The below Parliamentary question was asked by Michelle Donelan on 2016-06-07.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what funding is allocated to each region for support services for people with motor neurone disease.
Jane Ellison
Clinical commissioning groups and NHS England are responsible for delivering services for people with motor neurone disease, funded from their annual funding allocations. Information on funding for motor neurone related services is not collected centrally.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Michelle Donelan on 2016-09-02.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policy on the award of Innovate UK Smart funding for Type 1 diabetes research of the outcome of the EU referendum.
Joseph Johnson
Innovate UK has simplified the way it provides support to innovative businesses – through a new sector focus with two broad competitions in each sector per year. It also runs open programmes available to all businesses irrespective of the technology or sector in which they operate. Innovate UK’s first such competition opened in June 2016 and applications are now being processed. In the last 5 years, through the former Smart programme, Innovate UK committed around £553,000 into research for Type 1 diabetes, although technologies have also been supported which relate to the management and prevention of Type 2 diabetes. The outcome of the EU referendum is not expected to impact on the delivery of these programmes.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Michelle Donelan on 2016-01-14.
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, how much the Government plans to spend from the public purse on supporting or enabling exploratory and productive fracking in the UK.
Andrea Leadsom
The Government supports the safe and sustainable development of unconventional hydrocarbons, but we will not subsidise shale gas development. Exploration and production are a commercial matter for developers.
The Office of Unconventional Gas and Oil (OUGO) has been established within DECC to lead on the policy area and co-ordinate work with other Government Departments and regulators. This is to encourage the development of the UK’s shale industry whilst ensuring that robust regulations are in place to safeguard public safety and protect the environment.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Michelle Donelan on 2016-03-21.
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many people have had their initial assessments for personal independence payments assessments payments upheld on appeal in (a) the UK, (b) Wiltshire and (c) the Chippenham constituency in each of the last 12 months.
Andrew Selous
The information requested is not held centrally.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Michelle Donelan on 2016-04-14.
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what protections the Government has put in place to ensure that historic towns are not adversely affected by shale gas extraction.
Andrea Leadsom
The Government has been clear that shale development must be safe and environmentally sound, maintaining the very highest safety and environmental standards.
Any impacts of shale gas exploration proposals on the historic environment are fully taken into account through the planning system. The National Planning Policy Framework explains that when considering the impact of a proposed development on the significance of a designated heritage asset, great weight should be given to the asset’s conservation. Designated heritage assets include World Heritage Sites, scheduled monuments, listed buildings and conservation areas.
In addition, the Government has consulted on measures to ensure that hydraulic fracturing cannot be conducted from wells that are drilled at the surface of our most valuable areas, including World Heritage Sites, and we will publish our response to the consultation shortly.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Michelle Donelan on 2016-06-07.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of registering bicycles with the DVLA.
Mr Robert Goodwill
Our assessment of the registration of bicycles indicates it would require a licensing process similar to that for cars and motorcycles. As there are in excess of 20 million bicycles in Great Britain and many change hands through second hand sales, keeping track of this would be difficult and expensive. The costs of its administration would far outweigh the revenue received and indeed any benefits received from it.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Michelle Donelan on 2016-01-20.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of whether the Shia in Bahrain accept the Al Khalifa government as the legitimate government of that country.
Mr Tobias Ellwood
Governance of Bahrain is a matter for all political parties in Bahrain. That is why we encourage all political parties, including Al Wefaq who boycotted elections in November 2014, to engage constructively in political dialogue in order to reach an inclusive political settlement. 14 out of 40 MPs are independent Shia who chose to stand and were elected in 2014 elections. 3 of these are women.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Michelle Donelan on 2016-03-21.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what work his Department is undertaking to support people with mental health conditions who are subject to the personal independent payments assessment process.
Justin Tomlinson
Claimants identified as having mental health issues can access additional support at any point in the assessment process. At the new claim stage: if they do not return their claim form, we will arrange for the claimant to be referred directly to the assessment provider for their assessment without the need for completing the form. At the assessment stage: we would support any claimant with mental health issues to have company with them for their assessment.
Additionally, Atos and Capita both employ Mental and Cognitive Champions to provide advice and support to their health assessors on conditions and disabilities affecting mental, cognitive and behavioural function. We also work closely with disability organisations to develop training and increase awareness of these conditions amongst health assessors.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Michelle Donelan on 2016-04-14.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans he has to introduce driving tests for drivers who have previously passed that test (a) who are over 70 year old and (b) every 20 years.
Andrew Jones
The Department for Transport considers that medical fitness and practical competence, not age, are the relevant factors in deciding if a driver can continue to hold a licence. The rules for drivers renewing a license at the age of 70 are designed to be fair and proportionate, and there are no plans to change them.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Michelle Donelan on 2016-06-07.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when the age requirements for the driving test were last reviewed.
Andrew Jones
The minimum age for driving tests were last reviewed in 2010 following a widespread public consultation in 2009 on changes to the driver licensing and testing regime. The possible changes included amongst others, minimum ages, medical requirements, driving licence security and driving test vehicle requirements. The Government currently has no plans to alter minimum ages.