Category: Speeches

  • Yasmin Qureshi – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Yasmin Qureshi – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Yasmin Qureshi on 2014-04-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what time limit he has set for medical assessments for personal independence payments.

    Mike Penning

    We are committed to ensuring personal independence payment (PIP) claimants receive high quality, objective, fair and accurate assessments. Since the introduction of PIP new claims in April 2013, we have been closely monitoring all aspects of the process.

    As personal independence payment (PIP) is a new benefit, processes are currently bedding in. Our latest analysis is telling us that the end-to-end claimant journey is taking longer than expected. We are working closely with the assessment providers to ensure that they are taking all necessary steps to improve performance, speed up the process and ensure claimants receive a satisfactory experience. We are also seeking to ensure that all the steps in the process run as smoothly as possible and that there are no barriers in our processes and systems that contribute to claims taking longer than necessary to progress.

    Whilst there are no statutory (legal) requirements to complete action on a claim to PIP within a specified time, we have set both personal independence payment assessment providers a target for the length of time to complete assessments of 30 working days.

    Any delays experienced in the new claims process will not affect the date from which claimants are paid; all successful claims will be paid from the date the claim was initially made or the date the qualifying period is met, whichever is the later.

    As for the administration of all benefits, a claimant is free to complain about the service they have received from the Department for Work and Pensions. Complaints about the service received from our assessment providers should be made direct to the relevant assessment provider. A complaint may result in a special payment if the claimant has experienced unfair treatment or suffered financially.

    The Department has robust expectations for provider performance and contracts include a full set of service level agreements setting out expectations for service delivery, including quality of assessments and the number of days to provide advice to the Department. Officials meet regularly with both assessment providers to discuss performance. The contracts include a range of remedies and failure to meet contractual obligations will result in the Department applying service credits in line with the contract.

  • Chris Ruane – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Chris Ruane – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Ruane on 2014-06-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what use his Department has made of the National Wellbeing Index introduced by the Office for National Statistics in formulating policy since the introduction of that Index in 2011; and what policies his Department has introduced to improve national wellbeing as defined in that Index since 2010.

    Norman Lamb

    The Department has worked closely with the Office for National Statistics (ONS) on the development of the Measuring National Wellbeing Framework. Given the experimental nature of the data it is too early to use it specifically to formulate policy. However, some examples of relevant work taken forward by the Department include:

    – working in partnership with ONS to include a measure of mental wellbeing into the Measuring National Wellbeing Framework;

    – including wellbeing questions on a range of health surveys, for example the Health Survey for England, Health Behaviours of School-aged Children, the trial of a local level survey of 15 year olds, and the current wave of the Adult Psychiatric Morbidity Survey;

    – including wellbeing as a key indicator in the Public Health Outcomes Framework;

    – publishing a narrative and a series of factsheets on why wellbeing matters to health policy;

    – publishing a report on the predictors of wellbeing across the lifecourse;

    – conducting two wellbeing workshops with policy makers to allow them to consider their policies from a wellbeing perspective; and

    – co-founding a collaborative studentship with the University of Warwick on positive genetics using twin data to explore how genetics are related to wellbeing.

    Wellbeing will also be considered in the forthcoming Chief Medical Officer’s annual report.

  • Lord Hylton – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Lord Hylton – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hylton on 2014-04-01.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the statement on 19 March by the President of Turkey that the internal peace process should be completed, by giving democratic rights and equal citizenship to the Kurdish people together with freedom for the press and other media.

    Baroness Warsi

    We welcome the comments made by President Gül regarding the Kurdish population in Turkey, which we assess as an important reaffirmation of the Turkish government’s commitment to finding a sustainable solution to the Kurdish issue.

    We have been encouraged by the efforts on both sides to reach a solution and welcome the continuing ceasefire, as well as the President Gül’s approval of the democratisation package in March.

  • Lord Stoddart of Swindon – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Lord Stoddart of Swindon – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Stoddart of Swindon on 2014-04-01.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government how they envisage that the United Kingdom can maintain its influence in the European Union if it remains outside a reformed eurozone.

