Category: Speeches

  • Nick Thomas-Symonds – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Nick Thomas-Symonds – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nick Thomas-Symonds on 2015-12-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department has taken to seek the views of pensioners on (a) his Department’s policies and (b) winter fuel allowance since the closure of the UK Advisory Forum on Ageing.

    Justin Tomlinson

    The UK Advisory Forum on Ageing closed on 2nd December 2015. Since then the Department has continued to work with older people, employers, the financial services industry and other stakeholders on issues such as simplifying automatic enrolment into workplace pensions, the introduction of the new State Pension, and fuller working lives. For example, the Department has conducted structured research into the attitudes of people over 50 to fuller working lives, the new State Pension, and Class 3A Voluntary National Insurance Contributions. The Department is also working with the Money Matters Working Group of the Age Action Alliance on increasing take-up of benefits by older people, and especially take-up of Pension Credit.

    With specific regard to the Winter Fuel Payment, the Government has committed to help provide dignity and security in retirement by protecting it and other pensioner benefits, such as free bus passes, for the lifetime of this Parliament. Where issues arise linked to older people and fuel poverty, both the Department for Work and Pensions and the Department for Energy and Climate Change are active members of the Safe, Warm Homes Working Group of the Age Action Alliance, which is a valuable forum for both developing both policy and innovative ways of delivering support and advice to older people.

  • Luciana Berger – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Luciana Berger – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Luciana Berger on 2016-01-21.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much has been spent on treatment for drug and alcohol addiction in (a) each year since 2010 and (b) each month of 2015.

    Jane Ellison

    I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 14 January 2016 to Question 21900.

    It is not possible to provide a breakdown of monthly spend on treatment for drug and alcohol addiction due to disproportionate cost.

    “

  • Roger Godsiff – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Roger Godsiff – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Roger Godsiff on 2016-02-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the findings in the Chief Schools Adjudicator for England’s Annual Report, published in December 2015, that there is a lack of transparency in the school admission system, what steps she plans to take to monitor and enforce compliance with the School Admissions Code.

    Nick Gibb

    Admission authorities for all state-funded schools are required to comply with the School Admissions Code. This includes a requirement that ‘parents should be able to look at a set of arrangements and understand easily how places for that school will be allocated’. We consider that the code provides clear advice to all admission authorities.

    Compliance is enforced by the Schools Adjudicator. Where an objection is made and the adjudicator finds that the arrangements are unclear, unfair, or that they otherwise fail to comply with the code, the admission authority is required by law to change the policy.

    The degree to which maintained schools comply with the code is monitored through the Chief Adjudicator’s Annual Report. We consider the findings of the report and whether changes to the system are necessary.

  • Mark Durkan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Mark Durkan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Durkan on 2016-03-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps the Government plans to take in the event of a continued deterioration in the political and security situation in Burundi.

    James Duddridge

    The UK Government is extremely concerned about the situation in Burundi. We remain committed to supporting efforts to end the crisis and broker a peaceful solution as soon as possible. We have played an active role in ensuring that the international community maintains the pressure on the Government of Burundi to stop the cycle of violence and participate meaningfully in dialogue.

    On 17 December I visited Burundi at the end of a three day visit to the region also including stops in Uganda and Rwanda. I used the visit to highlight the deteriorating situation, condemn the violence, and urge all parties, including regional players, to take concrete steps together to find a political solution. On 22 January the UK participated in a UN Security Council Visit to Burundi which delivered a similar, united message. On 27 and 28 January I attended the African Union (AU) Summit in Addis Ababa. In my various meetings at the Summit, including with AU Chairperson Madam Zuma, AU Peace and Security Commissioner Smail Chergui and a range of other regional leaders, I stressed the importance of the AU continuing to lead the international response to the deteriorating situation. The UK has led efforts to put into place EU sanctions against four human rights offenders. Should Burundi continue to refuse to engage in dialogue and the political and security situation continue to deteriorate, we will push for further EU sanctions against those blocking progress towards peace. On 14 March the EU announced the suspension of its direct development funding to the Burundian Government.

