Category: Speeches

  • Jim Cunningham – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Jim Cunningham – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2014-06-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, pursuant to the Answer of 11 June 2014, Official Report, column 213W, on apprenticeships, if he will make it his policy to collect information centrally on how many individuals who started an apprenticeship in the 2012-13 academic year were existing employees or new employees.

    Matthew Hancock

    Information will be collected via the Individualised Learner Record for the 2013/14 academic year onwards on the length of time a learner has been with their employer prior to starting their apprenticeship.

  • Maria Eagle – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Maria Eagle – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Maria Eagle on 2014-04-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when he was informed that cage trapping and shooting of badgers had been implemented alongside the free shooting of badgers within three days of the beginning of the pilot badger cull in Gloucestershire in 2013.

    George Eustice

    Both controlled shooting and cage trapping and shooting methods were always available to the cull companies. There was no compulsion on the contractors to use a defined proportion of cage trapping and controlled shooting. How they used these two methods was a decision for them to make. As the pilot culls progressed, cull companies decided to use more cage trapping, as this technique was found to work well under certain circumstances. Ministers were kept informed of progress during the pilot culls from an early stage.

  • Lucy Powell – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Lucy Powell – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lucy Powell on 2014-06-18.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps the Government is taking to ensure that childcare providers receive payments from National Savings and Investments on time.

    Nicky Morgan

    On the 23 May the Government published a further consultation on the delivery of childcare accounts within Tax-Free Childcare. The consultation will be open until 27 June and the Government will consider the responses alongside those to the first consultation before it makes its decision on the provision of childcare accounts.

  • Ian Lucas – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Ian Lucas – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Lucas on 2014-04-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with the Turkish government on the security and humanitarian situation in Kessab.

    Hugh Robertson

    We have regular discussions with the Turkish authorities regarding the appalling situation in Syria. We work closely with Turkey to coordinate the substantial humanitarian effort in the region and we welcome their assistance in facilitating aid delivery. Turkey is also a valued security partner of the UK. We work closely with Turkey to restrict the ability of foreign fighters to cross into Syria. We will continue to engage with Turkey on these important topics.

  • Karl McCartney – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture Media and Sport

    Karl McCartney – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Karl McCartney on 2014-06-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of local authority funding for the staffing of libraries.

    Mr Edward Vaizey

    Public libraries are funded and run by local authorities and it is for each local authority to determine at a local level how much they spend on libraries and how to manage and deliver the service, including decisions about expenditure on staffing.

  • Ann Coffey – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Ann Coffey – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ann Coffey on 2014-04-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many convictions there have been with offence code (a) 21, (b) 22, (c) 23, (d) 71, (e) 72, (f) 73, (g) 74, (h) 17Z, (i) 17B, (j) 19C, (k) 19D, (l) 19E, (m) 19F, (n) 19H, (o) 20A, (p) 20B, (q) 22B and (r) 88A under the Sexual Offences Act 2003 (i) in each of the Crown courts in Greater Manchester and (ii) at the lowest available level.

    Jeremy Wright

    The proportion of offenders given custody for sexual offences has increased since 2003.

    The Government takes very seriously all matters relating to the sexual abuse of children and adults. Our laws in these areas are rightly robust and clear. The 2003 Act, which came into effect in May 2004, significantly modernised and strengthened the laws on sexual offences in England and Wales. We have already introduced automatic life sentences for a second serious sexual or violent offence, and we have announced plans to end automatic early release for child rapists, terrorists and all dangerous offenders.

    The number of offenders found guilty at the Crown Court in Greater Manchester police force area, for sexual offences with the offence codes specified from 2008 to 2012 (latest data available), can be viewed in the table.

    Court proceedings statistics for the year 2013 are planned to be published by the Ministry of Justice in May 2014.

  • Steve McCabe – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Steve McCabe – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2014-06-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether special educational needs coordinators are able to request funds from his Department for extra assistance with SEN students in maintained schools.

    Mr Edward Timpson

    The Department for Education does not give funds directly to local authority maintained schools. Funds for extra assistance with students with special educational needs (SEN) come from schools’ budgets and, if the extra cost is more than £6,000 per year for an individual student, from local authorities in the form of top-up funding for the school. Local authorities can also give extra funding to schools with a disproportionate number of pupils with SEN. Special educational needs coordinators should therefore seek any additional funds required from the relevant local authority.

  • John McDonnell – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    John McDonnell – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by John McDonnell on 2014-04-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how long it took to merge Avon and Somerset Probation Services.

    Jeremy Wright

    Avon and Somerset Probation Trust, which was established on 1 April 2010, replaced the Avon and Somerset Probation Board, which had been created on 1 April 2001 following the merger of the two separate probation committees for Avon and for Somerset.

  • Roger Williams – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Roger Williams – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Roger Williams on 2014-06-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, if he will estimate the potential reduction in gas imports from the roll-out of ground sourced heat pumps.

    Gregory Barker

    I have not made such an estimate. However, we expect the impact of ground-source heat pump (GSHP) deployment on gas imports to be negligible.

  • Chris Ruane – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Chris Ruane – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Ruane on 2014-04-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what average length of time was taken to process personal independence payments applications and DS1500s for clients who were terminally ill in Wales in the last year.

    Mike Penning

    I refer the hon Member to the answer I gave to the hon Member for Liverpool, West Derby and the hon Member for Airdrie and Shotts, official report, 5 March, column 850W.

    Although Personal Independence Payment is a new benefit, and the Department does not have a target for completion of claims while processess are bedding in, we do deal urgently with special rules claims for terminally ill claimants. We are implementing a range of improvements to improve clearance times for people with a terminal illness, including a dedicated phone service which we introduced in February 2014.