Tag: Catherine West

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Catherine West on 2016-01-06.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, with reference to paragraph 3.22 of English Apprenticeships: Our 2020 Vision, what estimate his Department has made of the proportion of the planned 17,000 NHS apprenticeship starts which will be taken up by apprentices with special educational needs or disabilities.

Nick Boles

The NHS has committed to creating 100,000 apprenticeships by 2020, offering opportunities to thousands of people who wish to pursue a career in the health sector. This is part of a wider, cross-government commitment to reaching three million apprenticeship starts in England across all sectors in 2020.

Apprenticeships are full time jobs with training. We do not interfere in employers’ recruitment decisions or set specific quotas for the number of apprenticeships to be taken up by people with special educational needs or disabilities. All employers must fulfil their duties as set out in the Equality Act 2010 for apprentices as they would for other employees. We believe that the overwhelming majority of young people with special educational needs or disabilities are capable of sustainable, paid employment with the right preparation and support. For many, apprenticeships are the best route into paid employment. To support this, people aged 16 and over can apply for Access to Work funding for adjustments to the workplace. In addition, reasonable adjustments are available for any qualifications within apprenticeships to ensure the apprentice has every opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge and skills.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Catherine West on 2016-01-26.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to reduce accidents involving pedestrians and (a) cyclists, (b) motorcyclists, (c) cars and (d) heavy goods vehicles.

Andrew Jones

The Government has a Manifesto commitment to reduce the number of cyclists and other road users killed or injured on our roads every year. The British Road Safety Statement, published on 21 December 2015, sets out the Government’s vision, values and priorities for improving the safety of Britain’s roads for all road users.

The Government is committed to cycling and walking and making it easier for people to choose them as sustainable travel options. The Government laid an amendment to the Infrastructure Bill that would place into law a commitment of the Government to produce a Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy (CWIS). On 17 December 2015, the Government published a CWIS overview document outlining the timescales and work plan for production of the various elements of the investment strategy which is online on GOV.UK The full CWIS is due to be published this year. By ensuring that cycling and walking are the first consideration of any new street design or maintenance programme, we will ensure our streets are safer for our most vulnerable road users.

My Department issued revised guidance in January 2013 aimed mainly at local traffic authorities who are responsible for setting speed limits on local roads. Traffic authorities are asked to keep their speed limits under review with changing circumstances, and to consider the introduction of more 20 miles per hour limits and zones, over time, in urban areas and built-up village streets that are primarily residential, to ensure greater safety for pedestrians and cyclists.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Catherine West on 2016-02-08.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what recent steps his Department has taken to tackle disparities in broadband coverage in (a) London and (b) the UK.

Mr Edward Vaizey

The Government is working with commercial broadband providers to encourage them to fill the remaining gaps in superfast broadband coverage in London. BT has announced £50 million of investment in new commercial coverage, much of which will be aimed at London, and Virgin Media has announced a demand led investment programme of £3 billion over the next few years. Other suppliers are also active in London.

As a result of commercially-led delivery and public funding in areas which are not commercially viable, superfast broadband coverage across the UK now reaches almost 90% of premises, providing access to speeds of more than 24Mbps. Coverage is on track to increase to 95% of premises by December 2017. The Government has also announced proposals for a Universal Service Obligation to enable all premises to request a broadband speed of at least 10Mbps, with the aim of implementing it in this Parliament. A basic broadband scheme has also been introduced across the UK allowing all premises with speeds below 2Mbps to gain access to speeds above this level through a subsidised satellite broadband connection.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Catherine West on 2016-02-23.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what the staff costs are for (a) Crouch End Crown Post Office and (b) Muswell Hill Crown Post Office in 2015-16.

George Freeman

Provision of its Crown branches is the operational responsibility of Post Office Limited.

I have therefore asked Paula Vennells, the Chief Executive of Post Office Limited, to write to the hon Member on this matter. A copy of her reply will be placed in the libraries of the House.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Catherine West on 2016-02-25.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what the rate of pay is for cleaners in her Department.

Mrs Theresa Villiers

My Department directly employs one Band F cleaner whose rate of pay is between £15,440-£16,000 per year. We also have a contract with Serco to provide cleaners at an hourly rate of £7.65. These cleaners all work in our Belfast office.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Catherine West on 2016-03-10.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people with a criminal conviction have been deported in each year since 2010.

James Brokenshire

The Home Office routinely publishes figures on the total number of foreign national offenders that have been deported. The figures can be found on the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/immigration-statistics-october-to-december-2015-data-tables

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Catherine West on 2016-03-24.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what steps his Department is taking to improve trade with (a) Hong Kong and (b) China as a whole.

Anna Soubry

Increasing trade and growth through exports, to all overseas markets including Hong Kong and China is a key factor in the Government’s long-term economic plan. Government departments are working together to support UK businesses looking to take advantage of overseas opportunities and to create a strong business environment that allows them to flourish on the international stage.

The focus on China and Hong Kong is exemplified by the fact that UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) has some 180 full-time equivalent posts in these markets, representing its largest overseas team working on trade and investment. UKTI also works in partnership with the China Britain Business Council (CBBC) which delivers volume trade support on its behalf for UK companies looking to export to China. CBBC offers support for UK businesses across 13 strategic locations in China.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Catherine West on 2016-04-26.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, if his Department will take steps to support finding a new buyer for Austin Reed Group Ltd.

Anna Soubry

I understand that the announcement that Austin Reed has filed for administration will be worrying for those affected.

First and foremost, the Administrator’s focus will be on securing a buyer for the business. The Insolvency Service is in regular contact with the Administrators and we are keeping the situation under close review.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Catherine West on 2016-05-10.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the current average response times are for ambulances responding to C1 and C2 incidents.

Jane Ellison

Category C1 and category C2 are terms used by London Ambulance Service to describe the first two categories of green calls.

Green calls are lower acuity calls where there is still a need for an ambulance, but in slower time scales than life-threatening or more urgent calls. They are usually split into four categories and the response times for these are agreed and set locally.

Data on green call performance is not centrally held.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Catherine West on 2016-05-25.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the consequences of pollution levels in London; and what steps her Department is taking to reduce pollution in that city.

Rory Stewart

The UK is compliant with EU legislation for nearly all air pollutants but faces significant challenges in achieving nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) limit values.

The national air quality plan for NO₂, published in December last year, sets out a comprehensive approach for meeting the air quality challenges by implementing a new programme of Clean Air Zones, along with the Ultra Low Emission Zone in London. The plan combines targeted local and national measures, forming part of a wider approach that exploits new and clean technologies, such as electric and ultra low emission vehicles.

The Government has committed over £2 billion since 2011 to increase the uptake of ultra low emission vehicles, support green transport initiatives and support local authorities to take action.

The Mayor is responsible for air quality standards in London. The Mayor provides the framework and guidance which London boroughs use to review and improve air quality in their areas. The new Mayor recently set out his plans to improve air quality in London.