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  • Jason McCartney – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Jason McCartney – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jason McCartney on 2016-02-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will make representations to the Egyptian government on the possibility of submitting human remains found in the Western Desert in 2012 if still in existence to new DNA tests to compare them with DNA samples provided by the family of Flight Sergeant Dennis Copping whose aeroplane crashed in the Sahara on 28 June 1942.

    Mark Lancaster

    Rigorous DNA tests undertaken by the Egyptian authorities at our behest some three years ago were unable to provide viable DNA samples due to the age and degradation of the human remains found. There are no plans to undertake new DNA tests.

  • Roger Godsiff – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Roger Godsiff – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Roger Godsiff on 2016-02-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what funding she plans to allocate to Birmingham City Council for implementation of a Clean Air Zone in Birmingham; and how much funding she plans to allocate to that Council under the air quality grant programme.

    Rory Stewart

    The air quality plan for nitrogen dioxide we published on 17 December last year confirms that we will be providing funding to help five Local Authorities in England outside London to implement clean air zones and to support the implementation of additional measures where necessary. We will be discussing the details of this with the Local Authorities concerned, including Birmingham City Council.

    Birmingham City Council has not received any funding for 2015-16 under our air quality grant programme. No decisions have been made about air quality grant awards for 2016-17 and beyond.

  • Oliver Colvile – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Oliver Colvile – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Oliver Colvile on 2016-02-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what progress her Department is making on developing effective management strategies for Marine Conservation Zones.

    George Eustice

    The Government is committed to delivering a ‘Blue Belt’ of well-managed Marine Protected Areas around our coasts. Marine Conservation Zones (MCZs) are given legislative protection under the Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009. Under this Act, a consent or licence can only be agreed where there is no significant risk to the conservation objectives of the MCZ, except in exceptional cases and subject to stringent conditions.

    Where fishery management measures are required, Defra is working with the Inshore Fisheries Conservation Authorities and the Marine Management Organisation to identify appropriate fisheries management measures for all Tranche 1 MCZs by the end of this year and, as a result, those site features considered to be at “high risk” are already being protected. For Tranche 2 MCZ sites, appropriate fisheries management measures will be identified by the relevant authority within two years of designation.

  • Alex Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Alex Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alex Cunningham on 2016-02-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of commissioning an Environment Agency assessment of the SSI steel works site on Teesside to determine what work would be required to prepare that site for redevelopment; and what the costs of the redevelopment would be.

    Rory Stewart

    Officials in the Environment Agency and the Health and Safety Executive are already working with the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and the Department for Communities and Local Government to provide the Official Receiver with the necessary support to deliver a ‘safe state’ position for the SSI site.

    We are also working with the Official Receiver, Lord Heseltine, Redland and Cleveland Borough Council and local partners on the longer-term future of the site to realise its economic potential. Once we have a better collective understanding of the potential future use of the site, it will be possible to assess what the costs of the redevelopment will be.

  • Lucy Powell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Lucy Powell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lucy Powell on 2016-02-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what academy trusts there are in each region; and how many academies there are in each such trust.

    Edward Timpson

    As at 31 January 2016 there are 2,902 academy trusts. A breakdown of the number of academies in each academy trust in each region is in the attached spreadsheet.

  • Louise Haigh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Louise Haigh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Louise Haigh on 2016-02-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what information her Department holds on the number of hours teaching assistants spent covering classes in the absence of a teacher in each year since 2010.

    Nick Gibb

    The information requested is not collected by the Department.

  • Jess Phillips – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Jess Phillips – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jess Phillips on 2016-02-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many complaints Ofsted has received about the quality of PHSE education in schools since 2010.

    Nick Gibb

    This is a matter for Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector, Sir Michael Wilshaw. I have asked him to write to you and a copy of his reply will be placed in the library of the House.

  • Margaret Ferrier – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Margaret Ferrier – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Margaret Ferrier on 2016-02-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 29 January 2016 to Question 23641, which of the five findings contained in the Defence Nuclear Safety Regulator assessment of Exercise Senator 2011 has not been formally closed out.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    The finding not yet formally closed out in the Defence Nuclear Safety Regulator (DNSR) assessment of Exercise Senator 2011 called for a review of the hazard assessment for the transport operation. This is to ensure that protection measures remain proportionate to the risk and continue to be based on up-to-date scientific and regulatory advice. DNSR continues to have confidence in the adequacy of the arrangements currently in place, as has been demonstrated at emergency response exercises, but believes it is timely to conduct a review.

    We currently expect the finding to be closed out within the next 12 months.

  • Lisa Cameron – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Lisa Cameron – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lisa Cameron on 2016-02-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what proportion of non-combatant deaths on military bases have been subject to an inquest by jury in each of the last five years.

    Mark Lancaster

    The information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  • Andrew Gwynne – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Andrew Gwynne – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Gwynne on 2016-02-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much his Department has paid out in compensation to (a) internal and (b) external claimants in each year since 2010.

    Mark Lancaster

    The amounts paid as a result of claims brought by internal and external claimants including claimants’ legal costs from Financial Year (FY) 2010-11 to FY2013-14 are shown below. The costs for FY 2014-15 are being finalised and will be published shortly.

    Internal Claimants

    The amounts paid in compensation, including claimants’ legal costs, for claims brought against the Ministry of Defence (MOD) by members and former members of HM Forces and civilian employees since 2010 are as follows:

    Employers Liabilty Claims (including Service personnel and civilian staff)

    FY 2010-11

    FY 2011-12

    FY 2012-13

    FY 2013-14

    £83.9 million

    £62.0 million

    £69.5 million

    £58.5 million

    The vast majority of clinical negligence claims are brought by current or former members of HM Armed Forces but a small number will relate to their dependants treated in MOD medical facilities. The amounts paid in compensation, including claimants’ legal costs, for these claims since 2010 are as follows:

    Clinical Negligence Claims

    FY 2010-11

    FY 2011-12

    FY 2012-13

    FY 2013-14

    £17.0 million

    £6.7 million

    £7.1 million

    £5.8 million

    External Claimants

    Public Liability Claims

    The amounts paid in compensation, including claimants’ legal costs, for public liability claims brought against the MOD by third parties, including civilians both in the UK and overseas, relating to personal injury or property damage since 2010 are as follows:

    FY 2010-11

    2011-12

    2012-13

    2013-14

    £5.4 million

    £10.0 million

    £25.0 million

    £11.1 million

    Third Party Motor Claims in UK

    The amounts paid in compensation, including claimants’ legal costs, for claims brought against the MOD by third parties involved in collisions with MOD-operated vehicles since 2010 are as follows:

    FY 2010-11

    FY 2011-12

    FY 2012-13

    FY 2013-14

    £5.6 million

    £6.7 million

    £4.8 million

    £5.0 million

    Area Claims Offices

    The amounts paid in compensation, including claimants’ legal costs, for claims brought against the MOD by third parties that are managed by the MODs regional Area Claims Offices since 2010 are as follows:

    FY 2010-11

    FY 2011-12

    FY 2012-13

    FY 2013-14

    £3.0 million

    £1.8 million

    £1.7 million

    £1.5 million