Category: Speeches

  • Alison McGovern – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Alison McGovern – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alison McGovern on 2015-12-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent discussions she has had with her French counterpart on securing a long-term solution to the situation in Calais.

    James Brokenshire

    The Home Office is in regular discussions with French counterparts at ministerial and official level on all aspects of the migrant situation in Calais. The French Government is responsible for the care of migrants in Calais, including support over the winter. However, both governments are committed to finding a sustainable solution to the situation in Calais. One aspect of the UK-France Joint Declaration of 20 August, committed the UK to providing a £3.6 million (or €5 million) per year for two years to help support a range of work to manage the migrant population in Calais, in particular to provide support and facilities elsewhere in France. Additionally, the UK has provided £530,000 (€750,000) to fund a project to identify those in the camps at risk of trafficking and exploitation, to transfer them to places of safety; and to provide them with appropriate support within the French system.

    The UK and French Governments are unified in their response to the migratory phenomenon and both governments recognise the importance of close partnership and collaboration to reach a long-term solution. This is a global challenge, and we will also work together to ensure that other EU states, as well as source and transit countries outside Europe, are doing everything they ought to be to stop people making these dangerous journeys in the first place.

  • Ian C. Lucas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Ian C. Lucas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian C. Lucas on 2015-12-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what progress her Department has made on achieving the goals of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative.

    Mr Nick Hurd

    The UK Government is fully committed to global polio eradication and is the third largest donor to the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, providing £300 million for 2013 to 2019.

    UK funding has contributed, as part of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, to a greater than 99% decrease in polio cases since 1988, with no cases reported in Africa for over a year. Only two countries, Pakistan and Afghanistan, are now reporting cases of wild polio, meaning we are now closer than ever to global eradication.

  • Lord Palmer – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the The Lord Chairman of Committees

    Lord Palmer – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the The Lord Chairman of Committees

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Palmer on 2016-01-27.

    To ask the Chairman of Committees what is the new role of the previous manager of Catering and Retail Services; what are his responsibilities; and to whom he reports.

    Lord Laming

    The postholder has been transferred to lead the Catering and Retail Services Change Programme on a full time basis until programme closure and then to embed its success into the Department’s business as usual activities. He reports to the Director of Facilities.

  • Ms Angela Eagle – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Ms Angela Eagle – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ms Angela Eagle on 2016-02-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what assessment he has made of the number of apprentices at each of the apprenticeship educational levels 2 to 6 whom the Government plans to be part of its target of three million apprentices by 2020.

    Nick Boles

    Apprenticeships are paid jobs and so their availability and level are dependent upon employers offering opportunities and recruiting apprentices. We will continue to support the growth in apprenticeships at all levels to meet our commitment to 3 million new starts in England by 2020.

    We are committed to expanding Degree Apprenticeships, which combine a high quality degree with an apprenticeship. Higher and Degree Apprenticeships are widening access to the professions, providing the higher level technical skills employers need to improve productivity and giving young people an equally valid career route to purely university-based courses.

    All Apprenticeship Starts by Level (2014/15 and 2015/16 – Reported to Date)

    Level

    2014/15

    2015/16

    Full Year

    August to October

    Level 2

    298,280

    86,620

    Level 3

    181,760

    60,140

    Level 4

    7,090

    2,880

    Level 5

    12,590

    3,200

    Level 6

    100

    240

    Total Higher Apprenticeships

    19,770

    6,320

    Total Apprenticeships

    499,900

    153,100

  • – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by on 2016-03-16.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government how they define parity of esteem” as specified in the Belfast Agreement 1998

    Lord Dunlop

    This Government sees parity of esteem as treating everybody in Northern Ireland fairly, with equal respect. For a One Nation Government that means governing in the interests of the whole community. As our Northern Ireland manifesto at the General Election stated: “We want to see a peaceful, stable and prosperous Northern Ireland where everybody can get on to the best of their ability – irrespective of their community background”. It went on to say that “Our aspiration is to build one, united Northern Ireland in which everybody has a stake in the future”.

  • Andy McDonald – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Andy McDonald – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andy McDonald on 2016-04-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when it is planned that Rail North will take on full responsibility for the Northern and TPE franchises.

    Andrew Jones

    The Partnership agreement that I signed on 20th March 2015 with Rail North Ltd clearly signals our intention that Rail North takes greater devolved responsibility over time. It also sets out the process and criteria by which such decisions may be made. The new devolved management arrangements only started on 1st April 2016 and therefore no timescale or deadline has been set at this stage for full devolution to be achieved. A copy of the Partnership agreement can be found at http://www.railnorth.org/governance/rail-north-dft-partnership/.

    “

  • Geoffrey Clifton-Brown – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Geoffrey Clifton-Brown – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Geoffrey Clifton-Brown on 2016-05-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she expects all applications made before the deadline for the applications for the 2016 Payment Scheme to be paid this year.

    George Eustice

    The Rural Payments Agency (RPA) estimates that as of 5 June 2016, 86,521 (99%) claimants have received a payment on their 2015 Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) claim. Of these, 82,460 have received a claim payment; 3,936 bridging payments; and 125 a manual hardship payment. There are a number of claims where processing has been completed successfully but they have not resulted in a payment for reasons such as the claim being under minimum claim size, or the Agency awaiting information on probate cases.

    The RPA will continue to make top up payments throughout the remainder of the payment window up to the end of June 2016.

    While the payment window runs between December and June, the RPA expects to make 90% of payments on eligible claims by the end of December this year and all remaining payments as promptly as possible. As of 5 June the RPA had received 86,581 applications for BPS 2016.

  • Anna Turley – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Anna Turley – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Anna Turley on 2016-07-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what estimate he has made of the number of people rough sleeping in Redcar and Cleveland in each year since 2010.

    Mr Marcus Jones

    One person without a home is one too many and we are committed to doing all we can to prevent homelessness. That is why we have increased central investment to tackle homelessness over the next four years to £139 million. This includes a new £10 million fund to support innovative ways to prevent and reduce rough sleeping, and a new £10 million Social Impact Bond to support rough sleepers with the most complex needs. We also announced at Budget £100 million of funding for low-cost move-on accommodation, including for rough sleepers leaving hostels.

    DCLG publishes annual statistics on the number of people seen sleeping rough on a single night by local authority. These are available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/homelessness-statistics

  • Mark Prisk – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

    Mark Prisk – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Prisk on 2016-10-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what estimate his Department has made of the number of commercial landlords exempt from Energy Efficiency Regulations because of provisions against upfront costs.

    Jesse Norman

    Under the Energy Efficiency (Private Rented Property)(England and Wales) Regulations 2015, landlords of privately rented commercial property will need to ensure that, from 1 April 2018, their properties reach an energy performance rating of at least an ‘E’ before granting a tenancy to new or existing tenants. Landlords of commercial property are not exempt from having to meet the upfront costs of installing measures to improve performance; instead the regulations provide a cost effectiveness test, and landlords are required to install all recommended energy efficiency improvements which meet, or exceed, a seven year simple payback.

  • Caroline Ansell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Caroline Ansell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Ansell on 2015-11-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what support her Department provides to local education authorities and academy trusts when they have been the victim of fire; and if she will make a statement.

    Edward Timpson

    Local education authorities and academy trusts are expected to take responsibility for managing the risks and issues of fire related incidents and must make appropriate arrangements to insure against fire damage and associated disruption.