Category: Speeches

Julian Sturdy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Julian Sturdy on 2016-03-16.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what checks are in place to ensure that foreign-registered vehicles entering the UK are insured.

Andrew Jones

All drivers using roads in the UK have to be in possession of third party insurance covering the use of that vehicle in this country.

Under the sixth Motor Insurance Directive (2009/103/EC) an insurance policy issued in any EU Member State must cover the use of that vehicle for third party risks in all other EU Member States.

Drivers entering the EU from non-member states have to produce evidence that they have the necessary insurance cover in place when they enter the EU.

Checks on insurance by the police for any vehicle using UK roads can be carried out as they determine is necessary at any time.

01/01/2023
Richard Fuller – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Fuller on 2016-04-20.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, which clinical commissioning groups in England fund (a) no, (b) one, (c) two, (d) three and (e) more than three cycles of IVF treatment.

Jane Ellison

The level of provision of infertility treatment, as for all health services they commission, is decided by local clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) and will take into account the needs of the population overall. The CCG’s decisions are underpinned by clinical insight and knowledge of local healthcare needs. As such, provision of services will vary in response to local needs.

CCGs have a legal duty to have regard to National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines. As such, NHS England expects that all those involved in commissioning infertility treatment services to be fully aware of the importance of having regard to the NICE fertility guidelines.

Following a meeting with Fertility Fairness in December 2015, officials from the Department and NHS England is considering options for addressing variation in the prices that CCGs are currently paying for in vitro fertilisation (IVF) treatment.

Information about cycles of IVF treatment is not collected centrally.

01/01/2023

Jeff Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jeff Smith on 2016-05-23.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many fines have been issued for claiming free prescriptions without a valid exemption certificate in each (a) month and (b) year since the NHS Business Services Authority began checking eligibility for free prescriptions in September 2014.

Alistair Burt

Since September 2014, when the NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) took on responsibility for the service, a total of 747,790 penalty charge notices have been issued where someone claimed exemption on the basis that they held a valid exemption certificate but this could not be verified by the NHSBSA. A further 278,053 surcharge letters have been issued to follow up on penalty charge notices which have not been resolved through payment, cancellation (due to correction of erroneous information, for example) or waiving of the penalty charge. The annual and monthly breakdown is set out below.

Annual breakdown of Penalty Charges Notices and Surcharge letters

	Penalty Charge Notices	Surcharge letters
September 2014 – December 2014	59,564	20,562
January 2015 – December 2015	430,971	171,065
January 2016 – April 2016	257,255	86,426
Total	757,790	278,053

Monthly breakdown of Penalty Charge Notices and Surcharge letters

	Penalty Charge Notices	Surcharge letter
September 2014	5,298	1,733
October 2014	5,007	1,697
November 2014	23,511	8,344
December 2014	25,748	8,788
January 2015	53,668	11,445
February 2015	21,706	7,969
March 2015	15,316	6,182
April 2015	12,687	5,032
May 2015	20,122	8,189
June 2015	22,472	8,984
July 2015	18,249	6,550
August 2015	39,626	17,282
September 2015	57,661	24,634
October 2015	56,952	25,075
November 2015	64,573	28,655
December 2015	47,939	21,068
January 2016	82,881	36,766
February 2016	55,650	24,079
March 2016	49,767	20,340
April 2016	68,957	5,241
Total	747,790	278,053

01/01/2023

Baroness Tonge – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Tonge on 2016-07-19.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government how they are supporting the government of Rwanda in its work to provide civil and political rights for its citizens.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

Rwanda has made impressive gains in securing economic and social rights; we want to see these continue. We support the Government of Rwanda’s Vision 2020 development programme which sets out their commitment to “the rule of law and the protection of human rights”.

