Water Management Act 2010.

  • Damian Hinds – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Damian Hinds – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Damian Hinds on 2014-06-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what progress his Department has made in improving maternity and early years care.

    Dr Daniel Poulter

    We have made improving maternity services a key objective in our Mandate to NHS England. Over the past two years we have also invested 35 million pounds of capital funding to improve the physical environment of over 140 maternity units.

    We have increased the numbers of midwives and health visitors. There are 1,700 more midwives and over 2,000 more health visitors than in 2010. In addition, there are more than 6,000 midwifery students in training. And we are committed to having an extra 4,200 health visitors by 2015.

    We are expanding the Family Nurse Partnership programme – which provides dedicated one to one support to young, at risk first time mothers – to 16,000 places by 2015.

    We launched the NHS Start4life Information Service for Parents, a digital service for parent-to-be and new parents in May 2012. Take up has already exceeded the sign-up target of 300,000 parents by 2015 – as of 1 June over 339,000 parents had signed up to the service.

  • Lucy Powell – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Lucy Powell – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lucy Powell on 2014-03-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when (a) he and (b) Ministers in his Department last visited a private, voluntary or independent sector childcare setting in an official capacity.

    Elizabeth Truss

    Records show that the most recent visits undertaken to PVI provision by Ministers in the Department for Education are as follows.

    I visited Little Rainbows Day Nursery on 20 March 2014. My Rt. Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, visited Norwood Kennedy Leigh Family Centre in November 2013.

    It should be noted that we do not keep records of the specific business model of every nursery or childcare setting Ministers visit. Therefore, it is possible that other visits have been undertaken, details of which are not held centrally.

  • Ivan Lewis – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Ivan Lewis – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ivan Lewis on 2014-05-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what steps he is taking to ensure industry and academia in Northern Ireland are able to benefit from opportunities in support of national space security interests.

    Mr David Willetts

    It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.