Category: Speeches

  • Rosie Cooper – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Rosie Cooper – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rosie Cooper on 2016-01-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how householders can access funding for flood prevention measures for their properties directly and without the requirement to be part of a flood action group.

    James Wharton

    It is a matter for local authorities to determine how those householders not part of a flood action group will be able to access funding for flood prevention measures. Full details should be available from the relevant local authority.

  • Ian Murray – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Ian Murray – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Murray on 2016-02-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, which operating costs were included by her Department for full operation of a hydropower scheme for the purposes of modelling its feed-in tariff scheme.

    Andrea Leadsom

    The operating costs included for hydropower schemes aim to capture those costs faced by a developer that are strictly related to the operation of a hydropower plant; this is consistent with the approach taken across other support mechanisms, including the renewables obligation (RO).

    The detailed consideration of operating costs is set out in the impact assessment accompanying the response to the feed-in tariffs review.

    https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/486084/IA_-_FITs_consultation_response_with_Annexes_-_FINAL_SIGNED.pdf.

    “

  • Andrew Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Andrew Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Smith on 2016-02-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make representations to his Indonesian counterpart on freedom of access by journalists to West Papua.

    Mr Hugo Swire

    We welcome the Indonesian government’s commitment to improving the situation in the Indonesian provinces of Papua and West Papua. President Joko Widodo has visited 3 times since his election, most recently spending New Year in Papua. During his visit in May 2015, he granted clemency to a number of prisoners and announced the lifting of travel restrictions for foreign journalists and international organizations. Since then, a number of foreign journalists have successfully visited and reported from Papua and West Papua. Our Ambassador in Jakarta last visited Papua in January. As well as raising these issues, he also discussed ways to ensure the sustainable and equitable development of the provinces with members of the police, and religious and community leaders.

  • Andrew Rosindell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Andrew Rosindell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2016-03-22.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent progress has been made in preventing members of the Islamic State/Daesh from travelling across the border between Syria and Turkey.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    The UK and Turkey work in close partnership to stop foreign terrorist fighters and extremist travellers from crossing the border between Syria and Turkey, including through practical cooperation between our police and security forces.

    The Turkish authorities are taking significant measures to prevent illegal crossings from Turkey to the conflict zone, including the deployment of additional personnel. Physical security at border crossings between Syria and Turkey is improving, although sections of the border remain porous.

    Between January and December 2015, 913 foreign nationals who are members of Daesh were arrested in Turkey, 435 of whom were caught passing to Syria.

  • Lord Storey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Lord Storey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Storey on 2016-04-27.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government how the levels of public duty costs allowance for former Prime Ministers are determined.

    Lord Bridges of Headley

    The Public Duties Cost Allowance (PDCA) was introduced to assist former Prime Ministers, still active in public life, with the costs of continuing to fulfil public duties. The PDCA is set in line with the annual Parliamentary Staffing Allowance allocated to Members of Parliament as determined by IPSA. In addition, former Prime Ministers are entitled to claim a pension allowance to contribute towards the pension costs of their staff. This is limited to a maximum of 10% of their staff salary costs.

    The Government is currently considering the decision of the First-Tier Tribunal.

  • Tim Farron – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Tim Farron – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tim Farron on 2016-06-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what assessment his Department has made of the potential effect of the Housing and Planning Act 2016 on levels of homelessness in England in each of the next five years.

    Mr Marcus Jones

    We are committed to supporting the most vulnerable in our society. Since 2010 our investment has helped local authorities prevent over 935,800 households from becoming homeless.

    The Housing and Planning Act will increase the range of affordable homes available, including homes to rent, homes for shared ownership and discounted Starter Homes to buy outright, so that social housing is prioritised for those that need it most.

  • Chris Stephens – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Chris Stephens – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Stephens on 2016-09-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the savings to the Exchequer resulting from the future transfer of responsibility for funding television licences for people over 75 from his Department to the BBC for (a) Glasgow South West constituency, (b) Glasgow City Council and (c) Scotland.

    Richard Harrington

    The summer budget 2015 announced a number of fundamental changes relating to the BBC and free TV licences for those aged 75 and over. DWP will cease to fund free TV licences from 2019/20 and the BBC will absorb the cost of this and take responsibility for the policy which currently sits with the Department of Culture, Media and Sport. It is estimated that the provision of free TV licences for 2016/17 will cost £629m and DWP will continue to make a transfer to the BBC during the phasing period, as set out in the table below.

    2018/19

    2019/20

    2020/21

    HMG transfer for free TV licences (£m)

    468

    247

    0

    DWP resources currently assigned to the provision and collation of data relating to the free television licence scheme for people aged 75 and over is 12 staff days per annum. Any plans for the future role of employees and contractors will be determined following detailed discussions between my Department and the BBC nearer the time the BBC take full responsibility for funding and policy.

    In 2014/15 the cost of providing free TV licences to those 75 and over in Scotland was £49m and it is estimated the cost for qualifying residents in Glasgow South West constituency and Glasgow City local authority area was £0.7m and £4m respectively.

    The cost of the free TV licences to those aged 75 and over in Scotland for 2015/16 will be published on 21 September on the DWP website. Breakdowns by Local Authority and Parliamentary Constituency use that Scotland expenditure estimate and are therefore not currently available.

    Savings to the Exchequer resulting from the future transfer of responsibility for funding television licences for people aged 75 or over were set out in the summer budget 2015.

  • Liz McInnes – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Liz McInnes – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Liz McInnes on 2015-10-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the change in the number of firefighter posts was in Avon Fire and Rescue Service in 2013-14.

    Greg Clark

    Information on the number of full time equivalent firefighter posts for each fire and rescue service and for each year, together with greater detail, is available in the Department’s Fire and Rescue Operational Statistics publication (Table 2 for full time equivalent posts) at:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/fire-and-rescue-authorities-operational-statistics

    “

  • Nigel Dodds – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Nigel Dodds – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nigel Dodds on 2015-11-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions the Government has had with the Irish government on the control of foreign nationals entering the Irish Republic who seek to enter the UK from that country.

    James Brokenshire

    Home Office Ministers and Officials have regular contact with their Irish counterparts; there is excellent government and operational level co-operation. In particular, we are working together to further align our respective border and visa policy processes in order to strengthen the external CTA border.

    Immigration Enforcement and Border Force conduct intelligence-led operations to identify and take action against individuals who are seeking to or have entered the UK from the Republic of Ireland without the necessary leave.

  • Kevan Jones – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Kevan Jones – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kevan Jones on 2015-11-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what the size of his Department’s Rapid Deployment Teams in terms of personnel was in each year since 2010.

    James Duddridge

    The Foreign & Commonwealth Office Rapid Deployment Teams are a volunteer cadre of Foreign & Commonwealth Office staff trained to be deployed to augment crisis response overseas. Since 2010 we have had Rapid Deployment Teams based in London, Asia Pacific and the Americas. A fourth Rapid Deployment Team covering the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia (MENASA) was introduced in 2012. In total, we have 185 active members of the Rapid Deployment Team globally consisting of 64 in London, 36 in Asia Pacific, 48 in the Americas and 37 in the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia area. On call each week we have 12 London-based staff, 8 Middle East, North Africa and South Asia based staff, 10 Asia Pacific based staff and 11 Americas-based staff. These can be supplemented by additional specialists from the military, Police or British Red Cross. Around 72 new Rapid Deployment Team volunteers are trained each year.