Category: Speeches

  • Gordon Marsden – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Gordon Marsden – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gordon Marsden on 2014-06-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what consideration he has given to providing mitigation and transition support to maritime businesses during the introduction of maritime fuel sulphur regulations in January 2015.

    Stephen Hammond

    In October 2012, and again in March 2013, I chaired ‘round table’ meetings of industry stakeholders (from the shipping, ports, exhaust gas cleaning system technology, oil refining and logistics sectors) to consider the best way forward for compliance with the new international and EU sulphur requirements. The potential for reverse modal shift, the maturity and efficacy of scrubber technology and the scope for financial assistance to industry were all key to those discussions. The report commissioned by the UK Chamber of Shipping was produced as a result of those meetings, and officials have taken it into account in producing the Government’s Impact Assessment on the draft UK Regulations to implement the sulphur limits in national law.

    The Government went out to an eight-week public consultation on 29 April 2014 on those draft UK Regulations. Meanwhile, Government officials continue to work closely with the industry and to explore the scope for securing EU finance, possibly under the Trans-European Network (commonly known as TEN-T) programme and affordable capital from the European Investment Bank, for shipowners and ports who wish to invest in scrubber technology or in technology associated with the use of an alternative fuel, such as liquefied natural gas, to comply with the new limits.

    The UK Regulations will be reviewed in accordance with normal Government practice and consistent with the principles of better regulation.

  • David Morris – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    David Morris – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Morris on 2014-03-31.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate her Department has made of (a) the cost to set up and (b) annual running costs of full border control with Scotland.

    James Brokenshire

    The Home Office has made no estimate of (a) the cost to set up and (b) the annual running costs of full border control with Scotland.

  • Frank Field – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Frank Field – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Frank Field on 2014-06-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the proportion of employment and support allowance claims processed within (a) 10, (b) 20, (c) 30, (d) 40, (e) 60 and (f) more than 60 working days.

    Esther McVey

    The information requested is not available.

  • Lilian Greenwood – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Lilian Greenwood – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lilian Greenwood on 2014-03-31.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what subsidiary companies of Directly Operated Railways have been created in connection with the direct awards programme.

    Stephen Hammond

    The following subsidiary companies owned by Directly Operated Railways have been used in connection with the Direct Awards programme.

    · West Coast Main Line Company Limited

    · Northern Trains Limited

    · GW Railway Limited

    · South Eastern Trains Limited

    · Thameslink Limited

    All of these companies are currently dormant.

    The company also owns the East Coast Main Line Company Ltd which operates rail services on the East Coast Main Line and the following companies, both of which are dormant.

    · OQS Rail Limited

    · Hay’s Rail limited

  • Russell Brown – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Russell Brown – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Russell Brown on 2014-06-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what response he has given to the recommendation of the Welfare Reform Committee of the Scottish Parliament that (a) those living with long-term progressive conditions should not be subject to reassessments and (b) changes should be made to the work capability assessment criteria to better recognise the impact of hidden symptoms and fluctuating conditions including multiple sclerosis.

    Mike Penning

    As Minister of State with the responsibility for this policy area I responded to the letter dated 21 March 2014 from the Welfare Reform Committee of the Scottish Parliament on 26 April. In this letter I:

    a) responded by explaining the importance of claimants having contact with the Department; the need to move away from the old style Incapacity Benefit; and that Employment and Support Allowance claimants, including those claimants with progressive illnesses, will be placed in the Support Group if they meet the criteria.

    b) responded that through the Evidence Based Review of the Work Capability Assessment the current descriptors were tested against an alternative assessment and what the findings indicated

  • Julie Elliott – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Julie Elliott – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Julie Elliott on 2014-03-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, when he will reply to the letter from the hon. Member for Sunderland Central dated 27 February 2014 relating to the Eggborough power station.

    Gregory Barker

    I would like to apologise on behalf of the Department of Energy and Climate Change for the delay in replying to the Hon Member for Sunderland Central. My hon. Friend the Minister of State for Energy has since responded to this letter on 1 April 2014.

  • 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 2014-06-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what proportion of children were in (a) relative and (b) absolute poverty in each region and constituent part of the UK in each of the last 20 years.

    Esther McVey

    Estimates of the number and proportion of children in relative and absolute low income are published in the National Statistics Households Below Average Income (HBAI) series. HBAI uses household income adjusted (or ‘equivalised’) for household size and composition, to provide a proxy for standard of living. This information is captured using the Family Resources Survey (FRS).

    Estimates of the number and proportion of children in relative and absolute low income in the UK have consistently been reported using the FRS since 1998/99; these estimates are available for each financial year up to 2011/12, the latest period for which estimates are available.

    All of these estimates can be found in the latest HBAI publication, available at the link below:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/households-below-average-income-hbai-199495-to-201112 (ISBN 978-1-78153-531-8).

    Relevant estimates can be found in Tables 4.16ts-4.17ts for relative low income (pages 135-136) and Tables 4.22ts-4.23ts for absolute low income (pages 141-142).

    “

  • Paul Blomfield – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Paul Blomfield – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Blomfield on 2014-03-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 13 March 2014, Official Report, column 318W, on Personal Independence Payment, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of personal independence payment claim processing times.

    Mike Penning

    Personal Independence Payment (PIP) is a new benefit and processes are currently bedding in. There are no time limits or targets on processing times to claims for PIP.

    We recognise the new processes are taking longer than expected and we are taking robust action to improve these, including working closely with the providers to ensure performance expectations.

  • Greg Knight – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Greg Knight – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Greg Knight on 2014-06-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many cats have been used in experiments in Britain in each of the last five years.

    Norman Baker

    The following table contains information on the number of cats used in procedures undertaken between 2008 and 2012.

    Table 1 Number of cats used in scientific procedures in Great Britain between 2008 and 2012
    Year Procedures
    2008 176
    2009 172
    2010 152
    2011 153
    2012 202
    Source: Home Office

    “

  • Bridget Phillipson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Bridget Phillipson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Bridget Phillipson on 2014-03-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when the armed forces will tender for the successor to the SA80 L86A2.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    There are currently no plans to replace the SA80 L86A2.