Tag: Neil Parish

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Neil Parish on 2016-03-21.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of recent reports of Iran testing a new long-range ballistic missile.

Mr Tobias Ellwood

Reports that Iran carried out ballistic missile tests earlier this month are of great concern. These tests are inconsistent with UN Security Council Resolution 2231, and the UK is raising these concerns in writing with the UN Security Council. The UK continues to urge Iran to refrain from further tests.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Neil Parish on 2016-03-22.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the rationale was for the reduction in the dairy food group from 15 to eight per cent in the revised Eatwell Guide; and on what scientific evidence the new recommendations on dairy consumption are based.

Jane Ellison

The Government has adopted the refreshed Eatwell Guide which reflects updated government dietary recommendations based upon conclusions from the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition, robust modelling and consumer research. It shows the proportions of the different types of foods and drinks we should consume to have a healthy, balanced diet.

An external reference group was convened to inform the development of the Eatwell Guide. Members from health, voluntary sector and industry were invited, including trade and levy organisations.

Linear programming, the approach considered the most objective and robust by the reference group to inform the sizes of the food group segments, ensured all government dietary recommendations were met, including that for calcium. This analysis resulted in a new image with a reduced ‘dairy and alternatives’ segment, which will support consumers to reduce saturated fat and salt consumption, while still meeting calcium recommendations.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Neil Parish on 2016-03-24.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what lessons were learned from the universal credit scheme pilot; and what changes have been put in place as a result of those lessons.

Priti Patel

The Department published a series of reports on Universal Credit. The latest can be found here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/483029/universal-credit-at-work-december-2015.pdf

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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Neil Parish on 2016-03-24.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what lessons were learned from the universal credit scheme pilot; and what changes have been put in place as a result of those lessons.

Priti Patel

The Department published a series of reports on Universal Credit. The latest can be found here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/483029/universal-credit-at-work-december-2015.pdf

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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Neil Parish on 2016-04-15.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, which (a) trade and levy organisations and (b) other members of health, voluntary sector and industry were invited to be part of the external reference group for the formation of the new Eat Well guide.

Jane Ellison

Public Health England convened an external reference group in July 2014 to inform the refresh of the Eatwell Guide. Members from health, voluntary sector and industry were invited, including trade and levy organisations. Government departments and agencies were observers.

The following organisations were invited and formed the reference group; The Agricultural and Horticultural Development Board, The Association of Directors of Public Health, The Association for Nutrition (chair), The Association of Convenience Stores, The British Dietetic Association, The British Nutrition Foundation, The British Retail Consortium, The Food and Drink Federation, Health Education England, Institute of Grocery Distribution, The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, The Royal College of Nursing and UK Health Forum.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Neil Parish on 2016-04-27.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what proportion of fruit juice a drink must contain to be considered a pure fruit juice for the purposes of the sugar levy.

Damian Hinds

The levy will apply to soft drinks with added sugar. This will include any fruit or vegetable juice drinks that contain added sugar. Pure fruit and vegetable juices, and other juice drinks that do not have added sugar will not be liable.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Neil Parish on 2016-05-19.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of making superfast broadband a planning obligation on all new build properties

Brandon Lewis

We have worked with BT Openreach and the Home Builders Federation on an agreement, announced earlier this year, which aims to deliver superfast broadband connectivity to new build properties in the UK. We have also recently introduced a requirement for all new buildings and major renovations to include in-building physical infrastructure to support connections to superfast broadband. In addition, the National Planning Policy Framework places the provision of superfast broadband alongside other strategic infrastructure and requires local planning authorities to consult providers as part of the Local Plan.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Neil Parish on 2016-10-11.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, which local authorities have breached legal air quality limits in the last year.

Dr Thérèse Coffey

Defra uses both monitoring and modelling to assess air quality in the UK. Currently, 156 monitoring stations in the national network report near-real-time data on five key pollutants: particulate matter (PM₁₀ and PM_2.5), sulphur dioxide (SO₂), ozone (O₃) and nitrogen dioxide (NO₂). Information about these sites and modelled data is available on Defra’s UK-Air website.

Latest compliance data show that the UK is meeting the EU limit values for all pollutants covered by the European air quality Directives other than those for NO₂.

That is why in December last year, the Government published the national air quality plan for reducing NO₂ concentrations through a new programme of Clean Air Zones in five cities in England, including Leeds, Nottingham and Southampton, as well as Birmingham and Derby, along with the Ultra-Low Emission Zone in London. The plan combines targeted local and national measures and continued investment in clean technologies.

The councils which were observed to have exceedances of the annual mean NO₂ limit value in 2015 are in the attached table.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Neil Parish on 2016-10-11.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she has taken to encourage local authorities to implement a voluntary Clean Air Zone; and what estimate she has made of how many will do so within the next 12 months.

Dr Thérèse Coffey

As part of the national air quality plan for nitrogen dioxide, we are requiring five cities (Birmingham, Derby, Leeds, Nottingham and Southampton) to implement Clean Air Zones. Other local authorities can introduce Clean Air Zones should they wish to do so using their powers under the Transport Act 2000.

On 13 October we launched a consultation on a framework for Clean Air Zones. This will provide a consistent approach to the implementation of Clean Air Zones. Its use by local authorities will give businesses and individuals a clear understanding of what a Clean Air Zone will deliver, and the impacts and benefits for them. Setting out the principles in this way will support both those authorities required by Government to implement a Clean Air Zone and those who, after analysing their own situation, consider a Clean Air Zone to be an appropriate measure to bring in.

In addition, applications are now open for councils to bid for a share of at least £3 million as part of an Air Quality Grant to help improve air quality in their area. Applications could include activities such as feasibility studies for Clean Air Zones.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Neil Parish on 2015-11-04.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, if she will take steps to promote the use of British welded steel instead of imported seamless steel in the shale gas exploration industry.

Andrea Leadsom

The Government would like to see UK steel companies take advantage of the commercial opportunities that a shale hydrocarbon exploration and production industry will bring. However, the decision over the use of welded steel tubes will predominantly depend on the design and specification of the well and the geology. Government officials will continue to engage with the steel industry over this large potential opportunity and will encourage it to continue its dialogue with the onshore oil and gas industry.