Category: Speeches

  • Zac Goldsmith – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Zac Goldsmith – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Zac Goldsmith on 2014-04-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, pursuant to the Answer of 12 March 2014, Official Report, columns 595-6W, on public sector: food, whether the Manufacturing Advisory Service is unable to give grant aid to the farming industry due to state aid restrictions relating to existing Common Agricultural Policy payments.

    Michael Fallon

    The criteria for support from the Manufacturing Advisory Service (MAS) do not include any reference to state aid restrictions related to Common Agricultural Policy payments. MAS delivers support to manufacturers, and is able to support land based enterprises such as farmers, which have formally diversified their agricultural business from their product manufacturing activities.

  • Charlotte Leslie – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Charlotte Leslie – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Charlotte Leslie on 2014-06-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department owns any of the Filton Airfield site; and whether his Department will be entitled to any share of the site’s sale.

    Dr Andrew Murrison

    The Department does not own any of the Filton Airfield site and is not entitled to any share in the site’s sale.

  • Graham Brady – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Graham Brady – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Graham Brady on 2014-04-02.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many appeals made to the Equitable Life Payment Scheme (a) have been decided and (b) are awaiting resolution.

    Sajid Javid

    Out of the over 800,000 payments that have been made, a total of 495 cases have been submitted to the Independent Review Panel to date. 477 have been resolved and 18 are in the process of being resolved.

  • Joan Walley – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Joan Walley – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Joan Walley on 2014-06-16.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, when he expects to complete the loan guarantee arrangement for the proposed nuclear power station investments.

    Nicky Morgan

    Completion of the loan guarantee arrangements for the proposed nuclear power station for Hinkley Point C will coincide with the European Commission’s closing decision on the government’s state aid notification in relation to the project. This is expected by the end of 2014.

    If a guarantee is signed it will be reported to Parliament as required by the legislation, Infrastructure (Financial Assistance) Act 2012, underpinning the scheme.

  • Hilary Benn – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Hilary Benn – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Hilary Benn on 2014-04-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the effects of reductions in shire county council bus subsidies on the opportunities for social interaction of elderly and disabled people.

    Brandon Lewis

    The Department for Transport is the lead Department on policy and funding for buses.

  • John Baron – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    John Baron – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Baron on 2014-06-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what responsibilities clinical commissioning groups have for commissioning breast cancer services.

    Jane Ellison

    The majority of treatments for cancer, such as radiotherapy and chemotherapy, are commissioned nationally by NHS England. Commissioning is informed by a range of clinical reference groups established as a primary source of advice on best practice, service standards for commissioned providers and forward strategy and innovation.

    Clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) plan and buy local community and non-specialised hospital cancer services in their local area. This includes the diagnosis, oversight of treatment and surgical management of breast cancers.

    NHS England is not aware of any formal guidance being given to CCGs on engagement with Strategic Clinical Networks (SCNs) or breast network site-specific groups. However, it would expect that all health organisations would wish to be part of SCNs. As CCGs are responsible for much of the commissioning of services covered by the SCNs (e.g. cancer, stroke, mental health, and dementia care), they have an interest in their activities.

    Breast network site specific groups are specialist groups who focus on protocol development, improving care and the quality and outcomes of services within the SCN area. It would not be expected for a CCG to normally engage directly with that group but they would be part of a process to approve protocols and of any escalation process if there were concerns about a particular service within the SCN.

    National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) quality standards define clinical best practice for the diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer to help clinicians ensure that patients are given information about the treatment options available and help in choosing the best option to suit them. NHS England would expect CCGs to take into account NICE quality standards when commissioning breast cancer services.

  • Julie Elliott – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Julie Elliott – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Julie Elliott on 2014-04-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 18 March 2014, Official Report, column 533W, on wind power, how much onshore wind capacity was recovered in each month in 2013.

    Kris Hopkins

    The main consideration in the recovery of wind turbine appeals is the potential impact of the development on the surrounding area, in the particular circumstances of each appeal and its location. The generation capacity of the appeal is not a driver in the decision on whether or not the appeal should be recovered.

    As I said in my earlier answer my Department does not centrally hold details of the generation capacity of wind turbine appeals.

  • Luciana Berger – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Luciana Berger – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Luciana Berger on 2014-06-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when the sexual health commissioning toolkit will be published.

    Jane Ellison

    Public Health England plans to publish “Making it work: a guide to whole system commissioning for sexual and reproductive health and HIV” by the end of July 2014.

  • Maria Eagle – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Maria Eagle – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Maria Eagle on 2014-04-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, which chemicals are authorised for use in the fracking process in the UK; what assessment he has made of the potential risk posed to humans and the natural environment from those chemicals before their authorisation; and if he will make a statement.

    Dan Rogerson

    The Environment Agency will require full disclosure of chemicals used in hydraulic fracturing.

    Operators will not be able to use chemicals for well stimulation unless the Agency considers them acceptable for use. The Environment Agency will assess the hazards presented by fracking fluid additives on a case-by-case basis.

    Allowing the use of a chemical at one site does not automatically mean the Agency will allow it to be used elsewhere. This is because the environmental risks may be different, for example, due to local geological conditions.

  • David Ruffley – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    David Ruffley – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Ruffley on 2014-06-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many drink-driving offences were recorded in (a) Bury St Edmunds, (b) Suffolk and (c) England and Wales in each of the last five years; and how many successful prosecutions for such offences there have been.

    Norman Baker

    Drink driving is a summary offence, and not a notifiable offence. The Home Office only collects data on notifiable offences.

    The number of defendants proceeded against at magistrates’ courts and found guilty at all courts for offences relating to drink driving, in England and Wales from 2009 to 2013 can be viewed in Table 1. The same data for Suffolk can be viewed in Table 2. This data is held by the Ministry of Justice.

    Data is not available below Police Force Area level, and so data for Bury St Edmunds cannot be provided.