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Tag: 2015

  • Alan Brown – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Alan Brown – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alan Brown on 2015-11-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what assessment he has made of the assistance that could best be offered to help prevent the loss of highly-skilled manufacturing jobs at MAHLE in Kilmarnock.

    Anna Soubry

    This is disappointing news for the MAHLE workforce and their families. Economic development is devolved to the Scottish Government and as such I am not in a position to comment on their response to this announcement. This Government stands ready to work with the Scottish Government if needed but I note that they are already working with the company over how they might tailor their PACE support programme (their equivalent to our Rapid Response Service) to help those facing redundancy.

  • Oliver Heald – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Oliver Heald – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Oliver Heald on 2015-12-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 22 June 2015 to Question 2734, what changes to phosphate pollution levels in Hertfordshire’s chalk rivers have been recorded over the past 12 months; and if she will make a statement.

    Rory Stewart

    Overall, the phosphate levels in Hertfordshire’s rivers have remained stable over the past 12 months. Phosphate can remain present in river sediments for a number of years, and it can take five to 10 years to show any signs of ecological recovery following phosphate reductions.

  • Seema Malhotra – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Seema Malhotra – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Seema Malhotra on 2015-11-05.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the effect of proposed changes to (a) the student loans system and (b) maintenance grants on productivity.

    Greg Hands

    The government’s system of student support enables students to cover the costs of studying at university. At Summer Budget 2015, we announced that maintenance grants would be replaced by more generous maintenance loans and that we would consult on freezing the repayment threshold for loan repayments. These measures help create a financially secure Higher Education system, allowing the government to remove the student numbers cap and enable more students to go to university than ever before.

  • Andrew Percy – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Andrew Percy – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Percy on 2015-12-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Bowel Cancer Screening Programme; and what steps he is taking to increase uptake of such screening among (a) men, (b) people living in deprived areas, (c) ethnic minorities and (d) all people.

    Jane Ellison

    The UK National Screening Committee recently consulted on the use of Faecal Immunochemical testing (FIT) as an alternative screen test for bowel cancer. Initial results of the FIT pilot, indicates that this test is more acceptable to the screened population with a significant increase in participation (10%). This is particularly marked amongst men and disadvantaged groups.

    At the end of January 2015, 25 million faecal occult blood test kits had been sent out to men and women aged 60-74 to self-sample at home. Over 15 million kits have been returned by post to one of five regional laboratories (programme hubs). Over 21,000 cancers have been detected and over 122,000 patients have been managed for polyps, including polyp removal.

    Public Health England (PHE) Screening held a national workshop engaging various organisations to discuss inequalities in accessing screening programmes.

    The national workshop was attended by colleagues from local authorities, the Department of Health, PHE, National Health Service and cancer research UK. The day looked at current knowledge about the extent of inequitable access, what works to improve access for those in deprived and protected groups, how existing levers might best be used and by whom.

  • Ian Blackford – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Ian Blackford – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Blackford on 2015-11-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if he will introduce for the rest of the UK equivalent powers as those proposed in the Scotland Bill on fixed odds betting terminals.

    Tracey Crouch

    The Scotland Bill would give the Scottish Parliament and Scottish Ministers the power to vary the number of sub-category B2 gaming machines (FOBTs) permitted by new betting premises licences. The UK Government would retain the equivalent powers on FOBTs for the rest of the UK, except for Northern Ireland where gambling is a devolved matter.

    In line with our commitment in the St David’s Day Agreement, the UK Government is giving careful consideration to whethernon-fiscal recommendations from Lord Smith’s commission on devolving powers should be implemented for Wales.

  • Richard Arkless – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Richard Arkless – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Arkless on 2015-12-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent progress has been made with the US and Scottish Governments on lifting the US import ban on haggis.

    George Eustice

    The United States does not accept imports of haggis containing sheep lungs. Former Secretary of State for Defra, Owen Paterson, lobbied US authorities during his visit in 2014 and the Government continues to encourage the US to adjust its ban on UK haggis. Scottish haggis producers are developing a US-specific recipe to allow them to access the market once the wider EU negotiations on lifting the Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy restrictions on EU lamb are concluded.

  • Clive Lewis – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Clive Lewis – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Clive Lewis on 2015-11-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what estimate her Department has made of the proportion of Green Deal Home Improvement funding that was allocated to deprived areas.

    Andrea Leadsom

    The Green Deal Home Improvement Fund was available to owners and occupiers of residential property situated in England or Wales. Provided such applicants met the scheme eligibility criteria, they were free to apply. Funding was not centrally allocated to any particular areas based on deprivation or any other criteria.

  • Richard Burgon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Richard Burgon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burgon on 2015-12-03.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, when the book value of the UK Asset Resolution’s Granite portfolio was last calculated prior to the sale of Cerberus on 13 November 2015.

    Harriett Baldwin

    In line with UK Asset Resolution (UKAR)’s reporting cycle, the book value of the Granite portfolio was last calculated at 30 September 2015 as part of the Interim Financial Results process.

  • David Amess – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    David Amess – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Amess on 2015-11-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps he is taking to address the political dimensions of the situation in Syria.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond) participated in US-led talks in Vienna on 30 October. We hope that this meeting is the start of an international process, alongside talks between the Syrian parties, which will lead to transition away from Assad in line with the Geneva communiqué of 2012. Despite the clear differences between the meeting participants, progress was made in a number of areas, most importantly that diplomatic efforts to end the war must accelerate and that the UN will be asked to launch a new political process between the Syrian parties. The UK is also a staunch supporter of the Syrian National Coalition of Opposition and Revolutionary Forces, and we will continue to work with them in pursuit of a political solution to the conflict. The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond) and I met the President of the civilian opposition National Coalition, Khaled Khoja, in London 4 November. We discussed the political process and the importance of the National Coalition continuing its important work to reach out to other moderate political and armed groups in Syria in order to develop a common platform for engaging in negotiations.

  • Paul Flynn – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Paul Flynn – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Flynn on 2015-12-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assurances he sought from his French counterpart that, in providing British surveillance assistance to the French bombing of identified ISIS operational buildings in Raqqa following the ISIS-inspired terrorist attacks in Paris, the French military avoided any civilians being killed as collateral damage from the bombings.

    Michael Fallon

    France is operating alongside the UK as part of the international Coalition against Daesh. All Coalition air operations are planned in accordance with international law and every precaution is taken to minimise collateral damage and civilian casualties.