Category: Speeches

Mrs Louise Ellman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mrs Louise Ellman on 2016-01-15.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many vehicles (a) underwent and (b) failed in-service emissions tests conducted by the (i) Vehicle Certification Agency and (ii) Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency in each of the last 10 years.

Andrew Jones

The figures below show how many vehicles and models the VCA has tested for in-service emissions and those that failed those in-service emissions tests.

	(a) Number of vehicles tested (figures in brackets are the number of models tested)	(b) Number of vehicles failed-in service emissions (figures in brackets are the number of model failures)
2005 / 2006	38 (13)	18 (1)
2006 / 2007	35 (8)	17 (0)
2007 / 2008	35 (10)	7 (0)
2008 / 2009	45 (10)	21 (1)
2009 / 2010	44 (10)	17 (0)
2010 / 2011	30 (10)	7 (0)

Overall from 2005/06 to 2010/11, 227 individual tests were completed (76 Petrol, 151 Diesel) and 87 vehicles failed to achieve a pass for all pollutants (14 Petrol, 73 Diesel).However, it should be noted that the pass / fail criteria involved a statistical process looking at the average of the vehicle tests carried out. This generally involved a minimum of 3 tests, but any individual failures resulted in more vehicles being tested. Using this process, there were 2 Model Failures (1 Petrol and 1 Diesel).

Following the work in 2010-2011, the focus of the VCA’s emissions testing changed to consider aftermarket alteration of vehicles, both light and heavy duty.

The figures below show how many vehicles the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) has tested and those that failed in-service emissions tests. In-service emissions testing is interpreted to refer to emissions testing through the MOT service. DVSA does not hold figures for 2005/06.

Car and light Goods vehicles up to 3000kg – DVSA

Financial Year	Tests	Emission Failures
2006/07	26,299,000	771,696
2007/08	24,912,548	809,498
2008/09	25,537,682	791,818
2009/10	26,047,520	766,371
2010/11	26,637,490	734,246
2011/12	26,827,367	710,877
2012/13	26,872,425	656,279
2013/14	27,481,013	641,477
2014/15	27,669,148	607,400

Light goods vehicles between 3000 up to 3500kg – DVSA

Financial Year	Tests	Emission Failures
2006/07	522,875	11,902
2007/08	520,682	11,329
2008/09	541,307	10,415
2009/10	563,829	9,424
2010/11	602,080	8,702
2011/12	608,144	8,965
2012/13	587,779	7,731
2013/14	601,942	8,004
2014/15	616,126	8,308

01/01/2023

Andy Slaughter – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andy Slaughter on 2016-02-09.

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many prisoners complained about an attack by rats in the last five years.

Andrew Selous

This information is not held centrally.

01/01/2023
Charlotte Leslie – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Charlotte Leslie on 2016-03-07.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate he has made of the (a) cost to GPs of and (b) average time taken per week by GPs for administration of the new Capita patient note transfer system.

Alistair Burt

Capita are improving the process for moving medical records between general practitioner (GP) practices. The changes will ensure that records can be fully tracked and traced through the movement process, to both increase the security of the record in transit and reduce the frustration for GP practices of waiting for records to arrive and not knowing where they are.

The service will continue to be provided to GPs for free.

In designing the new solution, Capita have engaged with GP practices via a stakeholder forum, user panels, observational studies and a National Engagement Team.

The user panels and observational studies have included consideration of any additional time taken to place medical records in secure pouches for transit. This needs to be considered against the time savings that GPs will make by no longer needing to chase records for which they are waiting, since they will be able to track these on the Capita system. Although we do not have a precise estimate, the studies indicate the new process takes a few seconds per record.

A national simulation was successfully completed during February 2016, and a live pilot is being undertaken in the West Yorkshire area during March 2016 to further test the solution ahead of national rollout.

01/01/2023
Mary Glindon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mary Glindon on 2016-04-08.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what safeguards are in place for HM Passport Offices which use local government buildings to conduct remote first time passport interviews to ensure the continuity of that service if those buildings are vacated by that local government.

James Brokenshire

The relationship of Her Majesty’s Passport Office with the local provider of the accommodation for remote interviews is managed through a Memorandum Of Understanding (MOU) which sets out the rights and responsibilities of both parties. Any changes to this MOU are discussed and agreed by both parties. Her Majesty’s Passport Office is not limited to working with Local Authorities.

