Tag: Jamie Reed

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jamie Reed on 2015-11-03.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what support the Government will give communities hosting (a) new nuclear power stations and (b) other nationally significant infrastructure projects (i) during and (ii) after construction, to ensure that they have the infrastructure necessary to support the development.

James Wharton

The potential impacts on communities, including infrastructure, are examined through the process for obtaining development consent for nationally significant infrastructure projects under the 2008 Planning Act, which includes consent for new nuclear power stations.

In particular, the local planning authority is expected to produce a local impact report to outline the effects of the infrastructure on the local community and any mitigation that may be required. This mitigation may relate to infrastructure needed to support the development and may be monetary, secured through a section 106 agreement between the developer and other parties or a unilateral undertaking by the developer; or it may be physical changes to the application scheme.

In addition, the Department of Energy and Climate Change and other Government departments hold regular meetings with key stakeholders from local communities that are affected by proposed new nuclear projects. These meetings consider and address issues raised by the community, including infrastructure where appropriate.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jamie Reed on 2015-12-02.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what provisions exist to ensure that children with cerebral palsy have access to appropriate specialist education facilities.

Edward Timpson

The reforms introduced in September 2014 will ensure that all children and young people with special educational needs or disabilities (SEND) aged 0 to 25, including those with cerebral palsy, have improved access to the support they need.

Local authorities are responsible for meeting the educational needs of all children with SEND within their local area. They must co-ordinate education, health and care provision for individual children and ensure that young people and parents are involved in discussions about their individual support and about local provision more generally. Statutory Local Offers published by each local authority must set out what support is available for all children and young people with SEND in their area, including those with more complex needs.

The reforms detailed in the SEND Code of Practice were drawn up in consultation with a wide range of interested parties, many of whom represented the interests of children and young people with specific impairments. They are intended to improve outcomes for every child or young person with SEND by placing them at the heart of a system designed to respond to their individual needs and aspirations.

The Department has not assessed the impact of the SEND Code of Practice, or regional variations in provision, on the basis of any specific impairment but is monitoring implementation closely.

This monitoring includes inputs from annual data collection; termly surveys of local authorities and Parent Carer Forums; and feedback from specialist SEND Advisers and funded voluntary sector organisations. From May 2016, this monitoring will be enhanced by a new joint Ofsted/CQC inspection framework for SEND, which is currently the subject of a national consultation.

Schools are required by the Children and Families Act 2014 to identify the SEN of the pupils they support and to use their best endeavours to make sure that they get the support they need. Teachers are expected to be able to adapt their teaching to the needs of all pupils, and to have an understanding of the factors that can inhibit learning and how to overcome them.

To support the school workforce, the Department has funded almost 11,000 SEN Coordinators to attain Masters-level national awards between 2009 and 2014, at a cost of almost £33 million; is funding SEND conferences for school leaders and supporting the development of a ‘SEND gateway’ for education professionals, which offers a wide range of online training and information.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jamie Reed on 2016-01-29.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how Government targets for the proportion of business created in supply chains for small and medium-sized enterprises (SME) under public procurement contracts apply to companies subject to mergers, acquisitions or other changes in status that take those companies out of the SME category.

Matthew Hancock

The Government has a target that 33% of central government business, by direct spend and through the supply chain, will go to small and medium businesses by 2020.

We assess progress against the overall target on a regular basis, including an assessment of those companies identified as Small or Medium Sized Enterprises (SMEs). Where companies no longer meet the statutory definition of an SME at the time of assessment, they are no longer counted.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jamie Reed on 2016-02-09.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what incentives are in place to encourage major infrastructure projects to use steel manufactured in the UK.

Matthew Hancock

The Government is committed to addressing any barriers that prevent UK steel suppliers from competing effectively for public sector contracts.

The Government adopted new rules on public procurement last year to offer greater flexibility around social and economic considerations, alongside best value for money, in Government procurement activities.

