Category: Speeches

  • Wes Streeting – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Wes Streeting – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Wes Streeting on 2016-03-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what progress has been made on implementation of the UN Human Rights Council Resolution 30/1 on Sri Lanka.

    Mr Hugo Swire

    Sri Lanka has made encouraging progress towards fulfilling its commitments to UNHRC Resolution 30/1 but we recognise there remains much to be done. We look forward to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights’ assessment of progress at the next Human Rights Council in June.

  • and proposals to raise that to household incomes of £40 – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    and proposals to raise that to household incomes of £40 – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by and proposals to raise that to household incomes of £40 on 2016-04-28.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their estimate of the reduction of funds collected under the pay to stay” proposals for household incomes of £30

    Baroness Williams of Trafford

    It is estimated that setting the income thresholds at £40,000 nationally and £50,000 in London would significantly reduce savings from the policy. The policy would apply to a far smaller number of people and the operation of a taper means that tenants in this income bracket would be paying a far smaller contribution towards their rent.

  • Stephen Timms – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Stephen Timms – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2016-06-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of reductions in funding for the Health and Safety Executive in the period to 2019-20 on occupational health and safety; and if he will make a statement.

    Justin Tomlinson

    I refer the Rt. Hon. Member to the answer I gave on 24 May 2016 to Question 37593

    “

  • Rosie Cooper – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Rosie Cooper – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rosie Cooper on 2016-09-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether Atos and the Centre for Health and Disability Assessments are required to refund costs incurred by people in supplying the medical information to those bodies required by his Department.

    Penny Mordaunt

    Claimants are not required to obtain further medical evidence for which they may be charged. Health and disability assessment providers will contact the individual’s GP should they feel additional evidence is required. No refund will be provided to a claimant should they choose to obtain additional evidence.

  • Lord Kennedy of Southwark – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Lord Kennedy of Southwark – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Kennedy of Southwark on 2016-10-19.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the service provided by almshouses to local communities.

    Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth

    Almhouses have for many hundreds of years played, and continue to play, an important role in providing homes for those in need in communities across the country.

  • Philip Davies – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Philip Davies – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Philip Davies on 2015-11-05.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, which regulations his Office introduced as a result of EU legislation in (a) 2013, (b) 2014 and (c) 2015 to date; which regulations his Office expects to implement as a result of EU legislation in (i) 2016 and (ii) 2017; and what estimate he has made of the cost of each such regulation to the (A) public purse and (B) private sector.

    Matthew Hancock

    No regulations were introduced by the Cabinet Office as a result of EU legislation in 2013 and 2014.

    So far in 2015 the Cabinet Office has introduced the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 which have estimated net annual savings of £3.6 Billion. No further regulations arising from EU legislation are planned for introduction in 2015.

    Looking ahead to 2016 two regulations are expected to be implemented by the Cabinet Office as a result of EU legislation. These are the Utilities Contract Regulations and Concessions Contract Regulations.

    Details of all the estimated costs to the Public Purse and Private Sector are provided in the table below:

    Year

    Title of Regulation

    Cost to Business

    Cost to Public Purse

    2013

    None

    2014

    None

    2015

    Public Contracts Regulations 2015

    £3.6Billion saving

    2016

    Utilities Contract Regulations

    £0.14M

    £0.09M

    Concessions Contract Regulations

    £0.3M

    £0.85

    2017

    None

    “

  • Kerry McCarthy – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Kerry McCarthy – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kerry McCarthy on 2015-11-30.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what funding the Government has allocated for flood defence maintenance in (a) 2015-16, (b) 2016-17, (c) 2017-18, (d) 2018-19 and (e) 2019-20.

    Rory Stewart

    The Government has confirmed through the Spending Review that, given the potentially devastating impact flooding can have on communities, Defra will protect investment in flood defences. We remain committed to spending £2.3 billion on over 1,500 schemes by 2021, better protecting 300,000 homes from flooding. Flood defence maintenance funding will also be protected, and a planned efficiency programme will generate 10% efficiencies by 2019-20, with all resultant savings reinvested in maintenance.

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

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

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Tonge on 2016-01-11.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of Israel regarding the destruction of structures in al Hadidiya in November 2015, despite an injunction by the Israeli Civil Administration, in particular a one-kilometre section of road serving that community and funded by an international donor.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    We have not made representations on these specific issues to the Israeli authorities. We do, however, regularly raise our concerns with the Israeli authorities over demolitions and settlement-building.

  • Seema Malhotra – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Seema Malhotra – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Seema Malhotra on 2016-02-03.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the (a) primary and (b) secondary policy purposes are of inheritance tax relief for estates left on death.

    Mr David Gauke

    There are several inheritance tax (IHT) reliefs and these have different policy purposes. Transfers between spouses, including civil partners, are exempt from IHT. Taken together with the IHT nil-rate band, these exemptions are designed to allow most estates to be passed on to beneficiaries without an inheritance tax liability. More targeted exemptions and reliefs have different purposes including encouraging charitable giving, ensuring that businesses and farms do not have to be broken up to pay the liability and ensuring estates of those in the armed services and our emergency services who die in active service are exempt from inheritance tax.

  • Tristram Hunt – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Tristram Hunt – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tristram Hunt on 2016-02-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the potential contribution of community land trusts to increasing the supply of affordable housing in the UK.

    Brandon Lewis

    The Department does not assess the potential contribution that individual classes of organisation, including Community Land Trusts, can make to the delivery of affordable housing. However, we recognise the role they can play in delivering locally led and innovative housing development and we are confident they will make a valuable contribution to the 400,000 affordable housing starts we have committed to deliver by 2021.