Category: Speeches

  • Jim Shannon – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Jim Shannon – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2014-04-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate he has made of the value to the economy of venison production and sales in each of the last three years; and what steps he is taking to increase production and sale of venison.

    George Eustice

    The available data on the UK deer farming industry in each of the last three years is shown in the table below :-

    UK Farmed Deer Industry

    2011

    2012

    2013

    Value of output of deer (£ million)

    3.5

    3.5

    3.6

    Volume of venison produced (tonnes)

    2,400

    2,400

    2,500

    Farmed deer populations (thousand head)

    33

    31

    32

    Defra co-funded a research project in partnership with industry to determine the effects of packaging and slaughter conditions on venison meat quality, and gain an improved understanding of consumer perceptions of venison to help focus future venison marketing campaigns. More information can be found here:

    http://randd.defra.gov.uk/Default.aspx?Menu=Menu&Module=More&Location=None&Completed=0&ProjectID=13973

    “

  • Naomi Long – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Naomi Long – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Naomi Long on 2014-06-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that the proposed beneficial ownership registry identifies the real controlling parties of all companies listed.

    Jenny Willott

    The Small Business, Enterprise and Employment Bill will make provision for the implementation of a central registry of company beneficial ownership information. The legislation will set out the obligations and sanctions that will apply to companies and others to ensure that the central registry contains information on the ultimate owners and controllers of UK companies.

  • Maria Eagle – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Maria Eagle – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Maria Eagle on 2014-04-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he plans to take to ensure that the ongoing monitoring of the pilot badger culls in Somerset and Gloucestershire is independently scientifically evaluated.

    George Eustice

    Defra is currently working closely with Natural England and AHVLA to develop the detail of how the monitoring will be implemented, including auditing and evaluation procedures. The results and outcome of the monitoring of the pilot cull will be made publically available after they have been completed.

  • Gregory Campbell – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Gregory Campbell – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gregory Campbell on 2014-06-18.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what change there was in the numbers of taxpayers in Northern Ireland who had employment income in the last four years for which figures are available.

    Mr David Gauke

    Estimates for the number of taxpayers in Northern Ireland with income from employment are published in HMRC’s National Statistics Table 3.11 which is available at the following internet address for 2010/11 to 2011/12:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/income-and-tax-by-gender-region-and-country-2010-to-2011

    Table 3.11 for 2009/10 and earlier can be found in the internet address below from the National Archives website:

    http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20120609145917/http://hmrc.gov.uk/stats/income_distribution/menu-by-year.htm#311

    These estimates are based on the Survey of Personal Incomes for which 2011-12 is the latest year available. Figures for 2008/09 are not currently available.

    “

  • Gregory Campbell – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Gregory Campbell – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gregory Campbell on 2014-04-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether his Department has updated its advice given to UK nationals in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda, South Sudan and Gabon or who are considering visiting those countries following the recent outbreak of Ebola in the region.

    Mark Simmonds

    We have updated our travel advice for the following countries to notify travellers about the recent outbreak of Ebola virus disease: Guinea, Senegal, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Ghana, Gambia, Mali, Mauritania and Cote d’Ivoire.

    https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice

    We advise people travelling to the affected region to check the health advice issued by the National Travel Health Network and Centre (NaTHNaC).

    http://www.nathnac.org/ds/map_world.aspx

    We will continue to monitor the situation in each country to ensure that our travel advice is up to date and accurate.

    “

  • Naomi Long – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Naomi Long – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Naomi Long on 2014-06-18.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will bring forward proposals to abolish tax on sanitary products.

    Mr David Gauke

    I refer the hon. Member to the answer that I gave on 12 June 2014, Official Report, column 256W.

  • Cathy Jamieson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Cathy Jamieson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Cathy Jamieson on 2014-04-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what progress she has made on the creation of the catalytic fund announced at the Nutrition for Growth summit.

    Lynne Featherstone

    The new catalytic financing mechanism will aim to provide incentives to attract new private funds alongside increased domestic budgets for high impact nutrition interventions. The scope and governance of the fund is being developed with the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation. No funds have been disbursed. DFID will consider its own contribution once the mechanism and governance have been agreed.

  • Bob Ainsworth – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Bob Ainsworth – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Bob Ainsworth on 2014-06-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much funding his Department allocated to the Conflict Pool for South Asia in each of the last three years.

    Mr Mark Francois

    The Conflict Pool is funded from a Treasury settlement which is separate from and additional to departmental budgets and is administered jointly by the Ministry of Defence, the Department for International Development and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office for conflict prevention and mitigation work. Details of Conflict Pool allocations are provided to Parliament annually in a Written Ministerial Statement. Statements for financial years (FY) 2011-12, 2012-13 and 2013-14 are attached.

    A Statement giving details of Conflict Pool allocations for FY 2014-15 will be released to the House shortly.

  • John McDonnell – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    John McDonnell – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by John McDonnell on 2014-04-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether the payment by results pilot in HMP Doncaster has been terminated.

    Jeremy Wright

    The HMP Doncaster Payment by Results (PbR) pilot was established to test the introduction of PbR to reduce reoffending, in response to commitments made in the Coalition Agreement. The pilot has been running since October 2011, with offenders released from Doncaster prison given additional rehabilitation support to help turn their lives around.

    The pilot predates the Transforming Rehabilitation programme and while it has provided important learning to inform our plans, the delivery model at HMP Doncaster is not fully aligned with these reforms. As a result, we have decided to bring the pilot to a close, to help ensure the effective transition to the new model for rehabilitation services and offender management in the South Yorkshire Contract Package Area. No further participants will enter the pilot beyond the end of 2014.

  • Valerie Vaz – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Valerie Vaz – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Valerie Vaz on 2014-06-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how long the recruitment period will be for subject knowledge enhancement courses for 2015-16.

    Mr David Laws

    Recruitment to subject knowledge enhancement (SKE) courses is a matter for providers of initial teacher training and lead schools in the School Direct programme. We have announced funding support for SKE courses up to 31 March 2015 and will make a further announcement for the period beyond that in due course.