Category: Speeches

  • Lord Myners – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Lord Myners – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Myners on 2016-04-26.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will review decisions taken by the Pensions Regulator in connection with the BHS pension schemes.

    Baroness Altmann

    In accordance with Parliament’s wishes, the Regulator has operational independence. Whilst performance against its key targets is regularly reviewed by the Department, this does not encompass its regulatory decision-making or the conduct of its investigations. It would be entirely inappropriate and improper for Ministers to comment on or intervene in these areas.

  • Royston Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Royston Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Royston Smith on 2016-06-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what measures are in place for environmental health officers to arrange a second observation of excessive noise in a property where a household frequently changes occupancy.

    Rory Stewart

    Local authorities have a range of powers available to them to assess excessive noise from residential properties through various pieces of legislation. It is for local authorities to decide how best to apply the powers available to them.

  • Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2016-09-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many British nationals are currently detained in Iran; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    We do not provide information about numbers of British nationals detained in a country when the low numbers involved may lead to individuals being identifiable.

  • Diana Johnson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Attorney General

    Diana Johnson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Attorney General

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Diana Johnson on 2016-10-14.

    To ask the Attorney General, on how many occasions since the passage of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 have adult victims (a) applied for and (b) been granted the statutory defence for crimes they were compelled to commit while being enslaved or trafficked.

    Robert Buckland

    CPS do not have a central record of cases where the statutory defence has been applied, as it could arise in any category of offences.

  • Baroness Smith of Basildon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Baroness Smith of Basildon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Smith of Basildon on 2015-11-09.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions they had with the Head of the Civil Service prior to setting up the review of House of Lords powers being undertaken by Lord Strathclyde.

    Baroness Stowell of Beeston

    The Lord Privy Seal (Baroness Stowell of Beeston):

    Lord Strathclyde is being supported in his review by a panel of external experts and a small secretariat of civil servants in the Cabinet Office. The secretariat does not include political advisers. The expert panel comprises Sir Stephen Laws, former First Parliamentary Counsel; Jacqy Sharpe, a former Clerk in the House of Commons and Clerk to the Joint Committee on Conventions; and Sir Michael Pownall, former Clerk of the Parliaments.

    Several reviews have examined the powers of the House of Lords, including the Royal Commission on the reform of the House of Lords (2000) and the Joint Committee on Conventions referenced above (2006).

    The review led by Lord Strathclyde is due to consider how to protect the ability of elected Governments to secure their business in Parliament in the light of the operation of certain conventions. The review will consider in particular how to secure the decisive role of the elected House of Commons in relation to its primacy on financial matters; and secondary legislation.

    Ministers regularly discuss a wide range of issues with the Cabinet Secretary and Head of the Civil Service.

    Lord Strathclyde will determine the way in which the review is undertaken and the content of his recommendations, including any definitions required. It is not possible to provide an estimate of the cost of the exercise at this stage, but neither Lord Strathclyde nor his panel of experts will be paid a fee. Lord Strathclyde is expected to seek views from a wide range of Parliamentarians, parties and groups in undertaking his review, and has issued a letter to all Parliamentarians inviting their input. He is also seeking views from the Clerk of the Parliaments and the Clerk of the House. Lord Strathclyde will report to the Prime Minister, and the Government will decide how to proceed upon receipt of his recommendations.

  • Margaret Ritchie – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Margaret Ritchie – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Margaret Ritchie on 2016-01-06.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the most recent assessment of progress in the roll-out of the universal credit programme by the Infrastructure and Project Authority is.

    Matthew Hancock

    The most recent assessment of Universal Credit was set out in the MPA Annual Report 2015, published in spring 2015. This is available at: (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/major-projects-authority-annual-report-2015)

    The 2016 Report will be published in due course.

    “

  • Lord Greaves – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Lord Greaves – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Greaves on 2016-02-01.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many Neighbourhood Development Orders have been approved by referendum in each year since and including 2012; where those referendums were held; and what development each referendum authorised.

    Baroness Williams of Trafford

    The Department does not undertake formal monitoring of Neighbourhood Development Orders, however we are aware of four Neighbourhood Development Orders that have passed referendum since 2012, including three Community Right to Build Orders. Details are set out in the attached table.

  • Jonathan Ashworth – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Jonathan Ashworth – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jonathan Ashworth on 2016-02-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how much his Department has paid to staff in overtime in each of the last 24 months.

    Joseph Johnson

    The table below provides a breakdown of overtime paid and the number of claimants for each month in the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) HQ, in the last 24 months from February 2014 to January 2016.

    The relevant budget holder must give approval before overtime can be worked or overtime pay claimed. Overtime pay is non-pensionable and can only be paid to staff below the Senior Civil Service. Approximately 0.3% of the annual BIS paybill is paid in overtime.

    Month

    Overtime Payments – BIS HQ

    Number of BIS HQ Staff Making Claims

    February 2014

    £55,032.15

    98

    March 2014

    £73,754.92

    102

    April 2014

    £61,699.33

    97

    May 2014

    £38,664.16

    75

    June 2014

    £64,135.44

    91

    July 2014

    £79,053.18

    106

    August 2014

    £45,977.38

    75

    September 2014

    £38,306.55

    69

    October 2014

    £33,276.09

    85

    November 2014

    £44,786.28

    68

    December 2014

    £47,025.85

    80

    January 2015

    £45,380.49

    64

    February 2015

    £58,541.14

    95

    March 2015

    £68,139.08

    99

    April 2015

    £52,546.46

    98

    May 2015

    £34,257.16

    69

    June 2015

    £44,667.14

    87

    July 2015

    £55,187.86

    81

    August 2015

    £47,242.28

    71

    September 2015

    £27,737.41

    61

    October 2015

    £44,006.48

    72

    November 2015

    £52,376.22

    74

    December 2015

    £48,453.85

    71

    January 2016

    £52,221.58

    69
  • Stephen Timms – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Stephen Timms – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2016-03-21.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the mortality rate for people aged between 40 and 50 was in (a) England and Wales, (b) Newcastle, (c) Sheffield and (d) Newham in each of the last five years.

    Mr Rob Wilson

    The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.

  • Lord Smith of Hindhead – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Lord Smith of Hindhead – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Smith of Hindhead on 2016-04-26.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government who will select members of the proposed Racing Authority, and what the selection criteria will be for the appointees.

    Baroness Neville-Rolfe

    Under the replacement for the current Horserace Betting Levy a racing authority will be responsible for making decisions on spend in line with the overall purposes of the scheme. This body will be referred to in legislation but it will not be a statutory body. It will be for the racing industry to determine its governance arrangements.