Tag: Alex Cunningham

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alex Cunningham on 2016-02-08.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, pursuant to the Answer of 3 February 2016 to Question 24265, when he plans to (a) assess how many further education institutions are likely to incur financial penalties as a result of triggering break clauses in loan agreements they hold with banks resulting from his Department’s area reviews and (b) publish such data.

Nick Boles

I refer the hon Member to the answer to Question UIN 24265

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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alex Cunningham on 2016-02-19.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, by what date he expects all local authorities to be fully reimbursed for flood protection grants they have paid to (a) households and (b) businesses.

James Wharton

To date over £48 million has been paid out to local authorities through the Community and Business Recovery Fund and Council Tax and Business Rates discounts to assist households and businesses affected by the floods caused by Storms Desmond and Eva.

Local authorities have not notified the Department of any allowable costs not covered by the sums transferred. It is expected that further payments will be made shortly as flooded property numbers are confirmed and further funds requested.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alex Cunningham on 2016-03-21.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions her Department has had with the Treasury on the business case for delivery of the final phase of the Leeds Flood Alleviation Scheme.

Rory Stewart

Ahead of the Budget, Defra and the Treasury discussed support for communities in areas at high risk of flooding, including Leeds.

A scoping study for further work in Leeds is underway and due for completion by the end of March this year. This will lead to the development of a full feasibility study and business case looking at how Leeds could be better protected. An additional £35 million has been made available to support work in Leeds up to 2021, with a commitment that the Government will provide funding to support the completion of the Leeds Flood Alleviation Scheme in later years subject to business case approval.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alex Cunningham on 2016-04-11.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what the (a) scientific and (b) economic basis was for her Department’s proposal to move the cement industry into a 75 per cent tier of free allocation in the EU Emissions Trading System; and what account her Department took in developing that proposal of the difficulty of abating process emissions.

Andrea Leadsom

The Government supports reform to strengthen the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS) whilst providing continued support for the competitiveness of British businesses as they decarbonise. Sectors at greatest risk of carbon leakage have high carbon costs and are highly exposed to international trade. The proposed tiering scenarios, which are indicative and do not represent a confirmed Government position, are intended to demonstrate how support could be differentiated between sectors at different levels of risk. We recognise the barriers to decarbonisation in the cement sector due to its high proportion of emissions from chemical processes. We will continue to work with the UK cement industry to ensure that its circumstances are reflected in Phase IV of EU ETS.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alex Cunningham on 2016-05-04.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, when she expects the Inter-Ministerial Group on Oil and Gas to publish its plan for the UK oil and gas workforce.

Andrea Leadsom

We expect to publish the UK Oil and Gas Workforce plan shortly.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alex Cunningham on 2016-05-23.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what assessment she has made of the implications for her policy of the conclusion of the Energy Technologies Institute report, published on 12 May 2016, that there are no technical hurdles to permanently and safely storing large quantities of carbon dioxide off the coast of the UK.

Andrea Leadsom

The Government views Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) as having a potentially important role in the long-term decarbonisation of the UK’s economy. The Government will set out its approach to CCS in due course, and the recent Energy Technologies Institute report, funded by DECC, will inform the Government’s thinking.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alex Cunningham on 2016-07-20.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to improve (a) expertise and (b) facilities in primary care to strengthen (i) detection of early liver disease and (ii) treatment for liver disease.

David Mowat

I understand that the British Liver Trust is working in partnership with the Royal College of General Practitioners on a three year programme to make liver disease a clinical priority for primary care. This is aimed at improving awareness and understanding of liver disease as well as treatment amongst those working in primary care.

Public Health England is currently developing a framework to tackle liver disease. This will include the action that needs to be taken across the health and care system, including in primary care, to prevent and better manage liver disease.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alex Cunningham on 2015-11-04.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department has assessed the potential of liquid petroleum gas as a replacement for diesel in (a) passenger cars, (b) taxis, (c) HGVs, (d) vans and (e) public sector fleets.

Andrew Jones

As part of a consultation in 2014 on amendments to the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO) the department considered the potential benefits of biopropane in delivering GHG savings. In recognition of this, the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation was subsequently amended to increase rewards for suppliers of that fuel from April 2015.

The department, working with the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs, have evaluated a range of options for tackling poor air quality; this formed the basis of the Government’s draft air quality plans that recently went to public consultation. Switching to LPG can provide air quality benefits but may not be easily deployed in all vehicle types.

As part of the department’s 2014 Clean Vehicle Technology Fund (CVTF) grant scheme, Birmingham City Council were awarded £500,000 to enable the conversion of 80 older black cabs from diesel to LPG which will help improve air quality on some of the most polluted roads. There is a possibility of funding through the current CVTF grant scheme being used to support further LPG conversions in other areas.

We are considering many competing priorities across Government as part of the Spending Review, including measures to tackle air quality pollutants and reduce other harmful emissions. The outcome of the Spending Review will be announced later in the autumn.

The department regularly meets with motor manufacturers and their representative body the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). Discussions on how manufacturers can act to tackle poor air quality cover a range of measures.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alex Cunningham on 2015-11-10.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when she plans to respond to the final report of the Lead Ammunition Group.

Rory Stewart

The Government is considering the independent Lead Ammunition Group’s report on the effect of lead shot on human and wildlife health and will respond as soon as possible.

The Food Standards Agency has produced advice on the consumption of lead shot game which can be accessed at https://www.food.gov.uk/science/advice-to-frequent-eaters-of-game-shot-with-lead.

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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alex Cunningham on 2015-11-10.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he plans to take to fully integrate physical activity into the care pathways of all long-term conditions where it has a proven beneficial effect.

Jane Ellison

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has published various pieces of guidance covering long-term conditions, and this guidance promotes physical activity where is it shown to have a beneficial effect.

In addition to this, Public Health England (PHE) has highlighted the important role of physical activity in the prevention, treatment and management of many long-term conditions in Everybody Active Every Day, a national evidence-based framework for action to reduce inactivity in England launched in 2014.

Since then there has been sustained action to support the integration of physical activity into clinical practice.

This has included:

– The launch of a new set of teaching resources designed to integrating into the curriculum on physical activity for medical, nursing and allied health professional university departments. To date these have been taken up by 15 United Kingdom medical schools, 4 UK Schools of Health (dietetics/physio/OT and AHPs) and 5 international schools of Allied Health Professionals;

– The launch of a series of nine e-learning modules on physical activity in the treatment and prevention of long term conditions on the BMJ E-learning platform alongside e-learning on Motivational interviewing techniques, funded by PHE;

– The launch of a new info-graphic to support healthcare professionals to understand and put into practice the Chief Medical Officer’s guidelines on physical activity for adults, a further graphic is in development to support the guidelines for children and young people;

– An expanded pilot of the general practitioner clinical champion programme by PHE;

– Continued work with the Richmond group of charities who are building on the work of Macmillan and Breakthrough Breast Cancer to support integration of physical activity into clinical practice and care pathways and also raise the understanding amongst the third sector and wider communities of its important role; and

– Continued work with the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges, Chartered Institute of Physiotherapists and other professional bodies to raise the awareness across the profession, and ensuring that physical activity is considered as a key part of the Making Every Contact Count approach across health and social care.

Further work is being considered for 2016/17 around how better to support the commissioning of evidence-based exercise referral programmes for specific conditions as recommended by NICE.