Tag: Jim Fitzpatrick

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Fitzpatrick on 2015-11-13.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to reduce the number of private hire vehicles illegally plying for hire.

Andrew Jones

The Government is responsible for the legislative structure within which local licensing authorities deliver the licensing regime for taxis and private hire vehicles. Enforcement of the licensing regime, including ensuring that private hire vehicles do not illegally ply for hire, is therefore a matter for local licensing authorities and the police.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Fitzpatrick on 2016-02-11.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the effect of increased waiting times for driving tests for young drivers on (a) failure rates and (b) increased travel time and cost to examination centres.

Andrew Jones

Any comparison between waiting times and failure rates would be highly subjective as the Driving and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) has no way of excluding other factors. DVSA also cannot identify the motivation of candidates choosing test centres for their practical test; therefore, DVSA is unable to assess what the costs would be.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Fitzpatrick on 2016-03-02.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether a Minister of his Department will be representing the UK at the UN’s second Global Summit on Road Safety to discuss the inclusion of targets to reduce crash deaths worldwide as a new sustainable development goal.

Andrew Jones

The UN’s Second Global High Level Conference on Road Safety has already taken place.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Fitzpatrick on 2016-05-25.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when his Department plans to implement the National Screening Committee’s recommendations on introducing (a) the Faecal Immunochemical Test into the bowel screening programme and (b) HPV as the primary test in the cervical screening programme.

Jane Ellison

Ministers have accepted the UK National Screening Committee’s (UK NSC) recommendation on replacing the guaiac Faecal Occult Blood test with the Faecal Immunochemical Test (FIT) in the NHS Bowel Cancer Screening Programme. Following the change to FIT we expect that around 200,000 more people per year will take up the opportunity to be screened as part of the NHS Bowel Cancer Screening Programme in England. This has the potential to save hundreds more lives by detecting bowel cancer earlier. Public Health England is responsible for the leadership of the NHS Screening Programmes and will oversee the change to the programme in partnership with NHS England.

Ministers are currently considering the UK NSC’s recommendation that human papillomavirus testing should replace the currently used cytology test as primary screening for cervical disease.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Fitzpatrick on 2016-10-07.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans her Department has to bring forward legislation to amend the Welfare of Racing Greyhound Regulations 2010 related to the recommendations in the post-implementation review of those regulations.

George Eustice

As set out in Defra’s Post Implementation Review of the Welfare of Racing Greyhounds Regulations 2010, we are currently considering a number of areas where the Regulations may need amending. Any such amendments can be introduced via secondary legislation made under the Animal Welfare Act 2006.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Fitzpatrick on 2015-10-21.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what proportion of cattle have been tested for bovine TB in each of the last three years.

George Eustice

Bovine TB is a devolved matter. The figures presented below are for England only.

Year	Number of cattle tested during year (millions)	Cattle population at June 1 (millions)
2012	3.4	5.4
2013	3.7	5.4
2014	4.0	5.3

Figures for the number of cattle tested for bovine TB represent all cattle tested during a calendar year. Cattle population estimates are as at a single point in time (1 June 2015). It is not, therefore, possible to determine the proportion of the cattle population which was tested in each of these years. All herds in the designated High Risk and Edge Areas of England are subject to annual surveillance testing for bovine TB, except for herds in the part of Cheshire falling within the Edge Area, which is currently subject to six-monthly testing. In the designated Low Risk Area all herds are subject to four yearly surveillance testing for bovine TB, except for certain higher risk herds which are subject to annual testing. Herds in all risk areas may also be subject to additional TB testing as a result of TB breakdowns.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Fitzpatrick on 2015-10-21.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what regulatory arrangements require airlines to use the quietest aircraft for early morning and late night flights into London’s airports; and by what means are those arrangements enforced.

Mr Robert Goodwill

The Government sets night flight restrictions at the three busiest London airports; Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted, which are designated for noise control purposes under the Civil Aviation Act 1982. As well as limiting the number of movements allowed within an airline season, these restrictions place requirements on the aircraft that can operate during the night period, and place seasonal limits on the amount of noise energy that can be emitted at each airport.

