Tag: Lord Mawson

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Mawson on 2016-01-14.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to improve the wireless internet signal on the train network, in particular between London and Sheffield.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

Availability of mobile broadband services on trains can be an issue, partly due to physical barriers to radio signals reaching the railway track, include railway cuttings and tunnels and due to signal weakening, called attenuation, caused by train carriage walls and windows.

In June 2015, the Government launched a Call for Evidence to support delivery of improved coverage, with the intention to build on the work that has already happened across industry. On-train Wi-Fi addresses some of the issues, however we recognise that there is more to do that will require enhancements to trackside infrastructure. That’s why we are working with the rail and telecommunications industries to reach a shared understanding of the technical and commercial challenges, and seek out potential solutions for the rail network, including the London to Sheffield line.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Mawson on 2016-09-08.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact on inward investment to the UK of the condition and environment of the UK rail network.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

There is extensive evidence of the importance of transport and connectivity to attracting inward investment in to the UK economy. HM Government is always seeking to maximise such opportunities, however we have made no specific assessment of how the UK’s railways are currently bearing on inward investment.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Mawson on 2014-06-25.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many full-time equivalent general practitioners have been employed by the National Health Service in each of the last five years.

Earl Howe

General Practitioners (GPs) are independent contractors who hold contracts with NHS England to provide primary healthcare services for the National Health Service.

The annual National Health Service General and Personal Medical Services workforce census, published by the Health and Social Care Information Centre, shows the numbers of GPs working in the NHS in England at 30 September each year. The numbers of full-time equivalent GPs working in the NHS in England from 2009 to 2013 are shown in the following table. The latest available statistics are as at 30 September 2013 and were published on 25 March 2014.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Mawson on 2015-02-11.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what impact assessments have been carried out regarding the implementation of the Union Customs Code and its impact on micro and small businesses’ access to simplified procedures, the requirement to provide a six-digit Harmonised Tariff Code and changes to existing transit procedures.

Lord Deighton

HM Revenue and Customs has been formally consulting with UK trade bodies and businesses about the impact of the European Commission’s draft proposals for regulations to enable implementation of the Union Customs Code. Discussions have considered the impact of requirements to provide a six-digit commodity code that is needed for enhanced safety and security purposes and changes to existing transit arrangements which have enabled us to preserve a valuable simplification for movement of goods albeit in a different form. Trade views have been invaluable in informing the UK position, helping us to influence negotiations with the Commission and Member States and in securing agreement to necessary changes where possible. The UCC represents a package of measures to modernise and simplify customs procedures and requirements while also addressing the need to tighten safety and security and fight against fraud measures and its impact is being assessed in this overall context.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Mawson on 2014-05-07.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government how often ministers of the Department of Health visit local communities across the country to verify that the figures in relation to health and social care on which policy is based equate with the facts that people experience on the ground.

Earl Howe

Ministers in the Department frequently undertake visits to a wide range of health and social care settings across the country during which they meet a large numbers of staff, service users and patients.

Since May 2010 Ministers in the Department have undertaken a total of 646 official visits.