The below Parliamentary question was asked by Christopher Chope on 2015-10-16.
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the estimated cost to the public purse is of the examination into the planning consent application for the Navitus Bay Wind Park under the Planning Act 2008.
James Wharton
The net cost to the Planning Inspectorate and the fees paid by Navitus Bay Development Ltd for examining the Navitus Bay Wind Park application is estimated to be £430,000.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jamie Reed on 2015-10-16.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment his Department has made of the effect on the morale of junior doctors of proposed changes to their employment contracts.
Ben Gummer
Staff morale including junior doctors is measured annually through the National Health Service Staff Survey using staff engagement scores.
A contract proposal has not yet been made in relation to junior doctors. My Rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State wrote to the Chair of the Junior Doctor’s Committee Dr Johann Malawana on 8 October providingfour cast iron guarantees on contract reform. He said that he was not seeking to make savings from the pay bill, he wished to have a contract that improves patient safety, that reduces not increases the number of hours junior doctors work each week and which ensures that in future the great majority of doctors will be at least as well paid as now. In particular, he referenced negotiations with the British Medical Association (BMA) consultants committee to make sure there is proper consultant cover at weekends so junior doctors are better supported. He also wanted Health Education England and the Royal Colleges to continue working with the BMA and NHS Employers to look at how the training experience can be improved more generally for juniors to better support work life balance including leave arrangements and recognising that juniors often have family responsibilities and choose to work part time. He asked the Junior Doctor’s Committee to re-enter negotiations and to work with others on the wider work on improving the training experience.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andy Slaughter on 2015-10-16.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will publish the Memorandum of Understanding entered into by her Department with the Saudi Arabian government.
Mr John Hayes
The Home Office does not publish nor detail discussions relating to security co-operation agreements with international partners as to do so would undermine bilateral relations and prejudice our ability to conduct work under these agreements.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Tyrie on 2015-10-16.
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the value is of the freehold of Chichester Crown Court.
Andrew Selous
There is no estimate of the market value of the freehold of Chichester Crown Court. No decision has been taken to close the court.
Disposal strategies will be developed once a decision is made on individual courts following the outcome of consultation.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alasdair McDonnell on 2015-10-16.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much has been received from fines generated from vehicle clamping or instant removal for non-payment of vehicle excise duty in Northern Ireland between (a) 1 August 2013 and 31 July 2014 and (b) 1 August 2014 and 31 July 2015; and what proportion of this income has been retained in or returned to Northern Ireland.
Andrew Jones
The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) does not record the revenue generated from vehicle excise duty enforcement action carried out in Northern Ireland separately to that from the rest of the UK. Therefore, the information requested is not available. The DVLA passes all revenue generated from such enforcement action to HM Treasury.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Flynn on 2015-10-15.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to increase the number of patients being offered a choice of outpatient facility by their GPs.
Ben Gummer
We are committed to giving patients more choice and control over their health care, as this can help drive up standards and improve patient care.
As set out in the Five Year Forward View, the health system is focused on embedding patient choice and, as part of this, NHS England is working to secure improvements in awareness and uptake of choice across physical and mental health services.
In addition, we have asked NHS England to come up with proposals, before the end of the year, to make sure there is choice and control over services offered in maternity and end-of-life care, as well as for those with long-term conditions.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Bill Wiggin on 2015-10-15.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans he has to reduce the duration of speed restrictions for repair and maintenance on the M4, M5 and M50 motorways.
Andrew Jones
As part of the Government’s Road Investment Strategy, major improvements and renewals are being delivered across the strategic road network to deliver smoother, safer and more reliable journeys for road users. To keep traffic moving through the work sites, speed restrictions are necessary to keep both road workers and road users safe. Highways England meets regularly with its contractors to review current work programmes and accelerate activities where possible so that speed restrictions are not maintained for any longer than is necessary.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tim Farron on 2015-10-15.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will publish the September 2015 report from the Gold Command leaders appointed following the Joint Ministerial Declaration on UK/French Cooperation issued on 20 August 2015.
James Brokenshire
This a joint report, designed to update UK and French Ministers on a range of issues including action to tackle criminal networks behind trafficking and people smuggling. It will incorporate sensitive operational information from UK and French law enforcement agencies and as such it will not be appropriate to be published by the UK or France.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Burrowes on 2015-10-15.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will publish the results of the Family Test applied to the policies proposed in the Immigration Bill.
James Brokenshire
In accordance with the public sector equality duty, the Home Office has conducted an equality assessment of all policies in the Immigration Bill. The additional Family Test is designed to support strong and stable family relationships among those families legally resident in the United Kingdom. The Immigration Bill is designed to ensure that people in the UK illegally cannot work and access services. Any impact on people while they are in the United Kingdom illegally which results from the Immigration Bill is temporary, until the point of their departure, and as such the Family Test is not engaged.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Margaret Ritchie on 2015-10-15.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will take steps to reduce the waiting times for autism diagnosis; and if he will make a statement.
Alistair Burt
The Department has discussed with NHS England the difficulties that people on the autistic spectrum can have in getting an appropriate diagnosis in a timely manner. With support from the Department, NHS England and the Association of Directors of Social Services will undertake a series of visits to clinical commissioning groups to discuss good practice in meeting the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) Quality Standard 51 Autism, and those that do not, with the aim of supporting more consistent provision. These NICE guidelines already recommend that there should be a maximum of three months between a referral and a first appointment for a diagnostic assessment for autism. We expect the National Health Service to be working towards meeting the recommendations.