Category: Speeches

  • Luciana Berger – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Luciana Berger – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Luciana Berger on 2016-07-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many households in (a) Liverpool, Wavertree constituency and (b) Liverpool City Region are living in (i) absolute and (ii) relative poverty.

    Damian Hinds

    This Government is committed to tackling disadvantage and extending opportunity so that everyone has the chance to realise their full potential. Our life chances approach will focus on tackling the root causes of poverty such as worklessness, educational attainment and family stability.

    The Department for Work and Pensions published the 2014/15 Households Below Average Income (HBAI) statistics on 28th June 2016. This provides information on individuals living in relative and absolute low income.

    https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/households-below-average-income-199495-to-201415.

    The number of households in relative and absolute low income is not available at constituency or city region level. This is because the survey sample sizes are too small to support the production of robust estimates at this geography.

    “

  • Rehman Chishti – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Rehman Chishti – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rehman Chishti on 2016-09-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the potential benefits of the UK taking part in the European Year of Cultural Heritage proposed for 2018 by the European Commission for her Department’s objectives set out in the Culture White Paper, published in March 2016 ; what assessment she has made of the implications of the outcome of the EU referendum on UK participation in that event; and if she will make a statement.

    Tracey Crouch

    Our rich cultural heritage makes the UK a great place to live and attracts millions of visitors each year. In the White Paper we committed to ensuring we continue to celebrate our heritage and make sure we can pass on something even more inspirational to future generations.

    Until exit negotiations are concluded, the UK remains a full member of the European Union and all the rights and obligations of EU membership remain in force. During this period, we will continue to participate in EU initiatives, and the European Year of Cultural Heritage is a potential opportunity to showcase UK heritage. We will continue to work with the heritage sector to determine the nature of our involvement.

  • Michelle Thomson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Michelle Thomson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Michelle Thomson on 2015-11-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate she has made of the average amount people spent on visa applications before being granted entry to the UK in the last year for which figures are available.

    James Brokenshire

    The Home Office does not analyse the average amount people spend on visa applications before being granted entry to the UK. The Home Office provides a wide range of visa products and services and takes into account a range of factors when setting fees, so there is no typical fee amount.

  • Lord Kennedy of Southwark – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Lord Kennedy of Southwark – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Kennedy of Southwark on 2015-12-16.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the potential benefit of agricultural technologies to farmers.

    Lord Gardiner of Kimble

    We considered the evidence on the benefits of agricultural technologies to farmers when we developed our Agri-Tech Strategy in 2013. This included OECD evidence that growth in agricultural productivity depends on three factors: (i) technological change (innovation); (ii) technical efficiency (the ability of farmers to access the best technologies); and (iii) economies of scale.

    The Agri-Tech Strategy recognised that we had not been as successful in recent decades as some of our competitors in getting new agricultural technologies from research to the farm. This is why we are investing £160 million through the Strategy to help rebuild the pipeline of innovation.

  • Robert Flello – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Robert Flello – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Robert Flello on 2016-01-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what information her Department holds on who took the decision not to use a professional heavy vehicle recovery operator to recover the bus which was trapped in floodwater in Dailley, Ayrshire, in December 2015.

    Rory Stewart

    These decisions would have been taken by the Scottish Government, as flooding is a devolved matter.

  • Julie Cooper – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Julie Cooper – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Julie Cooper on 2016-02-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 16 February 2016 to Question 26169, on social security benefits: disqualification, what the established safeguards are which are in place to prevent the accrual of sanctions.

    Priti Patel

    The sanctions regime has a range of safeguards for claimants, including ensuring all requirements placed on claimants are reasonable, taking into account individual capability and circumstances, such as health conditions, disability and caring responsibilities.

    A further safeguard exists so that sanctions at the same level do not increase in duration when the claimant accrues 2 or more within a two week period. This ensures claimants cannot accrue lengthy sanctions within a short period in between meetings with their work coach. We keep the sanctions process under constant review and use research analysis and insight to improve the clarity of all our products and policies.

  • Lord Alton of Liverpool – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Lord Alton of Liverpool – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool on 2016-03-11.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Prior of Brampton on 8 March (HL6323), how licence conditions R18-R27 and T97 have been specifically reflected in the patient information and consent forms submitted to the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority by the person responsible in order to perform genome editing in human embryos by means of CRISPR-Cas9.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) has advised that it carried out an audit of the patient information relating to the research project involving genome editing against the requirements of R19 and R20. T97 is not relevant, as it refers to the use of embryos in training, not research. The audit was completed as part of the inspection and feedback provided to the person responsible during the inspection. An assessment was made against the other licence conditions referred to during the inspection. The HFEA does not interpret the requirements to mean that each specific technique that might be used in the research must be specified in the patient information. In this case, the patient information, which is not yet finalised, makes it clear that genes may be altered but does not specifically refer to CRISPR-Cas9.

  • Andy Slaughter – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Andy Slaughter – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andy Slaughter on 2016-05-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, when he plans to publish his Department’s post-implementation review of tribunal fees.

    Dominic Raab

    Following public consultation, the government introduced fees in Employment Tribunals as a way of reducing the burden on the taxpayer and to encourage parties to seek alternative ways of resolving their disputes.

    On 11 June 2015, we announced the start of the post-implementation review of the introduction of fees in the Employment Tribunals. The review will report in due course.

  • William Wragg – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    William Wragg – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by William Wragg on 2016-07-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether the Education for All Bill will require academies to provide sex and relationships education.

    Edward Timpson

    All schools should offer high quality, age-appropriate sex and relationship education, and build a curriculum that meets the needs of all their students. Sex and relationship education is compulsory in all maintained secondary schools. Academies do not have to teach sex and relationship education but many choose to do so as part of their statutory duty to provide a broad and balanced curriculum.

    The content of any forthcoming Bill will be announced in due course.

  • Stephen Gethins – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Stephen Gethins – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Gethins on 2016-09-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when he plans to publish details of the £8 million investment at the RAF base in Leuchars.

    Mark Lancaster

    On 5 March 2013 (Official Report, column 845) my right hon. Friend the then Defence Secretary, (Philip Hammond), set out the Department’s Army Basing Plans. As part of this larger package of investment the plan contains a commitment to invest around £8million in the infrastructure and facilities at Leuchars. The investment is being spent on improvements to existing facilities including the upgrade of buildings, existing single living accommodation and sports facilities.