Tag: 2014

Steve McCabe – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2014-06-17.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if he will take steps to ensure that the legal owner of a property is identified when a planning application is submitted relating to that property.

Nick Boles

I am not aware of representations about landlords who own multiple properties disguising their ownership of a property when submitting a planning application.

It is already a requirement that planning applications must be accompanied by a certificate which applicants must complete that provides certain details about the ownership of the application site. An application is not valid, and therefore cannot be determined by the local planning authority, unless the relevant certificate has been completed.

November 1, 2022
Nic Dakin – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nic Dakin on 2014-04-02.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate his Department has made of the cost of paying a second attachment fee for each person who is transferred from Newcastle College to new providers of the Work Programme.

Esther McVey

The information is not available as it is too early in the procurement process.

November 1, 2022
Bill Wiggin – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture Media and Sport

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Bill Wiggin on 2014-06-17.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether any masts proposed as part of the Mobile Infrastructure Project other than that at Fownhope have been withdrawn after a reassessment of notspot data.

Mr Edward Vaizey

DCMS officials and Arqiva, delivery partner for the Mobile Infrastructure Project, are incorporating changes in the notspot data into the project’s planning. Once this planning is finalised any changes will be communicated to planning authorities

November 1, 2022
Lord Alton of Liverpool – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool on 2014-04-02.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of North Korea’s launch of two mid-range missiles, its statement that it would not rule out a new form of nuclear test for bolstering up its nuclear deterrence” and China’s decision to support the United Nations Security Council’s condemnation of those developments.”

Baroness Warsi

We are extremely concerned that the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) has fired two medium range missiles into the Sea of Japan, in a further clear breach of UN Security Council Resolutions (UNSCRs) 1718, 1874, 2087 and 2094. We are also concerned by the DPRK’s statement implying that they are considering further missile or nuclear tests.

We urge the DPRK to comply with all of its obligations under relevant UNSCRs and to refrain from any further provocations that would only further destabilise the peninsula.

We welcome China’s support in in the UN Security Council condemning North Korean provocations, and we encourage all countries to call on the DPRK to abide by its international obligations.

November 1, 2022
Justin Tomlinson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Justin Tomlinson on 2014-06-17.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment his Department has made of the benefits of teaching emergency life-saving skills in schools.

Matthew Hancock

Emergency life-saving skills (ELS) can be taught as part of personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education.

PSHE can help children develop essential social skills that evidence shows are important for children’s achievement across all subjects, and for their preparation for a healthy and active life.

Schools are encouraged to work with expert organisations to teach ELS, for example St John Ambulance who visited approximately 2000 schools in 2013. Their ‘Teach the Difference‘ website has over 7000 registered users, most of whom are teachers, and users downloaded over 16,000 first aid lesson plans in 2013.

November 1, 2022
Baroness Byford – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Byford on 2014-04-02.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Michael Fallon MP, Minister of State for Energy, on 5 February (HC Deb, 263W), whether the £100,000 will go to the parish or parishes in which the wellhead and associated workings are placed; and if not, to where it will go.

Baroness Verma

The UK Onshore Operators Group (UKOOG) has stated that £100,000 will go to the local community in respect of each hydraulically fracked well site at exploration stage. UKOOG has further stated that the exact boundaries of the local community, for this purpose, will be defined on a site-by-site basis in conjunction with local people.

November 1, 2022

Huw Irranca-Davies – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Huw Irranca-Davies on 2014-06-17.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, which countries possess comparative levels of fruit fly infestation in exported mangoes and are not subject to an EU ban on importation.

Dan Rogerson

The ban was imposed following persistent interceptions of plant pestson imports of Indian produce into the European Union (EU) and critical reports from the European Commission’s Food and Veterinary Office audits in 2010 and 2013. Despite assurances from India in response to these reports the level of interceptions remained high. The EU’s decision to introduce a ban was therefore fully justified and supported by all Member States including the UK, in line with our policy of strengthening plant health controls. Therefore, no alternatives to a ban were considered by Defra.

Protecting plant health is a key Defra objective. Plant pests and diseases such as those intercepted from India in recent years can cause serious damage to the UK glasshouse industry which is worth over £300 million per annum. However, I am aware of the importance of the mango trade and Defra officials are liaising with the Indian High Commission on what support the UK can offer to India to help it ensure compliance with EU import requirements.

