Category: Speeches

  • Diana Johnson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Diana Johnson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Diana Johnson on 2014-04-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many people have been convicted of an offence of murder, kidnapping or infanticide contrary to the common law of England and Wales in each of the last four years.

    Damian Green

    Murder, infanticide and kidnapping are all indictable only offences. A life sentence is mandatory for murder and the maximum penalty for infanticide and kidnapping.

    The number of offenders found guilty at all courts of ‘murder’, ‘infanticide’ and ‘kidnapping’ in England and Wales from 2009 to 2012 (latest data available) can be viewed in the table.

    Court proceedings data for 2013 is planned for publication in May 2014.


  • John Redwood – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Leader of the House

    John Redwood – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Leader of the House

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Redwood on 2014-04-10.

    To ask the Leader of the House, what levels of stock his Office holds of (a) stationery, (b) printer cartridges, (c) treasury tags and other fasteners and (d) other office consumables.

    Mr Andrew Lansley

    The Office of the Leader of the House of Commons is part of the Cabinet Office. The information requested is not held centrally.

  • Bill Esterson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Bill Esterson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Bill Esterson on 2014-04-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many coastguard operations room staff have applied for posts in the restructured coastguard service.

    Stephen Hammond

    As at 14 April 2014, of those Coastguards currently working in a Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre, 86 have applied for both new posts in the new coastguard structure and voluntary redundancy, 140 have applied for voluntary redundancy only and 128 have applied for a new post in the new coastguard structure only.

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

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

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Garnier on 2014-04-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent assessment he has made of the performance of Capita on processing medical assessment reports for personal independence payments.

    Mike Penning

    The Department’s contract with Capita for the delivery of assessments for Personal Independence Payment includes a full set of service level agreements setting out the Department’s expectations for service delivery. We are closely monitoring their progress against these and are taking action to drive up performance where this does not meet the required standards.

    We are aware that, in many cases, it is taking longer than we would like for claimants to have their assessments with Capita. We are working closely with our supplier to speed up the process for claimants.

  • Michael Fabricant – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Michael Fabricant – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Michael Fabricant on 2014-04-10.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what progress he has made on developing the role of the Crown Commercial Service; what savings to the public purse he expects to accrue from commercial reform of government procurement; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr Nick Hurd

    The Crown Commercial Service is now a fully operational legal entity providing expert commercial services to the public sector.

    It is at the heart of the Government’s Commercial Reform Programme and will continue to drive further savings for the taxpayer and improve the quality of commercial and procurement activity across government.

  • Lord Lester of Herne Hill – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Lord Lester of Herne Hill – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Lester of Herne Hill on 2014-04-09.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Faulks on 2 April (WA 208–12), how many prosecutions brought in the last 10 years in connection with religious hatred offences (as distinct from homophobic hatred offences) under 29B and 29C of the Public Order Act 1986 and in connection with religiously aggravated offences (as distinct from racially aggravated offences) under sections 31 and 32 of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 have resulted in a guilty verdict.

    Lord Faulks

    It is not totally possible to identify separately offences of religious hatred from those of homophobic hatred or religious aggravation from those offences of racial aggravation. Relevant details may be held on the court record, which can only be checked at disproportionate cost.

  • Lord Inglewood – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Lord Inglewood – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Inglewood on 2014-04-09.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the timetable for the negotiations on the United Kingdom’s opt-in to the European Arrest Warrant and other European Union Justice and Home Affairs measures; whether they agree with the statement made by the Presidency of the European Union in note 7519/14 that they will need to finalise their position by June 2014 so that national internal procedures can take place before the summer recess; and if so, whether those procedures will include a debate in the House of Lords on the final text of the instruments.

    Lord Taylor of Holbeach

    As my Rt. Hon. Friend the Home Secretary stated to Parliament on 7 April 2014, Official Report, column 27, ‘Detailed and constructive discussions are taking place with the European Commission and other member states. The Government is keen to avoid the possibility of an operational gap that will ensue if we have not settled the matter before 1 December when the UK’s opt-out takes full effect.

    Our aim is therefore to reach an "in principle" deal well ahead of that date.’ As I stated to the House on 23 January 2014, Official Report, column 846, the Government remains committed ‘to holding another vote on the final package of measures that we will apply to rejoin.’ We remain of the view that Parliament should be given the opportunity to scrutinise this matter fully.

