Tag: 2016

Jim Shannon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-10-18.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions he has had with the Northern Ireland Executive on steps to ensure that maintenance of flight connections between Belfast Aldergrove Airport and New York.

Mr John Hayes

The Department for Transport was briefed on several occasions by the Northern Ireland Office on the Northern Ireland Executive’s considerations on steps to ensure the maintenance of flight connections between Belfast Aldergrove Airport and New York. The Department was not actively involved in this matter.

01/01/2023
Rosie Cooper – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rosie Cooper on 2016-01-11.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, by what mechanism residents can challenge a local authority’s assessment of the adequacy of drainage systems for a new housing development where they believe it will contribute to additional flooding in an area which has recently flooded.

Brandon Lewis

There are strict tests in the National Planning Policy Framework to protect people and property from flooding, and we are very clear that where these tests are not met new development should not be allowed.

The Framework must be taken into account in the preparation of local plans, drawn up by local councils in consultation with local communities, which should steer inappropriate development away from areas at risk of flooding. Local Plans should be supported by Strategic Flood Risk Assessment and develop policies to manage flood risk from all sources, taking account of advice from the Environment Agency and other relevant flood risk management bodies. A Local Plan must be published for consultation before it can be submitted to the Planning Inspectorate for examination. This provides a formal opportunity for the local community to consider the local plan which the local planning authority would like to adopt.

For planning applications, local planning authorities are also required to undertake a formal period of public consultation prior to making a decision. When determining planning applications in flood risk areas, the Framework is clear on the importance of demonstrating that the development will be safe, resilient and not increase flood risk elsewhere. The Framework also sets out when applications should be supported by a site-specific flood risk assessment. These assessments provide a source of information for local residents together with representations on proposed development from flood risk management bodies. Planning law requires that planning applications must be determined in accordance with the development plan for the area, unless material considerations indicate otherwise. The Framework is a material consideration in planning decisions, as are the planning concerns of residents.

01/01/2023
Baroness Northover – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Northover on 2016-02-03.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Verma on 1 February (HL5238), what proportion of UK aid spending on water, sanitation and hygiene is targeted at the maintenance and upkeep of existing facilities.

Baroness Verma

Our WASH programmes take an integrated approach to both provision and maintenance of existing facilities, involving building national, local and community capacity and systems to ensure that services continue to function over time. In 2014, total UK bilateral ODA spending on water supply and sanitation was £181 million. UK aid expenditure is reported in Statistics on International Development report at table A6a which I have attached for your convenience.

We do not collect data separately on the amount of funds allocated to installation of facilities and their subsequent maintenance. In most countries responsibility for financing operation and maintenance is passed to the community where services have been installed, after appropriate training has been provided.

01/01/2023
Lord Rennard – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Rennard on 2016-02-29.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their response to the Electoral Commission’s UK Parliamentary General Election 2015: Campaign spending report.

Lord Bridges of Headley

The Electoral Commission published its “UK Parliamentary General Election 2015: Campaign spending report” on 29 February 2016. The Government is considering the report and will respond in due course.

01/01/2023
Richard Burgon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burgon on 2016-03-23.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what statutory duty there is on individual general practitioners to provide notice of closure of a GP practice to NHS England or clinical commissioning group.

Alistair Burt

GP Contract regulations require a practice to give NHS England written notice of their intention to terminate their contract. Where the contract is with a partnership, the contract terminates six months from the date of the notice. In the case of a single handed practice, the contract terminates three months from the date of the notice.

There is no specific statutory duty on NHS England to notify patients of the closure of a practice however the National Health Service Act 2006 requires NHS England to ensure the provision of primary medical services throughout England.

However, NHS England take the closure of a practice very seriously and will look to engage with patients at the earliest opportunity.

01/01/2023

Tulip Siddiq – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tulip Siddiq on 2016-04-27.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how many referrals the Insolvency Service received from (a) each of the sectoral regulators and (b) any other third party for alleged malpractice by directors of companies in each year since 2009.

Anna Soubry

The number of complaints received about live companies, and the number of reports received about insolvent companies from insolvency practitioners (IPs), is summarised in the table below. No records are kept of the total number of complaints received about insolvent companies and separate figures are not available for complaints received from regulators.

Reporting year	No complaints received about live companies	No of reports received from IPs
09/10	5,989	7,030
10/11	4,852	5,373
11/12	3,523	5,401
12/13	3,014	5,335
13/14	3,603	4,671
14/15	3,791	4,620
15/16	3,904	4,277

01/01/2023

Debbie Abrahams – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Debbie Abrahams on 2016-06-13.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discretion is available to local authorities to grant blue badges to disabled people who are in receipt of the enhanced mobility rate of personal independence payment other than through the moving around criteria; and what steps he has taken to monitor local authorities in their exercise of that discretion.

Andrew Jones

It is set out in the Disabled Persons (Badges for Motor Vehicles) (England) Regulations 2000 (as amended), that to qualify for a badge via a Personal Independence Payment (PIP) award the applicant must score at least 8 points in the “moving around” activity of the mobility component. There is no discretion for local authorities to issue badges for other PIP awards.

However, where a person fails to qualify for a badge through PIP, they may still apply to their local authority for a badge under the other eligibility criteria; these include any permanent and substantial disabilities (including non-physical disabilities) which cause very considerable difficulty in walking.

01/01/2023
Jim Fitzpatrick – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Fitzpatrick on 2016-09-06.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the effect on safety of buildings on pupils of removing the expectation from guidance that most new schools should have automatic fire sprinkler systems fitted.

Edward Timpson

The Department has recently consulted stakeholders on proposed revisions to fire safety guidance, which seek to clarify when sprinklers will be fitted in schools. We are not changing the rules on fire safety. It has never been compulsory for sprinklers to be fitted in schools. All new schools must comply with building and fire safety regulations. Where it is concluded that sprinklers must be fitted to protect property or keep children safe, they will be. We are actively considering responses to the consultation and will respond in due course.

01/01/2023
Tom Blenkinsop – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Blenkinsop on 2016-10-18.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether his Department has made an assessment of whether the conditions have been met for the Pensions Regulator to issue a contribution notice to Tata Steel in relation to the British Steel Pension Scheme.

Richard Harrington

The assessment of whether it is appropriate to issue contribution notices is the responsibility of the Independent Pensions Regulator.

01/01/2023
Tim Loughton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tim Loughton on 2016-01-11.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what contingency arrangements her Department has made for the eventuality of a majority leave vote in the upcoming EU referendum.

Andrea Leadsom

I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given to him by my rt. hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 14 January 2016 to Question 21952:

http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-question/Commons/2016-01-11/21952/.

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01/01/2023