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  • Paul Monaghan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Paul Monaghan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Monaghan on 2016-02-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, in which countries aspartame has been banned; and for what reason each such ban has been enacted.

    Jane Ellison

    We are advised by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) that aspartame is permitted in all European Union Member States. It is also permitted in those countries aligned to EU legislation participating in the European Economic Area and European Free Trade Association.

    Aspartame has also been evaluated for safety by The Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives and provisions for its use are included in the international Codex Alimentarius General Standard on Food Additives.

    Whilst the FSA is not aware of any countries where aspartame is banned, it is possible there are countries which do not have legislation regulating the use of aspartame or other food additives.

  • Paul Monaghan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Prime Minister

    Paul Monaghan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Prime Minister

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Monaghan on 2016-02-09.

    To ask the Prime Minister, whether he has had discussions with the Prime Minister of the Czech Republic on the sale of Czech war planes to Iraq.

    Mr David Cameron

    I met the Czech Prime Minister in Prague on 22 January. We discussed reforming the UK’s relationship with the EU, the migration crisis, the international Syria donors conference, Syria and our shared fight against Daesh, and the sale of second-hand Czech Airforce aircraft to Iraq. I confirmed the UK was content for the sale of the Czech aircraft to proceed and welcomed the contribution this, and the Czechs, are making to the Coalition effort against Daesh.

  • Gregory Campbell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Gregory Campbell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gregory Campbell on 2016-02-09.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he is taking to assist middle-income families with their pension planning.

    Harriett Baldwin

    The government is committed to making sure that people can access high quality, affordable, tailored advice and guidance to help them make informed financial decisions.

    The government set up Pension Wise to offer free and impartial guidance to those eligible to access the pension freedoms, to allow them to make confident, informed choices about how to use their retirement savings. The government has also extended access to the service, allowing those aged 50 and above to use guidance sessions to help them plan for their retirement. In addition, the Money Advice Service provides guides to help people improve their finances; tools and calculators to help them track and plan ahead; and offers support in person, over the phone and online.

    The government recognises that there is a potential “advice gap” for people who do not have significant wealth. The government launched the Financial Advice Market Review (FAMR), which is being led jointly by HM Treasury and the Financial Conduct Authority, to look at how best to increase the accessibility and affordability of financial advice. The government also launched the Public Financial Guidance consultation to look at how the provision of public financial guidance could be made more effective for consumers. Both FAMR and the Public Financial Guidance consultation will publish their recommendations in time for Budget 2016.

  • Gregory Campbell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Gregory Campbell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gregory Campbell on 2016-02-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what plans the armed forces have to commemorate the Battle of the Somme.

    Mark Lancaster

    The Department for Culture, Media and Sport is the lead Government Department for the Somme Centenary Commemorative Programme.

    The Ministry of Defence and Her Majesty’s Armed Forces are providing significant support to the three major events in Thiepval, London and Manchester and also providing support to a large number of other events that are being run by Regiments and other military organisations. These other events are taking place not only in France at the scene of the Battle but also in regions across the United Kingdom.

  • Gregory Campbell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Gregory Campbell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gregory Campbell on 2016-02-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what estimate she has made of the amount of wind energy that will be generated in each of the next five years.

    Andrea Leadsom

    The table below sets out total estimated wind energy generation to the nearest terawatt hour, from 2015/16 to 2020/21. These estimates include both onshore and offshore wind generation and are consistent with LCF spend projections published in November 2015 and updated renewable capacity projections, published alongside updates to the Feed in Tariff Scheme in December 2015.

    Generation (TWh)

    2015/16

    2016/17

    2017/18

    2018/19

    2019/20

    2020/21

    Total Wind

    36

    44

    53

    60

    66

    71

    Source:

    http://cdn.budgetresponsibility.independent.gov.uk/EFO_November__2015.pdf

    Breakdown of LCF spend projections up to 2020 is set out in fiscal supplementary table 2.7 at http://cdn.budgetresponsibility.independent.gov.uk/Fiscal__Supplementary__Tables_November__2015.xls;

    Updated renewable capacity projections https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/486285/20151217_Estimated_capacity_by_technology_2020-21.pdf;

    FiTs projections

    https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/consultation-on-a-review-of-the-feed-in-tariff-schemev

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  • Gregory Campbell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Gregory Campbell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gregory Campbell on 2016-02-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to measure the effectiveness of his Department’s work to tackle obesity.

    Jane Ellison

    We will be setting out a comprehensive new strategy to tackle childhood obesity in due course.

  • Gregory Campbell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Gregory Campbell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gregory Campbell on 2016-02-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many and what proportion of cars he estimates will be electric in the UK in 2020.

    Andrew Jones

    The Government wants almost every car and van in the UK to be a zero emission vehicle by 2050. This will mean that all new cars and vans should be zero emission by 2040.

    In 2013 the Government’s strategy for ultra low emission vehicles set out an expectation that ULEVs could make up 3-7% of new car sales in 2020. Uptake in this new market is difficult to predict, and depends largely on the speed with which car manufacturers make new models available.

    In the last quarter of 2015, ULEVs represented 1.3% of new car registrations in the UK. This is toward the upper end of the growth projections set out in 2013.

  • Gregory Campbell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Gregory Campbell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gregory Campbell on 2016-02-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people who are in receipt of benefits he estimates will be in full-time work after the roll-out of universal credit.

    Priti Patel

    This information can only be provided at disproportionate cost.

  • David Anderson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    David Anderson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Anderson on 2016-02-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, pursuant to the Answer of 8 February 2016 to Question 25444, whether she has made an estimate of the proportion of coal that may have been mined by children.

    Andrea Leadsom

    The majority of power station operators in the UK are members of BetterCoal, an industry-led initiative which is taking action to promote responsible coal mining and has established a set of ethical, social, and environmental principles with which companies in the supply chain are expected to align. This includes conformity with a number of International Labour Organization conventions and recommendations which aim to eradicate child labour.

  • David Anderson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    David Anderson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Anderson on 2016-02-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what proportion of the coal burnt in UK coal-fired power stations originated in the USA in the first nine months of 2015.

    Andrea Leadsom

    DECC does not hold figures on the proportion of coal burnt in UK coal-fired power stations, by country of origin. However, from January to September 2015, 16,784 thousand tonnes of steam coal (mainly used by coal-fired power stations) were imported into the UK, while coal used for electricity generation was 22,512 thousand tonnes during the same period.

    The USA provided 3,231 thousand tonnes of steam coal imports, 19% of all steam coal imports, while Russia provided 7,237 thousand tonnes (43%)

    Source:

    Energy Trends tables 2.1 and 2.4, available at:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/solid-fuels-and-derived-gases-section-2-energy-trends

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