  • Iain Wright – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Iain Wright – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Iain Wright on 2014-04-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, with reference to Growth is Our Business: A Strategy for Professional and Business Services published in July 2013, what progress his Department has made in (a) developing a clearing house for professional and business services higher apprenticeship applicants and (b) helping small and medium-sized enterprises access this talent pool.

    Matthew Hancock

    These questions ask about a number of actions related to skills development from “Growth is our business: a strategy for professional and business services”, published in July 2013 as part of Government’s industrial strategy. The strategy was developed in collaboration with the professional and business services sector, focusing on the industry’s agenda for long term growth. It is led by the Professional and Business Services Council.

    The strategy reflects two key business priorities in skills development. First, to expand recruitment routes into the sector, in particular higher apprenticeships, to access a wider, more diverse talent pool. Second, to help businesses engage with the education system to raise aspirations and promote work readiness. A business-led skills taskforce for professional and business services has been established. It is developing approaches to implement the strategy and will report progress at the end of this year.

    The skills taskforce is leading work to help towards the strategy’s ambitious target to treble the number of higher apprenticeship starts across professional and business services to 10,000 over five years; and to follow progress in the interim, so that the numbers of these apprenticeships can be monitored. As a first step, the taskforce is supporting the London Professional Apprenticeship scheme, which was launched in December 2013, and is now recruiting apprentices and employers to take part. The scheme will pilot the proposal for a “clearing house” to help small firms access higher apprenticeships in professional and business services. In addition, the taskforce is backing new ‘trailblazer’ initiatives, announced in March 2014, to develop employer-driven standards for apprenticeships in several professional and business services occupations.

    The skills taskforce is currently researching the metrics for schools’ reporting and their effect on the prestige of higher apprenticeships as initial career destinations. It will consider if more could be done to ensure higher apprenticeships have parity of esteem with higher education.

    The taskforce is also mapping current school engagement activity involving professional and business services firms with a view to identifying and sharing good practice.

    The new emphasis on wider use of higher apprenticeships across professional and business services should contribute towards a greater diversity of routes into these careers in the years to come; potentially offering opportunities to a wider pool of talent.

    The skills taskforce intends to consider how the employability of young people can be supported within the national curriculum, but believes that greater engagement between employers and young people is the best way of improving employability skills.

    My noble friend Lord Lingfield has set up the independent Institution for Further Education to take forward work on a new chartered status quality schemeand is considering the application and assessment process for Further Education providers.

    The skills taskforce is exploring how web-based services can support engagement between firms and the education sector, including a planned digital “inspiration” tool being developed by this Department to encourage business-schools engagement.

    Further information on the implementation of “Growth is our business: a strategy for professional and business services” is included in a progress report on industrial strategy, published on 23 April 2014: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/industrial-strategy-early-successes-and-future-priorities.

    “

  • Adam Afriyie – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Adam Afriyie – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Adam Afriyie on 2014-04-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what recent steps he has taken to ensure that exporters of intangible goods can access the resources of UK Export Finance.

    Michael Fallon

    UK Export Finance can provide support for intangibles, such as software licenses, where they are provided in connection with goods or services. As far as the supply of intangibles by themselves are concerned, UK Export Finance has initiated a public consultation on proposals to widen its powers under its enabling legislation, the Export and Investment Guarantees Act 1991 (as amended). These proposals include giving UK Export Finance the ability to support exports of intangible goods such as intellectual property rights by themselves. If, having regard to the responses to that consultation, it is deemed to implement these proposals, they will form part of a Bill that will be introduced in the next session of Parliament.

  • Michael Thornton – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Michael Thornton – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Michael Thornton on 2014-04-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what recent research his Department has undertaken on retaliatory evictions in the private rented sector.

    Kris Hopkins

    There is no hard evidence that retaliatory eviction is a widespread problem in the private rented sector and the English Housing Survey shows that only 9% of tenancies are ended by the landlord. However, we are aware that this is an issue for some people. We recently published a discussion document on property conditions which invited views on whether restrictions should be placed on issue of possession notices where a tenant has requested a repair. The closing date for replies was 28 March and we are now considering the responses.