Category: Speeches

  • Keith Vaz – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Keith Vaz – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Keith Vaz on 2014-06-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people were employed by HM Passport Office on 1 January (a) 2010, (b) 2011, (c) 2012, (d) 2013 and (e) 2014.

    James Brokenshire

    The formal record for workforce data is made on the last day of each calendar
    month.

    The data as of 31 December in each year were as follows.

    31 December 2010: 3,700 full-time equivalents
    31 December 2011: 3,286 full-time equivalents
    31 December 2012: 3,164 full-time equivalents
    31 December 2013: 3,333 full-time equivalents

    These figures are for permanent civil servants employed by HMPO, including part
    year appointments and permanent members of staff employed on contracts for nine
    months of the year. This excludes staff on secondment or loan, and agency and
    temporary staff – with these staff included, the March 2014 figure is 3,444.

  • Angus Robertson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Angus Robertson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Angus Robertson on 2014-03-31.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether both Queen Elizabeth class aircraft carriers can be docked at Portsmouth Harbour simultaneously.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    Yes. Significant new investment in HM Naval Base Portsmouth, including the strengthening of jetties, installing new power supplies and other infrastructure changes is required to accommodate both carriers. This work has already commenced and will continue to expand. The initial capability will be completed in time for the arrival of the first of class, HMS Queen Elizabeth, at her home port.

  • Sheila Gilmore – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Sheila Gilmore – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

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

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what visits each of the Ministers in his Department have made since January 2013; and what the purpose of each such visit was.

    Jeremy Wright

    The Department is not able to provide this information without incurring disproportionate cost because this would require extensive searches of all current and former Ministers’ diaries over this period and further research to confirm the purpose of each visit.

    I can confirm that Ministers from this Department go on regular visits which are relevant to their portfolios, including to courts and tribunals, prisons, probation services and a wide range of organisations connected to the Department’s work.

  • Angus Robertson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Angus Robertson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Angus Robertson on 2014-03-31.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many air proximity incidents by classification took place with a Typhoon aircraft in each of the last three years; and what the other aircraft involved was in each incident, broken down by by location.

    Mr Mark Francois

    Details of the air proximity incidents involving Typhoon aircraft in 2011, 2012 and 2013 have been published online and can be obtained from the UK Airprox Board website at:

    http://www.airproxboard.org.uk/default.aspx?catid=423&pagetype=90&pageid=5639

  • David Winnick – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    David Winnick – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Winnick on 2014-06-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will direct Network Rail to inform officially the hon. Member for Walsall North when the work on the bridge at Broad Lane, Bloxwich, Walsall arising from electrification of the railway line will be finally completed.

    Stephen Hammond

    Network Rail is currently a private sector company limited by guarantee and the duration of the Broad Lane bridge replacement works is an operational matter for the company.

    Network Rail advises that the replacement works are due to be completed and the bridge is due to be re-opened to road traffic on Friday 20 June.

  • Steve McCabe – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Steve McCabe – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2014-03-31.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many women detained at Yarl’s Wood Detention Centre have been held for (a) four years or more, (b) three years or more and (c) two years or more.

    James Brokenshire

    As at 31 December 2013, the latest date for which figures are available, no women were detained at Yarl’s Wood immigration removal centre for longer than two years.

  • 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 2014-06-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department taks to investigate allegations from a whistleblower of impropriety in a Work Choice contract.

    Esther McVey

    The Department treats any allegation of fraud by contractors very seriously, regardless of where these emanate from. Any fraud is completely unacceptable. Where we identify, or are notified of, allegations of contractor fraud, these cases are investigated thoroughly by the Department’s professionally trained and experienced investigators to a standard required to support reference to the Police whenever evidence of criminal offences is discovered.

    All contracted employment providers are required to have whistleblowing procedures that support their employees in reporting suspected wrongdoing at work and ‘making a disclosure in the public interest’. If they consider that they cannot raise suspicions of abuse of government funds with their employer, they should contact the Comptroller and Auditor General of the National Audit Office (NAO). This route is used to escalate whistleblower concerns and DWP Internal Investigations work with the NAO to investigate these matters and take appropriate action where issues are identified. This is an important channel in ensuring that employees can raise concerns and that they can be protected legally when doing so.

  • Philip Davies – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Philip Davies – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Philip Davies on 2014-03-31.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the effect of a smoking ban in prisons on the number of incidents of violence relating to cigarettes.

    Jeremy Wright

    The National Offender Management Service (NOMS) support the desirability of attaining a smoke free prison estate in the future and continue to work towards this objective. However, the timing of that implementation will take account of the operational realities of running safe, decent and secure prisons and in particular the impact any smoking ban may have on the general safety of staff and prisoners. Therefore the decision on timing to move to smoke free prisons will reflect an operational assessment of risk, which will include an assessment of potentially adverse impact on prisoner behaviour and how this risk can be minimised and effectively managed. This assessment is ongoing and the risks are being carefully considered to ensure effective plans and support are in place before introducing smoke free prisons.

    The work by NOMS on moving to a smoke free prison estate will continue to be informed by the UK Centre for Tobacco Control Studies in Nottingham University; by further assessments of air quality in prisons; and by the work with Public Health England and expertise from the New Zealand prison service which has introduced smoke free prisons.

  • Gregg McClymont – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Gregg McClymont – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gregg McClymont on 2014-06-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether he proposes that his planned charge cap on workplace pensions from April 2015 will apply to new collective defined contribution schemes.

    Steve Webb

    The Government’s Defined Ambition Bill will bring new forms of collective pension arrangements to the UK, and it is vital that member protection, good governance and fair charges remain at the heart of this system.

    Details of how any charge cap may be applied to Collective Defined Contribution schemes will be in place before this legislation is commenced.

  • Jim Cunningham – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Jim Cunningham – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2014-03-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many social housing tenants who were liable to pay the under-occupancy penalty have moved house since 1 April 2013.

    Esther McVey

    The information is not readily available and has not previously been published as official statistics.