Category: Speeches

  • Clive Betts – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Clive Betts – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Clive Betts on 2014-04-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to enable hydrogen fuel to compete equally as a viable part of the transport mix.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    As set out in Driving the Future Today our strategy document published last year, the Government is committed to the move to ultra-low emission vehicles. We recognise the economic opportunities for the UK that this transition provides as well its potential contribution to cutting the emissions from road transport.

    The Government’s approach to this agenda has been consistently technology neutral and we have been active participants in UKH2Mobility. This is a joint industry-Government project evaluating the potential for hydrogen as a transport fuel and the scope to make the UK an early market for the commercial deployment of hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) from 2015 onwards. The UKH2Mobility project is ongoing and both Government and industry participants are working together to consider the steps needed to secure the benefits of moving to hydrogen as a transport fuel for the UK. This includes the clear contribution that studies have shown FCEVs can make to improving air quality in the UK. We have undertaken no specific research on the impact of FCEVs on air quality in London.

  • Andrew Bingham – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Andrew Bingham – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Bingham on 2014-04-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the number of British pensioners resident abroad whose pensions have been frozen.

    Steve Webb

    The information as requested by nationality of State Pension recipient is not available.

    However statistics on State Pensioners residing abroad by frozen and non frozen rate countries are available on the Department’s website at:-

    http://83.244.183.180/100pc/sp/tabtool_sp.html

    “

  • Neil Carmichael – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Neil Carmichael – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Neil Carmichael on 2014-04-10.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps he is taking to promote digital government.

    Mr Nick Hurd

    Online services tend to be faster, cheaper and more convenient, so we want all major Government transactions to be digital by default.

    This is not just about the opportunity to save the taxpayer over £ 1 billion by the end of this parliament, it is about transforming the experience that citizens have of dealing with Government.

  • The Earl of Sandwich – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The Earl of Sandwich – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by The Earl of Sandwich on 2014-04-09.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have made representations to the government of Sudan following reports of population displacement by violence in Darfur since the beginning of 2014 and that UNAMID and humanitarian agencies have been prevented from entering the affected areas; and if so, at what level of government, and whether any other countries have been involved in those representations.

    Lord Wallace of Saltaire

    We continue to raise the issues around Darfur with the Government of Sudan consistently and frequently, and at all levels. Most recently, the Minister for Africa, my hon. Friend the Member for Boston and Skegness (Mr Simmonds), issued two statements on 6 March and 7 April condemning the escalating violence in Darfur, calling for humanitarian access and for all sides to immediately cease the violence. Our Ambassador in Khartoum raised Darfur with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (State Minister level) in late March, and with the Chairman of the Darfur Regional Authority on 1 April. The Head of the Department for International Development (DFID) in Sudan met the Commissioner of the Humanitarian Aid Commission (HAC) to raise access for humanitarian agencies in Darfur in April. The UN Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator’s Office also led a high level mission of UN and EU/US ambassadors and heads of agency to Darfur, during which UK representatives raised this issue with the Governor of North Darfur. Officials have also raised Darfur with the acting Ambassador of the Sudanese Embassy in London.

    UN Resolution 2148 which focuses on UNAMID was adopted on 3 April. It expresses particular concern at reports of an escalation of violence in Darfur since February 2014, resulting in the displacement of a large number of civilians, and at the denial of access for UNAMID and humanitarian actors to the affected areas by the Sudanese authorities and calls on the Government of Sudan to comply with the Status of Forces Agreement fully and without delay, and to enhance its cooperation with UNAMID on the implementation of the peacekeeping mission’s mandate.

  • Lord Storey – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Lord Storey – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Storey on 2014-04-09.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of Action for Children’s proposed Cinderella neglect law.

    Lord Faulks

    The Government believes protecting children from harm is fundamental and that child cruelty is an abhorrent crime which should be punished. All children should be able to grow up in a safe, happy environment.

    Officials at the Ministry of Justice have been exploring the views of relevant experts in England and Wales to ascertain whether there are any gaps in the criminal law on child cruelty.

    We are currently considering the outcome of this work with a view to determining next steps.

  • Iain Wright – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Iain Wright – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Iain Wright on 2014-04-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, with reference to Growth is Our Business: A Strategy for Professional and Business Services published in July 2013, what web-based initiatives have been set up to link professional and business services businesses with the education sector.

    Matthew Hancock

    These questions ask about a number of actions related to skills development from “Growth is our business: a strategy for professional and business services”, published in July 2013 as part of Government’s industrial strategy. The strategy was developed in collaboration with the professional and business services sector, focusing on the industry’s agenda for long term growth. It is led by the Professional and Business Services Council.

    The strategy reflects two key business priorities in skills development. First, to expand recruitment routes into the sector, in particular higher apprenticeships, to access a wider, more diverse talent pool. Second, to help businesses engage with the education system to raise aspirations and promote work readiness. A business-led skills taskforce for professional and business services has been established. It is developing approaches to implement the strategy and will report progress at the end of this year.

    The skills taskforce is leading work to help towards the strategy’s ambitious target to treble the number of higher apprenticeship starts across professional and business services to 10,000 over five years; and to follow progress in the interim, so that the numbers of these apprenticeships can be monitored. As a first step, the taskforce is supporting the London Professional Apprenticeship scheme, which was launched in December 2013, and is now recruiting apprentices and employers to take part. The scheme will pilot the proposal for a “clearing house” to help small firms access higher apprenticeships in professional and business services. In addition, the taskforce is backing new ‘trailblazer’ initiatives, announced in March 2014, to develop employer-driven standards for apprenticeships in several professional and business services occupations.

