The below Parliamentary question was asked by Greg Knight on 2016-10-19.
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answer of 18 October 2016 to Question 48050, if her Department will make representations to Ofcom on introducing a cap on the amount of spectrum each mobile operator can hold.
Matt Hancock
Ofcom is still considering the rules for the forthcoming auction. We will await their findings.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kate Green on 2015-11-06.
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to implement the family test.
Brandon Lewis
Officials in my Department have liaised with the Department for Work and Pensions as the lead Department for the Family Test to embed it into the policy process. This has included training officials on applying the Test and disseminating relevant evidence, learning materials and best practice.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Barry Sheerman on 2015-12-08.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much his Department has invested in cycling in each of the last three years.
Mr Robert Goodwill
In the last three years, the Department for Transport (DfT)’s budgets for cycling programmes were:
|
DfT budgets: (million) |
2012-13 |
2013-14 |
2014-15 |
|
Cycle-Rail |
£7.0 |
£7.5 |
|
|
Bikeability |
£11.7 |
£11.7 |
£11.7 |
|
Junction safety |
£30.0 |
£5.0 |
|
|
Linking Communities |
£8.0 |
£7.5 |
|
|
Cycling Ambition – Cities/National Parks |
£46.6 |
£46.6 |
|
|
Highways Agency |
£4.8 |
||
|
LSTF- Cycling |
£37.8 |
£37.8 |
£37.8 |
|
Total DfT |
£94.5 |
£120.9 |
£96.1 |
In 2014-15, the Department’s dedicated cycling programmes were Bikeability, Cycle Ambition Cities, Cycling in National Parks and the Highways Agency’s cycling programme. The Department funds cycling programmes through the Local Sustainable Transport Fund, with around 28% of the LSTF being spent on cycling. The Department secures a range of match funding contributions from local authorities for these programmes: the LSTF secured 99% match funding.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Tunnicliffe on 2016-01-18.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, for each year since 2010, what assessment they have made of the percentage of clients who, once they have received debt management advice and successfully proceeded to implementation, have required further debt management advice in the same financial year.
Lord O’Neill of Gatley
These questions have been passed on to the Money Advice Service (MAS). MAS will reply to directly to the Noble Lord by letter. A copy of the letter will be placed in the Library of the House.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nigel Evans on 2016-02-04.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the effect on that region of recent violence in Israel and the West Bank.
Mr Tobias Ellwood
We are deeply concerned by the recent violence in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories. Since the start of the current violence, Ministers and officials have spoken regularly to both the Israeli government and the Palestinian Authority on the urgent need to de-escalate the tensions. We understand, and share, the deep frustration on all sides at the lack of progress on the Middle East Peace Process. The current violence underlines that a just and lasting resolution that ends the occupation and delivers peace for both Israelis and Palestinians is long overdue.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Crawley on 2016-03-01.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to help liberate Yazidi women currently being held in captivity in Iraq and Syria by Islamic State.
Baroness Anelay of St Johns
The Government agrees that there is an urgent need to protect civilians in Syria and Iraq and recognises the plight faced by vulnerable women and girls in the region.
Ultimately, the only way to protect civilians, including Yazidi women from Daesh is by defeating this terrible organisation, which in turn requires, amongst other things, ending the conflict in Syria. The UK has been at the forefront of these efforts and plays a leading role in a Global Coalition of 66 countries and international organisations to respond to Daesh’s inhumanity.
The Prime Minister, my right hon. Friend the Member for Witney (Mr Cameron), set out the Government’s comprehensive strategy for dealing with Daesh and the conflict in Syria in his response to the Foreign Affairs Committee on 26 November 2015.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Julie Cooper on 2016-04-08.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many projects in Lancashire have been funded directly under the Northern Powerhouse initiative.
Greg Hands
The Northern Powerhouse is creating a single Northern economy that is greater than the sum of its parts. Lancashire will benefit from pan-Northern projects including the Northern Powerhouse Schools Strategy, Shale Wealth Fund, Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund and membership of Transport for the North. Lancashire will directly benefit from investments including a £251.11m growth deal, two Enterprise Zones, a National College for Onshore Oil and Gas at Blackpool, £56,000 for the refurbishment of the Muni theatre in Pendle and numerous transport schemes. Government does not hold information on the specific number of projects in Lancashire.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Madeleine Moon on 2016-05-03.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions his Department has had with the Russian Ambassador on the health of Vladimir Bukovsky; and if he will make a statement.
Mr David Lidington
There have been no discussions between the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Russian Ambassador about Mr Bukovsky’s health.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sarah Wollaston on 2016-06-15.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what recent assessment his Department has made of the barriers that prevent women from attending cervical screening.
Jane Ellison
There is a range of work going on to understand the reasons for the decline in cervical screening uptake amongst women aged 25 to 29 and to try to address them. They include:
a) Data and information – access to data, cleansing, benchmarking for providers, timely and useful information for commissioners;
b) Behavioural insight – communication with commissioners, providers, patients and public;
c) Commissioning levers – commissioning contracts in public health (S7a) and primary care;
d) Partnership work – relationships with commissioners and providers; and
e) Sharing best practice – what works well, evaluation and how to embed quality improvement
Public Health England (PHE) is working with colleagues in NHS England and Health and Social Care Information Centre to implement the Accessible Information Standard which is intended to improve access to services for vulnerable and disadvantaged groups. Through the re-development of cervical Information Technology systems opportunities will arise to review how to help improve uptake.
PHE supports providers to help meet the Accessible Information Standard through the provision of high quality information for people with learning disabilities or sensory loss. A national group of experts and service users has been set up to oversee this work and will be updating the existing easy read leaflets and developing new materials over the next 18 months.
PHE is aware that there are a range of factors which may act as barriers in hindering women from attending cervical screening. It is hoped that through the STRATEGIC (Strategies to Increase Cervical screening uptake at first invitation) interventions will be identified to help minimise barriers and assist women to attend screening whilst increasing uptake across all quintiles. The STRATEGIC trial was completed in 2015 and researchers are expected to publish findings later this year.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Blenkinsop on 2016-09-12.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will ask the Foods Standards Agency to review the licence granted for BHM Food Group Ltd to operate an abattoir in Boosbeck.
Nicola Blackwood
BHM Food Group Ltd are no longer approved to operate as a slaughterhouse. They remain conditionally approved as a cutting plant and minced meat establishment. A third and final approval assessment will be conducted by 11 November 2016 to check their compliance against all relevant requirements of food law. If they have not met all these requirements their application for full approval will be refused.
The Food Standards Agency is aware of concerns raised by local residents regarding the environmental impact of a slaughterhouse sited within the village of Boosbeck. However, the Agency is not the competent authority for environmental hygiene matters which inform planning consent. Both of these roles (Environmental Health and Planning) are fulfilled by the local authority.