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Tag: John Stanley

  • John Stanley – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    John Stanley – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Stanley on 2015-01-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will issue a direction to the Chief Executive of Network Rail to reply to the letter of 3 June 2014 from the right hon. Member for Tonbridge and Malling, and his subsequent letter pressing for a reply, regarding the establishment of a business and innovation centre at the Station Masters House at Edenbridge Town Station.

    Claire Perry

    Network Rail operates at arm’s-length from the Department, without day-to-day supervision, and is not expected to involve Ministers in its regular operational decisions such as the establishment of a business and innovation centre at Edenbridge Town station.

    However, this is an unacceptable delay and Network Rail advises that Mark Carne’s reply to the right Hon Member for Tonbridge and Malling is due to be sent on 23 January.

    Network Rail held a site meeting in December with the train operator Southern and the group proposing to use the Station Masters House, to look at the rooms in question and to discuss the proposals for future use. Network Rail is continuing its discussions about the lease with all parties to find a way forward in the near future. Both Network Rail and Southern are supportive of this proposal.

  • John Stanley – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    John Stanley – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Stanley on 2015-02-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, pursuant to the Answer of 9 February 2015 to Question 222938, regarding the standard individual export licence for equipment employing cryptography and software for equipment employing cryptography to the value of £7.7 billion approved by his Department for export to Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories, what the reasons were for the surrender of that licence by the exporter in August 2014; what role was played by his Department in the surrender of that licence; and what the reasons were for his Department’s approval of that licence in the first quarter of 2013 when it was then surrendered unused by the exporter 18 months later.

    Matthew Hancock

    Exporters are not obliged to give reasons for surrendering licences. This was a purely commercial decision by the company and the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills played no part in the decision to surrender the licence.

    As is the case with all applications, this application was assessed against the Consolidated EU and National Arms Export Licensing Criteria in the usual way, taking into account the nature of the goods and the intended end-use. The application was for electronic components and circuit boards, which are specifically designed for building mobile phone networks for public use. The proposed export did not breach any of the Criteria and therefore the licence was granted.

  • John Stanley – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    John Stanley – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Stanley on 2014-04-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether parish councils and town councils are eligible to apply for flood and coastal erosion risk management grant-in-aid.

    Dan Rogerson

    Defra flood and coastal erosion risk management grant-in-aid is only available to a risk management authority, as defined by section 6(13) of the Flood and Water Management Act 2010. If a parish council or town council wish to progress a flood management scheme they should contact the lead local flood authority for the area.

  • John Stanley – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    John Stanley – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Stanley on 2014-04-29.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what specific steps he will take to place the Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust on a stable and secure long-term financial footing.

    Dr Daniel Poulter

    The National Health Service Trust Development Authority (TDA) is working with the Trust to determine its financial recovery plans. The Trust’s five year sustainability plan is currently being developed, and is due to be submitted on 20 June 2014.

    The NHS TDA has also been involved in the recruitment of the Trust’s new Finance Director, and is supportive of the appointment of the Trust’s Turnaround Director.

    NHS West Kent clinical commissioning group is also working with the Trust to ensure its future sustainability.

  • John Stanley – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    John Stanley – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Stanley on 2014-04-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will list the government departments and public authorities to which borough councils for areas where there is no unitary authority can apply for funding towards (a) their own costs in dealing with flooding and (b) the cost of flood protection schemes in their area, stating in each case the name of the funding scheme and the government department or public authority to which the application should be made.

    Dan Rogerson

    (a) There are a number of schemes where borough councils can apply for funding towards their own costs in dealing with flooding and these are listed below.

    The Bellwin Scheme of emergency financial assistance (funding to help Local Authorities in the emergency phase of the flooding to protect lives or property) – through the Department for Communities and Local Government.

    Funding for repair of damages to roads (hit by weather damage) – through the Department for Transport

    The business support scheme (hardship funding for SME businesses in areas affected by the floods) – through the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    (b) Borough councils can also apply for funding towards the cost of flood protection schemes from Flood Defence Grant in Aid through the Environment Agency. Second tier local authorities including Borough Councils can apply for capital grants towards flood and coastal erosion risk management projects. Where there are two tiers of local government, local authorities should work together to decide which authority is best placed to lead in different circumstances.

  • John Stanley – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    John Stanley – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Stanley on 2014-04-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what his policy is on the continued exclusion of borough councils for areas where there is no unitary authority from the definition of risk management authorities in Section 6(13) of the Flood and Water Management Act 2010.

    Dan Rogerson

    All local authorities are risk management authorities under the Flood and Water Management Act 2010. No local authorities are excluded from the definition of a risk management authority in the Flood and Water Management Act 2010.

    A ‘borough council’ will either be a unitary authority or a district council. As a unitary authority it will be a ‘lead local flood authority’, which in turn makes it a ‘risk management authority’ in its own right (the same applies to county councils). Where it is not a unitary authority it is a district council, whether known as borough council or city council, and so is also a risk management authority.

  • John Stanley – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    John Stanley – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Stanley on 2014-04-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will name the lead local flood authority or authorities for the area of the Tonbridge and Malling constituency.

    Dan Rogerson

    The Lead Local Flood Authority is Kent County Council. This is defined under section 6(7) of the Flood & Water Management Act 2010.

  • John Stanley – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    John Stanley – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Stanley on 2014-04-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will bring forward proposals to make borough councils for areas where there is no unitary authority eligible to apply for flood and coastal erosion risk management grant-in-aid.

    Dan Rogerson

    Borough Councils are already able to bring forward proposals working with the Environment Agency and/or the Lead Local Flood Authorities, should they wish to seek flood and coastal erosion risk management grant-in-aid.

  • John Stanley – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    John Stanley – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Stanley on 2014-06-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how many standard individual export licences were finalised in 2013; and what proportion of those licences were finalised within (a) 20 and (b) 60 working days.

    Michael Fallon

    13,578 Standard Individual Export Licences (SIELs) were granted in 2013 and 148 applications for SIELs were refused. 77.8 per cent of these licences were finalised in 20 working days and 97.8 per cent were finalised in 60 working days.

  • John Stanley – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    John Stanley – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Stanley on 2014-06-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what proportion of export licence appeals were finalised within (a) 20 and (b) 60 working days in 2013.

    Michael Fallon

    In 2013 4 out of 56 (7%) appeals cases were finalised within 20 working days and 22 out of 56 (39%) were finalised within 60 working days.

    Officials continue to review procedures to streamline the handling of appeals, including additional resources and revised arrangements for consulting Ministers and advisers in other Government Departments. We expect an improvement in performance during 2014.