Category: Speeches

  • Sharon Hodgson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Sharon Hodgson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sharon Hodgson on 2014-06-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what proportion of staff within his Department who have been dismissed following formal disciplinary proceedings in each of the last five financial years classed themselves as white British.

    Gregory Barker

    From November 2010 a single team was established to control the process for all formal disciplinary proceedings being undertaken against Civil Servants in the Department of Energy & Climate Change (DECC). Therefore central records only exist from that date.

    The proportion of Civil Servants in DECC, who have been dismissed following formal disciplinary proceedings since November 2010 to date and who are white British, is less than 1% of the total number of Civil Servants in each year.

  • Karen Lumley – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Karen Lumley – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Karen Lumley on 2014-04-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will bring forward proposals to amend the national curriculum to require the teaching of water safety in schools.

    Mr Edward Timpson

    The Government is committed to ensuring that swimming and teaching water safety takes place in schools. Swimming is an important part of the National Curriculum, which requires that all pupils must be taught to swim at least 25 metres unaided, and be able to use recognised swimming strokes by the end of Key Stage 2 (age 11). It also requires that a child can demonstrate an understanding of water safety. Swimming and water safety remain compulsory in the National Curriculum following the recent curriculum review.

    In March 2013 the Prime Minister announced additional ring-fenced funding of £150m per year for each of 2013-14 and 2014-15 to support the provision of PE and sport in primary schools. This funding was extended in the Autumn Statement 2013 to include 2015-16. Qualifying schools would be free to use this to extend their pupils’ access to swimming lessons and water safety awareness.

  • Sharon Hodgson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Sharon Hodgson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sharon Hodgson on 2014-06-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what targets her Department has for increasing diversity; and what progress has been made on meeting those targets in the last year.

    Karen Bradley

    Tables provided in Annex 1 for representation from March 2013 – March 2014

    In conjunction with Cabinet Office, the Department has agreed specific targets
    to improve representation rates. The position in the last year is as follows:

    • Three female employees have been appointed at Director General level becoming
    members of the Home Office Executive Management Board. The position generally
    was that 34.39% of staff at Senior Civil Service (SCS) were female compared
    with the target of 38%. At Grades 6 and 7 the position was that 43.93% of staff
    were female compared with the target of 45%.

    • 6.21% of staff with a disability were at SCS level compared to a target
    of 3% and at Grades 6 and 7 the position was that 5.99 % staff had a
    disability compared with the target of 6%.

    • 10.56% of staff at Grades 6 and 7 were from a minority ethnic background
    compared to a target of 10%. 4.52% of staff at SCS level were from a minority
    ethnic background compared with the target of 6%.

    • 5.66% of staff at SCS were lesbian, gay or bisexual compared to the target of
    5.0%. At Grades 6 and 7 the position was that 3.4% of staff were lesbian, gay
    or bisexual compared with the target of 5.0%.

    The position is encouraging but the Department is committed to finding further
    progress in all aspects of diversity.

  • Douglas Alexander – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Douglas Alexander – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Douglas Alexander on 2014-04-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many times he has visited Gibraltar in an official capacity since taking up his present office.

    Mr William Hague

    I have not yet had the opportunity to visit Gibraltar since taking up office. The Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Aylesbury (Mr Lidington) visited in April 2011.

  • Mark Hendrick – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Mark Hendrick – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Hendrick on 2014-06-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much is paid out in tax relief each month for savers within the National Employment Savings Trust; and what the average amount paid out in tax relief has been to a scheme member in each month.

    Steve Webb

    The Department for Work and Pensions does not hold the information requested.

  • Katy Clark – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Katy Clark – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Katy Clark on 2014-04-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, when he or officials of his Department last raised the issue of torture of prisoners in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) with the government of UAE.

    Hugh Robertson

    The Government unreservedly condemns the use of torture and urges all countries to comply with international law. Our close relationship with the UAE allows us to discuss sensitive issues, including human rights concerns, at every level.

  • Lord Roberts of Llandudno – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Lord Roberts of Llandudno – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Roberts of Llandudno on 2014-06-17.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their (1) current estimate, and (2) projected estimate as of 7 May 2015, of the number of (a) 16 to 17 year-olds, and (b) 18 to 24 year-olds, in the United Kingdom; and, of their current estimate, what proportion of (1) 16 to 17 year-olds, and (2) 18 to 24 year-olds, in the United Kingdom are currently registered to vote.

    Lord Wallace of Saltaire

    The Office for National Statistics’ (ONS) mid-2013 UK Population Estimate can be found here: http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/pop-estimate/population-estimates-for-uk–england-and-wales–scotland-and-northern-ireland/2013/index.html. The ONS has not made a projected estimate for 7 May 2015.

    Data on the proportion of 16 to 17 year olds and 18 to 24 year olds registered to vote is not held.

    “

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

    Lucy Powell – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lucy Powell on 2014-04-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 24 March 2014, Official Report, column 4W on nurseries, whether his Department’s workplace nurseries access the Government’s tax relief scheme for workplace nurseries.

    Stephen Hammond

    The Department’s childcare vouchers schemes are fully compliant with the Governments tax relief schemes as set out under Section 318 ITEPA 2003. Of the two nursery provision areas in Hastings and Swansea, the latter is run by a "third party" organisation, therefore, it is not for the Department to comment if they has access to the Government’s tax relief scheme.

  • Baroness Tonge – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Baroness Tonge – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Tonge on 2014-06-17.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to advocate the inclusion of Millennium Development Goal 5b in the World Health Organisation’s draft health goal for the post-2015 framework.

    Baroness Northover

    As we have already made clear, the UK supports a target to ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive health for all. Language on this is included in the most recent draft goals and targets list released by the co-chairs of the Open Working Group (OWG) on 2 June.

    The final targets in the post-2015 development framework will however be subject to international negotiations in the United Nations, in which the UK will play an active role.

  • Lord Wills – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Lord Wills – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Wills on 2014-04-03.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what estimate they have made of the average charge-out rate of pension advisers in calculating the quantity and quality of advice that will be available to people retiring under the new pension arrangements announced in the 2014 Budget.

    Lord Deighton

    At Budget the government announced a new guarantee that everyone with a defined contribution pension will be offered free and impartial face-to-face guidance on their financial choices in retirement when they retire. The government is consulting on how best to deliver this guidance as part of its consultation, ‘Flexibility and Choice in Pensions’.

    In addition, the government will work with the FCA to explore the extent to which regulated advice can be made more affordable through more cost effective delivery, such as through the development of online delivery channels.