Tag: Greg Mulholland

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Greg Mulholland on 2016-04-18.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if he will bring forward legislative proposals to apply the agent of change principle to pubs which play live music.

Brandon Lewis

Elements of the agent of change principle already exist within planning policies and guidance. The planning guidance supporting the Framework is clear that the potential effect of a new residential development being located close to an existing business giving rise to noise should be carefully considered. The guidance underlines planning’s contribution to avoiding future complaints and risks to local business like live music venues from resulting enforcement action. To help avoid such situations, local councils are encouraged to consider appropriate mitigation including designing the new development to reduce the impact of noise from the local environment and optimising the sound insulation provided by the building envelope.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Greg Mulholland on 2016-05-10.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will bring forward legislative proposals to extend the cross-government definition of domestic violence and abuse to include people under 16 years old.

Karen Bradley

The Government takes domestic violence and abuse extremely seriously and recognises that young people can be victims in both the home and their relationships. In March 2013, the non-statutory definition of domestic violence and abuse was extended to include 16 and 17-year-olds.

In doing so the Government hopes to encourage young people to come forward and get the support they need, through a helpline or specialist service. Whilst domestic abuse against under 16s is captured by child abuse and existing child protection systems we continue to keep the non-statutory definition of domestic abuse under constant review.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Greg Mulholland on 2016-05-24.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the average hourly earnings were of his Department’s (a) BME and (b) non-BME employees in (i) 2015 and (ii) 2016.

Justin Tomlinson

The Department for Work and Pensions pays employees an annual salary and does not pay an hourly rate.

The Department uses a grade structure to determine salary rates. The grade structure is underpinned by Job Evaluation and Grading Support (JEGS), an analytical job evaluation tool which meets all requirements of legislation and EHRC statutory codes of practice on Equal Pay. The use of JEGS and its application in determining the appropriate grade for a role enables us to determine where employees are doing equal work based on “work rated as equivalent”.

DWP Equality data is published on an annual basis on https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-work-pensions/about/equality-and-diversity this includes the average pay by indicated ethnicity each year up to 2015.

The main factor influencing the DWP pay gap is the difference in distribution of staff within each of these groups across the grades. DWP continues to regularly review ways to address the pay gap.

This report is usually published in July each year and looks at data over the previous financial year. The report for 2016 is not yet available.

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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Greg Mulholland on 2016-07-19.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many public procurement contracts were won by small and medium-sized businesses in each region in the last five years.

Ben Gummer

In 2014-15, Central Government spent over £12 billion (27.1%) with small and medium sized businesses, which shows a continued year on year increase in SMEs winning public procurements.

The Government is determined to deliver its new target of one third of spend with SMEs by the end of this Parliament and we have appointed Emma Jones as the new Crown Representative for SMEs to help us achieve that.

We do not hold information on the number of public sector contracts won by small businesses or on the number of companies bidding.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Greg Mulholland on 2016-07-21.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent progress has been made on the electrification of the Leeds-Harrogate-York railway line.

Paul Maynard

Later this year the rail industry will present its initial advice to Government on investment needs for the national network in the next Control Period (2019-2024), drawing on the outputs of Network Rail’s long term planning process, including its review of the national electrification strategy. Taking account of this advice and other inputs – including from Transport for the North – the Government intends to articulate its emerging priorities for improvement to the national network during 2017.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Greg Mulholland on 2016-09-13.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many adult patients with uveitis have had access to treatment with anti-TNF therapy through the individual funding request process since July 2015.

David Mowat

Between 1 July 2015 and 31 July 2016, fewer than 10 patients accessed anti-tumour necrosis factor (TNF) therapy through the individual funding request process.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Greg Mulholland on 2016-10-21.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to the Answer of 15 September 2016 to Question 45581, when his Department expects to be able to provide a breakdown of the costs incurred in the creation of his Department.

Margot James

The Department will provide a breakdown in the Annual Report and Accounts 2016-17.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Greg Mulholland on 2015-10-28.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his international counterparts on security of Médecins Sans Frontières clinics in areas of conflict.

Mr Tobias Ellwood

It is essential that there is a rigorous process to determine the circumstances surrounding the airstrike on the Médecins Sans Frontières trauma centre in Kunduz in order to prevent something like this occurring again. We await the conclusions of the investigations currently being undertaken by NATO and by the Governments of the United States and Afghanistan, and any lessons that these offer. The UK Government has high regard for Médecins Sans Frontières and the work they undertake around the world.

We are also aware of reports of alleged violations of International Humanitarian Law (IHL) in Yemen by the Saudi Arabia-led Coalition – including alleged airstrikes resulting in civilian casualties and damage to civilian infrastructure – and take them very seriously. We have raised our concerns with Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates and have received repeated assurances that they are complying with IHL. We continue to engage with them on those assurances. We are also concerned by reports of alleged IHL violations by Houthi-Saleh forces, including the use of schools and hospitals for military purposes; and the targeting of aid workers and restrictions on humanitarian access. We have also raised our concerns with the Houthis on the importance of compliance with IHL and international human rights law.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Greg Mulholland on 2015-11-04.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what representations he has received on responding to correspondence from hon. Members by email rather than by letter.

Justin Tomlinson

We have received representations from a small number of hon. Members and where appropriate the Department obliges with email replies. Where there is sensitive personal information in a reply, it will be posted for security reasons.

The cost differential between sending postal replies and email replies is minimal.

The exact information requested on the method of dispatch is not available other than at a disproportionate cost.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Greg Mulholland on 2015-12-11.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what assessment she has made of the potential effect on consumer energy bills of using daylight saving time all year.

Andrea Leadsom

We are constantly reviewing consumer energy bills, however an assessment on the effect of using daylight saving time all year could have on consumer energy bills has not been carried out.