Category: Speeches

  • Sadiq Khan – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Sadiq Khan – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sadiq Khan on 2014-04-29.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, when HM Prison High Down has had to (a) close wings, (b) close workshops and (c) restrict family visits due to staff shortages since September 2013.

    Jeremy Wright

    The information regarding when HM Prison Highdown has had to (a) close wings due to staffing shortages is not recorded. The occasions that workshops have closed since September 2013 (b) are listed below. Family visits (c) have not been restricted due to staffing shortages during this period.

    There are appropriate levels of staffing at the prison at all times and prisoners who engage in work and education are out of the cells for between 8 and 10 hours a day. For those that do not engage, they are still out of their cell for a minimum of 4 hours a day. In the rare occurrence that a wing should need to close, prisoners still spend at least four hours out of their cells.

    (b) HMP Prison Highdown has had to close workshops on the following occasions since September 2013:

    October 2013

    14th and 22nd

    November 2013

    1st (workshop 6 only)

    20th

    December 2013

    9th (workshop 6 only)

    16th (am)

    January 2014

    6th

    16th (pm, workshops 5 & 6)

    20th (workshops 4, 5 & 6)

    21st

    29th

    31st (am)

    February 2014

    18th (workshop 5 & 6)

    March 2014

    No closures

    April 2013

    19th (am)

  • Jim Cunningham – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Jim Cunningham – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2014-04-29.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps the Government is taking to ensure that workers report work-related stress to their employers.

    Mike Penning

    Health and safety regulations already place a duty on employers to consult with all employees over issues that may affect their health and safety, including work-related stress.

    My department will also introduce a new Health and Work Service to provide occupational health advice and support for employees, employers and GPs to help individuals with health conditions, including stress and other psychological problems, to stay in or return to work. This service will provide a more effective system for employees to report work-related stress issues.

    The service is due to begin by the end of 2014.

  • Caroline Flint – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Caroline Flint – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Flint on 2014-04-29.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, pursuant to the Oral Answer of 3 April 2014, Official Report, column 998, with which other countries his Department is working on the New Climate Economy report.

    Gregory Barker

    The New Climate Economy study was launched last September and is due to be published in September 2014, ahead of the UN Climate Summit in New York that month.

  • Andy Sawford – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Andy Sawford – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andy Sawford on 2014-04-29.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the level of TUPE contract protection available to fraud staff currently employed by local authorities who will be transferred to the Department for Work and Pensions as part of the single fraud investigation service.

    Esther McVey

    DWP has considered whether the creation of SFIS falls within the TUPE definitions. The regulations state “…the transfer of administrative functions between public administrative authorities is not a relevant transfer” (for the purpose of TUPE). After careful consideration, DWP has concluded that benefit fraud investigations fall within this category, and as such, TUPE would not apply.

    DWP has however, made clear that the success of SFIS is a priority and we intend to transfer staff currently working on fraud investigations from Local Authorities. To effect those transfers, DWP will apply the approach set out in the Cabinet Office Statement of Practice for Staff Transfers in the Public Sector (COSOP) and staff will transfer under a Statutory Transfer Scheme (STS) as provided for under Section 38 of the Employment Relations Act 1999. In line with COSOP, the terms and conditions for transferring staff will be protected.

  • Ian Murray – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Ian Murray – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Murray on 2014-04-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, when the stabilisation period in respect of the privatisation of Royal Mail, as detailed in the engagement letter between his Department and the underwriting banks, ends; and how that period has been defined.

    Michael Fallon

    The stabilisation period, also known as a "greenshoe" or "over-allotment" option, is a market-standard provision that allows the Initial Public Offering’s (IPO) stabilisation manager to provide share price stabilisation (if required) for up to 30 days post-commencement of conditional dealings. In the case of the Royal Mail, the stabilisation manager was UBS and the stabilisation period ended on 8 November.

    In the engagement letter, the payment of the discretionary fee was linked to the ending of the stabilisation period. However, we informed the banks involved that a decision would not be taken in the timeframe set out in the engagement letter given the volatility of the Royal Mail share price after the IPO.

    We have not set a rigid timetable for the decision on the payment of the discretionary fee which remains unpaid.

  • Stephen Timms – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Stephen Timms – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2014-04-28.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, in which years from 1984 to 2010 was there a reduction in the number of workless households.

    Mr Nick Hurd

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

  • Nicholas Soames – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Nicholas Soames – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicholas Soames on 2014-04-28.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make it his policy to consolidate departmental funding streams into a single national infrastructure fund; and if he will make a statement.

    Danny Alexander

    The Government believes that there is a powerful case for giving local business and political leaders the levers they need to create jobs and drive growth. In ‘Investing in Britain’s Future’, the Government accepted Lord Heseltine’s recommendations to devolve economic power to Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) through the creation of the Local Growth Fund (LGF) with over £2 billion of budgets from skills, housing and transport for 2015-16. An area’s allocation from the LGF will be available to be spent on the priorities LEPs and their partners have determined in their strategic economic plans.

