The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2016-06-24.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will place in the Library a copy of the Rail Minister’s response to the letter of 20 June 2016 from the Chief Executive of the Campaign for Better Transport on the Thameslink, Southern and Great Northern franchise.
Claire Perry
No response has yet been issued.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Thangam Debbonaire on 2016-09-13.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what recent discussions he has had with NHS England on the future of the common cancer clinical reference groups.
David Mowat
NHS England’s National Clinical Director for Cancer, Professor Chris Harrison, has been working with the four common cancer ‘clinical reference groups’ to clarify their role within the system, especially in relation to the Clinical Reference Groups that provide advice and expertise to NHS England on the best ways that specialised services should be provided.
NHS England has decided to continue the common cancer groups as ‘clinical expert groups’ and to bring together their chairs to form a clinical steering group for the national programme, to support a pathway approach to care management and measurement.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Catherine McKinnell on 2015-11-16.
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what discussions she has had with ministerial colleagues on a cross-departmental approach to moving to low carbon energy sources.
Andrea Leadsom
Working across departments is essential in order to move to low carbon energy sources and deliver our carbon commitments. There is already a great deal of work going on because we recognise that the challenges and opportunities we face require the whole of Government to work together.
For example, we are cutting emissions, driving innovation and creating jobs through our joint work with the Department of Transport to promote low emissions vehicles.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Stephens on 2015-12-09.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what his plans are for the Government’s 49 per cent stake in NATS; and if he will make a statement.
Mr Robert Goodwill
The Government is currently committed to exploring the sale of its 49% shareholding in NATS and maximising returns to the taxpayer.
We have not yet set a timetable for the sale.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gloria De Piero on 2016-01-19.
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what proportion of people removed from the electoral register since December 2015 are (a) men and (b) women.
John Penrose
The electoral registers used for the 2015 General Election contained over 400,000 more entries than the last registers published prior to the introduction of Individual Electoral Registration (IER). As such, suggestions that IER would lead to a decline in registration levels were simply incorrect.
While data is not available on the number of non-IER registered electors who voted at the 2015 General Election, the Electoral Commission found 96% of the entries on the electoral register in May 2015 were already registered under IER.
The Electoral Commission is planning to publish a report in February/March 2016 on the state of the December 2015 registers. This is expected to include data on the number of register entries and on the number of remaining non-IER registered entries removed in December.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ms Margaret Ritchie on 2016-02-11.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what estimate he has made of the number of attacks on Christian places of worship in Israel in each of the last three years.
Mr Tobias Ellwood
The ‘Registry of Attacks on Holy Sites in the Holy Land’ has listed 22 cases of vandalism and arson on Christian places of worship in Israel and the West Bank since February 2013, most recently vandalism against the Dormition Abbey compound on 17 January. We condemn all such attacks.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord McKenzie of Luton on 2016-03-02.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to improve health and safety risk management skills in the construction sector.
Baroness Neville-Rolfe
Government’s role in Health and Safety is to set the framework in which companies have to operate. The Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 sets out general duties that employers owe to their employees. This is supplemented by more tailored regulations embodying the requirement to assess risks and identify measures required to deal with them. These include the Construction Design and Management Regulations 2015, which integrate health and safety into the management of construction projects throughout the entire supply chain.
In addition to the general framework for health and safety law, the Health and Safety Executive regulates health and safety in hazardous industries, including construction, through the use of permissioning regimes. These regimes include those set out in the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012.
Safety requirements for the sector are established by construction employers and representative bodies. Many of the requirements are embedded in qualifications, training courses and basic health and safety tests required by the sector to obtain skills cards, such as the Construction Skills Certification Scheme. Courses such as the Site Supervisors’ Safety Training Scheme are endorsed by Build UK as the standard training for all supervisors working on member sites.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Holly Lynch on 2016-04-11.
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to his Written Statement of 11 February 2016, HCWS540, on HM Courts and Tribunals Service estate, whether his Department’s plans for updating the technology of that estate have been revised following that announcement of additional court closures; and if he will publish his plans for technology investments in the Calderdale Local Justice area over the next four years.
Mr Shailesh Vara
The overall investment plans have not been changed following the recent announcements of court closures. No new technology equipment will be installed into courts that are now planned to close.
In regards to the Calderdale local justice area, the HMCTS Reform programme is designed to deliver an improved service nationwide. There is no intention to publish plans specifically for technology investments in the Calderdale Local Justice area.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Emily Thornberry on 2016-05-18.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many personnel from each branch of the armed forces took part in cold weather training in each of the last six years.
Penny Mordaunt
The UK Armed Forces conduct a wide range of training to operate in cold weather environments. Information on the full range of activities is not held centrally in the format requested and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Michelle Donelan on 2016-06-20.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing incentives to encourage householders to have outdoor charging points provided at their premises to encourage the uptake of electric cars.
Anna Soubry
The Government already offers grants of up to £500 towards the cost of installing a chargepoint at home, through the Electric Vehicle Homecharge Scheme. All available evidence suggests that electric vehicle drivers prefer to charge at home and at work. Reducing the cost of homecharging removes a potential barrier to uptake and allows owners to charge conveniently and at low cost. Dedicated home chargepoints will also play an important role in the smarter, more dynamic charging and electricity grid.