Category: Speeches

  • Chris Stephens – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Chris Stephens – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Stephens on 2016-03-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the preparedness is of the Animal and Plant Health Agency to react to and control a potential future animal health outbreak similar in scale to the foot and mouth outbreak of 2001.

    George Eustice

    The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA), compiles the UK contingency plan for exotic notifiable disease that sits above plans designed by Defra and the Scottish, Welsh and Northern Ireland Governments.

    These are key documents that describe the strategic, tactical and operational responses required to any incursion of exotic notifiable disease, such as foot and mouth disease. These plans are complemented by specific GB disease control strategies and APHA work with the Government Departments in each administration to produce the necessary operational instructions.

    To ensure the plans and instructions are fit for purpose, the UK runs a national animal disease exercise roughly every other year on various exotic diseases and we regularly include foot and mouth disease in those exercises.

    The next national exercise will be in June 2018 and will be based on a foot and mouth disease scenario.

    APHA also create and manage an annual programme of regional or country exercises designed to identify best practice and any gaps in existing plans or procedures. They also run table-top exercises for APHA’s policy customers to identify issues that may arise from new and emerging threats such as African Horse Sickness.

  • Jim Fitzpatrick – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Jim Fitzpatrick – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Fitzpatrick on 2016-05-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 12 January 2016 to Question 20722, what assessment he has made of the accuracy of the published industry estimates used to formulate the announcement about the motor insurance industry in the Autumn Statement 2015.

    Dominic Raab

    The Government received data from numerous sources, and the industry estimates do not differ significantly from other available figures.

    The Government will continue to work with a wide range of stakeholders in taking forward the new reforms and will consult on the detail in due course. The consultation will be accompanied by an impact assessment.

  • Derek Thomas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Derek Thomas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Derek Thomas on 2016-06-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to improve GP access to natriuretic peptide testing.

    Jane Ellison

    NHS England is working with key partners to ensure better co-ordination and integration of all services with the aim of delivering person-centred and coordinated care which is tailored to the needs and preferences of the individual, their carer and family.

    Specifically on heart failure, NHS England is working with Health Education England to look at ways of improving the provision of and increase access to echocardiography, which is used for the diagnosis of heart failure.

    NHS England has also established a best practice tariff for acute heart failure. This aims to encourage better practice in the caring for heart failure patients. In addition, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has published quality standards for acute heart failure and chronic heart failure, which can be found at:

    https://www.nice.org.uk/Guidance/QS9

    https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/qs103

    NHS England expects commissioners and providers to take account of quality standards in the services that are delivered to patients.

    The use of natriuretic peptides in diagnosing heart failure is widely understood and pathology laboratories are used to measuring them. The NICE’s guidance on acute heart failure and chronic heart failure both cover the use of natriuretic peptides. This guidance can be found at:

    https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/cg108

    https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/cg187

    The NICE has also developed a commissioning toolkit for the use of natriuretic peptides assessment in primary care for suspected heart failure:

    https://www.nice.org.uk/sharedlearning/a-commissioning-toolkit-for-use-of-natriuretic-peptide-assessment-for-suspected-heart-failure-in-primary-care

    “

  • Deidre Brock – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

    Deidre Brock – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Deidre Brock on 2016-09-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what his policy is on devolving power to the Scottish Government to seek on behalf of Scottish institutions continued participation in the European Research Council after the UK leaves the EU.

    Joseph Johnson

    The nature of the relationship between UK institutions and the European Research Council will be a matter for future discussions. The Government is determined to ensure that the UK continues to play a leading role in European and international research and innovation and is committed to working with the Scottish Government and the other devolved administrations to achieve this aim.

  • Robert Flello – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Robert Flello – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Robert Flello on 2016-10-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what system is available to the Driver Vehicle Standards Agency to ensure compliance with cabotage regulations.

    Andrew Jones

    The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) ensures compliance with the cabotage regulations by carrying out roadside checks, which are conducted by DVSA enforcement examiners.

  • David Anderson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    David Anderson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Anderson on 2015-11-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, pursuant to the Answer of 29 June 2015 to Question 3036, whether the estimated reduction in household bills in 2030 indicated in that Answer has changed to take into account the deal on nuclear new build with the Chinese government.

    Andrea Leadsom

    We currently estimate that a new nuclear programme could reduce average household bills by up to around £30 (real 2012 prices) in 2030. This is calculated by comparing the costs for consumers in a modelled scenario for the future electricity mix with Hinkley Point C and a further roll out of the new nuclear programme with the cost for consumers in a scenario where there are no new nuclear power stations by 2030. Savings could be higher or lower depending on changes in the cost of alternative generation technologies and what mix of technologies would ultimately be used. Earlier analysis had identified a higher saving, but other low carbon energy technologies have become far more cost competitive which has brought down the cost.

  • Nigel Dodds – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    Nigel Dodds – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nigel Dodds on 2015-12-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what discussions she has had with (a) the NI Executive, (b) business leaders, (c) third sector representatives on the potential effects of the UK leaving the EU.

    Mr Ben Wallace

    The Government is focused on delivering a successful renegotiation: it believes it can and will succeed in reforming and renegotiating our relationship with the EU and campaigning to keep the UK in the EU on that basis.

    I meet regularly with NI Executive Ministers, business leaders and third sector representatives to discuss a range of issues and will continue to do so.

  • Richard Burden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Richard Burden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2016-01-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many applicants there were to the Advanced Biofuel Demonstration Competition; how many such applicants were successful; and what funding under what structure each successful applicant received.

    Andrew Jones

    There were 17 expressions of interest applications in phase 1 of the Advanced Biofuels Demonstration Competition, of which six projects were shortlisted and invited to submit a phase 2 application.

    Three winning projects were offered the following grants alongside significant private sector investment. Grant instalments will be paid subject to various conditions and the achievement of specified milestones:

    • Advanced Plasma Power Ltd (Go Green Fuels) [Swindon]: £11 million to upscale the production of advanced biofuels from household waste
    • Celtic Renewables Ltd [Edinburgh]: £11 million to expand the production of advanced biofuels from scotch whisky residues
    • Nova Pangaea Technologies Ltd [Teeside]: £3 million to develop the process of producing advanced biofuels from forestry biomass (plant matter).

  • Norman Lamb – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Norman Lamb – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Norman Lamb on 2016-02-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many young people aged 17 or under of each age were sectioned under the Mental Health Act in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available.

    Alistair Burt

    The National Police Chiefs Council has reported figures on the number of children held in police custody as a place of safety under section 136 of the Mental Health Act for only three years. These were as follows:

    2012-13 256 255;

    2013-14 161 256; and

    2014-15 145 161.

    Data on children and young people sectioned under other sections of the Mental Health Act are not available centrally.

    “

  • Christopher Chope – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Christopher Chope – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Christopher Chope on 2016-02-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 22 February 2016 to Question 27179, whether the requirement in the Lisbon Treaty that the EU shall accede to the European Convention on Human Rights is legally enforceable.

    Dominic Raab

    The Prime Minister told the house on 3 February that the Governments position is that the EU should not join the European Convention on Human Rights. We are committed in our manifesto to change Britain’s relationship with respect to the European Court of Human Rights through our own British Bill of Rights. We shall be coming up with proposals for that shortly.