Category: Speeches

  • Karl McCartney – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Women and Equalities

    Karl McCartney – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Women and Equalities

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Karl McCartney on 2016-04-11.

    To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what steps the Government plans to take to ensure equality of educational attainment between boys and girls at all key stages.

    Nick Gibb

    Our goal is to deliver educational excellence everywhere, so that every child and young person can achieve to the best of his or her ability. Girls’ key stage 2 results are better than ever and their entries to mathematics and science A levels have increased by more than 12,000 since 2010. We continue to consider what more needs to be done to support equality in educational attainment, in particular the justified concerns about white working class boys.

  • Anne Main – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Anne Main – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Anne Main on 2016-05-03.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how much his Department and its agencies and non-departmental public bodies have spent on infraction proceedings in each of the last 10 years.

    Matthew Hancock

    The Cabinet Office, its agencies and non-departmental public bodies have incurred nil expenditure on infraction proceedings before the European Court of Justice.

    Figures held centrally by the Cabinet Office are set out below, which show costs incurred by other government departments in engaging counsel as a result of infraction proceedings issued against the UK before the Court.

    2010/2011

    2011/2012

    2012/2013

    2013/2014

    2014/2015

    2015/2016

    2016/2017 (year to date)

    BIS

    Nil

    Nil

    Nil

    Nil

    Nil

    Nil

    Nil

    CO

    Nil

    Nil

    Nil

    Nil

    Nil

    Nil

    Nil

    DCLG

    Nil

    Nil

    Nil

    Nil

    Nil

    Nil

    Nil

    DCMS

    Nil

    Nil

    Nil

    Nil

    Nil

    Nil

    Nil

    DECC

    Nil

    Nil

    Nil

    Nil

    Nil

    Nil

    Nil

    DEFRA

    Nil

    £1,740.00

    Nil

    Nil

    Nil

    £8,791.61

    £966.66

    DfE

    £780.00

    3,630.00

    Nil

    Nil

    Nil

    Nil

    Nil

    DfT

    Nil

    Nil

    Nil

    Nil

    Nil

    Nil

    Nil

    DFID

    Nil

    Nil

    Nil

    Nil

    Nil

    Nil

    Nil

    DH

    Nil

    Nil

    Nil

    Nil

    Nil

    NIl

    NIl

    DWP

    Nil

    Nil

    Nil

    Nil

    Nil

    Nil

    Nil

    FCO

    Nil

    Nil

    Nil

    Nil

    Nil

    Nil

    Nil

    HMT (HMRC)

    £687.50

    £3,797.50

    £16,610.67

    £24,004.95

    £6,749.99

    £9,834.99

    Nil

    HO

    Nil

    Nil

    Nil

    Nil

    Nil

    Nil

    Nil

    MoD

    Nil

    Nil

    Nil

    Nil

    Nil

    Nil

    Nil

    MoJ

    Nil

    Nil

    £2,520.00

    Nil

    Nil

    Nil

    Nil

    NIO

    Nil

    Nil

    Nil

    Nil

    Nil

    Nil

    Nil

    SO

    Nil

    Nil

    Nil

    Nil

    Nil

    Nil

    Nil

    WO

    Nil

    Nil

    Nil

    Nil

    Nil

    Nil

    Nil

    *The above represents all data held. We do not hold financial records on these matters before FY 2010/2011.

    The UK has never been fined by the European Court of Justice as a result of infraction proceedings.

    Costs for departments include costs incurred by non-departmental public bodies and agencies for which they are the lead department. While some departments will have incurred ad hoc costs in the pre-litigation stage of infraction proceedings, and costs associated with the attendance of government officials at infraction hearings, the cost of identifying that data would be disproportionate.

    Departments do not quantify the cost of time spent by government officials throughout the infractions process.

  • Chi Onwurah – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Chi Onwurah – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chi Onwurah on 2016-06-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what the timetable is for the Digital Economy Bill.

    Mr Edward Vaizey

    The Digital Economy Bill will be introduced to Parliament shortly.

  • Jeff Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Jeff Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jeff Smith on 2016-09-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the effect on consumers of the practice by certain mobile phone companies of enforcing a two-week wait before customers can receive their unlock codes in order to change provider.

    Matt Hancock

    At Autumn Statement 2015, we challenged the mobile phone industry to improve their handset unlocking practices; since then operators have committed to unlocking many more of their customers’ handsets for free, and as of this autumn, no major mobile provider will charge a customer to unlock their phone outside of an initial contract period.

