Category: Speeches

  • Chris Davies – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Chris Davies – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Davies on 2016-06-03.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how his Department determined the bands for the soft drinks industry levy; and what scientific studies were used in reaching that decision.

    Damian Hinds

    The new levy will be charged on producers and importers of drinks with added sugar. There will be one rate for drinks with total sugar content above 5g/100ml and a higher charge for drinks with more than 8g/100ml of sugar.

    This structure is clear, simple and transparent. It is designed to encourage producers to reformulate their product mix by removing the added sugar content from drinks and helping consumers choose lower and no sugar brands.

    The bands have been set to give producers certainty over the next two years before implementation so they can gradually reformulate their products. Companies have until April 2018 before the levy comes into force to reformulate and if they do, they can pay less.

  • Ian Austin – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Ian Austin – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Austin on 2016-09-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make an assessment of the implications for her Department’s policies on badger culls of the findings of the research paper, Badgers prefer cattle pasture but avoid cattle: implications for bovine tuberculosis control, published in August 2016.

    George Eustice

    Our comprehensive strategy to eradicate bovine TB includes tighter cattle controls, good biosecurity and badger control in areas where the disease is widespread. This new research, which was funded by Defra, provides further evidence that badgers and cattle contribute to the spread of bovine TB in areas where the disease is rife. Previous research has concluded that TB spreads within and between populations of badgers and cattle and that spread from badgers to cattle is an important cause of herd breakdowns in areas where the disease is widespread. Our strategy does not presume that direct contact between badgers and cattle is the most important route of TB spread between the two species and the new research does not provide evidence against the effectiveness of badger control. Biosecurity guidance promoted by Defra addresses all forms of TB spread and focuses on indirect contact between badgers and cattle in particular, as this type of contact has previously been identified as significant. This new research confirms this.

  • Tulip Siddiq – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Tulip Siddiq – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tulip Siddiq on 2016-10-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has made an assessment of the implications for its policies of the recommendations of the Extra Costs Commission, initiated by the disability charity Scope in July 2014.

    Sarah Newton

    The Home Office has noted the findings of the Extra Costs Commission and officials will consider them in the course of policy development in the months and years ahead.

  • Mary Creagh – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Mary Creagh – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mary Creagh on 2015-11-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 7 September 2015 to Question 8364, (a) how many and (b) in which countries British military personnel were embedded in (i) each of the last five years and (ii) 2015 to date.

    Penny Mordaunt

    As my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Defence said in response to your question 8364 on 7 September 2015: given the routine nature of embedding, this information has not been coordinated centrally. The Ministry of Defence is in the process of compiling data on UK personnel embedded with other nations’ armed forces, who are deployed on the operations together with those who work on operations in deployed coalition or single nation headquarters roles. I intend to update the House after this process is complete.

  • Lord Moonie – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Lord Moonie – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Moonie on 2015-12-01.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many UK military personnel are currently forward deployed in support of operations in the Middle East.

    Earl Howe

    There are over 2,000 military personnel deployed to the Middle East supporting military operations and the UK military presence in the Gulf.

  • Rebecca Long Bailey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Rebecca Long Bailey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rebecca Long Bailey on 2016-01-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether he plans that the two per cent social care precept will be ring-fenced for particular items of expenditure.

    Mr Marcus Jones

    The Chancellor’s Spending Review and Autumn Statement 2015 (Cm9162), presented to Parliament on 26 November 2015, makes clear that the two per cent social care precept must be spent entirely on adult social care.

  • Neil Gray – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Neil Gray – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Neil Gray on 2016-02-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the number of people the £7 million fund for Employability in Scotland will assist in 2016-17.

    Priti Patel

    As funding for the new Work and Health Programme will be devolved in Scotland, by definition it will be for the Scottish Government to decide how many people it chooses to support through their devolved programme.

  • Virendra Sharma – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Virendra Sharma – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Virendra Sharma on 2016-02-23.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what 10 Downing Street’s wellness strategy is.

    Matthew Hancock

    The Cabinet Office takes the well-being of its employees seriously and provides a range of support, including the recent launch of the Cabinet Office Listening Service, resourced by staff who have been trained in active listening and emotional support. The service can provide upfront support to Cabinet Office staff dealing directly or indirectly with specific issues in their personal or working life or to help them to cope with mental health issues of any kind including depression, anxiety or stress. Listeners can also signpost individuals onto other relevant services such as the external Employee Assistant Programme which offers counselling, impartial advice and access to online health and wellness related resources.

    The department has established an employee led WorkWell community to further develop and implement a strategy for wellness. Progress to date includes establishing resilience training for senior leaders and their teams, signing up to the Time to Change pledge on mental health, providing access to coaching and training in skills to improve wellbeing such as mindfulness. WorkWell are also seeking to increase awareness of opportunities to improve physical wellbeing at work including provision of on-site health checks.

  • Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead on 2016-03-22.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they are considering ending Conflict, Stability and Security Fund support for community-level peacebuilding in South Sudan more gradually in order to provide time for organisations which are currently receiving funding to secure alternative sources of support.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    Across the Sudan and South Sudan Conflict, Stability and Security Fund (CSSF), we have decided to maintain the same level of funding for community-level peacebuilding programmes in FY16-17.

    We are not ending CSSF support for community-level peace building in South Sudan. All projects have clearly defined end dates and implementers are aware that there is no guarantee of further funding beyond that date. Sustainability beyond that point is something that implementers are required to analyse as part of their original project plan.

  • Chris Evans – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Chris Evans – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Evans on 2016-04-26.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of extending real time data sharing to the whole consumer credit market on the level of consumer debt in each of the next three years.

    Harriett Baldwin

    HM Treasury does not hold information on the effect that sharing data in real time across the whole consumer credit market would have on consumer debt levels, or on wider economic conditions.

    The Chancellor of the Exchequer has regular discussions with his Cabinet colleagues on a wide variety of issues. In line with the practice of previous Administrations, details of internal discussions are not normally disclosed.