Tag: Daniel Zeichner

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Daniel Zeichner on 2015-10-27.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the EU Birds and Habitats Directives.

Rory Stewart

The European Commission is running a REFIT Fitness Check of the Habitats and Wild Birds Directives. This is an evidence-based assessment of the Directives’ effectiveness and efficiency.

Defra supports the Fitness Check as a normal part of good policymaking and is fully engaged with the review. Our contribution to the evidence gathering process is available online here:

http://ec.europa.eu/environment/nature/legislation/fitness_check/evidence_gathering/index_en.htm.

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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Daniel Zeichner on 2015-11-04.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many roads were resurfaced in 2014-15.

Andrew Jones

The Department for Transport regularly publishes Official Statistics on how many roads managed by local highway authorities were resurfaced. Figures for 2014/15 are not currently available and will be published in the next annual Road Conditions in England statistical release, provisionally scheduled for March 2016.

Poorly maintained local roads are a menace to all road users. The Government is committed to helping local authorities end the misery caused by potholes. Between 2010 and 2015 we increased funding by £1 billion from the previous five year period (2005-10) and have also pledged a further £6 billion of funding to 2021. It is the first time councils have been given locked-in funding over this length of time, which will help them plan ahead and save money for the taxpayer. This increased funding will also reward those areas that demonstrate they are delivering value for money in carrying out cost effective improvements.

The Department does not publish Official Statistics on resurfacing for the Strategic Road Network (SRN). The Highways Agency Annual Report for 2014/15 states that 2,900 lane kilometres of resurfacing took place on the SRN in that year. This report can be accessed via the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/highways-agency-annual-report-and-accounts-2014-to-2015. Over the course of this Parliament we plan to resurface 80% of the Strategic Road Network.

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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Daniel Zeichner on 2015-11-18.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will hypothecate revenue generated from Vehicle Excise Duty to local roads maintenance from 2017.

Greg Hands

All revenue generated through English VED from 2020-21 onwards will be used to fund the English strategic road network. This will ensure the Government can issue a second Roads investment Strategy for the period 2020-25, to follow the first strategy published at Autumn Statement 2014. Investment in our local road network will be set out as part of the Spending Review.

In the period before 2020-21, VED revenues will continue to go to the Consolidated Fund which support general expenditure on public services including spending on local roads.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Daniel Zeichner on 2015-11-19.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the effect on the NHS of missed outpatient appointments due to (a) public transport and (b) other reasons.

Jane Ellison

The information requested is not held centrally and no assessment has been made.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Daniel Zeichner on 2015-12-02.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent monitoring he has undertaken of the Accessibility Action Plan; and if he will make it his policy to publish annual updates on such monitoring.

Andrew Jones

This Government is committed to continuing improving disabled people’s access to public transport services. We are working with the Disabled People’s Transport Advisory Committee (DPTAC) to revamp next year the Department for Transport’s first-ever Accessibility Action Plan, which was initiated under the Coalition government, including consideration about how we monitor progress against it.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Daniel Zeichner on 2015-12-08.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what proportion of councils have had at least one residential, domiciliary or specialist care provider fail in the last 12 months.

Alistair Burt

The Government does not collect this information.

Under the Care Act 2014, local authorities have statutory responsibilities to temporarily meet the needs of individuals and their carers should their provider fail.

The Act also gave the Care Quality Commission (CQC) a new function to oversee the finances of care providers which are either large or whose provision is geographically concentrated as their financial failure would make it difficult for local authorities to discharge their statutory responsibilities.

The oversight function will provide early warning to relevant local authorities in the event that one of these providers is likely to fail and their services cease. This will allow local authorities time to implement contingency plans.

The CQC have not made any such notifications to local authorities.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Daniel Zeichner on 2015-12-11.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to assess the condition and future requirements for maintenance of the local roads network.

Andrew Jones

The Department for Transport regularly publishes Official Statistics on the proportion of roads where maintenance should be considered by region in England. The latest available published data are for the financial year 2013/14.

Road maintenance is a matter for individual local highway authorities, and it is for them to prioritise work according to local need. However, we are providing local highway authorities with record funding of £6 billion for local highways maintenance plus a £250 million pothole action fund as recently announced by the Chancellor on top of this.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Daniel Zeichner on 2016-01-12.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much funding will be allocated to local authorities to undertake scoping studies related to the establishment of Clean Air Zones.

Rory Stewart

We will be providing funding to support the implementation of Clean Air Zones where necessary and will be discussing the details of this with the relevant Local Authorities.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Daniel Zeichner on 2016-01-20.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make it her policy that there will be no further emergency authorisations of the use of neonicotinoid pesticides.

George Eustice

EU legislation provides for Member States to authorise limited and controlled use of a pesticide on an exceptional basis in emergency situations to “control a danger which cannot be contained by any other reasonable means”. Emergency authorisations are not granted automatically and applications must be based on evidence relating to the need for the pesticide and possible harmful effects.

Emergency authorisations are granted for a maximum of 120 days and those issued for neonicotinoids in 2015 have now expired. Any future applications will be considered by the Chemicals Regulation Directorate of the Health and Safety Executive, against strict criteria.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Daniel Zeichner on 2016-02-01.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many and what proportion of local authorities that bid for pothole funding in 2014-15 were successful.

Andrew Jones

In April 2014 English local highway authorities were invited to bid for a share of a £168 million Pothole Fund for 2014/15 to repair local roads in England as announced in the March 2014 Budget.

An announcement was made in June 2014. All local highway authorities received a share of the funding as set out in the table available at the following weblink:

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/321677/pothole-funding-2014.pdf

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