In line with this, all departments are required to implement new guidelines, which we published on 30 October, on how government buyers should source steel for major projects so that the true value of UK steel is taken into account in major procurement decisions.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jamie Reed on 2016-02-19.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what the objectives are of the Sellafield workforce reform initiative; and if she will make a statement.

Andrea Leadsom

The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority has a responsibility to UK tax payers to ensure that Sellafield Ltd has maximum opportunity for improved performance: accelerating hazard reduction and delivering value for money. A new model, part of a suite of changes designed to increase efficiency in the business, is being put in place to help achieve that. The rationale for this model is set out in the Sellafield Model Change (SMC) Outline Business Case.

Details of the change programme are available at http://www.nda.gov.uk/contracts-and-competition/sellafield-model-change-programme/.

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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jamie Reed on 2016-02-23.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what powers are available to (a) parish, (b) district and (c) county councils to dispose of abandoned boats in coastal areas; and whether a disposal cost recovery scheme exists for such disposals.

Mr Robert Goodwill

Statutory Harbour Authorities (some of which are Local Authorities) have powers to deal with wrecks and unservicable and abandoned vessels within their harbour limits.

These powers are available under sections 52, 56 and 57 of the Harbours, Docks and Piers Clauses Act 1847 (exercisable by the Harbour Master) and in section 252 of the Merchant Shipping Act 1995. The powers allow the removal of wrecks and unserviceable and abandoned vessels and recovery of the cost of doing so from the owner or through disposal of the vessel.

Where there is no statutory harbour authority or conservancy authority in place to use the powers in the Merchant Shipping Act 1995, under s253 of the Merchant Shipping Act 1995 the General Lighthouse Authority may use the same powers set out in section 252 to deal with such vessels where, in the authority’s opinion the vessel is, or is likely to become, an obstruction or danger to navigation or to lifeboats engaged in lifeboat service.

The receiver of wreck, who only deals with wrecked vessels and is a statutory appointment under the Merchant Shipping Act 1995, has powers under section 243 of the Merchant Shipping Act 1995 to dispose of unclaimed wrecks one year after they come into the receiver’s possession. The Act sets out the dissemination of the proceeds of sale after disposal expenses.

Statutory Harbour Authorities operate on a commercial basis without ongoing support from Government and the General Lighthouse Authority are fully funded from a tax on shipping, receiving no money from the UK exchequer. There are no plans for any other funding to be made available.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jamie Reed on 2016-06-06.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what information his Department holds on the average waiting time between cancer diagnosis and treatment in each of the last 10 years.

Jane Ellison

The Department does not hold data on the average waiting time between cancer diagnosis and treatment. NHS England collects data on cancer waiting times and these data are published on their website. The data comprise of organisational performance against operational standards that support waiting time commitments laid out in the NHS Constitution. These include the standard that 96% of patients should begin first definitive treatment for all cancers within a maximum of 31 days from diagnosis.

A national time series can be found at the link below:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2015/02/Cancer-Waiting-Times-National-Time-Series-Oct-2009-Mar-2016-Provider-based.xlsx

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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jamie Reed on 2016-06-24.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what his policy is on introducing a legal or standard definition of an internship.

Nick Boles

The Government has no plans to create a legal or standard definition of an internship.

Depending on the reality of the employment relationship an intern could be classed as a worker, an employee or a volunteer.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jamie Reed on 2016-07-11.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will take steps to reassure university students that the outcome of the EU referendum will not prevent those students from studying abroad in Europe.

Joseph Johnson

There are no immediate changes following the EU Referendum, including in the circumstances of British citizens studying, or planning to study, in the EU. Future arrangements for studying abroad will need to be considered as part of wider discussions about the UK’s relationship with the EU.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jamie Reed on 2016-09-13.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will visit the West Cumberland Hospital (a) before the start of the formal consultation stage of the Success Regime and (b) during the formal consultation stage of that regime.

Mr Philip Dunne

The Department continues to champion the Success Regime and I look forward to visiting West Cumberland Hospital. My private office is in touch with North Cumbria University Hospitals NHS Trust to make arrangements.