Tag: Andrew Gwynne

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Gwynne on 2016-01-28.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions her Department is having with (a) the Greater Manchester combined authority, (b) the metropolitan district councils of Greater Manchester, (c) Transport for Greater Manchester and (d) Highways England on the Greater Manchester Air Quality Action Plan.

Rory Stewart

Air quality control in the ten district councils of Greater Manchester is managed as a consortium led by the air quality and transport delivery arms of the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA), with input from Highways England. It is through this consortium that Defra engages on air quality matters.

The latest Air Quality Action Plan progress report submitted by Greater Manchester GMCA was in March 2015. The next progress report is expected to be submitted to Defra for review early this month.

Defra has regular discussions with Highways England to ensure that air quality outcomes are mainstreamed in their policy, and that adequate measures are put in place at strategic roads to address the impact of air pollution. Defra is also part of Highways England’s delivery programme board for the air quality element of the Road Investment Strategy.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Gwynne on 2016-02-02.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether the Government has commissioned research on the fiscal impact of an additional tax on soft drinks containing sugar.

Mr David Gauke

The Chancellor keeps all taxes under review as part of the fiscal process.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Gwynne on 2016-02-03.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether the childhood obesity strategy will be published before 23 June 2016.

Jane Ellison

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 2 February 2016 to Question 24826

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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Gwynne on 2016-02-10.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, when he expects the Local Government Boundary Review will next consider the (a) ward and (b) councillor arrangements in the metropolitan districts within Greater Manchester.

Mr Marcus Jones

Whilst this is a matter for the independent Local Government Boundary Commission for England, I understand that the Commission plan to begin a review of Manchester City Council in the summer to address high electoral variances across wards in the city.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Gwynne on 2016-02-23.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the annual rent paid by his Department is on 39 Victoria Street.

Jane Ellison

The Department does not currently lease 39 Victoria Street and is not paying rent for the building.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Gwynne on 2016-03-01.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, with reference to page 24 of the Accelerated Access Review, published in October 2015, what steps he is taking to ensure that drugs that target the genetically validated targets (a) PCSK9 and (b) BCL2 are introduced into routine NHS care; and if he will make a statement.

Ben Gummer

The Accelerated Access Review, chaired by Sir Hugh Taylor, will make recommendations to government on reforms to accelerate access for National Health Service patients to innovative medicines and medical technologies making our country the best place in the world to design, develop and deploy these products. The terms of the reference for the review focus on faster access to innovations, which may include drugs that target genetically validated targets such as PCSK9 and BCL2.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Gwynne on 2016-03-08.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when his Department’s evaluation of the Be Clear on Cancer campaign for oesophago-gastric cancers will be published.

Jane Ellison

There will be two national ‘Be Clear on Cancer’ campaigns in 2016-17. The decision on which cancers these campaigns will focus on will be informed by a steering group, whose members include primary and secondary care clinicians, analysts and key voluntary sector organisations. A number of factors are taken into account when deciding which campaigns to run, including all available evaluation data. A second national oesophago-gastric campaign will be considered alongside the other existing campaigns.

PHE is analysing cancer waiting times data and campaign tracking research and it is expected that the first national oesophago-gastric cancer (1st wave) interim report will be published this summer.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Gwynne on 2016-03-23.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how he assessed the levels of consumption by children of drinks products affected by the sugar levy.

Mr David Gauke

The evidence about children’s consumption of soft drinks comes from the Public Health England report ‘Sugar reduction: the evidence for action’ published in October 2015.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Gwynne on 2016-04-13.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many NHS organisations complied with the 30 day target for the payment of subcontractors set by the Government in the last period for which figures are available.

George Freeman

Figures on the number of National Health Service bodies recording instances of expenditure incurred under the ‘Late payment of commercial debt (Interest) Act 1998’, where it was incurred with non-NHS bodies, in the last three years, are provided in the following table.

Sector	2012-13	2013-14	2014-15
NHS Trust	19	21	18
NHS Foundation Trust	9	14	15
Clinical Commissioning Groups1	0	N/A	N/A
Primary Care Trusts2	5	0	0
Strategic Health Authorities2	0	0	0
Total	33	35	33

1. Did not exist in 2012/13
2. Did not exist after 2012/13

Figures on the number of NHS bodies meeting the 30 day payment target for subcontractors, where the information is available from the central accounts returns made to the Department are shown in the following table.

Sector	NHS Trusts
Entities meeting Target	25
Total Entities in sector	99

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Gwynne on 2016-05-18.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what procedures she will follow in consideration of applications for the disposal for development of the former Two Trees High School in Denton.

Edward Timpson

The Education Act 2011 requires that the Secretary of State must give consent prior to the disposal of land which has been used for any school or academy in the last eight years. A key consideration for the government is whether the land proposed for disposal could be suitable for use by a new academy or free school.

School playing fields are also protected by Section 77 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998. Schools and local authorities must obtain the Secretary of State’s approval before they can dispose of their land. Applications to dispose of school playing fields are first considered by the school playing fields advisory panel, who make a recommendation to the Secretary of State, before she then makes her final decision.

At this time I am not aware of an application by Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council to seek approval to dispose of the former Two Trees Sports College, including the playing fields.

Should an application be submitted, the Secretary of State would take into account any groups or organisations with permission to use the playing fields and what suitable alternative provision they may have been offered. Local schools, which are deficient in playing field land, should also be offered the opportunity to use the playing field before any application is presented. She will also take into account local school place needs and any academy requirement.