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Category: Speeches

  • David Crausby – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    David Crausby – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Crausby on 2015-11-09.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions he has had with the leaders of the Greater Manchester Combined Authority on future provision of funding for the arts after the devolution agreement comes into effect.

    Greg Hands

    The Government is working closely with the Greater Manchester Combined Authority on the implementation of the landmark agreement to introduce a metro-wide Mayor. Culture is a key element of building a Northern Powerhouse. The Government has committed to support arts and cultural projects in Greater Manchester, including £78 million towards a new theatre and exhibition space called The Factory Manchester, and £3 million for a new temporary exhibition space at Manchester’s Museum of Science and Industry.

  • Chi Onwurah – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Chi Onwurah – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chi Onwurah on 2015-12-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, when the Government plans to publish its final findings from the eight market test pilots under the Exploring superfast coverage beyond 95 per cent programme.

    Mr Edward Vaizey

    Broadband Delivery UK’s Market Test Pilot scheme has been exploring alternative technologies, including wireless, with the aim of better informing how to provide superfast broadband to the hardest to reach premises. The results of these pilots will be published soon.

  • Ms Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Ms Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ms Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh on 2016-01-11.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of savings that will accrue to UK businesses from his Department’s plans to introduce quarterly tax returns for business by 2020.

    Mr David Gauke

    I refer the honourable Members to my response of 11 January 2016 (with references 20876 and 21032).

    “

  • Lord Pearson of Rannoch – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Lord Pearson of Rannoch – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Pearson of Rannoch on 2016-02-03.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Freud on 27 January (HL5012), why that answer provided a reference to a Written Answer in the House of Commons given by the then Minister of State for the Department of Work and Pensions, Esther McVey, on 20 November 2014 on a different subject to the question asked; and whether they will now state what is the annual cost of the in-work benefits for EU workers.

    Lord Freud

    I apologise to the noble Lord for the incorrect answer to HL5012 this was due to an administrative error. The correct answer was given by my Rt. Hon. Friend the Minister for Employment (Ms. Esther McVey) in the House of Commons on 20 November 2014 to Question number 211618 as below:

    While the Government checks the immigration status of benefit claimants to ensure the benefit is paid properly and to prevent fraud, traditionally that information has not been collected as part of the payment administrative systems.

    However, the Government is looking at ways to reform the current administrative system under Universal Credit so that it will systematically record nationality and immigration status of migrants who make a claim.

    The Government has made a radical series of changes over the last year to restrict the access by non-UK citizens from the European Economic Area to UK benefits and tax credits. This is in order to protect the UK’s benefit system and discourage people who have no established connection with the UK from moving here, unless they have a job or a genuine prospect of work, or have savings to support themselves until they do.

  • Lord Warner – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Lord Warner – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Warner on 2016-02-29.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of paragraph 16 of the agreement between the Scottish and UK governments on the Scottish fiscal framework, whether there is any obligation on the Scottish Government (1) to spend all or a certain proportion of the money passed to them for NHS services under the Barnett formula on those services; or (2) to account to the Scottish Parliament for not doing so.

    Lord O’Neill of Gatley

    The mechanical application of the Barnett Formula ensures that the Scottish Parliament, Welsh Assembly and Northern Ireland Assembly receive a population share of changes in UK government funding on the services for which they have devolved responsibility. In accordance with the principles of devolution and the devolution Acts themselves, it is for the devolved administrations to decide how to allocate their funding (from the block grant or taxes/borrowing) to public services in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland; and it is for the devolved legislatures to hold them to account. The Scottish Government’s new fiscal framework does not alter this.

  • Sue Hayman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Sue Hayman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sue Hayman on 2016-04-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much subsidy was paid to the operators of the Northern rail franchise in each financial year between December 2004 and April 2016.

    Andrew Jones

    Subsidies paid from 2004 to 2008:

    2004/05 – 81.0 million (part year – December 2004 to March 2005)

    2005/06 – 278.2 million

    2006/07 – 168.5 million

    2007/08 – 119.3 million

    Figures from 2008 onwards are published on the Office of Rail and Road’s (‘ORR’) website at: http://dataportal.orr.gov.uk/displayreport/report/html/95218cca-408d-4047-83ce-a542c53b59e6. 2015-16 financial information will be made available following publication of Audited Statutory Accounts.

    “

  • Jonathan Ashworth – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Jonathan Ashworth – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jonathan Ashworth on 2016-04-27.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many families of deceased civil servants received death in service benefits in each of the last six years.

    Matthew Hancock

    Civil servants are eligible to be a member of either the Principal Civil Service Pension Scheme (PCSPS) or the Public Service (Civil Servants and Others) Pension Scheme (CSOPS) subject to when they joined the Civil Service. Depending on which scheme they are in, a lump sum death benefit of either two or three times the civil servant’s final pay is payable on their death in service, plus a pension to a surviving spouse or civil partner and any eligible children. Details of the benefits payable are in the rules of the schemes which are available at http://www.civilservicepensionscheme.org.uk/about-us/scheme-rules

    The lump sum payable on death in service is payable to whoever the scheme member has nominated to receive it (this can be an individual or a corporate body such as a charity). The number of death benefit lump sums paid in each of the last 6 years is as follows:

    Scheme Year Number of death in service cases

    2010/2011 1195

    2011/2012 1119

    2012/2013 1007

    2013/2014 904

    2014/2015 664

    2015/2016 447

  • 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 2016-06-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 9 June 2016 to Question 39527, on bus services, what consultation he undertook on the role of municipal bus companies on the proposals in Clause 21 of the Bus Services Bill; and what research he has commissioned on the potential effects of that clause on (a) passengers and (b) the bus services market.

    Andrew Jones

    This policy will not impact on existing municipal operators.

    Currently there are only 8 existing municipal bus companies operating services in England, and we are not aware of any current plans to establish new municipal bus companies.

  • Daniel Zeichner – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Daniel Zeichner – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Daniel Zeichner on 2016-09-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential effect of the UK’s vote to leave the EU on the relationship between the European Investment Bank and UK universities.

    Joseph Johnson

    The UK is and continues to be a shareholder of the European Investment Bank (EIB), and the EIB has publically stated that its engagement in the UK is unchanged. All existing loan contracts signed between UK promoters and the EIB remain in force, and the EIB has continued to sign and approve new projects since the EU referendum.

  • Jim Shannon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Jim Shannon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-10-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions he has had with the Northern Ireland Executive on steps to ensure that maintenance of flight connections between Belfast Aldergrove Airport and New York.

    Mr John Hayes

    The Department for Transport was briefed on several occasions by the Northern Ireland Office on the Northern Ireland Executive’s considerations on steps to ensure the maintenance of flight connections between Belfast Aldergrove Airport and New York. The Department was not actively involved in this matter.