    During the Government assessment of handset unlocking practices in early 2016, the major mobile providers were challenged on their turnaround times for issuing unlock codes. Although many providers state that it can take up to 10 working days to issue an unlock code, this is only in the instance that the provider has to contact the handset manufacturer to obtain the unlocking code. In the majority of cases, providers are able to issue unlock codes within 1-3 working days.

  • Gareth Thomas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Gareth Thomas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gareth Thomas on 2016-10-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether local authorities will continue to be required to comply with EU law relating to (a) energy efficiency, (b) waste collection and disposal, (c) trading standards and (d) procurement after the UK leaves the EU; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr Marcus Jones

    Local authorities are required to comply with EU law and the UK remains a full a member of the European Union at this present time. The Prime Minister has said that government will not give a running commentary on its preparation to leave the European Union.

  • Andrew Rosindell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Andrew Rosindell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2015-11-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to support the establishment of an independent, international and impartial body to investigate violations of international humanitarian and human rights law in Yemen.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    We remain deeply concerned about the human rights situation and alleged violations of International Humanitarian Law in Yemen. The UK fully and actively supports the UN’s efforts to achieve a political solution to bring an end to the conflict. I discussed the importance of progress with President Hadi of Yemen on 25 November. This will help create the conditions for the legitimate Government to improve its capacity to protect human rights.

    The UK has previously engaged the Yemeni Government – both bilaterally and through the UN Human Rights Council – on a wide range of human rights issues. We continue to raise the importance of compliance with international human rights law by all sides to the conflict. The UK welcomes the September UN Human Rights Council resolution which contains mechanisms for monitoring the human rights situation in Yemen.

    The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) has been tasked to help Yemen investigate human rights abuses and violations, but it will be up to Yemen to decide on how it sets up its own domestic mechanism. The UK welcomes Yemen’s commitment to cooperate with the UN on the protection of human rights.

  • David T. C. Davies – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    David T. C. Davies – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David T. C. Davies on 2015-12-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 3 November 2015 to Question 17668, if he will collect information on how much has been spent from the public purse on providing legal aid for asylum seekers who wish to purse immigration appeals.

    Mr Shailesh Vara

    The information is not held centrally.

  • Geoffrey Cox – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Church Commissioners

    Geoffrey Cox – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Church Commissioners

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Geoffrey Cox on 2016-01-12.

    To ask the right hon. Member for Meriden, representing the Church Commissioners, what grants the Church Commissioners have given to churches in (a) Devon and (b) Cornwall from the Roof Repair Fund in each of the last five years.

    Mrs Caroline Spelman

    The Listed Places of Worship Roof Repair Fund grants are distributed by the National Heritage Memorial Fund, on behalf of the Government. There has been one round of grants to date, announced in March 2015,

    (a) 22 churches in Devon were offered grants totalling £1,199,700

    (b) 7 churches in Cornwall were offered grants totalling £492,700.

    A second round to distribute a further £25 million allocated by the Treasury is currently open, with applications closing on Friday, 26 February.

  • Margaret Ferrier – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Margaret Ferrier – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Margaret Ferrier on 2016-02-04.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the estimated total cost to the public purse is of the Independent Commission on Freedom of Information review of the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

    Matthew Hancock

    I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Sheffield Central on 19 October 2015 to UIN: 10764.

  • 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 2016-03-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what his Department’s most recent estimate or calculation is of the cost of each of the road projects described in the Government’s press release, Major Roads Investment in the east of England, published on 1 December 2014.

    Andrew Jones

    These projects are at various levels of maturity.

    Schemes which are now open to traffic and schemes in development/construction are shown below, with the actual out-turn cost and latest estimate respectively:

    Scheme Name

    Estimated Cost (£m)

    Source of Estimate

    A14 Cambridge to Huntingdon

    1,249 to 1,848

    In development

    A5-M1 link road

    162.1

    Under construction

    A11 Fiveways to Thetford

    104.7

    Scheme complete

    For the remaining schemes outlined in the 1 December 2014 announcement, the current costs are the cost category as quoted in the RIS Investment Plan, which can be found at:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/381496/roads-investment-strategy-summary-of-schemes.pdf

    There is currently no cost information for the Strategic Studies as they are in the very early stages of investigating options.

    “