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Category: Speeches

  • Jim McMahon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Jim McMahon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim McMahon on 2016-02-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what proportion of the Housing Investment Fund devolved to Greater Manchester Combined Authority homes over 10 years is in the form of (a) loans and (b) grants.

    Brandon Lewis

    The Housing Investment Fund is a loan, supported by a legal agreement in place between Manchester City Council (as the lead authority for the Greater Manchester Combined Authority) and DCLG. All of the Housing Investment Fund must be used as financial transactions to private sector organisations for the funding to qualify under the terms of that legal agreement.

  • Mark Prisk – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Mark Prisk – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Prisk on 2016-03-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he has made of the total funding allocated for the construction of cycle superhighways in London.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    Decisions on how much funding to allocate to cycling projects on the Transport for London Road Network (TLRN) are entirely a matter for the Mayor and Transport for London. The Department for Transport (DfT) provides the Greater London Authority with an annual transport grant for TfL, and it is up to the Mayor to determine how this grant is spent. In 2013, the Mayor published a vision for cycling which outlined plans to invest £913 million on a wide variety of schemes to improve conditions for cyclists in London, including the construction of a number of new and improved cycle superhighways.

  • Gareth Johnson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Gareth Johnson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gareth Johnson on 2016-04-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate she has made of the quantity of cannabis recovered from cannabis factories in the UK in each of the last 10 years.

    Karen Bradley

    The Home Office does not hold data centrally on the quantity of cannabis recovered specifically from cannabis factories in the UK. However, the Home Office does hold data on the total quantity of cannabis seized in England and Wales.

    The statistical release ‘Drug Seizures in England and Wales, 2014/15’ covers the number and quantity of drug seizures made by both police forces and Border Force in England and Wales from 2006/07 to 2014/15.

    The publication contains the number and quantity of seizures of herbal cannabis, resin cannabis, and cannabis plants for England and Wales only. The Home Office does not hold information centrally on the number of drug seizures in Scotland or Northern Ireland.

    The publication can be found at:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/seizures-of-drugs-in-england-and-wales-financial-year-ending-2015

    Data specifically on the quantity of cannabis seizures, made by police forces and Border Force in England and Wales, can be found in Summary Table 2 of the data tables.

    Border Force publishes the number and quantity of seizures of drugs at the UK border on Gov.UK:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/border-force-transparency-data-february-2016

  • Stephen Timms – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Stephen Timms – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2016-05-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 28 April 2016 to Question 35127, what the average cost of removing to India a person who had been refused leave to remain by (a) sea and (b) air was in the last year for which figures are available.

    James Brokenshire

    The Home Office has published information on the average cost of removal but this is not broken down by mode of transport, and to do so would incur disproportionate cost. Further information can be found at:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/costs-involved-in-detaining-and-removing-illegal-migrants.

  • Jamie Reed – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Jamie Reed – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jamie Reed on 2016-06-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answers of 8 February 2016 to Questions 25834 and 25835, whether a final decision has been made on the retention of business rates generated by new nuclear development in Copeland by the billing authority.

    Mr Marcus Jones

    Decisions on the details of the 100% business rates retention scheme have yet to be taken. We are currently working with the Local Government Association, local authorities and business interests on the design of the scheme and will set out our proposals for consultation in due course.

  • Steve McCabe – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Steve McCabe – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2016-09-08.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make it his policy to discourage the financial sector from using performance bonuses in his Autumn Statement.

    Simon Kirby

    The UK is at the forefront of global efforts to tackle unacceptable pay practices in the banking sector and has the toughest regime on pay of any major financial centre.

    Firms are now required to have policies in place to defer, reduce, cancel or clawback bonuses in the event that poor performance or misconduct comes to light and the Government expects firms to be proactive in their application of these policies. Used in this way bonuses can be an effective incentive for staff to act in the long term interests of a business.

    The Government’s efforts have resulted in a restructuring of pay including a significant reduction in cash bonuses, and a better alignment of risk and reward in the financial sector.

  • Philip Hollobone – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Philip Hollobone – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Philip Hollobone on 2015-11-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will take steps to improve cancer outcomes for men.

    Jane Ellison

    The Government’s Mandate to NHS England sets out an ambition to make England one of the most successful countries in Europe at preventing premature deaths from all cancers, including prostate cancer and other cancers which affect men. Cancer indicators in the NHS Outcomes Framework and the Public Health Outcomes Framework will help NHS England to assess progress in improving cancer survival and mortality rates.

    The Independent Cancer Taskforce published its report, Achieving World-Class Cancer Outcomes: A Strategy for England 2015-2020, in July this year. NHS England is currently working with partners across the health system to determine how best to take forward the recommendations contained in the strategy.

    As part of putting in place a governance structure for delivery of the strategy, NHS England has appointed Cally Palmer as NHS National Cancer Director. She will lead the implementation of the strategy, as well as new cancer vanguards using outcomes-based commissioning to redesign care and patient experience.

  • Robert Flello – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Robert Flello – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Robert Flello on 2015-12-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations his Department has received from diplomatic representatives in the UK of states where the trade of dog meat for consumption is active subsequent to the debate in the House on the dog meat trade of 5 November 2015.

    Mr Hugo Swire

    Since the debate on 5 November my Department has not received any representations from any diplomatic missions in the UK on the dog meat trade, nor have Ministers made representations to their counterparts abroad. As highlighted during the debate by the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my hon. Friend the Member for Rochford and Southend East (James Duddridge), I am contacting our Ambassadors in the countries concerned to review our activities in this area.

    The Government is committed to raising the standards of animal welfare at home and abroad. I raised animal welfare issues during my visit to the region in February and will continue to make representations when appropriate.

  • Peter Kyle – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Peter Kyle – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Peter Kyle on 2016-01-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, whether new apprenticeship standards will be grouped within the same sectors as the frameworks they are replacing to ensure continuity with previously recorded data.

    Nick Boles

    Employer designed apprenticeship standards focus on the knowledge, skills and behaviour required to achieve full competence in an individual occupation. There is no requirement for employers to replicate particular frameworks or pathways within them, as the priority is creating apprenticeships that meet employers’ needs. To ensure we can track developments in apprenticeship standards – for example, take up in particular sectors or regions – we are currently maintaining the current sector subject area classifications and allocate new standards to them to ensure continuity with previously recorded data.

  • Gavin Robinson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Gavin Robinson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gavin Robinson on 2016-02-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will provide an estimate of the number of environmental laws, derived from the EU, that are (a) ignored and (b) unused by the devolved administrations.

    Rory Stewart

    Environmental law is an area of devolved competence. Transposition and implementation of EU environmental law therefore rests with the devolved administrations. The obligation to transpose and implement EU environmental law applies across the whole of the UK.