    The UK is the second largest bilateral donor to the regional refugee crisis. In Tanzania, Department for International Development (DFID) is providing £14.5 million and in Rwanda £6.9 million to support refugees. DFID is also supporting the UN Office for Humanitarian Affairs (UN OCHA) to strengthen humanitarian coordination in Burundi. We are also planning to enhance the British Embassy Liaison Office (BELO) in Bujumbura with a joint DFID and FCO Burundi Coordinator who will support the UK’s non-resident Ambassador to Burundi and ensure that the UK is represented on the ground.

    We are also working with our partners, including at the UN and AU, to ensure that the international community is ready to respond should the security situation in Burundi deteriorate rapidly. We stand ready to contribute to an international intervention, should the need arise.

  • David Burrowes – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Leader of the House

    David Burrowes – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Leader of the House

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Burrowes on 2016-04-13.

    To ask the Leader of the House, pursuant to his oral contribution of 10 March 2016, Official Report, column 444, whether he expects primary and secondary legislation to be subject to the family test and the results published.

    Chris Grayling

    A Family Test was introduced by the Government in 2014 – it aims to bring a family perspective into policy making. It will ensure that impacts on family relationships and functioning, both positive and negative, are recognised in the process of policy development and help inform the policy decisions, and any subsequent legislation, made by Ministers.

    The Test is not a ‘tick box’ or ‘pass v fail’ exercise, it is about thinking carefully how new policy can support or potentially undermine family relationships. Policy is always about trade-offs but the Family Test ensures family considerations are explicitly considered and recognised when making those trade-offs.

    While the guidance encourages publication, there is no requirement to do so.

  • 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 2016-05-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the Answer of 19 April 2016 to Question 34024, whether the matter of family ties to the UK being considered only after substantive interview is in compliance with the Dublin Regulations.

    James Brokenshire

    Following an application for asylum in the UK, the first stage in the asylum process is the Screening process, which includes collection of fingerprints and bio data, travel history, health, summary of claim, security checks and family background. If at this first stage evidence emerges that an applicant’s asylum application should be more correctly dealt with by another European state in accordance with the Dublin Regulation, then, we would seek to transfer the applicant to the member state responsible for deciding the application.

    It is, however, possible that evidence concerning responsibility of another state emerges after the screening process, in which case a request to another state to take responsibility under the Dublin Regulation can be made, providing that the Regulation’s time limits for making requests are met. In cases involving family unity Article 17(2) of the Regulation make special provision for requests to take responsibility to be made at any time before a first decision is made on the substance of the asylum claim.

    For individuals who claim asylum in another EU member stage and who seek to rely on family connections to the UK as part of their application, application and compliance with the Dublin Regulation would be a matter for the individual state concerned.

  • Frank Field – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Frank Field – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Frank Field on 2016-07-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much his Department spent on supporting disabled people through (a) the work programme and (b) work choice in (i) each year since 2010 and (ii) total since the introduction of those schemes; and what the total cost of support over the lifetime of the two programmes is estimated to be.

    Justin Tomlinson

    The figures represent the annual expenditure on Work Choice provision from 2010-11 to 2015-16 and estimated spend from 2016/17 to the end of the programme, based on the existing contracts.

    It should be noted that with effect from 2015/16, Work Choice provision also includes costs for the Remploy contract. It is not possible to provide information for the amount spent on supporting disabled people through the work programme as this cannot be separately identified.

    2010-11 £32m

    2011-12 £79m

    2012-13 £83m

    2013-14 £86m

    2014-15 £88m

    2015-16 £124m

    Total to 2015/16: £492m.

    The total over the life of the Work Choice programme is currently estimated to be £645m.

  • Stephen Hammond – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Stephen Hammond – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Hammond on 2016-09-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what plans her Department has to ensure that telecommunications companies do more to protect customers from vishing fraud and similar scams.

    Matt Hancock

    The Government takes all types of fraud extremely seriously. We are working closely with telecommunications service providers and regulators to raise consumer awareness, in particular amongst those who are more vulnerable, to this practice and similar fraud that is carried out through the use of telephones.

