Category: Speeches

  • Kate Hollern – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Kate Hollern – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kate Hollern on 2016-02-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, who the members of the nuclear enterprise board are; what the terms of reference are of that board; how many times that board has met since January 2015; and how that board reports to ministers.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    Membership of the Defence Nuclear Executive Board consists of the:

    Permanent Secretary

    Vice Chief of the Defence Staff

    Director General Finance

    Director General Security Policy

    Deputy Chief of Defence Staff Military Capability

    Chief Scientific Advisor

    Fleet Commander

    The Terms of Reference for the Board are currently being reviewed. The Board sits quarterly and has met four times since January 2015; it reports to Ministers via the Defence Board.

  • Tom Blenkinsop – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Tom Blenkinsop – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Blenkinsop on 2016-04-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that medical assessors and people considering appeals have sufficient knowledge of muscular dystrophy, neuromuscular conditions and other rare and progressive conditions.

    Justin Tomlinson

    The assessment for Personal Independence Payment is carried out by registered health professionals who have specialist training in assessing the impact of disability and health conditions on an individual’s functional ability, including conditions such as muscular dystrophy, neuromuscular conditions and other rare and progressive conditions.

    All health professionals receive comprehensive training in disability analysis which includes a functional evaluation as to how medical conditions such as muscular dystrophy, neuromuscular conditions and other rare and progressive conditions, and the long-term medical treatment of those conditions, affect their ability to perform day-to-day activities. Prior to carrying out an assessment they routinely refresh their knowledge of any condition with which they are not fully familiar.

    The Department’s Decision Makers and Appeal Writers receive training in health conditions to assess each case individually using the evidence provided by the claimant and the Health Professional, and can call on additional support from a Health Professional as necessary.

    In all Personal Independence Payment assessments consideration is given to whether claimants can complete activities safely, to an acceptable standard, repeatedly and in a reasonable time period.

    We have also worked closely with medical experts and charities to make significant improvements to the Work Capability Assessment, including strengthening the training programme to put more emphasis on making sure that assessors do not just focus on how someone manages on a ‘good day’ but also consider their ‘bad days’ if they have a health issue that fluctuates.

  • Peter Kyle – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Peter Kyle – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Peter Kyle on 2016-04-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the average distance is travelled by residents of Hove for face-to-face personal independence payment assessments.

    Justin Tomlinson

    Atos Healthcare does not hold or retain information about customer journey times to attend assessments. Should a customer foresee a problem with travelling to their assessment they are asked to contact Atos to discuss their circumstances.

  • Richard Arkless – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Richard Arkless – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Arkless on 2016-06-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what support the Government is providing to remote rural communities on obtaining reliable access to broadband.

    Mr Edward Vaizey

    Public investment in improving broadband is nearly £1.7 billion, including £790 million of UK government funding, to bring superfast broadband to areas of the UK where it would not otherwise be available. Superfast broadband is now available to 90 per cent of UK premises and this will reach 95 per cent by December 2017.

    The Government has also implemented a basic broadband scheme to enable all premises to gain access to speeds of at least 2Mbps. This allows residents to gain access to every government service available online.

    Furthermore, in November 2015 the Prime Minister announced the Government’s intention to introduce a new broadband Universal Service Obligation (USO) with the aim to provide a safety net for those homes and business in the hardest to reach parts of the UK without access to superfast broadband.

  • Richard Burden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Richard Burden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2016-09-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions he has had with the DVLA on waiting times for HGV driving licence renewal; what the (a) rate of renewals, (b) number of new applications, (c) total number of renewals outstanding, (d) average waiting time from application to renewal and (e) number of staff processing renewals was for HGV driving licence renewals; and if he will make a statement.