    The skills taskforce is currently researching the metrics for schools’ reporting and their effect on the prestige of higher apprenticeships as initial career destinations. It will consider if more could be done to ensure higher apprenticeships have parity of esteem with higher education.

    The taskforce is also mapping current school engagement activity involving professional and business services firms with a view to identifying and sharing good practice.

    The new emphasis on wider use of higher apprenticeships across professional and business services should contribute towards a greater diversity of routes into these careers in the years to come; potentially offering opportunities to a wider pool of talent.

    The skills taskforce intends to consider how the employability of young people can be supported within the national curriculum, but believes that greater engagement between employers and young people is the best way of improving employability skills.

    My noble friend Lord Lingfield has set up the independent Institution for Further Education to take forward work on a new chartered status quality schemeand is considering the application and assessment process for Further Education providers.

    The skills taskforce is exploring how web-based services can support engagement between firms and the education sector, including a planned digital “inspiration” tool being developed by this Department to encourage business-schools engagement.

    Further information on the implementation of “Growth is our business: a strategy for professional and business services” is included in a progress report on industrial strategy, published on 23 April 2014: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/industrial-strategy-early-successes-and-future-priorities.

    “

  • Nick Gibb – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Nick Gibb – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nick Gibb on 2014-04-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what the student loan default rate is for students and graduates of (a) Bristol, (b) Cambridge, (c) Durham, (d) Exeter, (e) Leeds, (f) Manchester and (g) Oxford Universities.

    Mr David Willetts

    Information on the repayment status of student loans is available in the Student Loans Company (SLC) publication ‘Income Contingent Repayments by Repayment Cohort and Tax Year’, which is availableat the following link: http://www.slc.co.uk/media/589346/slcosp012013.pdf .

    Institution-specific information is not published and can only be provided at disproportionate cost.

    “

  • Mark Menzies – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Mark Menzies – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Menzies on 2014-04-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to ensure that the wishes of the local people and decisions of the local council are given priority in appeal decisions by the Planning Inspectorate.

    Nick Boles

    Planning is a quasi-judicial process; it is a long-standing feature of the planning system that there is a right of appeal, just as there are with other local quasi-judicial decisions such as on licensing applications, gambling applications or parking fines.

    The Localism Act 2011 has strengthened the role of Local Plans and abolished the last Administration’s top-down Regional Strategies. Our streamlined National Planning Policy Framework strongly encourages areas to get up-to-date Local Plans in place, and we have been actively supporting councils in doing so. Local Plans now set the framework in which decisions on particular applications are taken, whether locally or at appeal, unless material considerations indicate otherwise.

    Once adopted a neighbourhood plan will also become part of the area’s statutory development plan – an example of this Government’s localist agenda. Both local and neighbourhood plans are founded on thorough community involvement and are subject to public examination and consultation. Almost 1,000 communities have applied for a neighbourhood planning area to be designated, with 850 areas now designated.

    Planning inspectors will take full account of all the evidence that is before them, including representations made by local residents and other interested parties. Each representation should be considered on their merits, paying careful regard to the relevant policy and material planning considerations.

    Since the National Planning Policy Framework was introduced, the number of appeals received has fallen as has the number allowed. The quality of local decisions also remains high – 99 per cent of decisions are made locally with only approximately 1 per cent of planning applications overturned on appeal. Housing starts and housing construction are also up, as are permissions for new homes. This means there is more local decision-making, and our reforms are supporting badly-needed new homes within a locally-led planning system.

  • Laurence Robertson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Laurence Robertson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Laurence Robertson on 2014-04-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what support he plans to give schools which have no kitchen facilities and are unable to build such facilities because of financial constraints, and which cannot have meals delivered from other local schools, to enable them to provide free school meals for infant children; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr David Laws

    The Government is providing £150 million capital funding in 2014-15 to support the introduction of universal infant free school meals, in addition to over £1 billion additional revenue funding over the two years 2014 to 2016. Local authorities are also free to use some of the capital they receive for general maintenance and improvement purposes to upgrade kitchen and dining facilities in schools, if that is a priority locally.

    The pilots of universal free school meal provision which ran in Newham and Durham between 2009 and 2011 showed, however, that building new facilities is not the only way to increase school meal uptake.

    To help schools to find solutions which meet their local circumstances, on 6 March we launched a national support service which consists of a telephone and online advice service for schools, local authorities and caterers, and a direct-support service for schools which need additional support. The service is being provided by school food experts, the Children’s Food Trust and the Lead Association for Catering in Education, in conjunction with a number of delivery partners. More information is available at: http://www.childrensfoodtrust.org.uk/Root/schools/schoolfoodplan

    “

  • Ian Lucas – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Ian Lucas – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Lucas on 2014-04-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 11 March 2014, Official Report, columns 161-2W, on Syria, on what basis the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom was selected as the recipient of £200,000.

    Hugh Robertson

    The FCO’s Human Rights Development Programme Board approved funding to the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF) based on the strength of their project proposal. WILPF have been active in promoting the participation of Syrian women at the Geneva II peace conference, have developed a strong network of Syrian women activists, and work in close collaboration with other international non-governmental organisations. Their activities support our wider efforts to ensure that Syrian women are fully included in the political process.