    The Government recently introduced secondary legislation to make it a requirement for all direct marketing callers to provide Calling Line Identification (CLI). This requirement came into force on 16 May 2016. The measure will increase consumer choice, by making it easier for people to identify direct marketing calls, and choose whether to accept them. It will also increase the ICO’s ability to investigate such calls, by enabling consumers to provide better information and thus make it easier for the ICO to take action.

    In March 2016 we allocated £0.5m to the National Trading Standards Scams Team to provide call blocking devices to vulnerable people. The devices will be rolled out nationwide over the next two years and evaluation reports will be submitted to the Department for Culture Media and Sport on their effectiveness.

    The Home Office recently launched a new joint fraud taskforce to tackle the issue of scams more generally. Further information about the taskforce is available at:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/news/home-secretary-launches-new-joint-fraud-taskforce

    “

  • Baroness Greengross – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Baroness Greengross – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Greengross on 2015-11-18.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many days were lost through the sickness of healthcare workers in each year between 2009 and 2014.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    The number of days lost through the sickness of healthcare workers between 2009 and 2014 were:

    England

    Full Time Equivalent Days Lost to Sickness Absence (includes non-working days)

    Full Time Equivalent Days Available (includes non-working days)

    Sickness Absence Rate

    2009-10

    16,745,315

    380,199,666

    4.40%

    2010-11

    15,947,054

    383,278,845

    4.16%

    2011-12

    15,555,507

    377,908,880

    4.12%

    2012-13

    15,947,518

    376,187,354

    4.24%

    2013-14

    15,385,468

    378,691,376

    4.06%

    2014-15

    16,423,722

    386,388,483

    4.25%

    Source: Health and Social Care Information Centre

    The Government does not record the cost incurred by the National Health Service due to days lost through the sickness of healthcare workers.

    Employers are responsible for reducing the days lost through sickness of their staff. The Department supports the NHS by commissioning NHS Employers to provide trusts with advice, guidance and good practice on improving NHS staff health and wellbeing which is available on an online only resource at:

    www.nhsemployers.org/your-workforce/retain-and-improve/staff-experience/health-work-and-wellbeing/protecting-staff-and-preventing-ill-health/supporting-line-managers/managers-guide-on-supporting-workplace-mental-health/supporting-staff-who-are-experiencing-mental-health-problems

    NHS Employers is also working with NHS England and Public Health England on a £5 million initiative to improve NHS staff health announced in its Five Year Forward View. A copy of the ‘A healthy NHS workforce’ announcement is attached.

    “

  • Lord Empey – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    Lord Empey – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Empey on 2015-12-10.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they plan to require district councils in Northern Ireland to conduct election counts other than those for district council elections.

    Lord Dunlop

    The Chief Electoral Officer for Northern Ireland is currently considering a range of options for reforming his Office. This includes capitalising on new technology by introducing on-line registration.

    The Chief Electoral Officer will have regard to the continued effective delivery of elections in Northern Ireland and ensuring that his Office remains on a sustainable financial footing. The Northern Ireland Office fully supports him in this approach. I understand that work on some options is at an early stage.

    The Representation of the People Act 1983 makes provision for the Chief Electoral Officer for Northern Ireland to delegate returning officer functions to the clerk of a district council.

    Detailed questions on headcount and budget are operational matters for the Chief Electoral Officer who is independent of Government. The Chief Electoral Officer publishes all such information in his annual report which is presented to Parliament and copies are made available in the Library of the House.

    The headline budgets allocated to the Chief Electoral Office are:

    Financial Year

    Operational Funding

    Capital Funding

    2013/14

    £5.452m *

    £100k

    2014/15

    £2.336m

    £56.2k

    2015/16

    £2.296m

    £25k

    * includes £3m for the 2013 canvass

    The Northern Ireland Office has not agreed any budgets with the Chief Electoral Officer for future years pending receipt of the Department’s detailed Spending Review 2015 settlement letter from HM Treasury.