The following table shows the number of consignments of mangoes imported into the UK in the last five years which were infested with Tephriditae (and therefore rejected) by country of origin. The European Commission is considering similar measures to those taken against India for other countries with high levels of interceptions of plant pests. Such consideration takes account of findings from all Member States, and covers all plant commodities and all pests identified.

Year	Country of origin	No. of consignments imported into the UK	No. of consignments infected with Tephritidae
2010	Dominican Republic	351	1
	India	1977	1
	Jamaica	228	3
	Pakistan	3302	6

2011	Dominican Republic	417	2
	India	1836	11
	Jamaica	262	3
	Pakistan	3690	19
	Puerto Rico	1	1
	Sri Lanka	144	1
	Uganda	138	1

2012	Bangladesh	146	1
	Brazil	445	1
	Costa Rica	70	2
	Dominican Republic	606	18
	Ghana	628	15
	India	3448	23
	Jamaica	332	24
	Kenya	2044	4
	Pakistan	5128	81
	Philippines	12	2
	Sri Lanka	189	10
	St Lucia	50	1
	Thailand	1050	3
	Uganda	104	2

2013	Brazil	316	3
	Dominican Republic	756	16
	Ghana	357	4
	Guinea	7	1
	India	3563	13
	Jamaica	516	17
	Kenya	1654	17
	Pakistan	5910	47
	Puerto Rico	104	1
	Sri Lanka	111	3
	U A E	1	1
	Vietnam	77	1

2014 (to 18/06/14)
	Brazil	106	1
	Dominican Republic	420	3
	Ghana	271	1
	India	401	1
	Jamaica	464	9
	Kenya	698	7
	Mexico	61	1
	Senegal	4	1
	Sri Lanka	69	3

Source: Fera and Europhyt

November 1, 2022

Simon Kirby – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Simon Kirby on 2014-04-09.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to encourage the interoperability of smart tickets on local bus services outside London where more than one bus company runs the service; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Hammond

The Government’s ambitions for smart and integrated ticketing on England’s buses are set out in chapter 4 of the Door to Door Strategy. Local Authorities already have the powers to introduce multi-operator ticketing schemes. In March 2013, the Department published guidance to help and encourage authorities to establish schemes in their areas.

A significant number of smart ticketing schemes already operate across the UK and the Department has held a series of conversations with the Brighton & Hove transport authority and operators to see how their offer can be accelerated. All of the major urban areas, and a number of counties, have smart ticketing schemes, and all buses in London and over three quarters of buses elsewhere in England are smart-equipped.

In addition we have set up the Smart Cities Partnership, through which we will work with the nine largest cities in England (excluding London) and operators to support them in delivering and enhancing smart, integrated ticketing schemes.

The outcome of this partnership approach will be greater co-ordination of efforts, concentration on resolving long-standing problems, a framework for other transport authorities to adopt and an acceleration of delivery of smart ticketing products for passengers. I ensure accountability of the Partnership through its governance arrangements.

November 1, 2022
Katy Clark – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Katy Clark on 2014-06-17.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make representations to the government of Bahrain about the death of Syed Mahmood.

Hugh Robertson

We are concerned about the death of Syed Mahmood on 21 May. The Ministry of Interior has launched an investigation and we await their findings. We urge the government of Bahrain to ensure the investigation is thorough, transparent and timely.

November 1, 2022
Chris Ruane – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Ruane on 2014-04-09.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of his Department’s performance in handling commercial contracts.

Mike Penning

In 2013, the department recruited a new Commercial Director who has reviewed the department’s commercial capability and capacity. The review took account of the views and policy steers from the Efficiency and Reform Group (ERG), the Chief Procurement Officer and Crown Representatives.

The review found that whilst there are areas of high capability, in some of the most complex contract areas there is a need to improve the capability and capacity of the department’s commercial function and people. In line with Civil Service Reform and the ERG-led Procurement Reform programme, the department initiated a commercial improvement programme. The programme completed a commercial skills survey in October 2013. It also restructured the commercial organisation where assessment of current practice against the standards of the NAO contract management model was also conducted.

The commercial improvement programme will strengthen commercial capability by developing and running training to underpin contract management capability and fill identified current skills gaps. Further improvement actions will be informed by the report of an independent assessment of the department’s contract management capability, currently being conducted by Price Waterhouse Coopers. The department’s commercial capability will also be evaluated by a review team as part of a new ERG programme during 2014.

November 1, 2022