The below Parliamentary question was asked by Antoinette Sandbach on 2015-11-10.
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what progress his Department has made reforming the Electronic Communications Code.
Mr Edward Vaizey
The Government remains committed to delivering a reformed Electronic Communications Code that is clear, fit for purpose, and supports a UK network that provides consumers with a choice of high quality telecommunications services.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Antoinette Sandbach on 2016-04-12.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many staff are employed in the Financial Investigation Unit of the Child Maintenance Group.
Priti Patel
I refer the Hon. Member to the answer I gave the Hon. Member for Brighton Pavilion on 29 February 2016 to Question UIN 27465.
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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Antoinette Sandbach on 2016-05-09.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 4 May 2016 to Question 35404, if he will place in the Library copies of (a) the High Speed 2 LiDAR surveys, (b) all notes of all the consultations with (i) Tata Chemicals Europe Ltd, (ii) Compass Minerals UK Ltd and (iii) all other brine and salt extraction stakeholders and (c) the details of the mining engineer commissioned to undertake a study of the saltfield including the location of known brine wells; and on what date that study of the saltfield was commissioned.
Mr Robert Goodwill
All survey and study information will be published in due course and it would not be appropriate to publish partial information at this time as this could be misleading to the public.
All meetings with individual business are treated in confidence due to commercial sensitivities surrounding the discussions.
The details of the consultant are treated as commercial in confidence. The consultant was commissioned in January 2014 to undertake this study.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Antoinette Sandbach on 2015-11-10.
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what estimate he has made of the number of homes and businesses that will not benefit from the roll-out of superfast broadband in each of the 11 Cheshire parliamentary constituencies.
Mr Edward Vaizey
The Government’s is committed to achieving the availability of superfast broadband to 95% of UK premises by December 2017. Broadband Delivery UK’s (BDUK) modelled estimates of the currently planned superfast broadband coverage for the 11 Cheshire constituencies predict 96% coverage, and are set out in the table below. These estimates are based on modelled coverage at the end of the Connected Cheshire Phase 2 project. Further coverage will be possible through additional funding sources including the gainshare funding that BT have offered in response to the high levels of take-up being achieved.
As you will be aware the Prime Minister recently announced the Government’sintention to introduce a new broadband Universal Service Obligation (USO) by 2020. The USO will be demand-led and will give people a legal right to request anaffordable connection to broadband of a minimum specified speed, from adesignated provider, no matter where they live, up to a reasonable cost threshold. This reflects that many people now see broadband as a basic service similar to thepost and telephone.
|
Constituency |
Total |
Planned Coverage (%) |
|
City of Chester Constituency |
46,652 |
97% |
|
Congleton Constituency |
44,269 |
96% |
|
Crewe and Nantwich Constituency |
49,984 |
97% |
|
Eddisbury Constituency |
39,293 |
89% |
|
Ellesmere Port and Neston Constituency |
41,636 |
99% |
|
Halton Constituency |
44,739 |
98% |
|
Macclesfield Constituency |
45,198 |
95% |
|
Tatton Constituency |
40,592 |
95% |
|
Warrington North Borough Constituency |
44,770 |
98% |
|
Warrington South Borough Constituency |
50,656 |
98% |
|
Weaver Vale Constituency |
40,411 |
97% |
|
Total |
488,200 |
96% |
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Antoinette Sandbach on 2016-04-12.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many prosecutions have been undertaken by the Financial Investigation Unit within the Child Maintenance Group in each financial year since 2012; and how many civil actions have been taken by the Financial Investigation Unit in cases where there is not sufficient evidence to justify a criminal prosecution to recover funds owed to Parents with Care in that time.
Priti Patel
Child Maintenance Group’s Financial Investigation Unit (FIU) was established on 1 April 2014.
During the year 2014/15, the FIU initiated 65 criminal prosecutions and also enabled civil enforcement action on 1,697 cases, collecting a total of £528,201.
During the year 2015/16, the FIU initiated 70 criminal prosecutions and also enabled civil enforcement action on 1,424 cases, collecting a total of £581,217.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Antoinette Sandbach on 2016-05-09.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 4 May 2016 to Question 35453, if he will place in the Library a copy of the surveys referred to in that Answer.
Mr Robert Goodwill
All survey information will be published in due course and it would not be appropriate to publish partial information at this time as this could be misleading to the public.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Antoinette Sandbach on 2015-11-10.
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what assessment he has made of the differences in provision of healthcare in areas adjoining the border between England and Wales.
Stephen Crabb
Everyone should have access to the very best healthcare possible wherever they live. The presence of a border between England and Wales should not create disadvantages for patients.
While the NHS in England exists to benefit the people of England, and the NHS in Wales exists to benefit the people of Wales, NHS commissioners in either country are able to commission services from providers on both sides of the border.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Antoinette Sandbach on 2016-04-19.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to encourage schools to procure their food from local producers and suppliers.
George Eustice
The Plan for Public Procurement of Food was launched by the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs with the support of the Prime Minister in July 2014. The Plan seeks to improve the quality of the food served in public establishments through the use of a procurement toolkit which includes a balanced scorecard to assess the value of food and catering contracts. The balanced scorecard rewards businesses which offer high quality, locally sourced and seasonal produce.
Defra has worked closely with the Department for Education sponsored School Food Plan and has commissioned pilots of the balanced scorecard approach with schools taking part in the London Food Board Flagship Food Boroughs initiative. These pilots will build on the very firm foundation laid by the School Food Plan.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Antoinette Sandbach on 2016-05-09.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 4 May 2016 to Question 35403, on High Speed 2 railway line: Eddisbury, for what reasons no intrusive geological surveys have been carried out at this stage; when HS2 Ltd commissioned from a mining engineer, in consultation with the Cheshire Brine Subsidence Compensation Board, a study of the historical subsidence effects and ongoing extractive processes in relation to salt; on what date HS2 Ltd received or will receive that report; and when he expects to receive the conclusions of the re-review of the usefulness of satellite interferometry to evaluate historical ground movement across Cheshire.
Mr Robert Goodwill
HS2 will negotiate access to land with landowners to undertake geological surveys as a part of the Hybrid Bill process following the decision of the route as done on Phase 1 and Phase 2a. It would not be appropriate to intrude on landowners where there is no confirmation of the route.
Both the study and the re-review will be used to support technical decisions contributing to a route announcement scheduled for later in 2016.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Antoinette Sandbach on 2015-11-10.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what financial assistance is available for parents who have lost children to pay for funeral costs.
Justin Tomlinson
The Social Fund Funeral Expenses scheme provides help towards the cost of a funeral for people on qualifying benefits. Awards cover the full necessary costs involved with either burial or cremation and up to £700 for other funeral expenses. Social Fund Budgeting Loans are also available to help those on income related benefits to cover the costs relating to funeral expenses.