The below Parliamentary question was asked by Michael Dugher on 2016-02-23.
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what the level of installed capacity was for (a) wind and (b) solar energy in Yorkshire and the Humber in each of the last 10 years.
Andrea Leadsom
The level of installed capacity for wind and solar PV in Yorkshire and the Humber, for the ten years to 2014, is given in the attached table. Data for 2015 will be available on 29 September, 2016.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Shinkwin on 2016-03-21.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact that the UK National Screening Council’s review of cell-free DNA testing has had, and will have, on the community of people with Down’s syndrome; and in particular, the impact of cost per trisomy detected” being listed as an important factor to consider in their economic analysis.”
Lord Prior of Brampton
There is a long established NHS Fetal Anomaly Screening Programme (NHS FASP) that prospective parents can choose whether to participate in. The UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC) recommendation on non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT) does not change the choices available to prospective parents within the programme therefore no assessment has been made.
The UK NSC announced its recommendation that NIPT should be introduced as an additional test into NHS FASP as part of an evaluation. The recommendation was not based on cost per trisomy but on the basis that NIPT is much more accurate than the current testing used in screening and can substantially reduce the number of pregnant women going on to have an invasive test, which itself carries a risk of miscarriage. The economic model reviewed by the UK NSC suggested that NIPT initially offered to women with a chance of greater than 1 in 150 of carrying a fetus with a trisomy would result in 9,912 NIPT tests being carried out, and 350 retests would be required. As a result of the NIPT testing, the number of invasive tests would fall from 7,910 to 1,434. The majority of invasive tests avoided are in trisomy free pregnancies, so that the number of test related miscarriage of healthy pregnancies would subsequently fall from 46 to three per year.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kirsten Oswald on 2016-04-25.
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what the cost is of closing the Green Deal Finance Company in (a) payments to consultants and (b) other costs.
Andrea Leadsom
DECC has made no payments to consultants in establishing the Green Deal Finance Company, but in other costs payments of £10,294.26 in legal support were made in 2014/15.
The Green Deal Finance Company has not been closed. It is not currently issuing new loans, but continues to collect repayments from its existing loan book. In July 2015, DECC took the decision that the case for further investment was not strong enough in terms of value for money. This decision has no impact on existing Green Deal Finance Plans or existing Green Deal Home Improvement Fund applications and vouchers.
The Green Deal Finance Company is a private company and has its own internal costs which are not included in this estimate.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Margaret Ritchie on 2016-05-25.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that NHS England’s new prioritisation framework for making decisions on investment in specialised services will be aligned with the recommendations of the accelerated access review.
George Freeman
The Accelerated Access Review team has been working closely with colleagues across NHS England, including the specialised commissioning team to ensure that policy is aligned.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Judith Cummins on 2016-07-21.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people have had their payment of employment and support allowance suspended whilst waiting for a work capability assessment to be completed in Bradford South constituency in each of the last three years.
Penny Mordaunt
Information on Employment and Support Allowance, outcomes of Work Capability Assessments and Mandatory Reconsiderations are published at https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-work-pensions/about/statistics.
Constituency level information is not readily available and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.
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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Laird on 2016-10-10.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government in what way the Northern Ireland Parades Commission meets international treaty obligations on human rights.
Lord Dunlop
The duties and functions of the Northern Ireland Parades Commission are set out in the Public Processions (NI) Act 1998. The Act is compliant with international treaty obligations on human rights.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Cat Smith on 2015-11-18.
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what support is being provided to refugees currently on the island of Lesbos.
Mr Desmond Swayne
The UK has so far provided around £4.5 million to partners working in Greece, many of which are active on Lesbos. This includes supporting the Red Cross for assistance and emergency first aid to refugees and migrants arriving on the beaches. We are also providing assistance to the IOM and UNHCR who are delivering essential coordination, reception and registration support, as well as direct physical assistance.
It is right that the vast majority of our support goes to the region, our support is helping to build long term stability and resilience to help refugees build a life in neighbouring countries and prevent them falling prey to people smugglers and traffickers. For this reason, the UK has been at the forefront of the response to the crisis in Syria and the region. The UK has pledged over £1.1 billion to date, our largest ever humanitarian response to a single crisis. We are the second largest bilateral donor after the US and have done more than any other European country.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rushanara Ali on 2015-11-24.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what proportion of the Syrian resettlement scheme is funded through (a) Official Development Assistance and (b) funds from the EU.
Richard Harrington
All of the first year costs of the Syrian Resettlement Scheme are funded through Official Development Assistance. None of the costs are currently met using EU funding.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gregory Campbell on 2016-01-05.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps are being taken to ensure the maximum number of people meet the 31 January 2016 deadline for providing their tax returns.
Mr David Gauke
The vast majority of Self Assessment customers complete their returns on time (92% last year).
This year, HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is sending millions of targeted emails and texts to remind customers to submit their return by 31 January, for instance to customers who missed the deadline last year or those who are new to Self Assessment. Alongside this, HMRC is running a national marketing campaign to remind customers of the 31 January deadline. Support is available to those who need it as HMRC is putting hundreds of extra people on its helplines during this very busy period, and has introduced new support channels like webchat and online video guidance.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Liz McInnes on 2016-01-26.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when meetings have taken place between the Rail North board and his Department in the last six months; and what the subject of those meetings was.
Andrew Jones
On 21st December 2015, a meeting took place between Rail North Ltd Directors and the Department at which the two Project Directors presented the outcome of the Northern and TransPennine Express franchise competitions.