Category: Speeches

  • Tom Watson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Tom Watson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Watson on 2016-09-02.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what value for money assessment the Government has made of the Public Duty Cost Allowance.

    Ben Gummer

    The Public Duties Cost Allowance is to assist former Prime Ministers with the costs of continuing to fulfil duties associated with their previous position in public life. A copy of the policy and guidance on the allowance is in the Library of the House. The costs are a reimbursement of incurred expenses for necessary office costs and secretarial costs arising from their special position in public life. The allowance is not paid to support private or parliamentary duties. Civil servants are not entitled to claim this allowance.

    Current recipients of the allowance are published in the Cabinet Office Annual Reports and Accounts. Previous recipients have included Lady Thatcher; the current recipients who are former Prime Ministers are Sir John Major, Tony Blair and Gordon Brown. I also refer the Hon. Member to my answers to him of 9 September 2016 to (UIN 44045, 44048, 44049, 44053, 44054, 44055, 44056).

    The Public Duties Cost Allowance rate is currently set at a limit of £115,000 per annum. When originally introduced, the Government stated that it would be the equivalent in amount to the Parliamentary Office Costs Allowance. I would note that that allowance is now known as the Parliamentary Staffing Allowance, determined by the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority and that is currently set at the rate of £148,500 per annum.”

  • Lord Bradshaw – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Lord Bradshaw – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Bradshaw on 2016-10-19.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the current capacity and reliability constraints on the East Coast Main Line railway will be comprehensively addressed in Control Period 6.

    Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

    The Government intends to articulate in 2017 its emerging priorities for improvements to train services and the national rail network (including possible enhancements to the East Coast Main Line) from 2019.

    In Control Period 5 the Intercity Express Programme will provide the infrastructure to operate new trains from December 2018 which will reduce journey times and increase capacity. Schemes as part of the East Connectivity Fund will also be delivered to improve capacity and reduce journey times, the first of which is enhancements in the Doncaster area set to be complete by May 2017.

  • Baroness Walmsley – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Baroness Walmsley – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Walmsley on 2015-11-05.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what calculation they have made of how much (1) UK tax has been paid by PFI investors on profits and equity gains, and (2) corporation tax has been collected from PFI companies, in each tax year since the inception of PFI contracts for health service projects.

    Lord O’Neill of Gatley

    HM Treasury does not collect or publish taxation information for any Private Finance company including those within the health sector.

  • Matthew Offord – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Matthew Offord – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Matthew Offord on 2015-11-30.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, when he plans for the UK to ratify the 1945 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict.

    Mr Edward Vaizey

    The Government remains committed to bringing forward legislation to ratify the Hague Convention and accede to its two Protocols at the first opportunity.

  • Lord Lester of Herne Hill – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Lord Lester of Herne Hill – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Lester of Herne Hill on 2016-01-11.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government why the official records from 1987 relating to the ban on the publication of Spycatcher by Peter Wright have not been released to the National Archives under the 20-year rule.

    Lord Bridges of Headley

    Moving from a 30 year to 20 year rule has meant a doubling of the amount of information to be considered for release. The Cabinet Office is actively reviewing the remaining 1987 and 1988 records and will complete this work as quickly as possible.

  • Richard Burden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Richard Burden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2016-02-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment his Department has made of the extent of the practice of nationality-based pay discrimination against non-EEA seafarers employed on (a) UK and (b) non-UK registered vessels working from UK ports.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    The department is currently seeking evidence on possible cases of discrimination, including on pay discrimination, through the Post Implementation Review of the Equality Act 2010 (Work on Ships and Hovercraft) Regulations 2011 which is due to complete in autumn 2016.

  • Gordon Marsden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Gordon Marsden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gordon Marsden on 2016-02-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what assessment he has made of the effects on recruitment of further education staff of the Government’s restrictions on public sector pay increases.

    Nick Boles

    Further Education (FE) colleges are independent organisations. Each college determines the terms and conditions of its employees, in accordance with their own circumstances. FE Colleges are therefore not affected by the Government’s restrictions on public sector pay increases.

  • Oliver Dowden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Oliver Dowden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Oliver Dowden on 2016-03-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what progress has been made on implementation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action with Iran.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    The Government remains committed to the success of the deal. The IAEA’s 26 February report on Iran’s nuclear activities concluded that Iran was complying with the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPoA). We have been working to help businesses take advantage of new commercial opportunities and to ensure that Iran benefits from sanctions relief.

  • Baroness Cox – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Baroness Cox – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Cox on 2016-04-28.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will increase UK aid to Nigerian international development projects, in particular those affected by recent violence involving Fulani herdsmen.

    Baroness Verma

    The UK is acutely aware of the human suffering caused by inter-communal violence between cattle herders and farmers in Nigeria. Reports of violence involving Fulani herdsmen have increased in recent weeks. The conflicts between herders and farmers are economic in nature and largely driven by competition over land and resources, which is exacerbated by population growth and climate change.

    DFID has set up the £39 million Nigerian Stability and Reconciliation Programme, which works across various conflicts in Nigeria, including herder-farmer tensions. This programme is supporting a number of economic initiatives that bring cattle herder and farmer communities together to work on projects which provide people with livelihoods and better economic opportunities. The programme also enables communities to agree on rules for land and water use, and provide them with mediation skills to prevent violent disputes.

  • 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 2016-06-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the estimated cost to the public purse was of preparing and publishing the (a) Bowe Report into the planning of Network Rail’s enhancements programme published on 25 November 2015 and (b) Hendy Report on Replanning Network Rail’s Investment programme, published January 2016.

    Claire Perry

    The estimated cost to the public purse for preparing and publishing the

    a) Bowe Report published on 25 November 2015 was £1,500, associated with type setting and printing; and

    b) Consultation on the Hendy Report, published January 2016 was zero.