Category: Speeches

  • Julian Sturdy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Julian Sturdy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Julian Sturdy on 2016-09-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of accessibility of assessment centres for work capability assessment and personal independence payments consultations for people using larger or bariatric wheelchairs.

    Penny Mordaunt

    All assessment centres meet accessibility standards under the Equality Act 2010.

    Before attending an assessment, claimants are given the opportunity to alert the assessment provider to any additional requirements they may have and the providers will endeavour to meet any such reasonable requests.

    If a claimant is unable to travel to, or access an assessment centre as a result of their health condition or impairment, a home visit may be offered.

  • Philip Davies – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Philip Davies – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Philip Davies on 2015-11-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether he plans to prioritise (a) looked-after children and (b) other vulnerable groups within his Department’s children and young people’s mental health budget over the next five years.

    Alistair Burt

    Future in Mind, the previous Government’s report on the work of the Children and Young People’s Mental Health and Wellbeing Taskforce, established a clear and powerful consensus for change across the whole system, including health, social care and education. This Government is driving forward the transformation of children and young people’s mental health services to improve access and make services more widely available across the country so that, where possible, children can access high-quality support locally.

    This transformation programme, backed by additional investment of £1.4 billion allocated over the next five years, will deliver a step change in the way children and young people’s mental health services are commissioned and delivered. Emphasis will be placed on prevention and early intervention, building care around the needs of children, young people and their families, including the most vulnerable, such as those who are looked-after and adopted.

    Clinical commissioning groups, covering all areas in the country, have submitted Transformation Plans for children and young people’s mental health and wellbeing developed with local partners which are currently being assured by NHS England.

    A national programme of work will support local areas. This will include the extension and expansion of the use of evidence-based interventions, tacking stigma, improving data and information to inform greater transparency and accountability and developing a specialist and stronger workforce.

  • Mark Hendrick – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Mark Hendrick – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Hendrick on 2015-11-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, how many households in Preston constituency have gained income under the feed-in tariff in the last four years for which figures are available.

    Andrea Leadsom

    The table below provides the cumulative total number of domestic installations in the Preston Constituency that are confirmed on the Central Feed-in Tariff Register and marked as being domestic installations. The latest figures for 2015 go up to the end of September, with previous years’ data provided to the end of each calendar year.

    Photovoltaics

    Micro Combined Heat and Power (CHP)

    Total

    2012

    152

    –

    152

    2013

    249

    1

    250

    2014

    327

    1

    328

    2015 (Jan – Sept)

    387

    1

    388

    Data taken from Sub-regional Feed-in Tariffs statistics, with the latest figures published at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/sub-regional-feed-in-tariffs-confirmed-on-the-cfr-statistics.

    “

  • Andy Slaughter – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Andy Slaughter – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andy Slaughter on 2016-01-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what trips to Saudi Arabia government ministers plan to make in 2016.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    I have been clear that a strong relationship with Saudi Arabia matters. As such, Ministers will continue to engage with Saudi Arabia, and the wider region, throughout the year.

  • Andrew Rosindell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Andrew Rosindell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2016-02-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, pursuant to the Answer of 29 January 2016, what steps her Department is taking to encourage the development and implementation of low carbon hydrogen fuel cell infrastructure in the UK.

    Andrea Leadsom

    Through the Energy Innovation Programme, DECC is supporting development of hydrogen fuel cell technologies. These technologies may deliver low cost, low carbon heat and power at high efficiency to homes. Following DECC funded technology development, Ceres Power, a UK based company, has recently announced an agreement with Honda R & D Ltd based in Japan, to jointly develop Solid Oxide Fuel Cells for a range of potential power equipment applications. Most current domestic fuel cell technologies can operate on natural gas but will offer better performance, and result in lower GHG emissions, if natural gas is replaced with hydrogen.

  • Virendra Sharma – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Virendra Sharma – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Virendra Sharma on 2016-02-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what his Department’s wellness strategy is.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    While the Foreign and Commonwealth Office does not have a specific “wellness” strategy we continue to develop and implement our “Health and Safety” (HS) strategy which embraces many aspects of wellbeing. As well as reducing work related accidents and staff absence our HS program will also improve staff wellbeing.

  • Mike Kane – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Mike Kane – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mike Kane on 2016-03-22.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to ensure that local authorities are properly informed and involved in decisions to distribute asylum seekers.

    James Brokenshire

    The Home Office maintains active partnerships with the local authorities that have volunteered to become dispersal areas across the UK and funds regional Strategic Migration Partnerships (SMPs) to plan the dispersal of asylum seekers across the region. The partnerships consider the impact on communities and local services so that adjustments can be made where appropriate. This ensures that community cohesion, social welfare and safety issues are properly considered.

    SMPs act as a focal point allowing the sharing of expertise and vital information between the Home Office, its asylum accommodation providers, local government, health, education and the police, ensuring coordinated planning and leadership on asylum dispersion. They also consider other funded objectives such as initiatives in support of visa policy; modern slavery; immigration sanctions and improvement; vulnerable children (including Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Children) and adults; No Recourse to Public Funds policies of local government; EU migration and integration.

    The Home Office, our housing contractors and the SMPs work closely with local authorities to ensure we can accommodate asylum seekers in appropriate accommodation.

  • Baroness Young of Old Scone – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Baroness Young of Old Scone – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Young of Old Scone on 2016-04-27.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what proportion of UK environmental and climate change legislation derives (1) from EU directives transposed into UK legislation, (2) from EU regulations without need for transposition, and (3) from wholly domestic legislation; and of the legislation that derives from EU directives, what proportion is dependent on the European Communities Act 1972.

    Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth

    Although specific figures for environment and climate change are not available, the House of Commons library has concluded that across the full range of UK instruments, from 1997 to 2014, an average of 13.2% were EU-related. A copy of the report is attached.

  • Jess Phillips – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Jess Phillips – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jess Phillips on 2016-06-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to paragraph 1.37e of the Educational Excellence Everywhere White Paper, when she plans to announce the recipients of the Excellence in Leadership Fund.

    Nick Gibb

    The Department’s White Paper Educational Excellence Everywhere stated that we would launch an Excellence in Leadership Fund to encourage the best Multi-Academy Trusts and other providers to develop innovative ways of boosting leadership, particularly in areas of most need. The Fund will help to better support schools to develop a strong and diverse set of school and system leaders, through specific activity aimed at groups that are still under-represented in leadership positions. Further information about the timing and budget for the Excellence in Leadership Fund will be made available in due course.

  • Roberta Blackman-Woods – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Roberta Blackman-Woods – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Roberta Blackman-Woods on 2016-09-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to his oral contribution of 20 July 2016, Official Report, column 849, when his Department will make an announcement on the exemption of specialist supported housing from changes to housing benefit.

    Caroline Nokes

    The Secretary of State has confirmed that the Government expects to make an announcement on the way forward for supported housing in early autumn.