Tag: Richard Graham

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Graham on 2016-10-13.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, for how long his Department plans that the Lifetime ISA will be on offer.

Jane Ellison

The Lifetime ISA will be available from April 2017. This is a long-term savings product and there will be no limit on how long people are able to hold funds in a Lifetime ISA for. The Government intends this to be a long-term reform and has no plans to limit the time that Lifetime ISAs will be available.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Graham on 2016-10-18.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions she has had with the Football Association on recent corruption scandals.

Tracey Crouch

Both the Secretary of State and I spoke to the FA following the recent allegations made by the Daily Telegraph, and they confirmed they are working across football to investigate. It is important that the FA demonstrates good governance of their sport, and that includes dealing effectively with those that look to tarnish its reputation. All the evidence presented to them must be investigated fully and the Government stands ready to assist in any way we can.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Graham on 2015-11-02.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many delays to benefit payments there were in (a) Gloucester, (b) the South West and (c) England in each of the last five years.

Priti Patel

The information requested is not available.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Graham on 2016-10-18.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she made of the value gained for the public of Government funds given to the Football Association in each of the last five years.

Tracey Crouch

Football continues to be the nation’s most popular team sport, with over 1.5m more weekly participants than any other team sport. Public funding has gone into programmes delivered by the FA that sustain that interest and also that encourage more people from all ages and backgrounds to take part in the sport.

Sport England has challenged the FA to deliver results for the public money it receives. In 2014, £1.6million was taken away after the FA failed to reverse a decline in the number of people regularly playing the sport.

Since then, outdoor 5-a-side football has seen an increase in participation from 744,200 people per week in 2010 (APS4) to 795,700 in 2016 (APS10 Q2) showing changing customer demands which the FA must continue to respond to.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Graham on 2015-11-03.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what support his Department is providing to local authorities who have not adopted or updated their Local Plan.

Brandon Lewis

Sixty five per cent of local authorities have adopted a Local Plan, compared to only 17 per cent in May 2010. We want to see full up-to-date plan coverage. The Department provides targeted support to local authorities and funds support from the Planning Advisory Service and the Planning Inspectorate.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Graham on 2015-11-13.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the cost to the public purse of provision of (a) accommodation and (b) support services for asylum seekers was in Gloucestershire in each of the last five years.

James Brokenshire

The Home Office does not record the cost to the public purse of provision of (a) accommodation and (b) support services for asylum seekers within individual counties.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Graham on 2015-11-13.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what his Department’s current targets are for processing benefit payments.

Priti Patel

The Performance of the processing of benefit payments is regularly monitored internally against a set of planning assumptions but there are no published targets

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Graham on 2015-12-04.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when he plans to publish the White Paper on supporting people with health conditions and disabilities to get into work.

Priti Patel

As announced in the Spending Review, the Government will publish a White Paper in 2016 that will set out reforms to improve support for people with health conditions and disabilities.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Graham on 2016-01-04.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what progress he has made on making the Post Office a front office for Government; and if he will make a statement.

George Freeman

The Post Office is the largest provider of counter-based Government services in the UK. In 2013 it won a cross-Government framework contract which allows all Government Departments and their Executive Agencies to contract with the Post Office easily and cheaply. Key contracts with the DVLA and the Passport Office have been moved onto this new framework, as has the Post Office Card Account contract which has been extended to at least 2021.

The Post Office is well-placed to bid for and win important contracts, with its extensive geographic reach and key role in the heart of communities. Government cannot simply award contracts to the Post Office; services must be procured competitively to ensure value for taxpayers’ money.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Graham on 2016-04-19.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what progress his Department has made on steps to ease the blockade of Gaza, with reference to the oral contribution of the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office on 25 February 2015, Official Report, columns 155-8WH.

Mr Tobias Ellwood

We remain deeply concerned by the situation in Gaza. Officials from our Embassy and Consulate General regularly raise the need to make progress towards a durable solution for Gaza, and press for practical steps to advance reconstruction and economic development with both the Israeli Government and the Palestinian Authority (PA).

We have urged the PA to make progress on resuming control in Gaza. We are also urging Egypt to show maximum flexibility in opening the Rafah crossing.

We have welcomed the steps that Israel has taken to ease some restrictions, including extension of the fishing zone to nine nautical miles, extension of agricultural exports beyond the shmita year, increase of water supply and support for energy and desolation projects. We urge Israel to take further action to ease restrictions.

We are concerned about recent reports of diversion of cement entering Gaza through the Gaza Reconstruction Mechanism (GRM). While we understand Israeli security concerns, new restrictions on the import of cement have resulted in a slowdown in reconstruction activity and will have a significant impact on employment. The Department for International Development support to the Materials Monitoring Unit of the GRM also helps provide monitoring to ensure construction materials are used for civilian purposes.