Category: Speeches

  • Paul Blomfield – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

    Paul Blomfield – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Blomfield on 2016-09-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to the oral contribution of the then Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills of 23 January 2014, Official Report, column 434, whether an investigation into the selling of personal accident insurance by Blue Arrow, Staffline, Acorn, Taskmaster, Randstad and Meridian employment agencies has been conducted; and if he will make a statement.

    Margot James

    The Employment Agency Standards (EAS) Inspectorate conducted an investigation into the named employment agencies. Information regarding selling of personal accident insurance was gathered and reviewed. EAS was satisfied that on this occasion no breach of The Employment Agencies Act 1973 or The Conduct of Employment Agencies and Employment Businesses Regulations 2003 (as amended) had taken place. Should further relevant information come to light, EAS will review the situation.

  • Jess Phillips – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Jess Phillips – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jess Phillips on 2016-10-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what international visits (a) she and (b) Ministers in her Department have made since July 2016; and what the purpose of each such visit was.

    Caroline Dinenage

    Details of ministerial international travel, including the purpose of the travel, are published in the Quarterly Returns on GOV.UK. Information about international travel that has taken place since July 2016 will be published in due course.

  • Craig Mackinlay – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Craig Mackinlay – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Craig Mackinlay on 2015-11-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the findings in the report of the Office for National Statistics, Decennial Child Dental Health Survey that (a) 46 per cent of 15 year olds and 34 per cent of 12 year olds had obvious decay experience in their permanent teeth and (b) children eligible for free school meals are significantly less likely to be in good overall oral health than those not eligible.

    Jane Ellison

    The decennial Child Dental Health Survey is part of the Public Health England (PHE) dental public health intelligence programme which provides population oral health surveillance. Local authorities have responsibility for oral health improvement. In 2014 PHE published an evidence informed toolkit for local authorities to support their work on oral health improvement among children and young people. PHE also published an evidence based toolkit for dental teams to support preventive advice and treatment for their patients, including the prevention of tooth decay in children.

    Eligibility for free school meals was used as a proxy indicator of relative deprivation in the study, as it is well established that poor oral health is associated with deprivation. The findings of this study continue to support that understanding.

    The results of the most recent decennial child dental health survey were published this year by the Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC) and can be found at:

    http://www.hscic.gov.uk/catalogue/PUB17137

    “

  • Fiona Bruce – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Fiona Bruce – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Fiona Bruce on 2015-11-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when he expects to publish the results of the Government’s review of alcohol consumption.

    Jane Ellison

    The Chief Medical Officer (CMO) is overseeing a United Kingdom-wide review of lower-risk alcohol guidelines so that people can make informed choices about their drinking at all stages of their lives.

    The Guidelines Development Group, a group of independent experts, was tasked with developing the lower-risk drinking guidelines for the UK CMOs to consider. The group have researched and developed a proposal on the guidelines, including a UK wide approach for guidance on alcohol and pregnancy. We will be consulting on these shortly.

  • Cheryl Gillan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Cheryl Gillan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Cheryl Gillan on 2016-01-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to paragraph 11.10 of the Spending Review and Autumn Statement 2015, whether the figure of £55.7 billion for High Speed 2 is exclusive of the cost of rolling stock for that project.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    The £55.7bn long-term funding envelope for delivering HS2 includes funding provision for rolling stock.

  • Andrew Gwynne – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Andrew Gwynne – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Gwynne on 2016-02-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the cost was of residential training for officials in his Department in each of the last five years.

    Jane Ellison

    The Department is committed to developing its staff and equipping them with the skills and knowledge to carry out their work.

    In 2011, the Department became a full subscriber to Civil Service Learning (CSL). CSL is responsible for providing a managed service for all learning and development across the Civil Service.

    Learning and development activity is typically arranged by individual teams or individuals in the Department.

    Therefore, no central records of these events are kept. To collect this information from the Department’s directorates and match this with CSL data would incur disproportionate costs.

  • Andrew Rosindell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Andrew Rosindell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2016-02-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 2 February 2016 to Questions 24490 and 24491, on right of abode, what the process is for her Department’s assessment on granting the right of abode to former British-Hong Kong servicemen.

    James Brokenshire

    The assessment of the request by former members of the Hong Kong Military Service Corps that they be granted right of abode in the UK is on-going, including discussions at official level with other government departments and a review of archived material on the schemes established between 1990 and 1997. A decision will be made as soon as practicable

  • Kate Green – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Kate Green – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kate Green on 2016-03-22.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 17 March 2016 to Question 30739, what information he holds on (a) the legal status of Telahoon Rata and Rev. Hassan Taour and (b) whether their legal team has been granted access to them.

    James Duddridge

    Telahoon Rata and Rev Hassan Taour are being held in detention by the National Intelligence and Security Services under powers granted to them by the National Security Act 2010. They have not been granted access to their lawyers.

    Our Ambassador in Khartoum met the Minister of Guidance and Religious Endowments and the Sudanese Director of Church Affairs in February and raised the cases of Mr Talahon and Rev. Hassan.

  • Andrew Tyrie – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Andrew Tyrie – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Tyrie on 2016-04-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what provision has been made for moving the First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) from Chichester Magistrates’ Court when that Court is closed.

    Mr Shailesh Vara

    HM Courts & Tribunals Service is committed to ensuring that adequate provision will be secured for the First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) which will relocate from Chichester Magistrates’ Court when it closes. Options are currently being evaluated.

  • Lilian Greenwood – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Lilian Greenwood – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lilian Greenwood on 2016-06-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what his policy is on local authorities creating new municipal bus companies in England.

    Andrew Jones

    The Bus Services Bill, which had its first reading in the House of Lords on 19th May, sets out the Government’s policy regarding the creation of new municipal bus companies in England. Clause 21 of the Bill proposes to restrict the ability of local authorities in England to establish companies for the purposes of operating local bus services.

    Government recognises the quality services that existing municipal bus companies provide for passengers, and these existing companies will not be affected by the provisions in the Bill. However, it is our view that the commissioning and provision of bus services should be kept separate, particularly as the introduction of new partnership and franchising powers in the Bill is likely to lead to more local authority control and influence of local services.