Tag: Matthew Offord

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Matthew Offord on 2016-06-07.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of installing a continuous noise barrier on the eastern side of the M1 passing through Mill Hill.

Andrew Jones

On the M1 between the A41 near Apex Corner and M1 junction 2 in the Mill Hill area, four areas are identified by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs noise mapping process as being noise ‘Important Areas’ which require further investigation.

One of these areas is located along the M1 southbound carriageway from the beginning of Station Road to Woodland Way, opposite Mill Hill Broadway station and is currently being studied to see if a noise barrier is practical here. There are a number of issues to be investigated, including whether a barrier can be put in place over a structure and along an embankment.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Matthew Offord on 2015-11-24.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment his Department has made of the level of awareness among drivers who do not normally use the Dartford Crossing that a charge is made for using that crossing.

Andrew Jones

In July 2014 Highways England undertook research to assess levels of public awareness of the introduction of Dart Charge. Following the Public Information Campaign that ran from October to December 2014, further research took place to assess how the campaign had increased public awareness.

Both surveys were based on samples of over one thousand drivers, consisted of a mix of online responses and face to face interviews, including both regular and infrequent users of the Crossing. Between July and December 2014 awareness rose from 43% to 80% for online respondents and 47% to 89% for those interviewed face to face.

The initial compliance rate is 92.6% since the launch of Dart Charge in November last year, which compares favourably with other similar schemes around the world and indicates strong awareness levels among drivers.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Matthew Offord on 2016-02-10.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if he will take steps to support the inclusion of the Fountain Cavern in Anguilla in the UNESCO World Heritage list.

Mr Edward Vaizey

The Fountain Cavern is not currently on the UK World Heritage Tentative List, which is the first step in the process towards World Heritage Site status. If the site wishes to progress towards World Heritage Site status in the future, it will be important for the nominators to have prepared a thorough body of research to support the application. Organisations such as the UK National Commission for UNESCO and World Heritage UK are happy to provide advice on this process.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Matthew Offord on 2016-04-25.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent steps his Department has taken to support the Maldivian government in counter-terrorism efforts.

Mr Hugo Swire

Counter-terrorism is an area on which we are keen to work closely with the Maldivian Government. I discussed this with representatives of the Government, including President Yameen, during my visit to the Maldives in January 2016. Most recently, in April 2016, a group of Maldivian police officers visited the UK to discuss further cooperation.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Matthew Offord on 2016-07-06.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if he will review the technical guidance on householder permitted development rights to minimise the visual impact of loft extensions.

Brandon Lewis

Permitted development rights for householders are set out in the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) Order 2015. The rights allow for loft extensions to the rear or side of dwellinghouses. To minimise the impact on the amenity of an area there are conditions limiting their size and appearance. These are explained in the Technical Guidance which was reviewed and updated in April 2016. Where the development exceeds the thresholds, or is to the front of a dwellinghouse, an application for planning permission is required.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Matthew Offord on 2015-11-24.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many penalty charge notices have been issued since the introduction of the free-flowing element at the Dartford Crossing.

Andrew Jones

Since the introduction of the Dart Charge remote payment system at the Dartford Crossing on 30 November 2014, there have been 1,594,225 penalty charge notices issued to UK drivers and 380,663 passed to a European Debt Recovery Agency for issue to overseas drivers (to 31 October 2015). There have been 42,499,904 chargeable crossings during the same period, so this equates to 4.6% of all chargeable crossings.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Matthew Offord on 2016-02-10.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of the Strategic Defence and Security Review on the global reach of the Royal Navy.

Penny Mordaunt

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence on 27 January 2016 to Question 23411.

http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-questions-answers/?page=1&max=20&questiontype=AllQuestions&house=commons%2clords&uin=23411

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Matthew Offord on 2016-04-25.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps his Department has taken to assist the Maldivian government with its governance reform plan.

Mr Hugo Swire

The Government, along with others in the international community, has a number of concerns about governance and human rights in the Maldives. This includes the decreasing independence of institutions, the diminishing freedoms of expression and association, and the arbitrary detention of political figures. I discussed these issues with President Yameen and his Government when I visited the Maldives in January 2016.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Matthew Offord on 2016-07-13.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what recent discussions his Department has had with members of the National Assembly for Wales on the proposed Blue Route M4 relief road.

Guto Bebb

The M4 is one of Wales’ vital arteries and an important strategic route across Britain. It has been clear for some time that congestion on the M4 corridor around Newport is damaging the Welsh economy, and that an upgrade is urgently required. The Secretary of State for Wales met with the Welsh Government’s Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Infrastructure following his appointment to discuss options for upgrading the M4.

The Welsh Government has announced that an independent public inquiry to examine its preferred route for the M4 relief road will commence in the Autumn. I look forward to seeing the inquiry’s findings and to a positive outcome to the benefit of both businesses and commuters.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Matthew Offord on 2015-11-02.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to support people affected by the rocket attack on Camp Liberty, Baghdad, on 29 October 2015.

Mr Tobias Ellwood

We strongly condemn the shameful attack against the civilian residents of Camp Liberty in Iraq on 29 October. Officials from our Embassy in Baghdad raised the attack with the Iraqi Prime Minister’s Office on 30 October and made clear the importance of an urgent and comprehensive investigation into the incident and ensuring that all those responsible are brought to justice.

In all of our engagement with the Government of Iraq on this issue, including at Ministerial level and in our statements, we have emphasised the importance of the Iraqi Government doing everything possible to ensure the safety of the residents of Camp Liberty. We support the United Nations’ calls for more to be done to protect the residents.