    Lord Newby

    As set out in the coalition programme for government, the UK will not be joining or preparing to join the European Single Currency in this Parliament. The UK can continue to be outside the euro and remain influential within the EU, as we are now. We work closely with member states on the key issues of the day– improving Europe’s competiveness, the single market, trade, taking tough action on Iran – and euro area members are often our closest allies. We have also been clear that as the euro area reforms, any new arrangements must work for those outside the single currency as well as those within it.

  • Julie Elliott – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Julie Elliott – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Julie Elliott on 2014-03-31.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions he had with investors in renewable energy before the changes to the Enterprise Investment Scheme on tax breaks for companies benefiting from the Renewables Obligation.

    Mr David Gauke

    Budget 2014 announced that companies benefiting from Renewables Obligation Certificates (ROCs) and/or the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) scheme will be excluded from the venture capital schemes, including the enterprise investment scheme.

    This change ensures the venture capital schemes continue to support smaller and growing businesses in a targeted and effective way. The government consulted extensively with stakeholders when similar action was taken to exclude companies benefitting from Feed-in-Tariffs from the venture capital schemes in 2011.

    Further information on the detail of the change will be published shortly, ahead of the publication of an impact assessment and legislation.

  • Robert Syms – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Robert Syms – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Robert Syms on 2014-06-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what estimate he has made of the cost of abating all global warming projected to occur over the lifetime of Navitus Bay in sterling and in US dollars; and what intertemporal discount rate has been used in such calculations.

    Gregory Barker

    The Department does not undertake analysis or hold information of this nature relating to specific developments.

  • Mike Gapes – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Mike Gapes – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mike Gapes on 2014-03-31.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what representations he has made to the European Commission on proposed regulations relating to seeds.

    Dan Rogerson

    Defra has made numerous representations to the European Commission on its proposed regulation for Plant Reproductive Material. The representations have been through correspondence, negotiation at Council Working Groups, informal discussion, and in a specially convened meeting between Defra, Commission officials and UK stakeholders in London in June 2013.

  • Sheila Gilmore – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Sheila Gilmore – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sheila Gilmore on 2014-06-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what visits each of the Ministers in his Department have made since January 2013; and what the purpose of each such visit was.

    Dan Rogerson

    To identify every visit made by all of our Ministers over the period would incur a disproportionate cost as the information is not collated centrally.

    However, information on Ministers’ meetings with external organisations and their overseas travel is published quarterly on the Gov.uk site. This reflects the Civil Service’s commitment to transparency.

    Please find links to the relevant reports from 1 January 2013 until 31 December 2013:

    1 January to 31 March 2013:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/212312/defra-min-transparency-1213-q4.pdf

    1 April to 30 June 2013:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/246396/Ministerial_expenses_-_1_April_to_30_June_2013.pdf

    1 July to 30 September 2013:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/265462/Ministers_Quarterly_return_July_to_September_2013.pdf

    1 October to 31 December 2013:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/320333/Ministerial_Quarterly_Transparency_information_-_October_to_December_2013.pdf

    Transparency data for 1 January to 31 March 2014 is expected to be available on the webpage later this month. The data for 1 April to 30 June 2014 is due to be published in September.

    “

  • 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 2014-03-31.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many people with 15 or more previous convictions were not sent to prison on conviction for (a) burglary and (b) violence against the person in the latest period for which figures are available.

    Jeremy Wright

    It has not been possible to obtain this information. I will write to the Honourable member in due course.

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

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

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2014-06-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of whether precursors of genocide exist in Burma for the Rohingya; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr Hugo Swire

    It is the policy of the British Government that any judgement on whether genocide has occurred is a matter for international judicial decision, rather than for governments or non-judicial bodies. Our approach is to seek an end to all violations, and to prevent their further escalation, irrespective of whether these violations fit the definition of specific international crimes. We consistently lobby the Burmese government for further action to address the humanitarian situation in Rakhine State, to improve security, to deliver accountability and to find a sustainable solution on citizenship. I raised our concerns with the Burmese government during my visit in January, summoned the Burmese Ambassador to press for humanitarian access in April, and discussed the situation with Deputy Foreign Minister U Thant Kyaw again on 13 June.