The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jamie Reed on 2016-02-10.
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will make it his policy to ensure that West Cumbria Magistrates’ Court is not closed.
Mr Shailesh Vara
On 11 February 2016 I announced the outcome of the consultation on the provision of court and tribunal estate in England and Wales. West Cumbria Magistrates’ Court and County Court has been retained.
The consultation response is available online at www.gov.uk/moj.
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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jamie Reed on 2016-02-11.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will take steps to ensure the resilience of agriculture businesses in (a) Copeland and (b) Allerdale to respond to the effects of (i) Storm Desmond and (ii) future severe weather events.
George Eustice
We have been working closely with the NFU and other industry bodies to identify major problems, not only in Copeland and Allerdale, but across Cumbria, Lancashire, Yorkshire and Durham where exceptional rainfall added to ground which was already saturated. In response, we have provided grants and other support to help farmers restore their land through the Farming Recovery Fund. Farmers affected by flooding will be able to claim grants of between £500 and £20,000 to cover the cost of restoring their farmland.
In restoring damaged features such as bridges, fences or cross drains, we are encouraging farmers to protect against the future by considering building in protection against future flood damage. They can do this by locating these in a position where they are less likely to be damaged in the future or can be (for example, in the case of bridges) raised to reduce the risk of water damage. If farmers consider relocating features within their field, they could save replacement costs in the future.
We have also put in place in Cumbria a new partnership, which includes representatives of agriculture businesses, to develop an action plan to be published this summer. The action plan will cover a range of issues, such as what improvements may be needed to flood defences in the region; upstream options for slowing key rivers to reduce peak water flows, and ways of building stronger links between local residents, businesses, community groups and flood defence planning.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jamie Reed on 2016-05-04.
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps her Department is taking to end forced marriage worldwide.
Mr Desmond Swayne
Ending Child Early and Forced Marriage (CEFM) remains a high priority for the UK Government at home and overseas. The UK has demonstrated its leadership through co-hosting the first ever Girl Summit in 2014, which galvanized global action to end CEFM and Female Genital Mutilation (FGM). Following the Girl Summit 2014 the UK has continued its global leadership on ending CEFM, including through support for UN Resolutions and advocating for a separate target on ending CEFM within the Global Goals. The UK has supported campaigns and country-led Girl Summits through its overseas network, raising awareness of the impact of CEFM and ensuring global commitments translate into country-level action.
The UK has committed £36 million towards ending CEFM around the world. This includes support for the UN’s Joint Programme to End Child Marriage working in twelve high prevalence countries and for grassroots civil society organisations working to challenge this harmful social practice. Domestically, the UK Government’s Forced Marriage Unit provides support to British Nationals overseas affected by forced marriage.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jamie Reed on 2016-06-28.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many times he has visited Copeland constituency in an official capacity in each of the last four years.
Ben Gummer
The Secretary of State for Health and his Ministerial team have not undertaken any visits in an official capacity to the Copeland constituency in the last four years.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jamie Reed on 2016-07-13.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate his Department has made of the annual cost to people with Type 1 diabetes who self-fund a continuous glucose monitor.
Nicola Blackwood
No estimate has been made of the annual cost to people with Type 1 diabetes who self-fund a continuous glucose monitor.
In August 2015, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence provided updated guidelines for both Type 1 diabetes and for children and young people with diabetes. In both, the cost effectiveness, as well as the clinical effectiveness, of continuous glucose monitoring was assessed. Both sets of guidelines outline specific clinical situations where the clinical and cost effectiveness justify consideration of the use of the technology.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jamie Reed on 2016-09-05.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether his Department has made an assessment of the effect of having the Civil Nuclear Constabulary retirement age at (a) 65 and (b) 68 on (i) the safety of the individual officer and (ii) national security.
Jesse Norman
The Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and the Civil Nuclear Constabulary undertook a joint assessment of the effect of having a Civil Nuclear Constabulary retirement age of 65 or higher in 2015. This analysis considered the potential effects of an increase in the Civil Nuclear Constabulary retirement age on both national security and individual officer safety.
Civil Nuclear Constabulary Officers face rigorous testing to determine deployability and officers are firearms trained and tested to College of Policing Standards. Officers who joined the force post- 2011 are already subject to rigorous fitness standards, and following a Chief Constable’s Direction in Autumn 2015, these fitness standards are being extended to the remaining workforce. Capability and not age are the determining factors for deployment.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jamie Reed on 2016-10-13.
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if he will make an application to the EU Solidarity Fund before December 2016.
Andrew Percy
The Government finalised the UK’s application to the European Union Solidarity Fund on 22 September 2016.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jamie Reed on 2015-10-22.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make it his policy in the forthcoming Comprehensive Spending Review to provide ring fenced funding for a feasibility study into the trunk road section of the A595.
Greg Hands
Highways England will soon start a new programme of Route Strategies, aiming to develop an investment programme for the years 2020-25. These will be the forum where MPs and members of the public can make the case for improvements in their area. If improvements to the A595 are proposed through this process, they will be considered carefully for investment in the next Road Investment Strategy.
Further details of Spending Review decisions will be announced on 25 November.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jamie Reed on 2015-10-19.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what assessment he has made of the skills gap in Cumbria.
Nick Boles
It is not for central government to assess local skills needs. Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) are working in collaboration with local authorities, colleges and providers in the area to jointly agree key local skill needs and develop a local skills offer that is responsive to local labour market conditions and contributes to improving our productivity.
Cumbria LEP and the Cumbria Employment and Skills Commission are currently refreshing the area skills strategy and this will be finalised in December 2015. It will include a review of the skills needs of the four key sectors denoted in the Cumbria Strategic Economic Plan: Nuclear and Energy; Advanced Manufacturing; Rural and Visitor Economy; and, Infrastructure Improvements. The Skills Commission has noted that the future skills needs of the nuclear sector and BAE Systems Submarine will create significant pressure for skilled labour, particularly in advanced manufacturing and engineering. This will create displacement challenges in other manufacturing businesses in the area.
In September the government announced a programme of area reviews, which will be locally led and will involve key stakeholders. They will be based on the best available evidence of skills requirements and establish a local post-16 education and training offer which is high quality and responsive to employer need. The reviews will support local involvement in the ongoing commissioning of provision, putting responsibility in the hands of people who are best placed to tailor provision to local economic needs. Cumbria will be included in the area review process, due to be completed by March 2017 and an announcement on the date for the review will be announced in due course.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jamie Reed on 2015-10-22.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many official visits he has made to (a) Copeland constituency and (b) Cumbria as part of the Northern Powerhouse initiative.
Greg Hands
Last week the Chancellor of the Exchequer was in Manchester, Newcastle and Teesside and would hope to visit Cumbria in due course.