Tag: Gary Streeter

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gary Streeter on 2016-07-13.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether the conclusions of his Department’s consultation on proposed changes to National Planning Policy will be published before the summer recess.

Gavin Barwell

We are carefully considering the 1,100 responses to the consultation, and expect to publish the response to the consultation and to the Communities and Local Government Select Committee report in the Autumn.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gary Streeter on 2015-11-10.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans he and Network Rail have to remove level crossings on the mainline between Plymouth and Reading.

Claire Perry

Network Rail operates at arm’s-length from the Department for Transport and is not expected to involve Ministers in its regular operational decisions such as its proposals for the removal or upgrading of level crossings on a particular route.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gary Streeter on 2015-12-14.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, with reference to NHS England’s document, Commissioning Intentions 2016/2017 for Prescribed Specialist Services, published in September 2015, what plans are being put in place by NHS regions which will focus on development of hepatitis C Operational Delivery Networks; and how such plans will relate to the national improvement framework for hepatitis C services.

Jane Ellison

NHS England’s commissioning intentions recognise that following their establishment in August 2015, Operational Delivery Networks (ODNs) will need to continue to be developed as a mechanism for ensuring equitable access to expert multidisciplinary team care and treatment for hepatitis C. ODNs are working to develop their plans, based on the published service specification and with the support of local specialised commissioning teams and regional Clinical Directors of specialised commissioning. Work is also underway to establish by February 2016 a national network of ODN clinical leads to share good practice. The formation of ODNs provides an opportunity for local collaborative commissioning conversations about hepatitis C pathways beyond the remit of specialised or health and justice services. In addition, the draft hepatitis C improvement framework includes a numbers of areas pertinent to ODN operation and will therefore support further development of their role.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gary Streeter on 2015-12-14.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 12 October 2015 to Question 10658, whether the national improvement framework for hepatitis C services will contain guidance on (a) commissioning responsibilities and (b) patient pathways.

Jane Ellison

Commissioning responsibilities for hepatitis C are divided between NHS England, clinical commissioning groups and local authorities. In the light of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence published guidance for the anti-viral drugs, the successful establishment of Operational Delivery Networks across England, and the rapidly widening access to curative treatment to thousands of patients, the draft Improvement Framework does not provide detailed commissioning guidance or patient pathways. NHS England is exploring how such guidance might be developed through its collaborative commissioning arrangements.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gary Streeter on 2016-01-21.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps his Department is taking to help tackle extremism in British young people.

Karen Bradley

Extremism poses a serious threat to this country including our young people. The Government’s Counter-Extremism Strategy aims to tackle extremism in all its forms and takes action in four areas:

• Countering extremist ideology;

• Building a partnership with all those opposed to extremism;

• Disrupting extremists; and

• Building more cohesive communities

We have a responsibility to protect our young people from extremist views and build a safe environment priotising the safeguarding of children. That is why our local networks work with schools to help children know how to identify extremist narratives online [P.15 Strategy Q&A pack].

We also have a responsibility to protect our young people from extremist views in school. That is why since 1 July 2015 all schools have been required to have due regard to the need to prevent people from being drawn into terrorism. To widen the protection of school children further we are consulting on a new system for registering and inspecting supplementary schools, to protect children and young people from harm, including exposure to extremist views. We have also launched ‘Educate Against Hate’, a new resource to provide parents and teachers with practical advice on protecting children from extremism and radicalisation.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gary Streeter on 2016-03-08.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what plans the Government has to implement the recent UN General Assembly Resolution on an Olympic truce during the Rio 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

James Duddridge

The United Kingdom co-sponsored the General Assembly resolution “Building a peaceful and better world through sport and the Olympic ideal”, which calls for Member States to observe the Olympic Truce – a cessation of hostilities around the Olympic Games – within the framework of the Charter of the United Nations, and to promote peace through sport. As a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, the UK already works to uphold the UN Charter and its commitment to the maintenance of international peace and security.