All aircraft are given a Quota Count (QC) number based on their noise during take-off and landing, with the noisier aircraft given a higher QC rating. QC/4 aircraft are not allowed to be scheduled during the night quota period (2330 to 0600), and the highest rated QC/8 and QC/16 aircraft are prevented from operating at all during the entire night period (2300 to 0700).

Each airport is given a seasonal noise quota, with aircraft with higher QC ratings using more of this quota per movement. The noise quota limit is designed to encourage the use of quieter aircraft by allowing airports to maximise the number of movements during any season through the use of aircraft with a lower quota count.

The Government regularly monitors the movement and noise quota usage at all three airports, including restrictions on the noisiest aircraft, to ensure compliance. It should be noted that these restrictions do not preclude noisier aircraft from using these airports in the case of emergencies or severe disruption, or with prior Government approval, such as for disaster relief flights.

The Government does not set night restrictions at any of London’s other international airports, but these operate their own restrictions, which are usually agreed as planning conditions:

• London Luton has a similar night noise regime to that in place at the designated airports. This limits the number of flights that can take place between and 2330 and 0600 and prohibits aircraft with a QC rating of greater than 2 from operating between 2300 and 0700.
• London City Airport does not operate flights between 2200 and 0630 from Sunday to Saturday morning, nor any flights between 1230 Saturday and 1230 Sunday.
• London Southend sets a limit of 120 night movements per month in the period 2300 to 0630 and, in addition, prohibits any scheduled movements by aircraft with a QC rating of greater than 1 or by helicopters.

Enforcement at these airports is a matter between airlines and the airport, or the local planning authority if relevant.

It should also be noted that airports are able to incentivise airlines to use their quietest aircraft during the night and early morning by charging higher landing fees for noisier planes at these times.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Fitzpatrick on 2015-10-20.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment his Department has made of the recommendations contained in the report from the Ear Foundation entitled Bending the Spend, published in October 2015; and if he will make a statement.

Alistair Burt

The Department in conjunction with NHS England jointly published the Action Plan on Hearing Loss in March 2015. The Action Plan sets out the case for action to tackle the rising prevalence and personal, social and economic costs of uncorrected hearing loss and the variation in access and quality of service.

The areas highlighted within the Bending the Spend report concur with and further strengthen those in the Action Plan. This includes the need to assess strategies for the earlier identification and management of hearing loss and the development of commissioning guidance to underpin the Action Plan, which NHS England will co-produce with stakeholders such as the Ear Foundation.

A Cross System Oversight Group had its first meeting on 14 October 2015. This will not only review and monitor progress of the implementation of the Action Plan, but will also provide a forum for government departments, arm’s length bodies and stakeholders within the hearing loss community to engage with each other to ensure connections are made and maintained across the system.

Membership of this group includes the Hearing Loss and Deafness Alliance of which the Ear Foundation is a member.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Fitzpatrick on 2015-10-22.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how frequently cattle in each region are tested for bovine TB.

George Eustice

All herds in the designated High Risk and Edge Areas of England are subject to annual surveillance testing for bovine TB, except for herds in the part of Cheshire falling within the Edge Area, which is currently subject to six-monthly testing. In the designated Low Risk Area all herds are subject to four yearly surveillance testing for bovine TB, except for certain higher risk herds which are subject to annual testing. Herds in all risk areas may also be subject to additional TB testing as a result of TB breakdowns

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Fitzpatrick on 2015-10-09.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions she has had with UKAS on extending the current regulations on greyhounds to cover trainers’ kennels.

George Eustice

Defra plans to consult on the initial findings of the Review of the Welfare of Racing Greyhounds Regulations 2010 this autumn. The Greyhound Forum and members of the Forum have contributed to the initial findings exercise and, as part of the initial stages of the Review.

Defra officials have also had discussions with UKAS.