The below Parliamentary question was asked by Grant Shapps on 2016-10-17.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether his Department plans to continue sending aid to Turkey after the UK leaves the EU.
Sir Alan Duncan
The UK will remain engaged internationally beyond our EU exit, building on our regional relationships to deliver stability and security. We will determine what our departure from the EU means for wider budgets at the appropriate time.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Stephenson on 2015-11-04.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what assessment his Department has made of the ability of the UK aerospace industry to meet demand for new aircraft over the next 15 years.
Anna Soubry
The latest Airbus Global Market Forecast identifies a need for more than 32,500 new large passenger and freighter aircraft, worth a total of $4.9trillion by 2034. In addition, there is an estimated requirement for 24,000 new business jets, 5,800 regional aircraft and 40,000 helicopters by 2032, worth around $500bn. (Source: ADS)
The Government is working with the UK aerospace industry, through the Aerospace Growth Partnership, to ensure the UK sector has the capability and capacity to secure maximum benefit from this growth opportunity. A range of industry-led action is under way, supported where appropriate by Government, to increase the productivity and competitiveness of UK suppliers; and develop the product and manufacturing technologies required to meet future market demands.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jonathan Ashworth on 2015-12-02.
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, on how many occasions a special adviser in his Department accompanied a Minister on an overseas trip since May 2015.
Stephen Crabb
There are no instances in which a Wales Office Special Advisor has accompanied a Minister on an overseas trip since May 2015.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gareth Thomas on 2016-01-08.
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps she is taking to encourage investment in infrastructure in the north and east of Sri Lanka; and if she will make a statement.
Mr Desmond Swayne
DFID does not have a bilateral programme with Sri Lanka. However, the UK continues to provide assistance through a share of its contributions to multilaterals working in Sri Lanka, such as the Asian Development Bank (ADB). Inclusive growth is a major thrust of the ADB’s Sri Lanka strategy, with projects that support investment in infrastructure in the north and east of the country, as well as elsewhere.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-02-02.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions he has had with the Royal Colleges on research showing that e-cigarettes can cause cardiac damage.
Jane Ellison
There have been no such discussions.
The Department recognise that e-cigarettes can help smokers quit, and in August 2015, Public Health England published a review of the evidence, which concluded that they are significantly less harmful to health than cigarettes.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ben Bradshaw on 2016-02-23.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how long the review on blood donations by the Advisory Committee on the Safety of Blood, Tissues and Organs is expected to take.
Jane Ellison
The Advisory Committee on the Safety of Blood Tissues and Organs (SaBTO) is carrying out a review of blood donor selection criteria. Currently a working group is being formed. The process will fully involve stakeholders, similar to the previous 2011 SaBTO review, and contacting stakeholders inviting their contribution to the review will begin imminently. The terms of reference will include input from stakeholders and be published once approved by SaBTO which will be at their next meeting. The review will be holistic and evidence relating to the risks of blood-borne infections in people who have previously injected drugs or received money or drugs for sex will be included. The review will be incremental, with published progress reports and any intermediate advice.
It is anticipated that the group will publish its final report in 2017.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kelvin Hopkins on 2016-03-22.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she plans to publish her Department’s proposals on repealing or amending Section 24 of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986.
Karen Bradley
The Government intends to publish its intentions about the review of Section 24 of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 shortly.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Tyrie on 2016-04-26.
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment his Department has made of the potential effect of closing the Chichester Combined Court Centre and Chichester Magistrates’ Court on the work of (a) Chichester constabulary, (b) Chichester District Council and (c) other local services.
Mr Shailesh Vara
All responses to the consultation were carefully considered before the decision was made to close the courts in Chichester. This included evaluating the impact on the police, the District Council and other local services. In recognition of the particular circumstances of court users in Chichester, the Combined Court Centre will not close until suitable local alternative provision is in place.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Karin Smyth on 2016-06-03.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, with reference to the higher education entry rate data, published in December 2015, what steps his Department is taking to increase the rate of entry to university from young people in (a) Bristol South constituency and (b) other areas that have a low rate of university entry.
Joseph Johnson
The Government is committed to ensuring that everyone with the potential has the opportunity to benefit from higher education, irrespective of their background.
In the last academic year we saw record entry rates to higher education, including among those from disadvantaged backgrounds.
Since 2010, we have established a stronger framework, with increased responsibility placed on higher education institutions to widen participation. The Director of Fair Access has agreed 183 Access Agreements for 2016/17 containing an estimated £745m to support students from disadvantaged backgrounds – up from £404m in 2009/10.
In addition, we will take steps through the Higher Education and Research Bill to widen access and participation further. This will include strengthening the system of access agreements, and introducing new transparency duties on higher education institutions. We have also asked Universities UK to form a Social Mobility Advisory Group to set out what further steps the higher education sector itself can take to promote social mobility.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by MiDavies on 2016-09-02.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the use of air quality management areas by local authorities.
Dr Thérèse Coffey
Air quality has improved significantly in recent decades and we are working at local, national and international levels to continue those improvements. The UK currently meets legal limits for almost all pollutants; however, reducing levels for nitrogen dioxide (NO2) remains the most challenging.
Local authorities (LAs) have opportunities to improve air quality for the protection of public health and the environment through decisions they make on land use planning, permitting, roads and air quality management areas (AQMAs).
Across the UK, 259 LAs declared 715 AQMAs since 1999. Most AQMAs in the UK are in urban areas and have been established to address the contribution to air pollution from traffic emissions of NO2 or particulate matter (PM10). Details of the current AQMAs declared by LAs, broken down by region and pollutant, are set out in the table below.
|
Region |
Total LAs |
Number of LAs with AQMAs |
For NO2 |
For PM10 |
For SO2 |
|
England (outside London) |
294 |
193 |
497 |
38 |
6 |
|
London |
33 |
33 |
33 |
29 |
0 |
|
Scotland |
32 |
14 |
25 |
21 |
1 |
|
Wales |
22 |
10 |
37 |
1 |
0 |
|
N. Ireland |
11 |
9 |
20 |
7 |
0 |
|
TOTAL |
393 |
259 |
612 |
96 |
7 |