Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • Chris Green – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Chris Green – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Green on 2015-11-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the effects on traffic flow and congestion of the omission of the planned Junction 7 from the M61; and what representations his Department has received on how to mitigate those effects.

    Andrew Jones

    The most recent assessment of the M61 was undertaken by the Highways Agency between 2012 and 2015 as part of the South Pennines Route Strategy. This utilised the advice and expertise of local councils and stakeholders. The final report was published in 2015 and is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/416749/South_Pennines.pdf.

    It identified traffic flow and congestion issues on the M61 where it merges with the M6 to the north and also where it approaches the M60 to the south. However no particular traffic flow and congestion problems were identified between Junctions 6 and 8.

    Highways England will revisit the evidence for the M61 as part of preparing the next iteration of Route Strategies.

    “

  • Margaret Ritchie – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Margaret Ritchie – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Margaret Ritchie on 2015-12-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when compensation will be made available for those individuals infected by contaminated bloods.

    Jane Ellison

    As liability has not been established in the majority of cases, therefore it would not be appropriate to talk about payments in terms of compensation. Where liability has been established in a small number of individuals affected by HIV, hepatitis C or both infections through treatment with NHS-supplied blood or blood products before 1991, compensation has been paid. A consultation on proposals to reform the current payments schemes will be published in January 2016.

  • Stewart Jackson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Stewart Jackson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stewart Jackson on 2016-01-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she expects to publish her Department’s review of Sharia courts; and if she will make a statement.

    Karen Bradley

    The Home Secretary has commissioned a full, independent review to enhance our understanding of any misuse of Sharia law. The review will report to the Home Secretary before the end of this year.

  • Catherine West – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Catherine West – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Catherine West on 2016-02-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he had made to his counterparts in (a) the US, (b) China, (c) France and (d) Russia on the recent ballistic missile launched by North Korea.

    Mr Hugo Swire

    The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond) strongly condemned the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK)’s satellite launch of 7 February, which used ballistic missile technology in clear violation of a number of UN Security Council Resolutions. We are working closely with our international counterparts, including permanent members of the UN Security Council, to ensure significant and substantive measures are agreed in response to the DPRK’s repeated provocations. In addition, we continue to work with international partners to ensure existing Resolutions are implemented effectively.

  • Justin Madders – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Justin Madders – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Justin Madders on 2016-03-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, on which occasions the Care Quality Commission has inspected each provider of NHS 111 since April 2013.

    Ben Gummer

    The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is the independent regulator of health and adult social care in England. The CQC is responsible for deciding which providers to inspect and when to inspect them. The CQC has provided the following information:

    In June 2015, the CQC published the results of three NHS 111 inspection pilots. The NHS 111 services inspected were operated by the Isle of Wight Healthcare Trust, Derbyshire Health United and North West Ambulance Service NHS Trust.

    In November 2015, the CQC conducted a comprehensive inspection of Derbyshire Health United. This report has not yet been published. In November 2015, it also conducted a comprehensive inspection of Hertfordshire Urgent Care and published its report on 10 March 2016. The service was rated ‘Good’.

    In November 2015, the CQC conducted a focused inspection of South Central Ambulance Trust’s 111 service and published its report in January 2016. In March 2016, the CQC completed a focussed inspection of South West Ambulance Trust’s 111 service and will publish the report in due course.

    The remaining providers are scheduled to be inspected in line with the CQC hospital and primary medical services inspection programme during 2016.

  • Jonathan Ashworth – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Jonathan Ashworth – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jonathan Ashworth on 2016-04-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, (a) how many and (b) what proportion of officials of his Department resigned in each of the last six years.

    Justin Tomlinson

    The information requested is provided in the table below.