We speak candidly with Rwanda, publicly and privately, and have been clear that Rwanda needs to do more to make these aspirations a reality. For example, we submitted recommendations on media freedoms and political space during the Universal Periodic Review on Rwanda. The Department for International Development’s work in Rwanda is underpinned by an agreement on four Partnership Principles, which include respect for human rights and promoting good governance. Our regular private discussions with the Government of Rwanda are reinforced at Ministerial level, including during visits to Kigali by the former Minister of State at the Department for International Development, my Rt Hon Friend the Member for Welwyn Hatfied (Grant Shapps), in September and the former Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my Hon. Friend the Member for Rochford and Southend East (James Duddridge) in December last year.

We are also delivering training in partnership with the Rwandan National Police on a range of topics from public order management to gender based violence. This training supports the security forces to carry out their role of protecting the population in a human rights compliant manner.

01/01/2023
Frank Field – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Frank Field on 2016-10-10.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what recent assessment he has made of the potential merits of reviewing the medical exemption criteria of prescription charges for people with long-term health conditions.

David Mowat

We have no plans to change the list of medical conditions which provide for exemption from prescription charges. Extending this exemption would have significant cost implications at a time when the National Health Service is facing increased demand and is expected to deliver efficiency savings of £22 billion by 2020.

01/01/2023
Diana Johnson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Diana Johnson on 2015-10-29.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when he expects new rolling stock to be introduced on the forthcoming Transpennine Express franchise; and whether that rolling stock is planned to be diesel or electric powered.

Andrew Jones

Bids are currently being evaluated for the TransPennine Express (TPE) franchise and we expect to announce the winning bidder and its rolling stock plans by the end of the year. When the detailed plans for TransPennine electrification are confirmed, the Department will work with the TPE franchisee to ensure that the necessary rolling stock is put into place; this is expected to take place during the franchise term.

01/01/2023
Stewart Jackson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stewart Jackson on 2015-11-18.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether reclassification by the Office of National Statistics of housing associations as public entities will entail their carrying the legislative obligations contained in the Freedom of Information Act 2000; and if he will make a statement.

Matthew Hancock

Registered providers of social housing will not automatically become subject to the Freedom of Information Act as a result of their reclassification.

01/01/2023
Richard Burgon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burgon on 2015-12-17.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what his policy is on whether the appointment of the chair of the Office of Tax Simplification should be subject to a pre-appointment hearing by the Treasury Select Committee.

Mr David Gauke

Angela Knight has been appointed as Chair of the Office of Tax Simplification, and will be paid £400 a day, in line with other public appointments.

In 2011, the Treasury Select Committee held a post-appointment hearing for the Chair and Tax Director of the Office of Tax Simplification, and has done so for appointments to other bodies. Angela Knight is appearing before the committee, in her role as the new Chair, on 12 January.

01/01/2023
Lord Jopling – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Jopling on 2016-01-27.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 22 July 2015 (HL1470), whether the review of the failures that caused the cost of the recent A1 roadworks near Gamston Airport to escalate has been completed, and what conclusion and lessons have emerged from that review.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

The close out of the scheme and associated financial reconciliation is pending and therefore it would be premature to draw conclusions at this time.

Landscaping for the scheme and remedial works are nearing their final stages and completion of the contract is expected at the end of March. A “lessons learned” review will be held as soon as possible in April.

01/01/2023
Angela Rayner – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Angela Rayner on 2016-02-22.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 11 February 2016 to Question 26069, for what reason the Chair’s Statement must be requested by beneficiaries rather than provided automatically.

Justin Tomlinson

The Government remains committed to ensuring that members of pension schemes are able to obtain information about the costs and charges which they bear. Although it is not a legal requirement, the Government expects that many schemes will choose to publish their annual Chair’s Statement. In due course, the Government intends to make regulations requiring information about scheme costs and charges to be published.

Trade unions that are recognised to any extent for the purposes of collective bargaining in relation to members of the scheme are entitled to receive a copy of the Chair’s Statement. Trade unions which do not meet these criteria are not entitled to receive a copy of the Chair’s Statement. However, beneficiaries of pension schemes who are members of trade unions which are not recognised for collective bargaining purposes may still request the information and pass it on to their union or any other person.

We intend to publish a summary of the evidence received on transaction costs in pension schemes when we announce our next steps, which will follow in due course.

01/01/2023