Category: Speeches

  • Bridget Phillipson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Bridget Phillipson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Bridget Phillipson on 2014-06-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment his Department has made of the extent of compliance of operators with point 30 of the Senior Traffic Commissioner for Great Britain guidance in Statutory Document 14: Local Bus Services.

    Stephen Hammond

    ‘Statutory Document 14: Local Bus Services’, which was drafted by and consulted on by the Senior Traffic Commissioner, has not yet been finalised following the consultation period. There is, therefore, no ‘point 30′ within existing guidance on which to make any assessment.

  • Chris Ruane – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Chris Ruane – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Ruane on 2014-03-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many deaths in fires in domestic properties in England there were in each year since 1999.

    Brandon Lewis

    The number of fatal casualties from fires in domestic properties in England has reduced by 42% from 1998/99 to 2012/13. The data for each year is provided in the table below.

    The Government remains committed to ensuring the fire safety of people in their own homes. The Department’s long-running fire safety campaign – established in 1988 and re-branded as Fire Kills in 1999 – is delivered in partnership with fire and rescue authorities across England. The award-winning campaign promotes a range of fire safety messages, primarily around the importance of working smoke alarms, to help drive down the number of fires and associated casualties.

    Year

    Fatalities in dwelling fires in England

    1998/99

    361

    1999/00

    343

    2000/01

    336

    2001/02

    355

    2002/03

    307

    2003/04

    333

    2004/05

    277

    2005/06

    280

    2006/07

    259

    2007/08

    275

    2008/09

    255

    2009/10

    252

    2010/11

    252

    2011/12

    233

    2012/13

    211
  • Helen Jones – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Helen Jones – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Helen Jones on 2014-06-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to improve ambulance services.

    Jane Ellison

    NHS England is working with Monitor and the NHS Trust Development Authority to improve performance in 2014-15, this includes a workstream looking at best practice.

    However, this Government also wants to tackle the root causes of the increasing demand on urgent and emergency care services.

    That is why the Urgent and Emergency Care review, led by Sir Bruce Keogh, is currently considering whole system change to the delivery of urgent and emergency care, including new models of delivery of care for ambulance services, such as:

    – general practitioner and other clinical support/advice in control rooms and to crews on the ground and how it can reduce conveyance rates (particularly for frail and elderly, mental health, and children) and;

    – prevention work available to the Ambulance Service: early diagnosis and risk management.

    In addition, as part of the Review, NHS England is working closely with stakeholders (including the Association of Ambulance Chief Executives) to ensure that ambulance services can be further developed and commissioned as a treatment as well as a transport service.

    As part of this work, an Ambulance Task Group has been set up and is working with Health Education England to reform the training and careers framework for paramedics – to involve developing a skilled set of advanced practitioners in the Ambulance Service to deliver care closer to home using hear & treat and see & treat models.

    The first phase of the Review was published last November. We expect NHS England to be publishing further reports later this year.

  • Chris Ruane – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Deputy Prime Minister

    Chris Ruane – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Deputy Prime Minister

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Ruane on 2014-03-26.

    To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, pursuant to the Answer of 28 January 2014, Official Report, columns 509-10W, on the Electoral Register, with which national organisations his Department is working to encourage people to register to vote.

    Greg Clark

    Five national organisations have received funding as part of the Government’s measures to maximise voter registration.

    The Government is working with a number of other groups such as the British Youth Council and Operation Black Vote.

  • Gareth Thomas – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Gareth Thomas – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gareth Thomas on 2014-05-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many officials of his Department are working on the Sir John Holmes’ independent medal review; and if he will make a statement.

    Anna Soubry

    It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

  • Steve McCabe – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Steve McCabe – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2014-03-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 12 March 2014, Official Report, columns 250-1W, on special educational needs, when he expects to make an announcement on the effect of reforms on funding for special educational needs.

    Mr David Laws

    On 13 March, I announced proposals to allocate £350 million to our least fairly funded local areas in 2015-16. This is the biggest step towards fairer schools funding in a decade, and it puts us in a much better position to implement a national funding formula when the time is right.

    To allocate this £350 million as fairly as possible, we selected the characteristics we think contribute most to the attainment of pupils and viability of schools, and set indicative minimum funding levels for each of these. These characteristics include deprivation and low prior attainment, both of which show some correlation with low-cost, high incidence special educational needs (SEN). We looked at the average value attached by local authorities to these characteristics and used these as a basis for our proposed minimum funding levels. Applying these minimum funding levels could mean that some of the least fairly funded local authorities with high numbers of these pupils see a benefit.

    This additional £350 million applies to the schools block of the dedicated schools grant that local authorities receive. However, this is one of three notional blocks of funding, and local authorities are free to move money between their schools block, high needs block and early years block as they see fit. It is therefore possible that local authorities could choose to move the additional money to their high needs block to support children with high-cost special educational needs.

    Our proposals are still at the consultation stage. For more information, please see the consultation at the following address:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/fairer-schools-funding-2015-to-2016

    “

  • Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer on 2014-05-12.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what briefings they have received from the United Kingdom Ambassador to Nigeria with regard to the incitement by certain individuals to treat some children as witches; and what reports they have received about the physical and mental effects on children subjected to such accusations.

    Baroness Warsi

    Our High Commission in Abuja have previously reported on children being accused of witchcraft in Nigeria. We are aware of various reports detailing the physical and mental damage caused by such accusations. Our officials in Nigeria, and in London, regularly meet with individuals and non-governmental organisations to discuss this.

    Child abuse is appalling and unacceptable wherever it occurs and in whatever form it takes. Abuse linked to faith is an abhorrent crime, which should be condemned by people of all cultures, communities and faiths.

  • Keith Vaz – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Keith Vaz – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Keith Vaz on 2014-03-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent representations she has received about the use of water cannon in London.

    Damian Green

    A number of representations have been received recently about the use of water
    cannon in London.

    The Home Secretary has also now received the formal request to authorise water
    cannon for use by the police in England and Wales. She is considering this
    request and will announce her decision in due course and lay the relevant
    information in the House Library.

  • Chris Ruane – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Deputy Prime Minister

    Chris Ruane – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Deputy Prime Minister

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Ruane on 2014-05-12.

    To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what recent discussions he has had with (a) church and community leaders from black and minority ethnic communities and (b) Operation Black Vote on increasing registration levels for voters in those communities.

    Greg Clark

    It has not proved possible to respond to the Hon Member in the time available before Prorogation.

  • Mr Nigel Dodds – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Mr Nigel Dodds – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mr Nigel Dodds on 2014-03-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment has been made of the effect on Northern Ireland of recent changes to immigration rules in respect of Romania and Bulgaria.

    James Brokenshire

    Statistics will be published in the normal way by the Office for National
    Statistics and the Department for Work and Pensions. The first statistics
    covering the period after the expiry of transitional controls will be published
    in May 2014.