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Tag: 2015

  • Lord Brougham and Vaux – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Lord Brougham and Vaux – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Brougham and Vaux on 2015-11-11.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to prevent food waste.

    Lord Gardiner of Kimble

    Through the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP), the Government is working with food manufacturers and retailers to meet targets to reduce food waste from households and the grocery supply chain under the Courtauld Commitment. There has been a 15% (1.3 million tonnes) reduction in household food waste since 2007 and signatories reported a reduction of 7.4% in food supply chain waste between 2009-2012, with interim results for Courtauld 3 showing further 3.2% reduction by 2014.

    The Love Food Hate Waste programme helps UK households to reduce food waste and save money through awareness raising and consumer advice. There is also an agreement with the hospitality sector with targets to prevent and manage food waste in restaurants, pubs and canteens.

    WRAP is currently brokering a new agreement, Courtauld 2025, which is expected to start next year and will build on this progress.

  • David Nuttall – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    David Nuttall – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Nuttall on 2015-12-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to safeguard water supplies in the event of a terrorist attack.

    Rory Stewart

    In accordance with the Security and Emergency Measures (Water and Sewerage Undertakers) Direction 1998, issued under the provisions of section 208 of the Water Industry Act 1991, water companies are required to produce plans to deal with all types of emergency situations. This includes ensuring appropriate preventative measures are in place to secure the water supply from deliberate harm, as well as plans to deal with a situation if it were to arise. These plans are regularly tested and updated where necessary and are subject to an independent check every year.

    Providing expert security advice is integral to the function of protecting national security against threats. Defra and the water industry work closely with the Centre for the Protection for National Infrastructure on the protection of water supply and on the reduction of its vulnerability to terrorism and other threats.

    As I am sure you will understand, details of the specific arrangements or any procedures related to national security are highly sensitive and cannot be disclosed.

  • Lord Warner – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Lord Warner – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Warner on 2015-11-11.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what estimate they have made of the additional national insurance contributions that will be made in the first year of the introduction of the National Living Wage; and what assessment they have made of whether that source of revenue could be used to fund the extra cost of publicly-funded social care.

    Lord O’Neill of Gatley

    As set out in Table B.3 in of their July 2015 Economic and Fiscal Outlook, the Office for Budgetary Responsibility estimate that, by 2020-21, the National Living Wage will increase income tax and NICs receipts by around £0.1bn. They assume that, by 2020-21, the overall impact of the policy on the public finances is to reduce public sector net borrowing by £0.2bn.

    The Chancellor will set out full plans for public expenditure at the Spending Review on 25th November.

  • Patrick Grady – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Patrick Grady – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Patrick Grady on 2015-12-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has received on indefinite national service continuing to be practised in Eritrea.

    James Duddridge

    The British Government continues to have concerns about indefinite national service in Eritrea. We welcomed the Government of Eritrea’s pledge earlier this year to limit national service to 18 months for all new recruits starting from March 2015. However, we have been clear to the government in Asmara that it must now follow through on this commitment and that the change must be publicised widely in Eritrea itself. We have also been clear that the 18 month limit should apply to all conscripts not just those who have been enlisted recently.

  • Lord Taylor of Warwick – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Lord Taylor of Warwick – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Taylor of Warwick on 2015-11-10.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to improve broadband networks in the UK to support small businesses.

    Baroness Neville-Rolfe

    Since 2010 the proportion of households and businesses with access to superfast broadband has risen from 45% to 83%. Thanks to the Government’s investment this will rise to 95 per cent by the end of 2017. In addition, the Government’s Broadband Connection Voucher Scheme has been a tremendous success. More than 55,000 small businesses across the UK have taken up the offer, many of which are already seeing significant boosts to their business as a result of improved broadband speeds.

  • Norman Lamb – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Norman Lamb – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Norman Lamb on 2015-12-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what progress he has made in implementing the recommendations of NHS Blood and Transplant’s report, Taking Organ Transplantation to 2020: A UK Strategy, published in 2013.

    Jane Ellison

    Changing behaviour and attitudes towards organ donation is a key feature of the transplantation strategy Taking Organ Transplantation to 2020. This strategy was developed by NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) with the support of the four UK Health Departments and sets the agenda for increasing organ donation and transplantation rates to match world class standards over the next few years.

