Category: Speeches

  • Andrew Gwynne – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Andrew Gwynne – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Gwynne on 2014-05-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many veterans (a) were and (b) were not contacted by the Veterans Information Service one year after their departure from the armed forces in (i) 2010, (ii) 2011, (iii) 2012 and (iv) 2013.

    Anna Soubry

    The number of veterans who were contacted/not contacted by the Veterans Information Service in 2012 and 2013 is:

    20121

    20132

    Contacted

    19,445

    6,178

    Not Contacted

    3,544

    951

    Notes

    1. From May 2012 until December 2012.

    2. From January 2013 until March 2013. (Contact is initiated one year after discharge.)

    This information is not available by year prior to May 2012. However, I can confirm that 56,653 veterans discharged between 1 September 2009 and 30 April 2012 have been contacted and 5,996 have not.

  • Chris Ruane – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Deputy Prime Minister

    Chris Ruane – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Deputy Prime Minister

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Ruane on 2014-05-06.

    To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, which local authorities who have failed one or more Electoral Commission performance indicators for electoral registration did not apply for the additional funding his Office has put in place.

    Greg Clark

    In 2013 five Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) reported that they did not meet performance standard 3, relating to house-to-house enquiries: Mid Devon; Taunton Deane; Torridge; West Devon; and West Somerset. One ERO, Basildon, reported that they did not meet standard 1, relating to information sources.

    The Electoral Commission is in the process of carrying out a detailed analysis of EROs’ electoral registration data from the 2013 canvass, following which it will publish its final assessment of EROs’ performance in 2013.

    No authorities who failed one or more Electoral Commission performance indicators in Financial Year 13-14 have applied for the additional funding.

  • Chris Ruane – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Deputy Prime Minister

    Chris Ruane – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Deputy Prime Minister

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Ruane on 2014-05-06.

    To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, with reference to the Answer of 14 June 2010, Official Report, column 324W, on the electoral register, who is responsible for assessing the performance of the Electoral Commission in (a) monitoring and (b) increasing the electoral registration rates of individual local authorities.

    Greg Clark

    The Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act (2000) established the Electoral Commission as independent of Government. It is accountable to Parliament through the Speaker’s Committee on the Electoral Commission.

  • Chris Ruane – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Speaker’s Committee on the Electoral Commission

    Chris Ruane – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Speaker’s Committee on the Electoral Commission

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Ruane on 2014-05-06.

    To ask the hon. Member for South West Devon, representing the Speaker’s Committee on the Electoral Commission, which electoral registration officers identified themselves as below standard at using information services to verify entries in the register of electors and identify potential new electors in the latest period for which figures are available.

    Mr Gary Streeter

    The Electoral Commission informs me that in 2013 no Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) reported performing below the standard for performance standard 1, which aims to ensure that EROs use appropriate sources of information to verify records on the register of electors and to identify and contact potential new electors throughout the year.

  • Paul Maynard – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Paul Maynard – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Maynard on 2014-05-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, which organisations have received how much funding from his Department aimed at supporting access to short breaks and respite provision for children, young people and their families experiencing all types of disadvantage in each of the last five financial years.

    Norman Lamb

    From 2008-09, the Department made £340 million available (for three years), for palliative care and end-of-life services, short breaks, community equipment and wheelchair services for disabled children and young people.

    In each of the last five years, we have made an annual grant of £10 million to 40 children’s hospice services. An additional £721,000 was made available from 2012-13 for seven new children’s hospices not in receipt of the original grant. In addition to the annual grant, we also made available a one-off grant of £19 million in 2010-11 to support local children’s palliative services and over £7.5 million in 2013-14 in capital grants for children’s hospices and hospices at home.

    We have also provided £400 million to the National Health Service over four years from 2011 for family carers to have breaks from their caring responsibilities. In the 2013 Spending Review, we announced the £3.8 billion Better Care Fund, which includes £130 millionfunding for carers’ breaks for 2015-16.

  • 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 2014-05-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 7 April 20104. Official Report, columns 130-1W, on prisons: disciplinary proceedings, what the sex was of each of the 11 employees dismissed for conducting an inappropriate relationship with a prisoner; and how many employees were disciplined but not dismissed for the same misconduct in the same period, broken down by sex.

    Jeremy Wright

    The vast majority of Prison Service staff are honest, hard-working professionals. When a member of staff has an inappropriate relationship with a prisoner or ex prisoner, their actions fail to meet the professional standards expected of them in the course of their duty.

    Corruption is taken very seriously and there is no place for it within the Prison Service. Anyone who fails to meet these standards will be dealt with swiftly and robustly."

    Of the 11 employees dismissed for conducting an inappropriate relationship with a prisoner 6 were male and 5 were female.

    From 1 January 2013 to 31 December 2013 there were a total of 6 NOMS employees disciplined for having an ‘Inappropriate Relationship with a prisoner / ex prisoner’. Of these, were 3 were male and 3 were female.

  • Iain McKenzie – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Iain McKenzie – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Iain McKenzie on 2014-05-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she has made an assessment of the UK Border Force’s ability to process passengers at Glasgow Airport for the forthcoming Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games; and if she will make a statement.

    James Brokenshire

    Border Force planning for the Commonwealth Games has been underway since
    December 2012. Border Force is currently working with Glasgow Airport to
    refurbish the arrivals control, providing an increased number of arrivals desks
    and utilising the latest technology in the form of electronic passport gates.
    This will enhance the arrivals experience at Glasgow and the increased capacity
    will ensure that passengers pass through the arrivals area as quickly as
    possible while, at the same time, maintaining border security.

  • Cathy Jamieson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Cathy Jamieson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Cathy Jamieson on 2014-03-18.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment he has made of the number of businesses in (a) the UK, (b) Scotland and (c) Kilmarnock and Loudoun constituency who have incurred penalties under section 4 of the Statistics of Trade Act 1947 in each of the last three years for which figures are available.

    Nick Hurd

    The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.

  • Hilary Benn – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Hilary Benn – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Hilary Benn on 2014-05-06.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, when he plans to answer Question 196793, tabled on 25 April 2014 for answer on 29 April 2014.

    Mr Francis Maude

    I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 6 May 2014 (Official Report) Column Ref: 4W. This was answered within the set timescale.

  • 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 2014-03-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether the National College for Teaching and Leadership (NCTL) has received any allegations of child abuse in independent schools that occurred before the establishment of the NCTL; and what powers the NCTL has to follow up any such allegations.

    Edward Timpson

    I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave on 3 March 2014 to the hon. Member for West Bromwich East, Official Report cols 676-7W. 16 of the cases referred to relate to incidents that are alleged to have occurred prior to the establishment of National College for Teaching and Leadership (NCTL).

    The Teachers’ Disciplinary (England) Regulations 2012 provide NCTL with the power to regulate teachers including those in independent schools. These regulations provide for any referral to be investigated regardless of the date of the alleged incident.