The below Parliamentary question was asked by Margaret Ritchie on 2016-04-11.
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what recent discussions she has had with the French government and EDF on whether there will be changes to the timetable for the development of Hinkley Point C.
Andrea Leadsom
We are in close contact with EDF and the French Government regarding the Hinkley Point C project. EDF are confident that the plant will begin generating electricity in 2025.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Margaret Ritchie on 2016-09-02.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions he has had with his counterparts in the devolved administrations on the draft sustainability and transformation plans for NHS England; and what the Barnett consequentials of those plans will be.
David Mowat
Formal discussions have not so far been held with counterparts in the devolved administrations on the draft Sustainability and Transformation Plans (STPs).
STPs will be funded from notified allocations and funding held centrally by NHS England. These form part of the NHS England Mandate and overall Department of Health departmental budget. The devolved administrations have received Barnett consequentials on the Department’s budget in line with established practice.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Margaret Ritchie on 2016-10-13.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what discussions he has had with senior officials in the Royal Navy on the recommendations of the Marine Accident Investigation Branch report on the collision involving the MV Karen fishing boat from Ardglass, County Down in the Irish Sea on 15 April 2016.
Mike Penning
As recognised in the Marine Accident Investigation Report (MAIB), the Royal Navy has already taken actions as a result of this incident. We are now considering the MAIB’s report and its conclusions and recommendations to identify what further actions may be required. I will be visiting Northern Ireland soon and go to Ardglass.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Margaret Ritchie on 2015-11-17.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what proportion of the files held at Swadlincote that are subject to the Public Records Act 1958 have been (a) assessed by and (b) released to the National Archive.
Mark Lancaster
All Ministry of Defence (MOD) records held at Swadlincote that are subject to the Public Records Acts have been assessed for ongoing business or potential historical value. More than one third of the files at Swadlincote have been selected for transfer to The National Archives. These are largely military service records, which The National Archives has identified as being required for permanent preservation.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Margaret Ritchie on 2015-12-15.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, in what ways the proposed life chances measures in the amendments to the Child Poverty Act 2010 will measure child poverty in households with at least one employed adult.
Priti Patel
We are clear that the existing low-income measures do not drive the right action to tackle the root causes of child poverty.
Our proposals in the Welfare Reform and Work Bill introduce new statutory measures of worklessness and educational attainment which the evidence indicates are the biggest factors affecting child poverty now and in the future.
The Department will also continue to publish low-income statistics as part of the ‘Households Below Average Income’ publication.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Margaret Ritchie on 2016-04-11.
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, if she will make an assessment of the implications for her policies of the findings of the Intergenerational Foundation in its research report, Toxic time capsule, published in April 2016, on the relative costs to the public purse and generating capacity of solar power, wind power and the Hinkley Point C project.
Andrea Leadsom
We do not recognise the figures presented in the report for the Intergenerational Foundation. Hinkley Point C is a good deal for consumers and, once operational will provide 60 years of secure, reliable and low-carbon electricity. This will help us to keep the lights on while meeting our emissions targets in the most cost-effective way.
My Rt. hon friend, The Secretary of State is minded to proceed with the CfD support package for Hinkley Point C, subject to EDF taking a final investment decision.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Margaret Ritchie on 2016-09-02.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what recent discussions he has had with his counterparts in the devolved administrations on health and medical waiting lists; and what steps he is taking to reduce waiting lists.
Mr Philip Dunne
Health is a devolved matter, and there have been no discussions with counterparts in the devolved administrations about waiting lists for non-urgent conditions.
The Government’s mandate to NHS England for 2016-17 includes the objective that NHS England should support the National Health Service to maintain, and where possible improve, performance against core waiting time standards in line with the NHS Constitution. NHS England and NHS Improvement continue to work together to support the NHS to maintain low waiting times for patients.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Margaret Ritchie on 2015-11-17.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many files held at Swadlincote his Department has made available to the (a) Historical Enquiries Team and (b) Da Silva Review.
Penny Mordaunt
The Historical Enquiries Team and the De Silva Review were able to access any Ministry of Defence file at Swadlincote or elsewhere which was relevant to their functions, but the Department does not record the number of files which were actually inspected or copied over time by members of these teams.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Margaret Ritchie on 2016-01-06.
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the most recent assessment of progress in the roll-out of the universal credit programme by the Infrastructure and Project Authority is.
Matthew Hancock
The most recent assessment of Universal Credit was set out in the MPA Annual Report 2015, published in spring 2015. This is available at: (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/major-projects-authority-annual-report-2015)
The 2016 Report will be published in due course.
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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Margaret Ritchie on 2016-04-11.
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what assessment she has made of the potential economic effect in Northern Ireland of the imposition of border checks between that country and the Republic of Ireland in the event of a UK withdrawal from the EU.
Mr Ben Wallace
The Government’s position is that the UK will be stronger, safer and better off remaining in a reformed EU.
The UK and Ireland are part of the EU Customs Union, which means that there are no customs controls on the border between Ireland and Northern Ireland. Without this, goods being exported across the border could be subject to various forms of customs controls and their liability to duty determined according to complex Rules of Origin.
The absence of cross-border restrictions has both encouraged cooperation and increased trade over the last twenty years. Overall, around 60 per cent of Northern Ireland’s exports go to the EU, with 37 per cent going to Ireland alone. It is the Government’s view that if the UK left the EU these arrangements could be put at risk.