Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • David Lammy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    David Lammy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

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

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, with reference to the letter he received from the hon. Member of Tottenham of 2 June 2016, if he will make an assessment of the potential effect of the privatisation of the Land Registry on transparency in the UK property market (a) in general and (b) with regards to public records of the corporate and beneficial ownership of properties owned by offshore companies.

    Anna Soubry

    A Government consultation seeking views on options to move Land Registry operations to the private sector closed on 26 May. My department is analysing these responses and the Government will issue a response in due course. Transparency protections are amongst the factors being considered. No decision has been taken on the future of Land Registry.

  • Lord Blencathra – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union

    Lord Blencathra – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Blencathra on 2016-07-20.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they plan to transfer operational command and control of the EU units from all other departments to the Department for Exiting the European Union.

    Lord Bridges of Headley

    The Department for Exiting the European Union will be made up of staff from various departments across Government, including from the UK’s Permanent Representation to the EU.

  • Jess Phillips – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

    Jess Phillips – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jess Phillips on 2016-10-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what research his Department has recently undertaken into the potential benefits of increasing paternity leave for men.

    Margot James

    In 2011, the Coalition Government consulted on a number of options to modernise employment entitlements relating to families. This led to the introduction of Shared Parental Leave and Pay for working parents; and the provisions in the Children and Families Act 2014 which enable Ministers to make Regulations to extend paternity leave and increase the rate of pay.

  • Phil Boswell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Women and Equalities

    Phil Boswell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Women and Equalities

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Phil Boswell on 2015-10-30.

    To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what assessment she has made of the implications for her policies of the finding of the Equality and Human Rights Commission in its report, Is Britain Fairer, published in October 2015, that there are persistent gender pay gaps among graduates.

    Caroline Dinenage

    The EHRC is an independent body, and its report ‘Is Britain Fairer?’ covers a five-year period 2008-13 across both the Labour and coalition governments. We welcome the positive areas of progress it refers to and note the challenges it raises. The information in the report will be used by the EHRC to help develop its next strategic plan, covering the period 2016-19.

  • Chi Onwurah – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Chi Onwurah – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chi Onwurah on 2015-11-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of reduction to local government spending announced in the Spending Review and Autumn Statement 2015 on (a) local and (b) national arts and culture organisations.

    Mr Edward Vaizey

    TheSpending Review settlement puts national arts and culture organisations on a strong footing. It will ensure continued free access to national museums and galleries and allow them to pursue an ambitious agenda across this Parliament. As the Chancellor said in his Spending Review speech, "one of the best investments we can make as a nation is in our extraordinary arts, museums, heritage, media and sport".

    Forecast increases to other sources of income (including business rates and council tax) mean that local government spending is forecast to be higher in cash terms in 2019/20 than in 2015/16 . Local authorities understand the importance of investing in cultural activities in their areas, and are best placed to decide how to prioritise their spending.

  • Andy Slaughter – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Andy Slaughter – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andy Slaughter on 2016-01-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, on what date he last met insurance company representatives to discuss issues relating to personal injury claims; who was present at that meeting; and if he will make a statement.

    Dominic Raab

    On 8 December, following the Chancellor’s announcement of further whiplash reforms in his Autumn Statement on 25 November, Lord Faulks and two ministerial colleagues, Oliver Letwin and Harriett Baldwin, met a representative group of senior figures from the insurance industry, including the Association of British Insurers. The primary purpose of the meeting was to discuss passing savings arising from the reforms to motorists by way of reduced premiums.

    We will continue to work with a wide range of stakeholders including other government departments, solicitors and insurers in taking forward the new reform package. The Government will consult on the detail of these measures in due course.

  • Steve McCabe – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Steve McCabe – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2016-01-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will take steps to equalise access to IVF treatment through the NHS across the country.

    Jane Ellison

    The level of provision of infertility treatment, as for all health services they commission, is decided by local clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) and will take into account the needs of the population overall. The CCG’s decisions are underpinned by clinical insight and knowledge of local healthcare needs. As such, provision of services will vary in response to local needs.

    NHS England expects that all those involved in commissioning infertility treatment services to be fully aware of the importance of having regard to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence fertility guidelines.

    On 14 December last year I met with stakeholders, together with colleagues from NHS England and Monitor, to discuss the issue of improving the provision of in vitro fertilisation (IVF). The Department along with NHS England and Monitor will be giving further consideration to the scope for improving the commissioning of IVF services.

  • Robert Neill – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Robert Neill – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Robert Neill on 2016-02-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 11 November 2015 to Question 15112, when he intends to bring forward amendments to the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) Order 2015; what provisions will apply to office premises that have been granted prior approval for conversion to residential use but which will not be completed before 30 May 2016; and if he will make a statement.

    Brandon Lewis

    We announced on 13 October 2015 that the permitted development right for the change of use from office to residential is to be made permanent, and that those with prior approval will have three years from the date of prior approval in which to change use. Further information on the detail and timing of the regulations will be provided in due course.

  • Christopher Chope – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Christopher Chope – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Christopher Chope on 2016-03-22.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what (a) evidence her Department holds and (b) research her Department has undertaken on the effect of smart meters on people with electromagnetic hypersensitivity.

    Andrea Leadsom

    DECC takes its advice on matters related to public health from Public Health England.

    Public Health England has conducted and reviewed research on the effects of smart meters and has stated that the radio waves produced by smart meters do not pose a risk to health, including to those who identify themselves as electromagnetically sensitive. More information can be found at:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/smart-meters-radio-waves-and-health/smart-meters-radio-waves-and-health.

    “

  • Steve Rotheram – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Steve Rotheram – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve Rotheram on 2016-04-22.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department has taken to support research into mesothelioma.

    George Freeman

    The Government agrees that more mesothelioma research is needed and has taken measures to stimulate an increase in the level of research activity.

    Patients, carers, clinicians and funders have worked in partnership to identify what the priorities in research are. Following a survey and a workshop, the top 10 mesothelioma research priorities were announced in December 2014. The National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) published a final report from the Priority Setting Partnership in July 2015. In advance of the identification of research questions by this partnership, the NIHR highlighted to the research community that it wanted to encourage research applications in mesothelioma.

    The NIHR subsequently invited researchers to apply for mesothelioma research funding, in particular to address the research questions identified through the partnership. Eight NIHR programmes participated in this themed call. Fifteen individual applications were received, of which two have been approved for funding.

    In addition, the NIHR Research Design Service continues to be able to help prospective applicants develop competitive research proposals. This service is well-established and has

    10 regional bases across England. It supports researchers to develop and design high-quality proposals for submission to NIHR itself and also to other national, peer-reviewed funding competitions for applied health or social care research.

    The National Cancer Research Institute is facilitating ongoing dialogue between relevant research funders on the topic of mesothelioma, to discuss what the barriers to research are and what is needed to stimulate research in the field.

    The Chancellor’s Budget Report committed £5 million of LIBOR fines over the next four years for the National Mesothelioma Centre.

    The Department has received recent representations relating to funding of mesothelioma research from the Asbestos Victims Support Groups’ Forum UK and from several hon. Members on behalf of constituents.