The below Parliamentary question was asked by Liz McInnes on 2016-02-29.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the UK remaining in the EU on the farming industry.
George Eustice
Defra has not made any assessment of the UK remaining in the EU on the farming industry.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Douglas Chapman on 2016-03-24.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the effect of the time taken in Block 3F testing of the F-35B Lightning II mission systems software on the planned commencement of formal initial operational test and evaluation development of that aircraft.
Mr Philip Dunne
The development and associated flight testing of the Block 3F software is due to be completed by the fourth quarter of 2017. This will allow operational test and evaluation to commence in time to support the UK’s planned Initial Operating Capability of December 2018.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lisa Cameron on 2016-04-27.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will bring forward legislative proposals to make it compulsory for people working in residential care homes to be trained in (a) mental health screening and (b) bereavement counselling.
Alistair Burt
All providers of health or adult social care activities that fall under the supervision of the Care Quality Commission already have a legal duty to ensure that all staff working to provide those activities have the qualifications, competence, skills and experience necessary for the work to be performed.
The Department of Health in England is not planning to bring forward further legislative proposals to make it compulsory for people working in residential care homes to be trained in mental health screening and bereavement counselling.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steven Paterson on 2016-06-09.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the Mk4A upgrade is expected to increase the yield of the warhead.
Mr Philip Dunne
The UK currently fields the Trident Mk4 warhead as part of the Trident Strategic Weapons System. In order to ensure continuity of the Mk4-based capability, the Mk4A Arming, Fuzing and Firing system is a non-nuclear component being introduced into the UK Trident warhead to replace a similar component. The Mk4A programme will not increase the destructive power of the warhead.
Approval to procure the new Arming, Firing and Fuzing mechanisms, to manage obsolescence in Mk4 and to adopt a Mk4A component was given in January 2006. I am withholding further details of the date of the Mk4A component’s entry into service, the cost of the Mk4A programme and the extension in operational life expected for the purposes of safeguarding national security.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Neil Coyle on 2016-09-06.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the timetable for publication is of the Freud Review into housing benefit changes and their impact on supported accommodation.
Caroline Nokes
The Secretary of State has confirmed that the Government expects to make an announcement on the way forward for supported housing in early autumn.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Winnick on 2016-10-24.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, when his Department plans to reply to the letter from the hon. Member for Walsall North of 20 September 2016 on behalf of a constituent relating to nuisance telephone calls.
Margot James
The Department for Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS) is responsible for the Government’s policy on nuisance telephone calls. The hon. Member’s letter of 20 September 2016 has been passed to DCMS and that Department will reply directly to the hon Member.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Massey of Darwen on 2016-01-13.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many children’s centres have closed in the last year, and how many will close in 2016.
Baroness Evans of Bowes Park
In 2015, 144 children’s centres closed. The Department does not routinely collect data on the number of anticipated closures but expects local authorities to fulfil their duties under the Childcare Act 2006 to ensure sufficient children’s centres to meet the needs of local families. Local authorities must consult fully before any significant changes are made to children’s centre services.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Maria Eagle on 2016-02-02.
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what meetings (a) Ministers and (b) officials in his Department have had with counterparts in the Cabinet Office on the privatisation of Channel 4 in each year since 2010.
Mr Edward Vaizey
Ministers and officials regularly meet with counterparts in other departments to discuss a range of issues. Historic records of internal government meetings are not kept.
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.