Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • Tom Watson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union

    Tom Watson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Watson on 2016-07-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what plans he has to consult opposition parties on the process of negotiating the UK exit from the EU; and what plans he has to consult those parties during those negotiations.

    Mr David Davis

    The Department for Exiting the EU will lead the UK’s negotiations to leave the European Union and establish the future relationship between the EU and the UK, working closely with the UK Parliament, devolved administrations, and a wide range of other interested parties. Consultation with opposition parties will be an important part of this process.

  • Roger Godsiff – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Roger Godsiff – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Roger Godsiff on 2016-10-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many schools in Birmingham are located in areas with pollution higher than World Health Organisation limits.

    Dr Thérèse Coffey

    Defra does not hold information on schools in the city that are located in areas with pollution higher than World Health Organisation limits. Birmingham City Council is responsible for reviewing and assessing air quality in its area. It declared a city wide Air Quality Management Area in 2005 and an action plan to tackle NO2 was put in place. Birmingham City Council is best placed to provide the information requested.

    In 2015 measured concentrations of PM10 in the UK were below EU and WHO limit values. Measured concentrations of PM2.5 were well below the EU limit value of 20µg/m3 but slightly above the WHO value of 10µg/m3 by between 2 and 3µg/m3.

    In 2015, Birmingham exceeded the EU limit value for nitrogen dioxide (NO2) in and around the city centre. The main source of NO2 emissions is road traffic.

    In December 2015, 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 Birmingham. The plan combines targeted local and national measures and continued investment in clean technologies. These measures will also reduce particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5) concentrations. A public consultation seeking views on the draft Clean Air Zone Framework and on the draft regulation mandating the implementation of Clean Air Zones was published on 13 October 2016.

  • Owen Smith – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Owen Smith – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Owen Smith on 2015-11-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what progress his Department has made on establishing pilot schemes to support carers to stay in work in North Tyneside, Northamptonshire, Cheshire West, Gateshead, Bury, North Somerset, South Gloucestershire, Staffordshire and Stoke and Sefton.

    Justin Tomlinson

    Government has provided £1.6 million of funding for nine Carers in Employment pilots in North Tyneside, Northamptonshire, Cheshire West, Gateshead, Bury, North Somerset, South Gloucestershire, Staffordshire and Stoke and Sefton, to explore how carers can be supported to stay in, or return to paid work alongside their caring responsibilities. They began running in all nine Local Authorities from April 2015. These pilot projects support local businesses to make the best use of flexible working arrangements, maximise the use of assistive technology; improve carers’ access to information and resources, and support carers to set up micro-businesses that will expand the local care market.

  • David Anderson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    David Anderson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Anderson on 2015-12-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the inspection regime is for ensuring that hens are housed in conditions compliant with relevant EU directives.

    George Eustice

    The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) enforces the relevant welfare legislation and carries out welfare inspections on farms to check that the UK legislation, which implements European law, is being followed. This includes spot checks and planned risk based inspections.

    In addition, a programme of inspections is carried out under EU cross compliance legislation to farmers that claim cross-compliance subsidies. The APHA also enforce the requirement for owners or other responsible persons to inspect their hens at least once a day.

    Our expert advisory committee, the Farm Animal Welfare Committee, has concluded that stockmanship, and the correct application of husbandry standards, whatever the system of production, is key to ensuring good welfare for farmed animals. This view is relevant to all livestock, whether in intensive or extensive production systems. The EU Commission’s Scientific Panel on Animal Health and Welfare recognised that there is a wide variety of enriched cage designs for laying hens, and that the layout of some cages can affect bird inspection. Both the EU Commission in its 2008 report on the welfare of laying hens in various systems and the Farm Animal Welfare Committee recognise the welfare benefits of enriched cages and have given their support to this system of production.

  • Kevin Brennan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Kevin Brennan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kevin Brennan on 2016-01-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, if he will allocate all funds raised by privatisation of the Green Investment Bank to green technologies in the UK.

    Anna Soubry

    The Government has put paying down our debt while investing in infrastructure at the heart of our long term economic plan. Proceeds from a sale of UK Green investment Bank plc (GIB) will help us deliver on both those objectives. Any proposal to allocate Government funding to other types of intervention to achieve green policy objectives would need to be considered individually on its merits.

    GIB’s remit has always been to invest in green projects on fully commercial terms to help demonstrate green investment can be profitable and attract additional private sector investment into green sectors from mainstream finance providers. GIB will continue to perform that role in private ownership. Details of the other Government policy mechanisms in place aimed at promoting investment in more high risk projects and early stage technologies are provided at paragraphs 31 – 36 of our November 2015 policy statement on the future of GIB which can be found on the GIB pages of the GOV.UK website.

  • Richard Burgon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Richard Burgon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burgon on 2016-02-19.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent assessment he has made of the likely effectiveness of the ring-fence between retail and investment banking in reducing the interconnectedness of the UK financial system; and if he will make a statement.

    Harriett Baldwin

    Ring-fencing will introduce a high degree of operational and economic independence between core retail banks and broader financial markets. The Independent Commission on Banking in 2011 recommended the ring-fencing of retail from investment banking to promote financial system resilience, and the Government agreed with this recommendation.

  • Lord Blencathra – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Lord Blencathra – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Blencathra on 2016-03-16.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government on how many occasions since 1990 a British Prime Minister has made public remarks about how citizens of the US should vote.

    Lord Bridges of Headley

    This information is not held.

  • Emily Thornberry – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Emily Thornberry – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Emily Thornberry on 2016-04-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the planned duration is of the current deployment of UK military personnel to Tunisia.

    Penny Mordaunt

    The Ministry of Defence has 10 military and no civilian personnel currently deployed in Tunisia. Two personnel form the enduring British Embassy Defence Section, comprised of the Defence Attache and his assistant. The remaining eight personnel are deployed on a temporary basis, subject to regular review, and are either coordinating or delivering training to Tunisia’s security institutions or supporting UN and EU missions in-country.

  • Jim Shannon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Jim Shannon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-05-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of replacing traditional lattice pylons with the T-pylon in environmentally sensitive areas.

    Andrea Leadsom

    The T-Pylon is an innovative design that won a competition held in 2011 by the Royal British Institute of Architects, DECC and National Grid. The first scheme in which the use of the T-pylon has been proposed is for some sections of the Hinkley Point C Electric Line connection that was granted development consent by the Secretary of State on 19 January 2016. The decision to grant consent was made on the merits of the scheme based on a report and recommendation from the Planning Inspectorate. The Planning Inspectorate’s report and the Secretary of State’s decision can be found at:

    http://infrastructure.planninginspectorate.gov.uk/projects/south-west/hinkley-point-c-connection/.

  • Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

    Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town on 2016-07-19.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have conducted a review of trading standards this year and, if so, when they plan to publish the outcome of that review.

    Baroness Neville-Rolfe

    The evidence and material from the recent Review of Trading Standards will be taken forward as part of the Cutting Red Tape Review of Local Authority Regulation and Enforcement. This review has closed for general comments and further evidence is being gathered and analysed. The Government will publish the findings from the Cutting Red Tape Review in due course.