The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Benyon on 2016-02-29.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will publish the Ascension Island government’s annual financial statements for (a) 2013-14 and (b) 2014-15.
James Duddridge
The Ascension Island Government’s annual financial statements for 2013-14 and 2014-15 can be found at http://www.ascension-island.gov.ac/government/finance.
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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Christopher Pincher on 2016-03-24.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, upon what criteria she plans to decide whether to remove the derogation in the Waste Framework Directive which currently allows air pollution control residues, which have been recovered from municipal waste to energy incineration facilities, to be treated and disposed to hazardous landfill sites.
Rory Stewart
The derogation to allow the landfilling of air pollution control residues that are three times above normal waste acceptance criteria was originally granted because there was a lack of alternative treatment capacity at the time to either treat certain wastes to levels meeting normal waste acceptance limits, to treat the wastes via alternative treatment technologies or to recycle or recover the residues. The availability of sufficient alternative treatment capacity and the costs of that treatment are therefore the two central criteria that the government will use to decide whether or not to remove the derogation.
The Government is making an assessment of the quantity of air pollution control residues produced at energy from waste facilities to inform its decision on whether or not to remove the derogation to allow the landfilling of air pollution control residues that are three times above normal waste acceptance criteria. These figures will be available following the announcement of that decision.
The Government is making an assessment of the costs of the different forms of treatment for air pollution control residues, including their mixing into concrete blocks and their disposal to hazardous waste landfill, to inform its decision on whether or not to remove the derogation to allow the landfilling of air pollution control residues that are three times above normal waste acceptance criteria. These figures will be available following the announcement of that decision.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gordon Marsden on 2016-05-04.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how he plans to modify the outcome area reviews of post-16 education and training to take account of equality impact assessments available only after a review has concluded.
Nick Boles
The Government will produce an evaluation of the area review programme and its potential to impact on groups protected by the Equality Act 2010.
The Joint Area Review Delivery Unit, which supports the individual reviews, will work with the local steering groups overseeing the reviews to make sure that equality issues are considered in each review.
The reviews do not, however, mandate action. Colleges are independent corporations and it will be for each college’s governing body to assess the potential impact on groups protected by the Act, as part of its decision to accept or reject any recommendation requiring a change to their provision. This does not therefore require a modification of the outcomes of a review.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jamie Reed on 2016-06-09.
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what plans she has to extend consumer protections to customers of district heating schemes.
Andrea Leadsom
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my rt. hon Friend the Secretary of State to the Hon. Member for Greenwich and Woolwich on 19 November 2015, Official Report Column 813-814:
http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201516/cmhansrd/cm151119/debtext/151119-0001.htm
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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-09-06.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the effect that a possible Heathrow Airport expansion will have on UK industry.
Mr John Hayes
The Airports Commission shortlisted three airport expansion schemes, two at Heathrow and one at Gatwick. The Government accepted the Commission’s shortlist in December 2015 and is considering all of the evidence very carefully before reaching a view on its preferred scheme. The Government is not providing a running commentary on this work before an announcement on its preference.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chi Onwurah on 2016-10-21.
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what recent progress his Department has made on its work on an open address register.
Chris Skidmore
The 2016 Budget announced that government would develop options for an authoritative address register that is open and freely available. It is critical that we make wider use of more precise address data and ensure it is frequently updated to unlock opportunities for innovation.
Since the Budget, officials from across government have been exploring a range of potential options for the creation of an Open Address Register and I will look to update the House once this work has been concluded.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Pearson of Rannoch on 2016-01-13.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the annual cost of the in-work benefits for EU workers, of which the Prime Minister is negotiating to delay payment.
Lord Freud
I refer the noble Lord to the answer given by my Rt. Hon. Friend the Minister for Employment (Ms Patel) in the House of Commons on 20 November 2015 to Question number 211618.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Owen Thompson on 2016-02-02.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, on what date the decision to cease displaying radioactive material hazard signs on vehicles carrying special nuclear materials was made.
Penny Mordaunt
The Defence Equipment and Support organisation decided to cease displaying radioactive material hazard warning signs on vehicles carrying special nuclear materials in July 2011. Before implementing this decision we sought legal advice and notified the regulator. The change was implemented in 2012 in anticipation of the transition to a single type of vehicle for the transport of both nuclear weapons and special nuclear materials and was needed in order to maintain the policy to neither confirm nor deny the presence of nuclear weapons. No changes were required to operating arrangements as a result of this decision. The Ministry of Defence’s arrangements for the safe transport of defence nuclear materials include the provision of information to the emergency services in the event of an incident; this does not rely on displaying radioactive material hazard warning signs.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tulip Siddiq on 2016-02-29.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much public funding for stem cell research was allocated to the British Society of Blood and Marrow Transplantation in each year since 2003-04.
George Freeman
No funding for stem cell research has been allocated or awarded to the British Society of Blood and Marrow Transplantation from the Department’s research and development budget.
A wide range of research relating to stem cell transplantation is funded by the Department’s National Institute for Health Research (NIHR). The NIHR supports the delivery of translational medicine in this field through its biomedical research centres and units, clinical research facilities, and experimental cancer medicine centres (funded jointly with Cancer Research UK), and later phase trials through its clinical research network. In addition, the NIHR is funding the Blood and Transplant Research Unit in stem cells and immunotherapies. This is a research partnership between University College London and NHS Blood and Transplant.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Percy on 2016-03-24.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the influence of ISIS in Gaza.
Mr Tobias Ellwood
We are concerned about the rise in the number of small Salafi groups in Gaza that sympathise or self-identify with Daesh. This highlights the urgent need for all the parties to reach an agreement that addresses the underlying causes of conflict in Gaza to restore security under the Palestinian Authority, and reduce the risk of radicalisation inside Gaza. We are monitoring the situation closely.