Tag: Grahame Morris

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Grahame Morris on 2016-05-25.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent discussions he has had about funding the construction of a new rail station at Horden.

Andrew Jones

Officials from Rail North met with Durham County Council on 21 April to discuss its aspirations for a new station at Horden and potential funding sources, including the New Stations Fund. The new station may also be included in the draft Rail North Single Investment Plan.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Grahame Morris on 2016-10-07.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if he will make available to the hon. Member for Easington, in electronic form, (a) all Local Government Pension Scheme pooling bids and (b) the investment cost data provided by CEM Benchmarking which have been used to calculate investment costs under each fund and that underpin each bid in each of the last three years.

Mr Marcus Jones

I will place copies of the final proposals on local government pension scheme pooling in the Library of the House.

Investment cost data was provided by CEM Benchmarking to the individual administering authorities and is not held by my Department.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Grahame Morris on 2015-10-28.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many hospitals in the North East are treating brain tumour patients with stereotactic radiosurgery; and how many patients have been treated in each such hospital in each year since NHS England was created.

Jane Ellison

There was no recorded activity of stereotactic radiosurgery or radiotherapy in 2013-14 for hospitals in the North East¹.

¹Source: The Health and Social Care Information Centre, Hospital Episodes Statistics database 2013-14.

Notes:

1. 2013-14 is the latest data available.
2. Return is based on using the codes supplied by the classifications service (A10.7 Stereotactic radiosurgery on tissue of the brain and Y91.5 Megavoltage treatment for hypofractioned stereotactic radiotherapy).
3. There are no specific OPCS-4.7 codes that classify stereotactic ablative radiotherapy. The terms stereotactic radiosurgery and stereotactic radiotherapy are sometimes used synonymously.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Grahame Morris on 2015-11-10.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much the Government spent on each infrastructure project in Easington constituency in each of the last five years.

Greg Hands

The information requested is not held centrally. More than 100 infrastructure schemes have been delivered in the North East since 2010. There are 27 projects and programmes in the National Infrastructure Pipeline (published July 2015) with a total capital value of £5 billion, as well as cross-regional and UK-wide projects and programmes.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Grahame Morris on 2015-11-16.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he is taking to encourage the growth of stakeholder banks within the UK.

Harriett Baldwin

The Government has taken significant steps to support stakeholder banks. We more commonly refer to stakeholder banks as mutually-owned financial service firms such as credit unions, building societies and mutual savings banks.

The Government has encouraged the growth of the credit union sector by increasing the maximum interest rate that credit unions can charge on loans from 2% to 3% per month; investing £38m in the sector through the Department of Work and Pensions’ (DWP) Credit Union Expansion Project; ensuring that universal credit and pensions payments can be paid into any credit union account; and launching a Call for Evidence which allowed all credit unions, regardless of size or influence, the opportunity to contribute their vision for the future of the sector to the wider debate.

This Government has supported the building societies sector through a number of initiatives including: carving out building societies from the Independent Commission on Banking’s ring-fencing regulations; extending ISA eligibility to Core Capital Deferred Shares; allowing building societies to create floating charges for the first time; and applying a £25m sector-specific allowance to carried-forward losses for Corporation Tax.

The Airdrie Savings Bank is the only remaining example of a mutual savings bank in the UK. At the Summer Budget the government announced that savings banks established under the Savings Bank (Scotland) Act 1819 will benefit from the same £25m carried-forward loss allowance for Corporation Tax as the building society sector. This will be backdated to 1 April 2015 and is being actioned through the Finance Bill 2015.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Grahame Morris on 2016-01-12.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the availability of access to fertility treatments in the NHS.

Jane Ellison

The level of provision of infertility treatment, as for all health services they commission, is decided by local clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) and will take into account the needs of the population overall. The CCG’s decisions are underpinned by clinical insight and knowledge of local healthcare needs. As such, provision of services will vary in response to local needs.

NHS England expects that all those involved in commissioning infertility treatment services to be fully aware of the importance of having regard to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence fertility guidelines.

On 14 December 2015 I met with stakeholders, together with colleagues from NHS England and Monitor,to discuss the provision of in vitro fertilisation. The Department, along with NHS England and Monitor, will be giving further consideration to the scope for improving the commissioning of these services.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Grahame Morris on 2016-02-23.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what estimate he has made of the proportion of starter homes that will be wheelchair accessible.

Brandon Lewis

Starter Homes like all new homes, will ahve to meet Building Regulations’ access requirements which ensure reasonable provision for people to gain access to and use, the dwelling and its facilities.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Grahame Morris on 2016-02-29.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on developing a cross-departmental strategy to improve access and availability to fitness and sports facilities to improve public health.

Jane Ellison

The Department works closely with other Government departments to achieve a joined-up approach to improving the public’s health, including with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport in the development and implementation of their Sporting Future: A New Strategy for an Active Nation.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Grahame Morris on 2016-04-08.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether the Government plans to encourage the combination of electoral registration of 16 and 17 year olds with related (a) programmes of study and (b) extra-curricular activities in all English educational establishments.

John Penrose

The Government helps promote democratic participation in schools through the Citizenship curriculum. This part of the national curriculum is statutory at Key Stage 3 & 4 and helps to prepare pupils to play a full and active part in society. Pupils learn about democracy, government and how laws are made and upheld. The Government has also developed a number of learning resources, including Rock Enrol! This includes activities that discuss the importance of democratic engagement and can be used with young people in formal and informal educational environments.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Grahame Morris on 2016-04-18.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make an assessment of the potential economic benefit of High Speed 2 to Easington constituency.

Mr Robert Goodwill

The North East and County Durham will benefit from direct HS2 services to the West Midlands and the South East when Phase Two is opened in 2033. Economic analysis was published in business case for Phase Two in October 2013, and updated at time of command paper last autumn. A route decision will be made on rest of route, including to the North East this autumn, at which point an updated economic case will be published.