Category: Speeches

  • Andrew Turner – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Andrew Turner – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Turner on 2014-06-18.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what fiscal steps he has taken to support small and micro-businesses in creating new jobs.

    Nicky Morgan

    Support for small and micro businesses is part of the Government’s long term economic plan to back business and create jobs. From April this year, businesses can access a £2000 Employment Allowance. Over 90% of the benefit of this allowance will go to small businesses – reducing the cost of creating new jobs.

    In addition, from April 2015 we will abolish employer NICs for all under 21 year olds making it cheaper for businesses to employ young people.

  • Chris Ruane – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Chris Ruane – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Ruane on 2014-04-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate he has made of the amount spent per person on flood defences in (a) England and (b) Wales in each year since 2001 to date; and what estimate he has made of the amounts in each year to 2016.

    Dan Rogerson

    The figures are as follows:

    (a)

    Average Defra spend per head on flood and coastal erosion risk management in England (£)

    2005/06

    9.51

    2006/07

    9.47

    2007/08

    9.34

    2008/09

    10.61

    2009/10

    11.83

    2010/11

    12.53

    2011/12

    10.71

    2012/13

    10.77

    2013/14

    11.34

    2014/15

    14.86

    The figures for each year is the total Defra spend on flood and coastal erosion risk management divided by the most recent ONS population estimate for mid-2012

    · Figures before 2005/06 are not available in a comparable format.

    · Figures for 2013/14 and 2014/15 are budget allocations.

    · Figures for 2015/16 are not available as the budget has not yet been set.

    (b)

    Flood management in Wales is a devolved matter and Defra has made no estimate of the amount spent per person.

    “

  • Adrian Bailey – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Adrian Bailey – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Adrian Bailey on 2014-06-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what proportion of the age cohort achieved a A* to C grade in GCSE (a) mathematics, (b) English and (c) English literature by the age of (i) 19, (ii) 20, (iii) 21, (iv) 22, (v) 23, (vi) 24 and (vi) 25 years in each of the last 10 years.

    Mr Edward Timpson

    The following tables show the proportion of 18, 19 and 20 year-olds who had achieved A*-C grade in GCSE English and GCSE mathematics. The figures relate to academic age, that is age at the start of the academic year, so young people of academic age 18 are those turning 19 during the academic year. The figures cover young people who were in the state sector at academic age 15. The data source used for this analysis does not differentiate between English Literature and English Language so the figures for English include those that have A*-C in either subject. The Department does not hold information on the attainment of people older than academic age 20. The earliest data available is for the cohort that was academic age 18 in 2004/05.

    Proportion achieving A*-C grade in GCSE mathematics by academic age and cohort

    Academic age

    Cohort academic age 18 in

    18

    19

    20

    2004/05

    49.3%

    49.4%

    49.4%

    2005/06

    48.6%

    48.7%

    48.8%

    2006/07

    50.5%

    50.6%

    50.6%

    2007/08

    52.7%

    52.7%

    52.8%

    2008/09

    54.6%

    54.7%

    54.7%

    2009/10

    56.5%

    56.6%

    56.7%

    2010/11

    59.1%

    59.2%

    59.3%

    2011/12

    61.9%

    62.0%

    2012/13

    65.2%

    Source: DfE Young Person’s Matched Administrative Dataset.

    Proportion achieving A*-C grade in GCSE English by academic age and cohort

    Academic age

    Cohort academic age 18 in

    18

    19

    20

    2004/05

    55.9%

    56.0%

    56.0%

    2005/06

    56.7%

    56.8%

    56.9%

    2006/07

    57.3%

    57.4%

    57.4%

    2007/08

    58.9%

    58.9%

    59.0%

    2008/09

    60.1%

    60.2%

    60.2%

    2009/10

    61.2%

    61.3%

    61.4%

    2010/11

    63.2%

    63.3%

    63.3%

    2011/12

    65.4%

    65.5%

    2012/13

    69.0%

    Source: DfE Young Person’s Matched Administrative Dataset.

    “

  • Chi Onwurah – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Chi Onwurah – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chi Onwurah on 2014-04-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps he is taking to promote the commercialisation of scientific and technical research undertaken by GCHQ.

    Hugh Robertson

    GCHQ works closely with business to release Intellectual Properties (IP) which are suitable for more general use in the outside world. For example through its information assurance arm, Communications-Electronics Security Group (CESG), it operates a number of schemes which enable individuals and companies to gain CESG endorsement of products and services via technical assessment.

    GCHQ is additionally running a number of pilot cases looking at ways of improving its coordination with SMEs and larger industry partners including on Open Source publishing and licencing to SMEs and larger industry partners. GCHQ is also sponsoring research institutes in Cyber Security and running innovation calls aimed at SMEs. The latter initiative in partnership with organisations such as the Centre for Defence Enterprise and the technology Strategy Board.

  • Cathy Jamieson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Cathy Jamieson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Cathy Jamieson on 2014-06-17.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps his Department is taking to ensure the stability of the shadow banking sector.

    Andrea Leadsom

    When appropriately conducted, shadow banking can benefit the economy by increasing the availability of credit to a range of individuals or firms, and provide a valuable alternative to bank funding. It provides credit and liquidity to the real economy and can improve efficiency and drive innovation in the financial system through firms developing expert knowledge in a particular area.