For the 2012 Olympic Games in London the UK was the first ever nation to get all 193 UN Member States to sign the Olympic Truce. We are actively involved in building links between countries through sport. HM Government supported the successful London 2012 International Inspiration programme that reached 25m children in twenty countries through the power of sport and continues to support a range of other related initiatives around the world such as the British Council’s Premier Skills and Try Rugby programmes. Looking ahead to next year’s IAAF World Athletics Championships due to be hosted in London, the Government, through UK Sport, is supporting LEAP (Leadership and Excellence in Athletics Programme) which aims to develop youth athletics in a number of countries around the world.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gary Streeter on 2016-03-23.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to ensure that public bodies under the Environmental Protection Act 1990 comply with their duty to pick up roadside litter.

Rory Stewart

The Government is committed to localism and the transfer of power to local communities. This is particularly relevant in dealing with litter, which requires a local approach, tailored to the characteristics of the area and the community in which the problems occur.

It is up to councils to decide how best to meet their statutory duty to keep their relevant land clear of litter and refuse and how to prioritise this against other local services.

Councils are responsible for keeping their “relevant land” clear of litter and refuse, including local roads. Highways England (formerly the Highways Agency) is responsible for clearing litter from motorways and some trunk roads. Standards of cleanliness for litter and refuse are set out in the Code of Practice on Litter and Refuse, which provides a practical guide to the discharge of councils’ cleansing duties under the Environmental Protection Act 1990 (EPA).

If a litter authority which is responsible for publicly-accessible land fails to keep land clear of litter and refuse, it can be taken to court. If the court agrees that the complaint is justified, it can issue a Litter Abatement Order (LAO) requiring the litter authority to clear land of litter within a certain time. The litter authority can also be ordered to pay the complainant’s costs.

It is a criminal offence not to comply with an LAO – anyone not complying can be fined up to £2,500. They can also get further fines of up to £125 a day for each day the offence continues after conviction. Court action can be avoided if litter authorities clear the land within five days of being notified of the complainant’s intention to seek a Litter Abatement Order.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gary Streeter on 2016-03-23.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to ensure that public bodies under the Environmental Protection Act 1990 comply with their duty to pick up roadside litter.

Rory Stewart

The Government is committed to localism and the transfer of power to local communities. This is particularly relevant in dealing with litter, which requires a local approach, tailored to the characteristics of the area and the community in which the problems occur.

It is up to councils to decide how best to meet their statutory duty to keep their relevant land clear of litter and refuse and how to prioritise this against other local services.

Councils are responsible for keeping their “relevant land” clear of litter and refuse, including local roads. Highways England (formerly the Highways Agency) is responsible for clearing litter from motorways and some trunk roads. Standards of cleanliness for litter and refuse are set out in the Code of Practice on Litter and Refuse, which provides a practical guide to the discharge of councils’ cleansing duties under the Environmental Protection Act 1990 (EPA).

If a litter authority which is responsible for publicly-accessible land fails to keep land clear of litter and refuse, it can be taken to court. If the court agrees that the complaint is justified, it can issue a Litter Abatement Order (LAO) requiring the litter authority to clear land of litter within a certain time. The litter authority can also be ordered to pay the complainant’s costs.

It is a criminal offence not to comply with an LAO – anyone not complying can be fined up to £2,500. They can also get further fines of up to £125 a day for each day the offence continues after conviction. Court action can be avoided if litter authorities clear the land within five days of being notified of the complainant’s intention to seek a Litter Abatement Order.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gary Streeter on 2016-05-09.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, when his Department last conducted a review of the Alternative Fuels Framework.

Damian Hinds

The Alternative Fuels Framework (AFF) was set out at Pre-Budget Report 2003, and focused on carbon emissions. Based on the evidence available at the time on Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), the AFF found LPG to result in greater natural environmental damage compared to other road fuel gases. It was determined that the environmental case for LPG was poorer than diesel and so its duty differential should be reduce over time.

The government continues to review evidence concerning the environmental impact of LPG and will announce any changes to the tax treatment at fiscal events.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gary Streeter on 2016-05-09.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, which transport emissions are factored into the assessment of fuels within the Alternative Fuels Framework.

Damian Hinds

The Alternative Fuels Framework (AFF) was set out at Pre-Budget Report 2003, and focused on carbon emissions. Based on the evidence available at the time on Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), the AFF found LPG to result in greater natural environmental damage compared to other road fuel gases. It was determined that the environmental case for LPG was poorer than diesel and so its duty differential should be reduce over time.

The government continues to review evidence concerning the environmental impact of LPG and will announce any changes to the tax treatment at fiscal events.