Category: Speeches

  • Steve McCabe – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Steve McCabe – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2016-03-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 15 March 2016 to Question 30648, what details of family members her Department records in respect of refugees who are granted asylum in the UK.

    Mike Penning

    Asylum claims may include one or more family members who are accepted as dependant on the principal claimant’s asylum claim. Information on family members is requested at the screening and substantive interviews and, where given, this includes name, date of birth, nationality, gender and method of entry into the country.

  • Mark Garnier – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Mark Garnier – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Garnier on 2016-05-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what steps he is taking to increase inward investment to the commercial satellite communications and space industry.

    Joseph Johnson

    Inward investment is a key pillar in the strategy to grow the UK’s share of the global space economy to £40 billion by 2030. Officials from UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) work with overseas commercial satellite operators using specialists through an existing network of inward investment teams in overseas posts, UKTI’s regional Investment Services Team, and local partners to support those wishing to come to the UK. They also work closely with officials in the UK Space Agency who provide advice on licensing and operating a spacecraft from the UK and access to competitive R&D funding either through national programmes, EU programmes or through our membership of the European Space Agency (ESA). The UK Space Agency and UKTI also support overseas satellite operators in their dealings with Ofcom, who are responsible for the allocation of the radio spectrum in the UK – a vital resource for new satellite business ventures. The Government will continue to work with companies to provide practical and tailored support to support their inward investment plans.

  • Tom Brake – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Tom Brake – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Brake on 2016-06-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what representations his Department has received on the recommendation of Sir Peter Hendy’s report published in November 2015, on replanning of Network Rail’s Investment Programme to defer Access to All works from Control Period 5 to Control Period 6.

    Claire Perry

    Over one hundred responses have been received to my Department’s consultation on the recommendations of Sir Peter Hendy’s report, a number of which reference Access for All works. My Department is committed to publishing a report summarising these responses and decisions made in light of them later this year.

    In addition to the consultation my Department has received letters from a wide range of stakeholders discussing a variety of Access for All subjects, a number of whom Ministers and officials have also met.

  • 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 2016-09-06.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 17 June (HL515), what progress has been made in assessing the detailed implications for the timetable and train performance on the East Coast Main Line of the decision to run 7.5 long distance trains per hour from 2021.

    Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

    Network Rail and the relevant train operators will continue to develop the detail and performance implications of the 2021 timetable in line with the industry’s normal timetable development process, under the oversight of the Office of Rail and Road.

    With regard to the operation of the Thameslink central core, this is a matter for Network Rail and the relevant train operators, under the oversight of the Office of Rail and Road. The industry is continuing to develop plans for integrating the 24 trains per hour proposed to run on the Thameslink route at peak times from December 2018 with other services on the East Coast Main Line, including the implications for punctuality and reliability.

    After consulting with Network Rail we have established that there were five ‘unplanned closures’, on various sections of the line, on five separate days in August, two of which were infrastructure related and three as a result of passenger action.

    Network Rail have defined days with ‘unplanned closures’ of the East Coast Main Line as days where there are more than five cancellation events. A cancellation event covers any service suffering one or more of the below events:

    • Full Cancellation
    • Part Cancellation
    • Diversion
    • Fail to stop
    • Change of Origin
  • 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 2016-10-21.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many apprenticeships have been provided to date by HS2 Ltd.

    Andrew Jones

    HS2, through both HS2 Ltd and its supply chain, has a target of creating 2,000 apprenticeship opportunities over the lifetime of the project, from a forecast average annual workforce of 11,000 (with a peak of 25,000).

    HS2 Ltd itself has to date provided five apprenticeships, though this is in the context that HS2 does not yet have Royal Assent and construction hasn’t yet started. Looking forward, it is anticipated that HS2 Ltd will bring in 36 apprentices a year based on an average workforce of 1,500.

    For the companies that will design and construct HS2 there will be requirements to deliver Skills, Employment and Education outcomes, including apprenticeships. In each of the major HS2 Ltd contracts, all bidders are assessed on their ability to deliver on these outcomes through the procurement process. Therefore, as HS2 enters its construction stage in 2017, apprenticeships are expected to increase rapidly.

  • Seema Malhotra – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Seema Malhotra – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Seema Malhotra on 2015-11-09.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how the British Business Bank will support UK productivity.

    Greg Hands

    The British Business Bank aims to make finance markets work better for smaller businesses. The Bank’s work improves productivity by encouraging investment and promoting a dynamic economy.

  • The Marquess of Lothian – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The Marquess of Lothian – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by The Marquess of Lothian on 2015-12-02.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what practical assistance they are providing to Burma to help that country in its democratic transition following the elections on 8 November.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    Our package of development assistance to Burma this year is £82 million and we have allocated £25 million between 2014 and 2019 specifically to strengthen democratic governance in Burma. This sum included support to elections through the provision of technical advice to the Burmese election commission, voter education and building capacity in monitoring and observation of the electoral process.

    Following the November elections, we will continue to engage with Burma to encourage the country along its journey of democratic reform. The Prime Minister, my right hon. Friend the Member for Witney (Mr Cameron), called Daw Aung San Suu Kyi on 10 November to offer continued political and economic support for the people of Burma. We will of course keep in close contact on a range of topics and look forward to working with the new administration, which takes office in March 2016.

  • Teresa Pearce – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Teresa Pearce – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Teresa Pearce on 2016-01-13.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what targets his Department has for the granting, rejection and withdrawal of consumer credit licences for debt advice and debt adjusting on a commercial basis.

    Harriett Baldwin

    These questions have been passed on to the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). The FCA will reply to directly to the Honourable member by letter. A copy of the letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

  • Jim Shannon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Jim Shannon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-02-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when electrical impulse equipment for spinal injuries will be available on the NHS.

    Jane Ellison

    The Department is aware of a number of recent newspaper articles about research into the use electrical impulse devices for the treatment of spinal injuries. This research is at a very early stage and the technology has yet to demonstrate its efficacy and safety in clinical trials in humans.

  • Gregory Campbell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Gregory Campbell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gregory Campbell on 2016-02-29.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what estimate she has made of the cost in cash terms of the UK maintaining Official Development Assistance at 0.7 per cent of gross national income in financial year 2016-17.

    Justine Greening

    Based on the Office for Budgetary Responsibility’s (OBR) Autumn Statement GNI forecasts, the UK is projected to spend £13.6bnm on Official Development Assistance (ODA) in 2016 in order to meet the 0.7 per cent of gross national income commitment.

    “