Tag: Dawn Butler

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dawn Butler on 2016-01-14.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if her Department will review the National Adaption Plan in order to reflect the risk to public health from toxins in flood water.

Rory Stewart

Due to dilution and the lack of high-risk enteric infectious diseases endemic in the UK, the relative risks from contaminated floodwater are low, especially if public health advice is followed. Public Health England carries out active surveillance for outbreaks of infectious diseases, and other illnesses.

The first National Adaptation Programme report identifies the actions needed to prepare for the impacts of climate change, including the threats of extreme weather and flooding, and addresses the risks identified in the first UK Climate Change Risk Assessment (CCRA) published in January 2012. Work is under way on preparing the second CCRA which will underpin the second National Adaptation Programme report due around 2018.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dawn Butler on 2016-04-08.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of language analysis testing of asylum applicants; and if she will carry out a review of her Department’s policy on such testing.

James Brokenshire

The Government has no current plans to revise the existing Equality Act exemptions relating to language analysis testing.

No further nationalities have been added to the Equality Act exemption authorisation since it was introduced in 2013.

A review on language analysis use was undertaken in 2011 and published in 2012.

(https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/257177/language-analysis.pdf).

No further such review is presently planned. However, we do monitor the use of language analysis regularly to ensure it is used as effectively as possible and to identify new trends in nationality swapping.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dawn Butler on 2016-04-26.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will make additional funding available to expand access to habilitation training for young people with sight loss.

Alistair Burt

In 2013, Blind Children UK, previously the National Blind Children’s Society, received funding through the Department’s Voluntary Sector Investment Programme (Innovation, Excellence and Strategic Development Fund) for their three year project `Children and Young People’s Habilitation Service’.

At a national level, the Department for Education has funded a partnership of charities through the National Sensory Impairment Partnership to help local authorities to compare their services, learn from the best in the country and make sure that services for blind children and their families (as well as those with other sensory impairments) are effective and meet local needs.

My Department will consider with the Department for Education, which has responsibility for children’s social care, and where appropriate, with training and regulatory bodies, how we can highlight the value of habilitation workers.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dawn Butler on 2016-09-02.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many equal pay cases were not taken forward after post-claim conciliation in each year since 2010.

Margot James

We are currently collating this information and will place this in the Libraries in due course.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dawn Butler on 2016-01-14.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if her Department will work with insurers to ensure an accurate risk assessment is carried out on the threat to public health posed by toxins in flood water.

Rory Stewart

The ABI were closely involved in developing a code of practice for flood damaged buildings. This covers the repair of flood damaged buildings and sets standards for ensuring this kind of work is carried out safely and effectively including avoiding any increased risk to public health.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dawn Butler on 2016-04-08.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the Equality (Language Analysis – Palestinian, Syrian and Kuwaiti Testing) Authorisation (No. 2) 2013, whether the Government plans to revise the existing three exceptions.

James Brokenshire

The Government has no current plans to revise the existing Equality Act exemptions relating to language analysis testing.

No further nationalities have been added to the Equality Act exemption authorisation since it was introduced in 2013.

A review on language analysis use was undertaken in 2011 and published in 2012.

(https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/257177/language-analysis.pdf).

No further such review is presently planned. However, we do monitor the use of language analysis regularly to ensure it is used as effectively as possible and to identify new trends in nationality swapping.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dawn Butler on 2016-05-04.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether his Department monitors implementation of price caps for agency staff.

Ben Gummer

Hourly price caps are one part of a series of tough financial controls we introduced last year to help the National Health Service tackle overspending on agency staff. NHS Improvement consulted on the price caps before they were introduced and, with NHS England and the Care Quality Commission, has been monitoring their implementation on a weekly basis.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dawn Butler on 2016-09-02.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will bring forward legislative proposals to make it illegal to disable a diesel particulate filter.

Mr John Hayes

It is an offence under the Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations (Regulation 61a(3)) to use on a road a vehicle which has been modified in such a way that it no longer complies with the air pollutant emissions standards it was designed to meet. Removal of a diesel particulate filter (DPF), from a vehicle used on the road, will invariably result in a contravention of the Regulations (making the vehicle unlawful to use on the road). The potential penalties are £1,000 for a car and £2,500 for a van, lorry or bus.

Under section 75 of the Road Traffic Act 1988, it is an offence to alter a vehicle in such a way that the use of the vehicle on a road would be unlawful. Thus both the vehicle user and the person disabling the DPF (if they knew or believed that the vehicle would be used on the road) could be found guilty of an offence under the Act.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dawn Butler on 2016-02-22.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if he will publish as soon as possible a full analysis of responses to his Department’s recent consultation on the deregulation of Sunday trading.

Brandon Lewis

The Government published its response to the consultation on 9 February.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dawn Butler on 2016-04-08.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the Equality (Language Analysis – Palestinian, Syrian and Kuwaiti Testing) Authorisation (No. 2) 2013, whether any further nationalities have been added to the list of exceptions.

James Brokenshire

The Government has no current plans to revise the existing Equality Act exemptions relating to language analysis testing.

No further nationalities have been added to the Equality Act exemption authorisation since it was introduced in 2013.

A review on language analysis use was undertaken in 2011 and published in 2012.

(https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/257177/language-analysis.pdf).

No further such review is presently planned. However, we do monitor the use of language analysis regularly to ensure it is used as effectively as possible and to identify new trends in nationality swapping.