    UK Government provides NHSBT with around £60 million a year to support various initiatives and specific projects to help raise organ donation and transplant rates. We continue to take action to build on the increase in donation and transplant rates since 2008, and the current number of people on the Organ Donor Register has increased to 22 million people.

    NHSBT works collaboratively with a number of partners to promote organ donation, such as Boots Advantage Card, football clubs and voluntary organisations and the media. Specific initiatives include working with faith groups and communities to encourage organ donation. People can also add their name to the NHS Organ Donation Register via Government owned channels such as applying for a driving licence and paying car tax online.

  • Baroness Bakewell of Hardington Mandeville – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Baroness Bakewell of Hardington Mandeville – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Bakewell of Hardington Mandeville on 2015-11-10.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what arrangements are in place to ensure that establishments and organisations that are sited close to the boundaries of two Local Enterprise Partnership areas do not lose out on funding because their clientele and services users come from two different Partnership areas.

    Baroness Neville-Rolfe

    Government has given Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) the flexibility they need to meet the needs of local businesses and maximise growth. LEPs can and do work together across boundaries when needed

    Ultimately, LEPs are accountable to their local communities and businesses should consult their LEP if they feel their interests are not being met

  • Luciana Berger – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Luciana Berger – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Luciana Berger on 2015-12-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the effect of poor mental health on the education outcomes of children up to 18 years old.

    Mr Sam Gyimah

    An estimated 1 in 10 children have a diagnosable mental health disorder, and more have lower level problems. We know that all forms of mental health disorder in children are associated with disruption to education and absence from school. We also know there is a strong association between conduct disorders in adolescence and a lack of qualifications in early adulthood.

    This is why the government has made good mental health, character and resilience a high priority. We want all children and young people to be able to fulfil their potential both academically and in terms of their mental wellbeing. The Department of Health has committed an additional £1.4 billion of funding which will be used to help radically improve mental health services for children, young people and new mothers over the next 5 years.

    Schools and colleges have an important role to play in supporting the resilience and mental health of children and young people. To support schools develop approaches that suit the particular needs of their students we have:

    • contributed £1.5 million to a joint pilot for training single points of contact in schools and specialist mental health services to ensure that children and young people have timely access to specialist support where needed;
    • funded guidance and lesson plans to support age-appropriate teaching about mental health;
    • published guidance on the provision of high quality counselling in schools, and mental health and behaviour;
    • provided funding worth £4.9 million this year, through a dedicated mental health strand within our VCS programme, to support 17 projects delivering a wide range of support across the country to children and young people with mental health issues. These include projects to promote positive mental health in schools with organisations such as MIND and Place2Be.
  • Lord Kennedy of Southwark – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Lord Kennedy of Southwark – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Kennedy of Southwark on 2015-11-10.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they are taking to prevent excessive letting fees being charged to private-sector tenants.

    Baroness Williams of Trafford

    The Government has acted to protect tenants against unfair and excessive letting agency fees by requiring agents to publish a full breakdown of all charges prominently in their offices and on their website. A fine of up to £5,000 can be levied against agents who fail to comply.

    Transparency is the key to keeping fees low, giving tenants the necessary information to make informed decisions and compare prices and, therefore, creating effective competition that should force agents to keep fees fair.

    The Government has also made it a legal requirement, since 1 October 2014, for letting and managing agents in England to belong to one of the three Government approved redress schemes, offering a clear route for landlords and tenants to pursue complaints and, therefore, driving up standards.

    We will continue to monitor the impact of these new requirements.

  • Mike Kane – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Mike Kane – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mike Kane on 2015-12-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if her Department will take steps to improve access to water in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

    Mr Desmond Swayne

    UK officials regularly discuss the issue of water with Israeli counterparts. We continue to call for the full implementation of the relaxation of access restrictions for Gaza and, with robust monitoring, for the entry of essential items on the dual-use list to allow for rehabilitation of the water network. We also continue to press both parties to reconvene the Joint Water Committee to facilitate further approval of key projects that will improve Palestinian access to water.

    Through the UN FAO, DFID has invested up to £1.24m to help vulnerable rural farmers in Area C support their families through increased incomes from agricultural production. Improved irrigation efficiency has been achieved by rehabilitation of existing water cisterns and approximately 30km of water conveyance systems.