The below Parliamentary question was asked by Anna Turley on 2016-07-11.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, by what date his Department expects the replacement of Pacer trains on the Tees Valley Line to be completed.
Andrew Jones
The replacement of Pacer trains across the Northern network will be completed by December 2019, although the timing of when this will occur on individual lines will be a matter for Northern Rail.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Randerson on 2016-09-13.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what work they are undertaking to implement the Airports Commission recommendations for surface transport improvements to Stansted to make the best use of existing capacity at London’s airports, to encourage more people to travel by rail, and to reduce emissions.
Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
In its National Infrastructure Plan of December 2013, the government confirmed that it would be taking forward the surface access measures recommended by the Airports Commission to make best use of existing capacity at London airports.
For Stansted, work to examine potential upgrades to rail infrastructure between London, Stansted and Cambridge has been taken forward by the West Anglia Taskforce, which was established by the government and the Mayor of London to consider this issue and the benefits it might generate.
The Taskforce published its recommendations and a suggested timetable for action in July.
Rail services to Stansted will also be enhanced through the new East Anglia franchise. This will bring a number of improvements for passengers travelling to the airport, including new trains with free Wi-Fi from February 2019 and a minimum 12.5% reduction in anytime return fares and anytime single fares on the Stansted Express by early 2017. By early 2018, passengers will be able to purchase tickets via a dedicated Stansted Express website, to be delivered to their mobile devices for validation. There is flexibility within the new franchise for the train operator to introduce services to different parts of London if market demand for this emerges.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sharon Hodgson on 2015-11-13.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans her Department has to take steps to promote the STEAM agenda in schools to support the development of skills for careers in creative digital sectors.
Nick Gibb
Both the arts and STEM subjects are important in developing the skills people need for the global economy, including the creative digital economy.
The national curriculum sets the expectation that pupils study the arts subjects in Key Stages 1 to 3 and the arts are one of four "entitlement areas” at Key Stage 4. Provisional figures show that since 2012, the percentage of pupils for all schools with at least one GCSE entry in an arts subject has increased from 44.4% to 48.7% in 2015.[1] We are reforming all GCSEs and A levels, including STEM and arts subjects, to make them robust and rigorous; to match the best education systems in the world; and to keep pace with universities’ and employers’ demands.
It is important that pupils are given the information and advice to choose a combination of subjects that will open doors for their future. The Careers & Enterprise Company (CEC) is an employer-led, independent organisation strengthening links between schools, colleges, employers and careers and enterprise organisations, including in the digital and technological sectors, to inspire young people and prepare them for the world of work.
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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jamie Reed on 2015-12-14.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what support his Department is giving to Cumbria County Council to assist in the assessment of bridges in that county affected by recent flooding.
Andrew Jones
The Department for Transport is providing funding of up to £2 million to help both Cumbria County Council and Lancashire County Council assess the local highway networks for which they are responsible for the damage caused by Storm Desmond. In respect to the A591 this will be for Cumbria County Council to determine the options for the repair of this road to ensure it can be opened as quickly as possible.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tulip Siddiq on 2016-01-19.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 21 September 2015 to Question HC 1906, on Asylum, what recent progress has been made on resuming the Detained Fast Track system.
James Brokenshire
In line with my statement on 2 July 2015, Detained Fast Track will only be resumed once the right structures are in place to minimise any risk of unfairness.
A review of the policy and process has been conducted, informed by the recommendations in Stephen Shaw’s report into the welfare of vulnerable people in detention, which was published on 14 January 2016.
A statement will be made before we resume the operation of the Detained Fast Track.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jamie Reed on 2016-02-10.
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what plans the Government has to support research and development in the use of thorium reactor technology in (a) the UK, (b) the EU and (c) worldwide.
Andrea Leadsom
The UK has been supporting research and development into the use of thorium nuclear fuels since such fuels were used in the Dragon reactor at Winfrith in the 1960s and 1970s.
Examples of current activity on thorium and related technologies include academic research into thorium fuelled reactor systems and fuel cycle processes through Research Council grants to UK universities; collaboration on thorium fuels, via the UK Research Councils’ Energy Programme, with national nuclear energy programmes of other countries on safety, performance and non-proliferation; experimental development of thorium fuels through the UK’s National Nuclear Laboratory (NNL) and private sector organisations, as part of international consortia, and thorium fuel modelling and fuel cycle scenario analysis by the NNL. These activities cover UK, EU and worldwide initiatives and receive either financial or strategic support from the Government. The Government plans to continue a similar approach to support future research and development in the use of thorium as a nuclear reactor fuel.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Heidi Alexander on 2016-03-08.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to improve his Department’s collection of data for secondary breast cancer.
Jane Ellison
Public Health England (PHE) is responsible for collecting cancer data to support national cancer registration in England and recognises the importance of collecting data on recurrent breast cancer.
At present pilot work in acute trusts has improved the reporting for breast cancer recurrence and metastasis to the National Cancer Registration Service but the uptake has been slow and the data is not complete. Further work is being scoped by NHS England and PHE based on the recommendation in the recent Independent Cancer Taskforce report to establish robust surveillance systems to collect this data on all cancers.
Data on the number of people diagnosed with secondary breast cancer is not currently available.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Wills on 2016-04-11.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the conclusion by Professor Bee Wee, National Clinical Director for End of Life Care, in the National Survey of Patient Activity Data for Specialist Palliative Care Services MDS Summary Report for the year 2013–14, that there is still a need to improve the quality and use of data in the palliative care sector”; and what action they are taking to address that issue.”
Lord Prior of Brampton
We are committed to ensuring that everyone at, or nearing, the end of life receives high quality, compassionate care, tailored to their individual needs and preferences.
The Government’s forthcoming response to the independent Review of Choice in End of Life Care, which will be published shortly, will set out our vision for high quality, personalised care and the steps we will take to achieve this. The response will also address each of the Review recommendations, including on care coordination; improving the quality, availability and responsiveness of care; improving the quality and use of data; care planning and the use of digital care records; and the involvement of family members and carers in discussions about care.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gavin Shuker on 2016-05-18.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he made and received during his visit to Mexico in May 2016 on upholding the right to freedom of religion or belief in that country.
Mr Hugo Swire
The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond) raised human rights and the rule of law in meetings with the Ministers for Foreign Affairs, Education, Social Development and the Attorney General. Discussions focused on the significant security and justice challenges Mexico faces, particularly in terms of impunity. He also raised concerns relating to the disappearance of 43 students in Iguala in September 2014. He did not raise freedom of religion or belief on this occasion. I also raised our human rights concerns with the Minister for Public Administration during his visit to London on 12 May. Our Embassy in Mexico regularly discusses the full range of human rights and rule of law issues, including freedom of religion and belief, with Mexican counterparts and civil society.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Debbie Abrahams on 2016-07-11.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether he has had discussions with the Equality and Human Rights Commission on its employment of disabled people.
Justin Tomlinson
I have not had any meetings with the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) to discuss its employment of disabled people.
The Office for Disability Issues has frequent communication with the EHRC who are observers at the bi-annual Fulfilling Potential Forum that I chair which is attended by a range of disability-related stakeholders. Officials from the Office for Disability Issues are also in regular contact with the EHRC in relation to the UN Convention on the Rights of Disabled People, attending quarterly Treaty Monitoring review meetings.