Tag: Daniel Zeichner

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Daniel Zeichner on 2016-04-19.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what assessment his Department has made of the quality of local assurance frameworks prepared by local enterprise partnerships.

James Wharton

We have put robust assurance systems in place, with the right balance of central and local accountability. Section 151 officers from the accountable local authorities for each of the 39 Local Enterprise Partnerships have written to the Department confirming that their assurance frameworks adhere to our national standards. We have regular discussions with LEPs on their progress with local growth programmes, and an annual performance review with each LEP.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Daniel Zeichner on 2016-05-23.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Answer of 26 November 2015 to Question 16941, on bus services: disability, what the different potential solutions for achieving better audio-visual information on buses are; and what steps he is taking to achieve better audio-visual information on buses.

Andrew Jones

Accessible on-board information helps many people to feel more confident in taking the bus, safe in the knowledge that they will know when to alight.

The technology for providing information on upcoming stops is evolving, and recent trials have tested lower cost alternatives to traditional systems, wearable devices and smartphone applications.

The Department is supportive of such initiatives, and continues to review the options available, encouraging the bus industry to take the lead in recognising the potential benefits for all passengers and in delivering improvements in accessible on-board information.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Daniel Zeichner on 2016-06-08.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, which bus operators his Department has (a) met and (b) otherwise engaged with during the last six months on the Bus Services Bill.

Andrew Jones

All bus operators that attended the workshops in the autumn of last year, have been updated during the progress of the development of the Bus Services Bill.

Officials continue to engage with both large and small bus operators via the Confederation of Passenger Transport and the Association of Local Bus Company Managers on a regular basis.

Annex A of the Bus Reform Workshop summary contains a list of organisations represented:

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/496182/bus_reform_workshops_summary.pdf.

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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Daniel Zeichner on 2016-07-08.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment his Department has made of the potential effect of proposed insurance-based reimbursement funding models, including cap and collar models, on the UK’s ability to appropriately reward innovation whilst also tackling antimicrobial resistance.

Nicola Blackwood

The Department is in discussions with the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry regarding possible future approaches to the pricing and reimbursement of new antimicrobial products, including insurance-based reimbursement arrangements such as ‘cap and collar’ models.

These discussions are not yet at a point where an assessment of their effect can be made. However there is potential for such models to reconcile the current contradiction between conservation goals and industry revenue, facilitating appropriate stewardship of antibiotics.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Daniel Zeichner on 2016-09-02.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he has made of the proportion of maintenance and repair technicians who are qualified in electric and hybrid car maintenance.

Mr John Hayes

The government recognises the need to develop servicing skills to support the UK’s transition to ultra low emission vehicles (ULEVs).

The Institute for the Motor Industry estimates there are currently around 1,000 vehicle technicians qualified to work on electric vehicles, with another 1,000 in training and due to be qualified by 2018. The 2020 Vision for English Apprenticeships supports an industry-led approach to skills training that puts employers in the driving seat of new apprenticeship standards.

The establishment of the employer-led Institute for Apprenticeships and the introduction of an employer levy fund provides an opportunity for the ULEV sector to lead the development of training programmes to meet the skills needs they have identified.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Daniel Zeichner on 2016-09-05.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make it her policy to include students from other EU countries in the eligibility criteria for student loans in the 2017-18 and 2018-19 admissions years.

Joseph Johnson

The UK has a long-established higher education system that supports, and therefore attracts, the brightest minds, at all stages of their careers. Existing rules on EU and other EEA students remain in force. Future arrangements for EU students wishing to study in the UK will need to be considered as part of wider discussions about the UK’s relationship with the EU.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Daniel Zeichner on 2016-09-12.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he is taking to increase the number of people in the UK with high-level specialist skills in data science.

Joseph Johnson

The Government recognises the need to increase the number of people with high-level skills in data science for the benefit of the UK, and is taking a range of measures to boost the supply of people with these skills.

The Alan Turing Institute is a £67 million joint venture between the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council and five leading UK Universities (Cambridge, Edinburgh, Oxford, UCL and Warwick). It is the UK’s national institute for data science, and training the next generation of researchers is a key part of its mission.

Other institutes supported by the Research Councils include the Hartree Centre (a centre of excellence in High Performance Computing), the Farr Institute of Health Informatics Research, and the Isaac Newton Institute in Cambridge, which are all helping researchers to develop their skills to make better use of data.

The Research Councils are taking other steps to increase the supply of researchers with data skills, for example all Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council-funded doctoral students are required to be trained in informatics, data analysis and computational methods as a core part of their training. They support numerous Centres for Doctoral Training (CDTs) involved in data analysis, including the University of Edinburgh’s Data Science CDT, and the Big Data and Cloud Computing CDT at the University of Newcastle. And the £19.5 million Q-Step programme is designed to promote a step-change in quantitative social science training in the UK.

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.