    Andrew Jones

    The table below shows the average waiting time for straightforward vocational licence renewals and the time taken to process the transaction from the day it is received at the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA). The figures are the latest available and are for the period September 2015 to August 2016 and include applications and renewals of HGV and PSV (bus driving) entitlements.

    a) Rate of renewals:

    11,675 on average per month

    b) Number of new applications:

    5,126 on average per month

    c) Total number of renewal outstanding:

    Approximately 8,000 on 5 September 2016

    d) Average waiting time from application to renewal:

    The average waiting time from application to renewal is 1.5 working days. September 2015 – August 2016, 99% of straightforward applications were processed within three days of receipt. Applications that are more complex or where there is a medical condition involved take longer to investigate before a licensing decision can be made.

    e) Number of staff processing HGV driving licence renewals:

    120 staff members work on all types of vocational transactions. This includes both HGV and bus driving licence renewals.

  • Phil Boswell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Phil Boswell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Phil Boswell on 2016-10-13.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the amount of money lost by UK investors as a result of Providence Bonds and Providence Bonds II being placed in administration in September 2016.

    Simon Kirby

    The government does not hold this information.

  • Lord Ahmed – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Lord Ahmed – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Ahmed on 2015-11-03.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the granting of United Kingdom visas is regulated to ensure that they are meeting their stated targets in relation to visas from Pakistan, India, Bangladesh and China.

    Lord Bates

    Performance against service standards for visa processing is routinely monitored through internal performance management processes, and is also subject to external scrutiny from the Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration and the Home Affairs Select Committee. Data on how UKVI is performing against its processing targets is published here: https://visa-processingtimes.homeoffice.gov.uk/y

  • Baroness Helic – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Baroness Helic – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Helic on 2015-11-30.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the Syria Donors Conference in London in February 2016 will address issues surrounding sexual violence in conflict.

    Baroness Verma

    The London Conference for Syria and the region will mark a qualitative shift in the way the international community responds to this protracted crisis – addressing both immediate and longer-term needs, particularly on jobs and education. The Conference will also focus on the protection of civilians from harm, including sexual and gender-based violence.

  • Neil Parish – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Neil Parish – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Neil Parish on 2016-01-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what support her Department plans to provide to ensure that proposed biomass combined heat and power schemes are not affected by changes to the Renewable Heat Incentive scheme.

    Andrea Leadsom

    To be eligible for Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) support, all biomass combined heat and power (CHP) must be certified by the Combined Heat and Power Quality Assurance (CHPQA) scheme, and must demonstrate that they have a valid CHPQA certificate. Any installation claiming the CHP Renewable Obligation Certificate uplift will not be eligible for receiving support under the RHI scheme.

    We intend to reform the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) to improve value for money and reduce costs; improve cost control and budget management; and ensure the scheme focuses more on our long-term needs, while contributing to both our carbon and renewable energy targets. We plan to consult on the changes shortly. Therefore, I am unable to make specific commitments as to the future shape of the scheme at this point.

  • Jamie Reed – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Jamie Reed – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jamie Reed on 2016-02-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make funds available to expedite the process of reopening the A591 in Cumbria.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    The Government has received a number of representations to help repair the A591 damaged by the recent Storms, including a request for assistance from Cumbria County Council, the local highway authority, who is ultimately responsible for the management and maintenance of the road.

    The Secretary of State for Transport announced on 27 December 2015 the Department for Transport would be providing £40 million to help rebuild vital local highway infrastructure in Cumbria and Lancashire damaged by the recent storms, including the damaged section of the A591. This announcement built on the government’s earlier provision of up to £2 million in the initial aftermath of the severe wet weather to enable Cumbria and Lancashire authorities to carry out an initial assessment of what repairs were required to roads and bridges.

    A follow up announcement regarding the A591 was made on 14 January 2016 which highlighted that Highways England, along with their contractors, has been brought in to deliver a full and permanent reinstatement of the road as quickly as possible.

    Further information is in the following weblink: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/transport-secretary-announces-plans-to-reopen-a591-in-cumbria-following-storm-desmond-and-eva

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