    The Government allocated capital funds between programmes at Spending Review 2010 and Spending Round 2013 on the basis of a zero-based review of the economic returns of every central government capital programme, with investment being targeted increasingly at economic infrastructure. Once allocated between programmes, funds were moved into the appropriate departmental budgets to allow departments to deliver those programmes.

  • Philip Hollobone – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Philip Hollobone – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Philip Hollobone on 2014-04-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how much financial support his Department provided to Show Racism the Red Card in each of the last three years; and what controls are in place to prevent the use of such monies for party political campaigning.

    Stephen Williams

    The Department for Communities and Local Government provided the following funding to Show Racism the Red Card:

    Calendar Year

    2012 £52,460

    2013 £105,077

    2014 £47,427

    Total £204,964

    We are satisfied that the funding for Show Racism the Red Card was used for purposes outlined in the funding agreement – the provision of education workshops to equip young people with skills to reject the divisive messages of groups like the English Defence League – and that no funding was used for purposes of a political nature. Conditions in the funding agreement prevent funds being spent on anything other than educational work (including a prohibition on any political campaigning) and their status as a charity further preludes them from engaging in political activities.

  • Nicholas Soames – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Nicholas Soames – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicholas Soames on 2014-04-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will place in the Library a copy of his Department’s cost of defence output categories taxonomy.

    Mr Philip Hammond

    The Ministry of Defence’s cost of defence taxonomy is as follows:

    Frigates
    Aircraft Carriers
    Destroyers
    Lynx Mk 3/8
    Minehunters
    Patrol vessels
    Survey vessels and Ice Patrol
    RW (SAR)
    Test, Simulation
    Landing Platform Dock
    Landing Platform Helicopter
    Landing Ship Dock
    Sea King Mk 7 ASaC, Mk 5 SAR
    Army Manning/Training Margin
    Army phase 1 training
    Army phase 2 training
    Army phase 3 training
    Defence CBRN Wing
    Civilian Training
    Light Brigades
    Air Assault Brigade
    Armoured Brigades
    Attack Helicopters
    Support Helicopters
    Mech Brigades
    RAF Force Protection
    RAF Reserves
    Royal Marines
    RNR and RMR
    Logistic Brigades
    2 MED Brigade
    Defence Medical Services
    Artillery Regts
    Engr Regts
    Signals Regts
    HQ Theatre Troops
    Commitments staff
    PJHQ, JFHQ, Theatre HQs
    Battle-Space Command and Control Communications and Information Systems
    IS and Communications Capability Projects
    Deployed Ops supporting units
    Deployable HQ
    Maritime Warfare Centre
    Joint Combat Aircraft
    Tornado
    Nuclear Deterrent
    Nuclear Estate
    Merlin
    Ship Submarine Ballistic Nuclear
    Ship Submarine Nuclear
    Estate Disposals
    MOD Estate
    Regional Prime Contracts
    Service Families Accommodation
    Single Living Accommodation
    Supporting infrastructure (utilities)
    Sustainability (DE&S War Reserves / Op Stocks)
    IS for Logistics
    Permanent Joint Operating Bses
    A400M
    BAe125
    BAe146
    C17
    Future Strategic Tanker Aircraft
    Hercules
    Tristar
    VC10
    Auxiliary Oiler
    Auxiliary Oiler Replenishment
    Royal Fleet Auxiliary
    Forward Repair Ship
    Joint Casualty Treatment Ship
    Defence Intelligence Staff
    ASTOR
    E3-D
    Rivet Joint
    Ballistic Missile Early Warning System
    Electronic Warfare
    UK Air Surveillance and Control
    Army Joint and Collective Training
    Specialist Training
    Defence Academy
    RAF Joint and Collective Training
    RN Joint and Collective Training
    RAF Manning/Training Margin
    RAF phase 1 training
    RAF phase 2 training
    RAF phase 3 training
    Army Cadets
    Army Recruiting
    RAF Cadets
    RAF Recruiting
    RAF Aerobatic Team
    RN Cadets
    RN Recruiting
    Regional Forces – Northern Ireland
    Regional Forces – Germany
    Regional Forces – GB
    SIT Outputs
    Army Reserves
    RN Manning/Training Margin
    RN phase 1 training
    RN phase 2 training
    RN phase 3 training
    MOD Police and Guarding
    Special Forces
    Typhoon
    Fleet Air Arm Fixed Wing

  • Mike Crockart – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Mike Crockart – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mike Crockart on 2014-04-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, whether households in Scotland on the feed-in-tariff scheme will continue on that scheme for the duration of their contract in the event of a Yes vote in the referendum on Scottish independence.

    Gregory Barker

    The UK and Scottish Governments have both said that there can be no pre-negotiations on what the terms of Scottish independence might be before the referendum takes place on 18 September.