Tag: Grahame Morris

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate he has made of GP waiting times in (a) the North East and (b) County Durham.

David Mowat

The information required is not collected centrally.

The latest GP Patient Survey for July 2016 on waiting times at general practitioner surgeries was conducted by Ipsos on behalf of NHS England. That survey found that for patients served by the NHS Durham, Dales, Easington and Sedgefield Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), 64% feel that they do not normally have to wait too long, whereas 27% feel that they have to wait too long. This compares nationally with 58% and 34% respectively.

The full Ipsos MORI GP Patient Survey results for the NHS Durham, Dales, Easington and Sedgefield CCG can be found at:

https://gp-patient.co.uk/slidepacks/July2016#N

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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Grahame Morris on 2015-11-06.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what discussions he has had about reducing the time taken by the Valuation Office Agency to consider rating assessment appeals.

Mr Marcus Jones

The Government is committed to delivering a quicker and more efficient business rates appeals system in England, so that businesses can be confident they are paying the right amount of business rates and any refunds can be paid quickly. Details of our proposals are set out in the consultation paper Check, Challenge, Appeal: Reforming Business Rates Appeals, available at https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/reforming-business-rates-appeals-check-challenge-appeal. Enabling legislation is being taken forward in the Enterprise Bill.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many staff in the Health and Safety Executive have worked on processing safety case assessments from installation operators in the oil and gas industry in each of the last five years.

Justin Tomlinson

A part of the work of all inspectors and support staff working on offshore issues involves the processing of Offshore Safety Cases; scientists and others working at the Health and Safety Laboratories also contribute. From 2010 onwards representative annual offshore staffing levels were 112; 115; 116; 129 and 131. Current numbers for 2015 -16 are 148

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Grahame Morris on 2016-01-11.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how the Government measures the number of incidents of harassment, threatening and abusive behaviour which occur online.

Mike Penning

As part of the arrangements for the collection of police recorded crime data the Home Office has introduced an ‘online flag’ allowing police forces to record online instances of crimes such as stalking and harassment. These data are still being developed but will be published once the data are considered to be of sufficient quality. In October 2015, the Office for National Statistics introduced new fraud and cyber questions to the Crime Survey for England and Wales. These new questions mean that we will be able to identify those crimes that had an online component and hence be able to provide estimates of cyber crime. This data will be published in due course.

Legislation is in place to deal with internet trolls, cyber-stalking and harassment, and perpetrators of grossly offensive, obscene or menacing behaviour. Through the Criminal Justice Act 2015, we improved two communications offences which can be used to prosecute misuse of social media: section 1 of the Malicious Communications Act 1988, and section 127 of the Communications Act 2003, giving the police longer to investigate either offence, and increasing the maximum penalty for the former to two years imprisonment.

Engagement with the industry is essential, and the UK Council for Child Internet Safety (UKCCIS) brings together industry, law enforcement, academia, charities, parenting groups, and government departments (Home Office, Department for Culture, Media & Sport, and Department for Education), to work in partnership to help to keep children and young people safe online. As part of this work, the UK’s Communications regulator, Ofcom, recently led a working group to develop good practice guidance for providers of social media and interactive services. Its purpose is to encourage businesses to think about “safety by design” to help make their platforms safer for children and young people under 18. This guidance was published in December 2015. A wide range of partners contributed to this project, including Twitter, Facebook, Google, Ask.FM, MindCandy and Microsoft.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Grahame Morris on 2016-01-19.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what progress has been made on the reviews into the (a) Support for Maritime Training scheme and (b) UK maritime sector’s projected requirement for seafarers as recommended in the Maritime Growth study, Keeping the UK competitive in a global market, published September 2015.

Mr Robert Goodwill

The invitation to tender for the Seafarer Projections Review was sent out by the Crown Commercial Service on Tuesday 19 January 2016.

As the Support for Maritime Training (SMarT) Review will need to take account of the information gathered in the Seafarer Projections Review, it will follow in about four to six weeks’ time.

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 steps he has taken to secure the adequate supply of accessible homes suitable for disabled people.

James Wharton

In 2015 the Government updated planning policy and Building Regulations to support local authorities in meeting the housing needs of disabled and older people in their communities. This included the introduction of two optional levels of accessibility in the Building Regulations, Category 2 – Accessible and adaptable dwellings, and Category 3 – Wheelchair user dwellings which local authorities can apply to new development in their local area subject to needs and viability assessments.

These new options work as planning conditions to planning applications. Accessibility needs are met by each project’s own finance, be it for public, social or private homes. Some adaptations by individuals are eligible for funding through disabled facilities grants.

Accessibility to buildings has always been central to Approved Document M and greater concern and detail has been worked in since Disability Discrimination Act regulations 1995, 2005 and with the Equality Act 2010. Each update of Approved Document M further embeds government commitment to inclusivity and accessibility in guidance.

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

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether his Department plans to replicate the Northern Ireland electoral registration/schools initiative before the May 2016 elections and EU referendum.

John Penrose

EROs are already free to work with local schools and colleges in their area and many already do. In addition the Cabinet Office has published a collection of free learning resources aimed at engaging young people in the democratic process. This includes Rock Enrol! which can be used in an educational setting and provides an opportunity for participants to register to vote. The N.I.registration is different from the rest of the UK, so the schools initiative might would not necessarily translate easily across.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to improve transport connectivity between Easington constituency and the six principal city regions as part of the Northern Transport Strategy.

Andrew Jones

The Government is working closely with all northern local authorities and Local Enterprise Partnerships to deliver, prioritise and develop a range of interventions for the Northern Transport Strategy, which aims to put in place a faster, more frequent and fully integrated transport system to connect up the North.

In the short term, the £380m A1 Leeming to Barton upgrade will see the motorway connection between the North East and the five other city regions of the north completed in summer 2017. Network Rail are developing a proposal for the Transpennine Route upgrade between Stalybridge and York. Subject to final funding approvals this could be complete by the end of 2022 and would see an electrified rail line running from the North East to Leeds, Manchester and Liverpool.

For the longer term, we are progressing plans on projects which will transform travel across the North. These include a strategic study to consider improved trans-pennine connections on the A66 and A69; the proposed Northern Powerhouse Rail east-west high-speed rail link; and Smart North, a smart ticketing system for the north of England.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what guidance his Department issues on housing renewal in former industrial areas and the replacement of dilapidated housing when it no longer meets the needs of the local community.

Brandon Lewis

The current government is committed to increasing the supply of new housing, including through £8 billion announced at the spending review to support the delivery of 400,000 affordable homes and the £140 million to kick start estate regeneration.

We announced at Spending Review that £2 billion in loans will be made available to invest in infrastructure needed for major housing developments. We would expect at least 50% of this funding to support housing on brownfield sites. Full bidding guidance will be available when the fund is launched.

In addition, the National Planning Policy Framework sets out the expectation that local planning authorities should identify and bring back into residential use empty housing and buildings in line with local housing and empty homes strategies. Planning applications for change to residential use from commercial buildings in areas where there is an identified need for additional housing should be approved provided that there are not strong economic reasons why such development would be inappropriate.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what recent discussions he has had with his Ministerial colleagues on encouraging young people in deprived communities to pursue a career in medicine.

Mr Philip Dunne

We are increasing the number of medical training places available to students each year. Beginning in September 2018, the Government will fund up to 1,500 additional student places through medical school each year. Students will be able to apply for the extra places from next year in order to take them up from the academic year 2018/19.

This increase will provide more opportunities for people from all backgrounds to study medicine, and will ensure the National Health Service will continue to have the right workforce to provide safe and effective patient care.