01/01/2023
Nicholas Soames – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicholas Soames on 2016-05-09.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what recent representations he has received from care home operators in West Sussex about their future financial viability.

Alistair Burt

The Government continues to engage with the care sector, including care providers, to understand their concerns about their financial viability and the sustainability of services.

The trade bodies Care England and the United Kingdom Home Care Association have convened a provider Taskforce, with membership from the larger care home and home care operators and representatives from the Care Providers Alliance. Officials from the Department of Health, and other Government departments attend the taskforce meetings as observers. The most recent meeting was held on 9 May 2016, where discussions were held about risks to financial viability, local authority commissioning and the impact of the introduction of the National Living Wage.

The Department is working closely with the Local Government Association to consider targeted action to address the issues.

The Department is not aware of any specific representations from care home providers in West Sussex about their future financial viability.

01/01/2023
John Healey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Healey on 2016-06-28.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if he will set out the (a) number, (b) nature, (c) date of and (d) grounds of decisions Ministers in his Department have made to disagree with local authority proposals for housing development in their areas since 2010.

Brandon Lewis

The Planning Inspectorate published statistics can be found at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/planning-inspectorate-statistics

and covers volumes relating to the questions raised.

“

01/01/2023
Ian Austin – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Austin on 2016-09-08.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the role of Gaelic language broadcasting in delivering the BBC’s commitment to public service broadcasting.

Matt Hancock

During the BBC Charter Review public consultation we have listened to views across a range of issues in relation to the BBC, including Gaelic language broadcasting.

There is a successful partnership between the BBC and MG Alba for the delivery of Gaelic language broadcasting. The White Paper, published in May 2016, sets out the Government’s intention to require maintain a commitment to minority language broadcasting through the new Charter.

The level of funding dedicated to BBC ALBA and the number of hours of in-house Gaelic language programming broadcast are matters for the BBC Board to consider when fulfilling this requirement under the new Charter.

01/01/2023
Christopher Chope – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Christopher Chope on 2015-10-28.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if she will make finances available from her Department’s budget to fund payments owed by the Zimbabwean government for former employees of the Southern Rhodesian government until such time as the Zimbabwean government is able to meet its legal commitment to those employees.

Grant Shapps

The government sympathise with the plight of those former public servants who are entitled to a Zimbabwe government pension. For years there have been problems with late payment or non-payment of pensions, and the benefits have been severely eroded. Officials from the FCO, and the British Embassy in Harare last raised Pensions with the Zimbabwean government in September.

As acknowledged by the OSPA, the responsibility for payment of these pensions rests squarely with the Zimbabwean government. The UK does not have any legal obligation or responsibility for the pensions of Zimbabwe former public service workers. This is because since 1923, the former Southern Rhodesia’s civil and public servants have been appointed on local terms.

Zimbabwe public service pensioners do not qualify for the payment of overseas pensions.

01/01/2023
Mark Durkan – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Durkan on 2015-11-24.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, if he will make an assessment of the implications for his policies of the finding in the report, The future potential economic impacts of a bio-plastics industry in the UK, published by the Bio-based and Biodegradable Industries Association in October 2015, that, given the correct legislative environment, a UK bioplastics industry could support 35,000 jobs and contribute £1.9 billion to the economy.

Joseph Johnson

I note the report by the Bio-based and Biodegradable Industries Association into the future potential impacts of a bio-plastics industry in the UK.

The Government delivers a range of policies across the business landscape – including research funding and innovation – that will be helpful in supporting the development of this sector. At the recent Autumn Statement, it was confirmed that science funding of £4.7 billion will be protected in real terms over the Parliament, and we will protect the Catapult network to support innovative firms and sectors.

01/01/2023
Luciana Berger – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Luciana Berger on 2015-12-10.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to improve the mental health of young carers and young adult carers as part of the Future in Mind policy.

Alistair Burt

We recognise that young carers may have particular vulnerabilities and are more likely to develop mental health problems because they fulfil that caregiver role.

That is why the local transformation planning process, currently being implemented by every clinical commissioning group across England, will be so important. Local Transformation Plans establish an integrated whole system approach to driving the improvements children and young people want, with the NHS, public health, voluntary and community, local authority children’s services, education and youth justice sectors working together to provide improved support to those children and young people who have a mental health need or who as a young carer might be more likely to develop a mental health need.

01/01/2023