Category: Speeches

  • Tom Brake – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Tom Brake – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Brake on 2016-04-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department has taken to promote the environmental practices developed during the construction of the Beddington Zero Energy Development in Hackbridge.

    James Wharton

    When completed in 2002 the Beddington Zero Energy Development (BedZed) in Hackbridge was at the forefront in its use of low carbon and energy efficient technologies and sustainability concepts. Since then the Government has made significant changes to both the Building Regulations and planning regimes to embed and mainstream energy efficiency and sustainability principles, taking learning where appropriate from BedZed and other similar innovative sustainable developments.

  • Baroness Thomas of Winchester – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Baroness Thomas of Winchester – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Thomas of Winchester on 2016-05-19.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will include the current mobility criterion of 20 metres in the next review of Personal Independence Payments.

    Baroness Altmann

    The terms of reference for the next Independent Review of Personal Independence Payment will be announced in due course.

  • Tom Watson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Tom Watson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Watson on 2016-07-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the potential effects on charities of the outcome of the EU referendum.

    Mr Rob Wilson

    The UK has a strong and diverse charitable sector. It is too early at this stage to make a full assessment of the potential effects for charities resulting from the outcome of the EU referendum. We will continue working with charities and their representative bodies to understand the potential effects on charities and the potential impact on funding for charities. These will depend on the arrangements agreed for exiting the EU, and different types of charity are likely to be affected in different ways.

  • Helen Hayes – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Helen Hayes – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Helen Hayes on 2016-09-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when his Department plans to publish its responses to the consumer group, Which?, super-complaint on rail delays compensation made to the Office of Rail and Road.

    Paul Maynard

    The Department is developing its response following the Office of Rail and Road’s formal investigation of this super-complaint. We will publish this response in due course.

  • Justin Madders – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Justin Madders – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Justin Madders on 2015-11-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many train services through Neston have been cancelled since August 2015; and what the reason was for the cancellation in each such case.

    Claire Perry

    This information is not held by the Department. Under the Welsh rail devolution arrangements, the Welsh Government is responsible for the day to day management of the Arriva Trains Wales franchise, including services to and from Neston.

  • Ivan Lewis – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Ivan Lewis – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ivan Lewis on 2015-12-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to her Department’s fact sheet on the Syrian Resettlement Programme, what the evidential basis is for the Statement that Sudan is primarily a country of transit; what assessment her Department has made of the latest immigration statistics show that, in the year ending September 2015, Sudan was the country from which the second largest number of asylum applications originated; and if she will work more closely with the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on this policy area.

    James Brokenshire

    The fact sheet on resettlement referred to has been superseded. It is the Government’s current view that Sudan is both a country of transit and a source of refugees, as evidenced by the number of registered refugees in UNHCRcamps in Sudan and the number of Sudanese asylum seekers in the UK in the year ending September 2015 (2,842). The Home Office is working closely with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office on tackling migration flows from and through a number of regions and countries, including Sudan.

  • Kelvin Hopkins – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Kelvin Hopkins – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kelvin Hopkins on 2016-01-21.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the reasons are for the delay in transferring his Department’s Transactional Bulk Print Services contract to Williams Lea from the current provider, Hewlett Packard, originally scheduled for February 2015; what the revised timetable is for that transfer; what assessment he has made of potential risks to service delivery arising from loss of key staff as a result of that delay; and what contingency plans his Department has prepared to mitigate such risks.

    Justin Tomlinson

    The DWP Print service will transfer to Williams Lea on 31st March 2016. All staff currently working on Print within Hewlett Packard (HP) will transfer over on this date via TUPE unless they have decided to opt out and accept alternative positions within HP prior to the date of transfer. All staff have been informed and consultation is actively underway in line with legislative requirements.

    In terms of contractual obligations, Williams Lea are obligated to transfer the service over by 31st March 2016. Williams Lea remain on track to meet their transfer date obligation and no service disruption is anticipated.

  • Nick Clegg – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Nick Clegg – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nick Clegg on 2016-02-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what measures NHS England uses to assess GP service provision to an area.

    Alistair Burt

    NHS England is statutorily accountable for ensuring that patients have access to a general practitioner (GP) practice. In the event of a practice closure, NHS England will assess the need for a replacement provider before dispersing a list when a GP surgery closes. A decision to disperse a list will be made on the basis that there is capacity in neighbouring practices to absorb the additional patient numbers.

    To assess GP service provision in an area, NHS England works with the Care Quality Commission and local clinical commissioning groups. The Primary Care Outcomes Framework is published nationally and is derived from data submitted by individual practices on service levels and outcomes alongside national patient survey data on patient satisfaction. In terms of overall strategy, the provision of primary care will be part of the Joint Strategic Needs Assessment (JSNA) which is published in each local authority area and reported through the local Health & Well-being Board. The JSNA will identify any gaps and risks in the provision of primary care to the local population which, in turn, will then inform commissioning strategies for that area.

    There is no national guidance on the ratio of patients to doctors in GP practices. In recent years, the development of the wider primary care teams (with nurses, healthcare assistants, pharmacists and therapists) means that a focus on the ratio of patients to doctors has less meaning than in previous years. The national workforce survey allows NHS England to benchmark individual practices in terms of the staffing to patient ratio.

  • Douglas Chapman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Douglas Chapman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Douglas Chapman on 2016-03-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 2 March 2016 to Question 27968, what the opening and closing dates are for the public consultation of the UK National Screening Committee’s review of group B streptococcus policy; and on what date the meeting at which a decision will be made is planned.

    Ben Gummer

    In December 2015 the UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC) commissioned an update review into antenatal screening for Group B Streptococcus (GBS) as per its published process. A public consultation is expected to be held in the autumn for a three month period. The UK NSC will then review the recommendation for GBS at the successive meeting. Specific dates will be announced in due course.

  • Douglas Chapman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Douglas Chapman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Douglas Chapman on 2016-04-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what aircraft it is anticipated will conduct the majority carrier on-board delivery role for the Queen Elizabeth Class ships.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    The composition and size of the embarked air group in a deploying Queen Elizabeth Class (QEC) aircraft carrier will be tailored to meet the required task, including aviation sustainment and logistic support. The Department will continue to explore all potential solutions as the QEC builds in operational capability, with initial planning based around Merlin and Chinook helicopters.