Tag: David Simpson

The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Simpson on 2016-10-07.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much road grit is available in the UK for the 2016-17 winter; and how much the (a) mining, (b) storage and (c) distribution of road grit costs per year.

Andrew Jones

Highway authorities have a duty under Section 41 of the Highways Act 1980 to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, that safe passage along a highway is not endangered by snow or ice. Winter service and maintenance is therefore the sole responsibility of the respective highway authority. This includes ensuring they have adequate road grit supplies.

The Department for Transport continues to take action to ensure the country enters the 2016/17 winter season well prepared. This includes monitoring road grit being held around the country throughout the winter season, working closely with the UK domestic road grit producers, continuing to maintain a substantial national emergency road grit reserve and having a robust distribution process in place, if for any reason this road grit is needed to be allocated.

The Department for Transport is also currently undertaking a survey of highway authorities to determine how much road grit is available in the UK for the forthcoming 2016-17 winter. However from previous surveys, we anticipate the country has over one million tonnes of road grit at its disposal, which is in addition to the 383,000 tonnes held as part of the national emergency grit reserve.

It is for each highway authority to ensure that they have adequate road grit procured to treat the roads for which they are responsible, as required. The costs fall to each highway authority. These costs may vary depending on the road grit supplier and the distance the grit has to be hauled to the depots. The typical cost of road grit, including mining, storage and distribution lies within the range of £30 to £38 per tonne.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Simpson on 2015-10-15.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will bring forward legislative proposals for stricter laws dealing with people who abuse animals.

George Eustice

There are a number of existing laws, most notably the Animal Welfare Act 2006, that already provide enforcement agencies and courts with suitable powers to investigate and deal with people who are found to have abused animals.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Simpson on 2015-10-15.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many people died on the roads in each region in incidents where a driver was using a mobile telephone in each of the last three years.

Andrew Jones

The Department holds information on the number of personal-injury road traffic accidents where the attending police officer judged that a driver using a mobile telephone contributed to the accident. This includes both cases where ‘hand held’ and ‘hands free’ telephones were deemed to contribute to the accident. The table below provides the number of fatalities in road traffic accidents that were reported to the police in which at least one driver was allocated the contributory factor ‘driver using mobile phone’ by region for 2012 to 2014.

Fatalities in reported road accidents in which the contributory factor ‘driver using mobile phone’ was reported: GB, 2012-2014

Region	2012	2013	2014
North East	2	1	1
North West	1	2	1
Yorkshire and the Humber	2	5	1
East Midlands	1	1	4
West Midlands	2	2	0
East of England	1	2	3
South East	3	2	9
London	1	0	1
South West	2	4	1
Wales	1	2	2
Scotland	1	5	1
Total	17	26	24
Note: Includes only casualties where a police officer attended the scene and in which a contributory factor was reported

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The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Simpson on 2015-10-15.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department plans to provide assistance to companies in training personnel to gain HGV qualifications.

Andrew Jones

The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) is responsible for funding the Trailblazer apprenticeships programme and the industry is developing a standard for an HGV Driver apprenticeship. Funding for obtaining an HGV licence is not currently in scope of Trailblazers but this is under review. BIS will consider what the new funding model will be with the introduction of the new apprenticeship levy.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Simpson on 2015-10-15.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the number of HGV drivers in the UK relative to demand.

Andrew Jones

The Department recognises that there is a high demand for HGV drivers in the UK and that there is a shortage, manifesting itself in pressure on costs, delays to some deliveries and the recruitment of people from outside the UK.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Simpson on 2015-10-15.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans his Department has to increase the number of HGV drivers.

Andrew Jones

The Department is working with its motoring services agencies to reduce times and delays in obtaining a driving test appointment and medical licence renewals.

Other government activity is helping jobseekers join the industry, retraining ex-military personnel and supporting apprenticeships.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Simpson on 2015-10-09.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what representations his Department has received on the removal of archery from the sports included in the Commonwealth Games for 2018; and what discussions his Department has had with the Commonwealth Games Federation about the decision not to include archery in those Games.

