Tag: 2016

  • Stewart Malcolm McDonald – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Stewart Malcolm McDonald – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stewart Malcolm McDonald on 2016-04-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent discussions has he had with Volkswagen on the timeframe that has been agreed to complete software and technical fixes for all its UK consumers.

    Andrew Jones

    The Secretary of State has met with the Chief Executive of Volkswagen UK to press him to ensure that the technical fixes are completed as quickly as possible for UK consumers.

    The UK’s Vehicle Certification Agency issued the type approval for some Volkswagen Group vehicles. For these the agency is working with the manufacturer to review and approve the proposed fixes. They are carrying out tests to ensure that after the fix is applied the vehicles do not have an illegal defeat device, that they meet all the legal requirements including emissions, and that other vehicles characteristics are unchanged, including fuel consumption and engine noise.

  • Lord Berkeley – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Lord Berkeley – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Berkeley on 2016-05-05.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many senior staff have transferred from Network Rail to HS2, either on a temporary or on a permanent basis.

    Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

    HS2 Ltd has a Senior Leadership Team comprising its 74 most senior people. Of these 74 people, 13 people have transferred from Network Rail to HS2 Ltd, either on a temporary or permanent basis.

  • John Spellar – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    John Spellar – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Spellar on 2016-06-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if he will take steps to ensure that his Department’s purchasing policies support British (a) industry and (b) agriculture.

    Mr Mark Francois

    Public procurement policy is the responsibility of the Cabinet Office through the Crown Commercial Service.

    The Department’s purchasing policies support the Government’s commitment to do all it can to ensure UK suppliers can compete effectively for public sector contracts, in line with our current international obligations and guidance issued by the Crown Commercial Service.

  • Jonathan Edwards – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Trade

    Jonathan Edwards – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Trade

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jonathan Edwards on 2016-09-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what estimate he has made of the total annual value to the UK of each trade deal to which the UK is a party as a consequence of the UK’s membership of the European single market.

    Greg Hands

    Fifteen per cent of the UK’s exports of goods and services in 2014 went to countries with which the EU has negotiated free trade agreements (FTAs). This includes FTAs that have been implemented and those where negotiations have been completed but are still awaiting ratification. It does not include UK exports to EEA countries or non-EU members of the Customs Union.

  • Jim Shannon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Jim Shannon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-01-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many people have been diagnosed with Bell’s Palsy in each of the last five years; and how many such people were (a) women and (b) men aged (i) under 18, (ii) between 18 and 45, (iii) between 45 and 65 and (iv) over 65.

    Jane Ellison

    This information is not collected. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence Clinical Knowledge Summary (CKS) for Bell’s palsy estimates that the annual incidence of the condition in the United Kingdom is one in 5,000 people and that it most commonly occurs in people aged between 15 and 60 years. The CKS, which is an online resource, can be viewed at the following link:

    http://cks.nice.org.uk/bells-palsy#!topicsummary

    “

  • Baroness Smith of Basildon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Baroness Smith of Basildon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Smith of Basildon on 2016-02-08.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what advice has been provided this session to ministers or senior officials in (1) HM Treasury, (2) the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, (3) the Department for Education, (4) the Department for Energy and Climate Change, (5) the Department for Health, and (6) the Department for Work and Pensions, about whether to use secondary legislation or primary legislation for significant legislation.

    Lord O’Neill of Gatley

    Details of the proposals for restricting in-work benefits for EU nationals will be subject to further negotiation and we cannot speculate on these.

  • Lord Freyberg – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Lord Freyberg – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Freyberg on 2016-03-03.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answers by Lord Prior of Brampton on 4 February (HL5344), 11 February (HL5970), and 3 March (HL6245), what are the minimum number of cancer reports that are expected for delivery back to patients by the end of (1) March, (2) June, and (3) September.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    We are advised by Genomics England that no cancer reports will be returned by the end of March 2016. The priorities for the cancer component of the 100,000 Genomes project are the improvement of the sample processing, sequencing and bioinformatics capabilities across National Health Service Genomic Medicine Centres and Genomics England partnerships. It is unlikely that there will be any clinically actionable reports for cancer in the period to the end of September 2016.

  • Owen Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Owen Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Owen Smith on 2016-04-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people his Department has written to regarding changes to the work allowance element of universal credit.

    Priti Patel

    We have contacted around 59,000 people, purposefully casting the net wide to ensure that no one is missed. The actual number of claimants affected is expected to be significantly lower.

  • Jamie Reed – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Jamie Reed – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jamie Reed on 2016-05-05.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make it her policy to require supermarkets to donate food to food banks and other charities.

    Rory Stewart

    I am replying as the Minister with responsibility for food waste.

    The Government welcomes the redistribution of good quality surplus food to charities that can make sure it goes to people rather than going to waste.

    Based on our experience, a simple law or requirement obliging supermarkets to donate food would not fix the barriers to redistribution. We need to look at the bigger picture. Less than 10% of food wasted in the supply chain is from supermarkets, so we need the whole chain to work together.

    Facilitated and supported by government, all major retailers now have arrangements in place to redistribute surplus food. Action taken by retailers to redistribute surplus food includes:

    • Morrisons have announced that, from January 2016, any unsold safe food will go to redistribution organisations
    • Tesco are making use of an app which links supermarkets with redistribution organisations
    • Asda are working with FareShare to redistribute food

    Signatories to the voluntary Courtauld Commitment with industry have reported a 74% increase between 2012 and end 2014, and we expect it to increase further.

    We want to achieve more. Last year, the Secretary of State held a meeting with industry and redistribution organisations to take stock of progress on food redistribution. Outcomes from this include the recent publication of a Redistribution Framework to help facilitate closer working between potential donors and recipients of food surpluses. Research has been commissioned by WRAP to identify where and why waste and surpluses occur in the supply chain to inform further action to increase waste prevention and redistribution.

    Following the success of earlier agreements, WRAP launched The Courtauld Commitment 2025 in March. This is an ambitious new agreement that takes a whole food supply chain approach, and will build on the progress we have already made to prevent waste, including through the redistribution of surplus food.

  • Stephen Gethins – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Stephen Gethins – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Gethins on 2016-06-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with trade union officials on the job security of UK citizens employed by EU institutions.

    Mr David Lidington

    We are still a member of the European Union and there will be no immediate changes in the circumstances of British citizens elsewhere in the EU. EU institutions have communicated directly to British staff that they continue to have the same rights as other officials of the European Union.