    However, the Government is aware of the risks shadow banking activities pose to financial stability when things go wrong. The crisis showed that some shadow banking entities created pro-cyclical build-ups of leverage, did not fully transfer credit risk, were susceptible to rapid sell-offs, and were very complex. It also became clear that the shadow banking sector had very complex interconnections with the traditional banking system.

    Recognising the need to improve the transparency and supervision of the shadow banking sector, the Government has taken steps to improve the way shadow banking entities are regulated.

    Domestically, the Government has created new Financial Policy Committee (FPC) within the Bank of England to ensure emerging risks and vulnerabilities across the financial system as a whole are identified, monitored and effectively addressed. In September last year, the Committee agreed as one of its medium term priorities the identification and management of potential systemic risks from shadow banking.

    At the international level, the Government is actively supporting the effective regulation of the sector in EU policymaking, and the UK is instrumental in shaping the global regulatory response at the Financial Stability Board.

  • Robert Buckland – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Robert Buckland – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Robert Buckland on 2014-04-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will bring forward legislative proposals to criminalise psychological abuse and coercive control.

    Norman Baker

    Domestic abuse is already a crime. There are a number of offences that make domestic abuse illegal, including actual bodily harm, grievous bodily harm and assault. The cross-Government definition is clear that domestic abuse is any incident or pattern of incidents of controlling, coercive or threatening behaviour, violence or abuse between those aged 16 or over who are or have been intimate partners or family members regardless of gender or sexuality.

    Assault can extend to non-physical harm, and this can include psychological, financial, and emotional abuse. Stalking and harassment legislation, which criminalises a course of conduct, can apply to intimate partner relationships.

    Last September, the Home Secretary commissioned Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary to conduct a review of the response to domestic abuse across all police forces. HMIC published its findings in March 2014, emphasising that the key priority is a culture change in the police so that domestic violence and abuse is treated as the crime that it is, and pointing out that the police use the full range of tools already available to them.

    The Home Secretary will chair a national oversight group to oversee delivery against each of HMIC’s recommendations on which I will also sit.

  • David Lammy – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    David Lammy – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Lammy on 2014-06-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what recent steps he has taken to speed up the planning system.

    Nick Boles

    We have reformed the planning system to make it simpler, more positive and faster to navigate. We have abolished top down regional planning and increased the types of development that benefit from permitted development rights. Where planning permission is required, we have stripped away unnecessary information requirements while retaining essential safeguards. The National Planning Policy Framework, and our recently published simplified planning guidance, provides a significantly clearer basis for making decisions than the confusing array of sometimes contradictory policy that we inherited; and we have taken steps to tackle under-performance by planning authorities where this occurs.

    The latest statistics show that these steps are having a significant impact. For example, district level planning authorities between January and March 2014 granted 76 per cent of major applications on time compared with 60 per cent in the same quarter in 2013.

  • John Mann – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Prime Minister

    John Mann – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Prime Minister

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Mann on 2014-04-25.

    To ask the Prime Minister, with reference to his letter of April 2014 sent to small businesses on employment allowance, if he will clarify who was meant by the use of we in the third paragraph; and whether he has discussed the neutrality of such a phase with the Electoral Commission.

    Mr David Cameron

    As set out in the Programme for Government, this Government has a long-term plan to a build a new economy, which supports sustainable growth and enterprise. The Employment Allowance was introduced to promote both growth and employment, particularly among small businesses. I have had no discussion with the Electoral Commission on the letter.

  • Dan Jarvis – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Dan Jarvis – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dan Jarvis on 2014-06-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what estimate he has made of the annual cost in each school of setting up a new Combined Cadet Force detachment.

    Anna Soubry

    The cost of setting up a new Combined Cadet Force (CCF) unit under the Cadet Expansion Programme depends largely on the number of cadets in the unit.

    Decisions on opening new CCFs in schools are made jointly by the Department for Education and Ministry of Defence (MOD). The key criteria for deciding which schools can establish a new CCF are the ability of the school to fund the new unit and provide sufficient adult volunteers to run it. However, we are particularly interested in establishing CCFs in areas of deprivation.

    No assessment has been made of the effect of establishing new CCFs in state schools on recruitment to community cadet units. However, it should be noted that CCFs and community cadet units deliver different but complementary elements of the MOD’s youth engagement strategy.

  • Richard Burden – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Richard Burden – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2014-04-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer to the hon. Member for Newport West of 9 April 2014, Official Report, column 231W, on cycling: Greater London, how many (a) men and (b) women cyclists’ in London suffered (i) fatal and (ii) serious injuries in each of the last 10 years.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    The numbers of reported a) fatal and b) seriously injured male and female cyclist casualties in Greater London for each of the last 10 years are shown in the table below.

    Reported fatal and seriously injured cyclists by gender, Greater London 2003-2012

    Number of Casualties
    Fatal Serious Injuries
    1)Male 2)Female Total 1)Male 2)Female Total
    2003 12 7 19 334 85 419
    2004 6 2 8 269 63 332
    2005 18 3 21 283 68 351
    2006 11 8 19 282 91 373
    2007 11 4 15 353 93 446
    2008 11 4 15 338

    92

    		 430
    2009 3 10 13 337 83 420
    2010 6 4 10 359 99 458
    2011 10 6 16 437 118 555
    2012 13 1 14 527 132 659

    Data for 2013 will be available in June 2014.

    “