Category: Speeches

  • Mike Weir – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Deputy Prime Minister

    Mike Weir – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Deputy Prime Minister

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mike Weir on 2014-06-04.

    To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, if he will publish the findings of all market research on attitudes in Scotland towards Scottish independence and related matters commissioned by the Devolution Team in his Department since May 2011.

    Greg Clark

    The UK Government regularly commissions independent research to inform and evaluate major policy programmes. Cabinet Office has contracted Ipsos MORI for the purposes of providing market research in relation to the Scotland Analysis Programme. Two formal tenders for this research were issued in March and August 2013 respectively and, as with other tenders for Government contracts, these processes were managed by the Government Procurement Service (now part of the Crown Commercial Service).

    Cabinet Office has also contracted Engine Partners LLP for the purposes of providing communications support work in relation to the Scottish independence referendum. A formal tender for this work was issued in September 2013 and was managed by the Government Procurement Service.

    As part of the Government’s commitment to transparency in expenditure information relating to the costs of both sets of work is publicly available at:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/cabinet-office-spend-data

    “

  • 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 2014-03-10.

    To ask the hon. Member for South West Devon, representing the Speaker’s Committee on the Electoral Commission, what assessment the Electoral Commission has made on the viability of permitting people to vote in any polling station in their constituency or local authority area.

    Gary Streeter

    The Electoral Commission informs me that permitting people to vote electronically at any polling station within a specific ward or local authority area was piloted by a number of English local authorities between 2002 and 2007 as part of the previous UK Government’s electoral pilot scheme programme.

    The Commission’s statutory evaluation of the pilot schemes concluded that while some people welcomed the convenience of “vote anywhere” polling stations, the impact on turnout was minimal and there were significant technical problems associated with the facility in some areas.

    The Commission has recommended that there should be no further piloting of electronic voting – including “vote anywhere” polling stations – without the development of a wider electoral modernisation strategy, which should take account of the specific risks related to electronic voting, as well as its cost-effectiveness and likely impact on public trust.

  • Tom Watson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Tom Watson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Watson on 2014-06-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the Answer of 29 April 2014, Official Report, column 636W, on the Air Force, whether any such UK personnel are embedded or otherwise interact with the US Air Force’s 17th Reconnaissance Squadron.

    Mr Mark Francois

    732nd is an Operations Group which comprises four Reconnaissance Squadron’s – 17th, 22nd, 30th and 867th. No UK Remotely Piloted Air System personnel are embedded with, or interact with the 732nd Operations Group Squadrons.

  • Lord Mendelsohn – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Lord Mendelsohn – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Mendelsohn on 2014-03-06.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many staff are currently employed for more than 50 per cent of their working week to support the Permanent Secretary of the Department for Education in his role as Accounting Officer; and what are their job titles.

    Lord Nash

    A large proportion of the staff who work in the Department for Education support the Permanent Secretary in his role as Accounting Officer.

    The information requested about those who do so for more than 50% of their working week is not readily available and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

  • Paul Uppal – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Paul Uppal – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Uppal on 2014-06-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent representations he has made to his Iranian counterpart about the destruction of an historically important Bahá’í cemetery in Shiraz.

    Hugh Robertson

    I was deeply concerned to learn of the destruction of a Baha’i cemetery in Shiraz, where approximately 950 Baha’is are buried. On 14 May 2014, I made a statement on this issue, calling for Iran to abide by its international commitments to ensure all Iranians are free to practice their religion without fear of persecution. This includes protection of religious sites.

  • The Countess of Mar – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The Countess of Mar – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by The Countess of Mar on 2014-03-27.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether social services departments are required to maintain a record of children with disabilities who are subject to child protection investigation under the Equality Act 2010.

    Lord Nash

    Under the Equality Act 2010 (Specific Duties) Regulations 2011, local authorities are required to publish information demonstrating compliance with the public sector equalities duty under section 149 of the Equality Act 2010. Whilst this information must include “information relating to persons who share a relevant protected characteristic who are affected by its policies and practices”, this does not specifically require the publication of information about children with disabilities who are subject to child protection investigations.

    Local authorities are, however, required to report annually on the numbers of children in need who have a disability (as defined by section 6 of the Equality Act 2010) as part of the Children in Need Census data collection. This data is collected under section 83 of the Children Act 1989. As part of this collection, local authorities report on the number of children with disabilities who are subject to child protection investigations under section 47 of the Children Act 1989.

  • Debbie Abrahams – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Debbie Abrahams – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Debbie Abrahams on 2014-06-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what recent discussions his Department has had with the North West Ambulance Service NHS Trust on its emergency ambulance cover.

    Jane Ellison

    There have been no recent discussions between the Department and the North West Ambulance Service NHS Trust on these matters. Decisions about ambulance services are a local matter and it is for clinical commissioning groups to ensure appropriate services are provided to their populations.

    Patients have a right to high quality and reliable urgent and emergency care, whenever they call on it, and we expect all ambulance trusts to provide this.

    The North West Ambulance Service met the three ambulance performance standards for 2013-14 and in April 2014.

  • Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

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

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the statement by Lord Taylor of Holbeach on 6 March (HL Deb, col 1522), whether the proposed judge-led public inquiry into undercover policing will be a statutory one that falls within the Inquiries Act 2005.

    Lord Taylor of Holbeach

    The judge-led public inquiry into undercover policing will be established under the Inquiries Act 2005.

    As I said to the House when I repeated the Home Secretary’s statement on 6 March 2014, Official Report, columns 1518-1526, there is significant further work that needs to take place before the public inquiry can begin its work. That further work will inform the scope of the inquiry and its terms of reference.

  • Bridget Phillipson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Bridget Phillipson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Bridget Phillipson on 2014-06-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment his Department has made of the extent of compliance of operators with point 30 of the Senior Traffic Commissioner for Great Britain guidance in Statutory Document 14: Local Bus Services.

    Stephen Hammond

    ‘Statutory Document 14: Local Bus Services’, which was drafted by and consulted on by the Senior Traffic Commissioner, has not yet been finalised following the consultation period. There is, therefore, no ‘point 30′ within existing guidance on which to make any assessment.

  • Chris Ruane – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Chris Ruane – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Ruane on 2014-03-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many deaths in fires in domestic properties in England there were in each year since 1999.

    Brandon Lewis

    The number of fatal casualties from fires in domestic properties in England has reduced by 42% from 1998/99 to 2012/13. The data for each year is provided in the table below.

    The Government remains committed to ensuring the fire safety of people in their own homes. The Department’s long-running fire safety campaign – established in 1988 and re-branded as Fire Kills in 1999 – is delivered in partnership with fire and rescue authorities across England. The award-winning campaign promotes a range of fire safety messages, primarily around the importance of working smoke alarms, to help drive down the number of fires and associated casualties.

    Year

    Fatalities in dwelling fires in England

    1998/99

    361

    1999/00

    343

    2000/01

    336

    2001/02

    355

    2002/03

    307

    2003/04

    333

    2004/05

    277

    2005/06

    280

    2006/07

    259

    2007/08

    275

    2008/09

    255

    2009/10

    252

    2010/11

    252

    2011/12

    233

    2012/13

    211