    Period

    Number of resignations

    Proportion of the workforce (%)

    2010/11

    5,143

    4.2

    2011/12

    2,591

    2.3

    2012/13

    2,036

    1.8

    2013/14

    1,783

    1.7

    2014/15

    1,683

    1.7

    2015/16

    2,120

    2.2
  • Roger Godsiff – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Roger Godsiff – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Roger Godsiff on 2016-05-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether additional funding will be provided to support further education students who have to travel further to access education as a result of colleges merging.

    Mr Sam Gyimah

    Future college mergers will tend to be decided through area reviews of post-16 education which are focused on meeting the needs of learners in each area. Area reviews, because they are overseen by steering groups including Chairs and Principals of colleges as well as local authorities, are well placed to ensure decisions are taken which are in the interests of local further education students, taking into account travel to learn distances. The steering group’s recommendations will always be based on the best available evidence, including an analysis of local economic and educational needs, and the mapping of current curriculum provision and travel to learn patterns.

    As well as being members of area review steering groups, local authorities have statutory responsibility for transport to education and training for 16- to 19-year-olds. We expect local authorities to make reasonable decisions about the support they offer based on the needs of their young people, local transport infrastructure and the resources they have available. Authorities will need to take account of the recommendations arising from each area review and the impact on transport for learners. Local authorities fund any support they provide for transport to post-16 education through the grants they receive from national government and through generated income, such as council tax.

    Most 16- to 19-year olds have access to a discount or concession on local travel, from their local transport provider, their local authority, or from their education or training provider. The 16 to 19 Bursary Fund is also available to support young people with the costs associated with attending education or training, and transport is the biggest single area of expenditure for which this fund is used.

  • Luciana Berger – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Luciana Berger – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Luciana Berger on 2016-07-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what her policy is on supporting Mersey Forest in its aim to increase woodland cover to 20 per cent of the Mersey Forest area.

    Rory Stewart

    We certainly support this partnership of local authorities with organisations in the Defra Group, and its aim to increase woodland cover to 20 per cent of the Mersey Forest area. This supports our national commitment to plant 11 million more trees by the end of this Parliament and to continue to expand woodland cover in England.

    The Mersey Forest partnership has transformed the Mersey area since it was set up in 1991. It has planted 9 million trees and doubled woodland cover in the area, providing great places for local people to enjoy as well as a wide range of economic and environmental benefits. The Mersey Forest is one of eight Community Forests in England that together deliver urban, economic and social regeneration, helping to transform areas that have seen significant industrial restructuring, by reclaiming brownfield land to create high-quality environments for millions of people. This wider network of Community Forests has planted over 10,000 hectares of new woodland and brought more than 27,000 hectares of existing woodland into management.

    Whilst it is for the constituent local authorities to agree their ongoing commitment, Defra Group organisations will continue to support Mersey Forest in its ambition to increase woodland cover to 20 per cent.

  • Zac Goldsmith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

    Zac Goldsmith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Zac Goldsmith on 2016-09-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether he plans to retain solar thermal under the Renewable Heat Incentive for (a) domestic and smaller commercial heating applications and (b) new applications including space heating and community heating.

    Jesse Norman

    In March the Department for Energy and Climate Change published a consultation “The Renewable Heat Incentive: A reformed and refocused scheme”, including proposals relating to solar thermal.

    The Government is currently considering responses to the consultation and will announce its final proposals in due course.

  • Anne-Marie Trevelyan – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Anne-Marie Trevelyan – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Anne-Marie Trevelyan on 2015-11-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the benefits of teaching first aid in schools on public health outcomes.

    Edward Timpson

    This Government believes that the teaching of first aid skills is important. The Department for Education works closely with expert organisations such as the Red Cross and St John Ambulance who provide learning materials to schools, including life-saving training kits produced by the British Heart Foundation. These kits provide young people with first-hand experience of life-saving skills and we have promoted the use of these via the termly school email and social media channels.

    How first aid is provided is up to teachers and is taught as part of personal, social, health and economic (PHSE) education in schools. In line with the continued drive to reduce bureaucracy and burdens on schools, we do not ask schools to routinely collect data on this.