Tracey Crouch

DCMS has received no representations on archery’s exclusion from the 2018 Commonwealth Games. The inclusion of which certain sports that may participate in the Commonwealth Games is a decision entirely for the Commonwealth Fund and the host city.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Simpson on 2015-02-11.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what comparative assessment she has made of the effects of compulsory school starting ages in Sweden and the UK.

Mr Nick Gibb

The Department for Education has not made any comparative assessment of the effects of compulsory school starting ages in Sweden and the UK.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Simpson on 2015-02-11.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what change there has been in access to colon cancer treatments since 2012.

George Freeman

Since April 2013, NHS England has been the responsible commissioner for chemotherapy and radiotherapy services, together with a number of specialist surgical services, which include some complex urology and colorectal cancer surgeries. Clinical commissioning groups are responsible for the diagnostic pathway and some surgeries for both colorectal and urological cancers.

NHS England routinely commissions a range of anti-cancer drug treatments for both colorectal and prostate cancer. These are drug indications that have either been recommended in National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) technology appraisal guidance, or have been considered as routine practice in the treatment of these cancers for many years.

NICE is the independent body that assesses the clinical and cost-effectiveness of treatments for routine use in the National Health Service. NICE has recommended the following treatments for prostate cancer through its technology appraisal process since 1 January 2012:

– abiraterone (Zytiga) for castration-resistant metastatic prostate cancer previously treated with a docetaxel-containing regimen; and

– enzalutamide (Xtandi) for metastatic hormone‑relapsed prostate cancer previously treated with a docetaxel‑containing regimen.

NICE is in the process of appraising the following treatments:

– sipuleucel-T (Provenge) for the first line treatment of metastatic hormone relapsed prostate cancer;

– degarelix depot (Firmagon) for treating advanced hormone dependent prostate cancer;

– enzalutamide for treating metastatic hormone-relapsed prostate cancer not previously treated with chemotherapy; and

– radium-223 dichloride (Xofigo) for hormone relapsed prostate cancer with bone metastases.

NICE is currently reviewing technology appraisal guidance on cetuximab (Erbitux) and panitumumab (Vectibix) for the first-line treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer and expects to publish updated final guidance on these treatments in April 2016.

In addition to routinely commissioned treatments, the Cancer Drugs Fund (CDF) provides access to other treatments that would not normally be available.

From April 2013, NHS England assumed operational responsibility for the CDF. As of 19 January 2015, the following drugs are available through the national CDF list for the treatment of prostate cancer:

– abiraterone;

– cabazitaxel (Jevtana);

– enzalutamide; and

– radium-223 dichloride.

Cabizitaxel is due to be removed from the national CDF list on 12 March 2015.

The following drugs are also available through the national CDF list for the treatment of colorectal cancer:

– aflibercept (Zaltrap);

– bevacizumab (Avastin);

– cetuximab; and

– panitumumab.

Aflibercept, bevacizumab as a first-line treatment and cetuximab as a second- or third-line treatment with combination chemotherapy are due to be removed from the national CDF list on 12 March 2015.

Since April 2013, there has been progress in meeting the Government’s commitment to increase patient access to inverse planned Intensity Modulated Radiotherapy (IMRT). The success of this planned expansion of access is demonstrated in the increased number of IMRT episodes (patients), which has risen from just over 8,500 per year in 2012-13 to a projected figure of over 25,000 in 2014-15 of which around 40% of these patients are treated with IMRT for prostate cancer.

NHS England has not altered the service specification or published any commissioning policies which have altered those colorectal cancer surgical services that fall within the remit of specialised commissioning.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Simpson on 2015-01-15.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the effect on golf clubs of differences in VAT rules applying to propriety-owned and member-owned golf clubs; and if he will meet the hon. Member for Upper Bann to discuss this matter.

Mr David Gauke

I refer the hon. Member to the HMRC briefing paper (25/14) of June 2014.