UKPOL.CO.UK

Category: Speeches

  • Lord Roberts of Llandudno – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Lord Roberts of Llandudno – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Roberts of Llandudno on 2016-09-05.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to ensure that their pledge to accept 20,000 Syrian refugees by 2020 is honoured.

    Baroness Williams of Trafford

    We intend to resettle up to 20,000 Syrians in need of protection during this Parliament. We will continue to work closely with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to identify appropriate cases, prioritising the most vulnerable. The numbers resettled in a particular period will depend on a range of factors including the flow of referrals from UNHCR in the field and the availability of suitable accommodation and care packages in the UK. We continue to work closely with local authorities to manage the arrival of the Syrian refugees in to the resettlement places they have pledged. We will manage the flows based on need and in support of the wellbeing of the people and communities involved, rather than rushing to meet arbitrary targets. However, we are clear that we want to help as many people as we can as quickly as possible.

  • Stephen Timms – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Stephen Timms – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2015-11-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how his Department has used benefit off-flow data in the last three years to calculate remuneration for jobcentre (a) managers and (b) advisers.

    Priti Patel

    Benefit off-flow data is not used to calculate increases to consolidated pay.

  • Andrew Gwynne – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Andrew Gwynne – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Gwynne on 2016-10-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has allocated funds for the Troubled Families programme for (a) 2016-17, (b) 2017-18 and (c) 2018-19.

    Sarah Newton

    The Home Office has not allocated funding for the Troubled Families programme for 2016-17, 2017-18 or 2018-19.

    From 2016/17 onwards, HM Treasury has baselined funding of the Troubled Families programme so it is deducted before Departments receive their allocations to avoid the need for the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) to approach Departments individually to ask for contributions.

    Therefore, the Home Office no longer provides funding directly to DCLG for the Troubled Families programme.

  • Graham Brady – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Graham Brady – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Graham Brady on 2015-12-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what information his Department holds on the efficacy of anakinra for patients diagnosed with idiopathic recurrent pericarditis; and what the (a) target, (b) average and (c) longest time taken to approve that drug for use was in the last 12 months for which data is available.

    George Freeman

    The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) does not hold information concerning the efficacy of anakinra for patients diagnosed with idiopathic recurrent pericarditis.

    Kineret, containing the active substance anakinra, was approved by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) in 2002 for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis in adults. The licence was extended to include treatment of Cryopyrin-Associated Periodic Syndromes. Anakinra is not licensed to treat idiopathic recurrent pericarditis.

    The EMA is required to issue an opinion on applications for new indications within 90 days of receipt of a valid application. This period will be extended if it needs to request supplementary information from the applicant. The applicant will be requested to provide supplementary information within one month, although this may be extended to two months. The assessment of any supplementary information by EMA should be completed within 60 days. The European Commission is required to amend the marketing authorisation within two months of the EMA opinion.

    The MHRA does not hold information on average and longest time for approval of variations by EMA.

  • Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2016-01-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate his Department has made of the amount it will spend on (a) television, (b) print, (c) online and (d) billing advertising in the next 12 months.

    Jane Ellison

    The Department does not hold an advertising budget.

    As such there is no expected spend on advertising over the next 12 months other than that for the advertisement of public appointments.

  • Roger Godsiff – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Roger Godsiff – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Roger Godsiff on 2016-02-05.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what criteria and pay grades his Department uses to decide on pay rises for political aides and special advisors.

    Matthew Hancock

    All public servants, including special advisers, are subject to an overall 1% pay remit.

  • Andrew Murrison – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Andrew Murrison – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Murrison on 2016-03-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment he made of the flag flying policies adopted by other European states in respect of national monuments in developing his policy on that matter.

    David Evennett

    No specific assessment has been made of the policy adopted by other European states in respect of national monuments. The decision as and when to fly flags is largely a decision for individual organisations.

  • Kevin Brennan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Kevin Brennan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kevin Brennan on 2016-03-23.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the number of businesses that have registered for (a) VAT and (b) PAYE in each region and nation of the UK between 2010 and 2014.

    Mr David Gauke

    The Office for National Statistics publishes a breakdown of the number of businesses registered for VAT and/or PAYE by region:

    https://www.ons.gov.uk/businessindustryandtrade/business/activitysizeandlocation/bulletins/ukbusinessactivitysizeandlocation/2015-10-06#business-counts-by-uk-region

    Previous releases of this publication including data from 2010 onwards can be found here:

    https://www.ons.gov.uk/businessindustryandtrade/business/activitysizeandlocation/bulletins/ukbusinessactivitysizeandlocation/previousReleases

    “

  • Bridget Phillipson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Bridget Phillipson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Bridget Phillipson on 2016-05-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when his Department plans to publish its response to its public consultation on housing benefit reform and supported housing.

    Justin Tomlinson

    In conjunction with the Department for Communities and Local Government, the Department for Work and Pensions has recently conducted an evidence-based review of supported accommodation in GB and we expect to publish the report shortly. Alongside this work, as part of our policy review, we will continue to work with and listen to all relevant stakeholders, including the supported housing sector in order to develop a workable and sustainable funding regime.

  • David Anderson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    David Anderson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Anderson on 2016-06-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what recent discussions she has had with the Ethiopian government on the situation in the Oromia region.

    Mr Nick Hurd

    I visited Ethiopia on 17th June and met with a number of senior Ethiopian Government officials. Our discussions covered a range of issues, including the situation in the Oromia region. I set out the UK Government’s serious concerns about the response to protests in Oromia.