Tag: Parliamentary Question

Maria Eagle – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Maria Eagle on 2015-11-26.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, for what reasons the cost estimates of the Successor class of submarines in the Strategic Defence and Security Review 2015 differs from his Department’s previous cost estimates for those submarines.

Mr Philip Dunne

Designing and building submarines is one of the largest programmes and one of the most complex activities that the Ministry of Defence and UK Industry has ever undertaken. It is the purpose of a design phase to improve our understanding of costs and timescales, which we have now done. The current estimates reflect what we have learned since the design phase began.

As stated in the Strategic Defence and Security Review (SDSR) 2015 (Cm9161), our latest estimate of the total cost to manufacture the four Successor submarines reflects greater maturity of the design and understanding of the supply chain, amounts to £31 billion; we will also set a contingency of £10 billion. This level of contingency represents about 35% of the costs to completion and is a prudent estimate based on past experience of large, complex projects.

01/01/2023
Harry Harpham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Harry Harpham on 2016-01-11.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what the cost to the public purse was of developing proposals for a new carbon capture and storage project at Peterhead.

Andrea Leadsom

The Government continues to view CCS as having a potential role in the long-term decarbonisation of the UK’s power and industrial sectors and we are engaging closely with the Peterhead developer and wider CCS industry. The Department has paid £28.5 million between 2011/12 and November 2015 on developing proposals for a new carbon capture and storage project at Peterhead. This included the investment in Front End Engineering and Design work to determine the cost and feasibility of the project, independent professional technical, legal, financial and commercial advice and civil service staff.

01/01/2023
Caroline Lucas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2016-01-28.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the average length of time to wait is for a reconsideration of a decision by (a) his Department and (b) a tribunal hearing in (i) Brighton and Hove and (ii) the UK in the latest period for which figures are available.

Justin Tomlinson

The only published statistics in relation to reconsideration clearance times in the UK are in the link below:

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/mandatory-reconsiderations-of-dwp-benefit-decisions-data-to-october-2014

Information is not available in relation to Brighton and Hove.

The latest information in relation to clearance times for appeals in the UK is in the link below:

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/tribunals-and-gender-recognition-certificate-statistics-quarterly-july-to-september-2015 – see Table 4.3

Information for Brighton and Hove is as follows:

April- September 2015

Brighton

20 wks

UK

18 wks

Source: SSCS Reports September 2016

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01/01/2023
Edward Leigh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Edward Leigh on 2016-02-23.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to her Department’s consultation on out-of-school education settings, launched on 26 November 2015, whether proposals to register out-of-school settings will require Ofsted inspectors to travel to Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland to inspect tuition, training or instruction given outside of England by English-based institutions.

Edward Timpson

The Government wants children to be educated in a safe environment where they are not taught hateful and extremist views that undermine British values.

The proposal to regulate out-of-school education settings, as set out in the recently published call for evidence, applies to settings located and operating in England only. It is not proposed that Ofsted inspect settings operating in the devolved administrations.

Officials in the Department have been in contact with their counterparts in Wales and Scotland to discuss the proposal, but oversight of out-of-school education settings operating in those countries is a matter for the devolved administrations.

01/01/2023

Nick Herbert – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nick Herbert on 2016-03-22.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the level of goods exports to the EU from (a) Scotland, (b) Wales, (c) Northern Ireland and (d) each English region as a proportion of (i) total exports and (ii) GVA from each of those areas.

Mr David Gauke

HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) publish data on the total value of the UK’s import and export trade in goods by region:

https://www.uktradeinfo.com/Statistics/RTS/Pages/default.aspx

The latest data for 2015 shows that the value of goods exports to the EU as a proportion of total goods exports is as follows:

Region	Goods exports to the EU (£000s)	Total goods exports (£000s)	%
North East	7,001,603	12,141,343	57.7
North West	11,578,566	24,838,093	46.6
Yorkshire	7,785,133	16,575,590	47.0
East Midlands	8,684,722	19,318,347	45.0
West Midlands	12,035,888	28,964,501	41.6
East of England	11,411,149	21,327,266	53.5
London	12,727,129	32,428,175	39.2
South East	19,003,485	40,521,161	46.9
South West	9,718,023	15,272,223	63.6
Wales	5,024,163	12,200,136	41.2
Scotland	6,719,840	17,467,865	38.5
Northern Ireland	3,462,494	6,327,320	54.7

The ONS publish regional GVA on an annual basis. The latest data available is for 2014: http://www.ons.gov.uk/economy/grossvalueaddedgva/bulletins/regionalgrossvalueaddedincomeapproach/december2015

The value of goods exports to the EU in 2014 as a proportion of GVA is as follows:

Region	Goods exports to the EU (£m)	Gross Value Added (£m)	%
North East	6,989	47,702	14.7
North West	13,474	149,869	9.0
Yorkshire	8,456	106,467	7.9
East Midlands	8,883	95,178	9.3
West Midlands	11,529	114,755	10.0
East of England	13,958	138,801	10.1
London	12,292	364,310	3.4
South East	19,899	239,698	8.3
South West	8,180	121,070	6.8
Wales	5,761	54,336	10.6
Scotland	8,364	123,543	6.8
Northern Ireland	3,630	34,384	10.6

01/01/2023

Lilian Greenwood – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lilian Greenwood on 2016-04-12.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department has taken to protect alignments of disused rail lines on publicly-owned land from inappropriate development since May 2010; and whether his Department has established any successor arrangements to BRB (Residuary) Ltd’s former Property Review Group.

Claire Perry

There are various different ways of protecting land for future railway use but local authorities are usually best placed to identify such land. Guidance issued by the Department for Communities and Local Government, ‘Planning Policy Guidance 13: Transport’, states that when preparing development plans and considering planning applications, local authorities should “ … protect sites and routes which could be critical in developing infrastructure to widen transport choices for both passenger and freight movements.”

As part of the abolition of BRB Residuary Ltd in 2013, land identified for potential operational use was transferred to Network Rail.

Condition 7 of Network Rail’s operating licence requires the Office of Rail and Road (‘ORR’) to grant consent for any proposal to dispose of any land in Network Rail’s ownership. ORR has issued a general consent, allowing some forms of disposal to be implemented without prior notice. The process for seeking consent requires Network Rail to carry out a wide consultation covering the rail industry and other interested bodies, including the Department, local authorities, ports and airports etc. Further details of ORR’s land disposal policy may be found at http://orr.gov.uk/what-and-how-we-regulate/regulation-of-network-rail/network-licence/land-disposal-policy

The Department for Transport also has a role in protecting land for future rail use, for example through Safeguarding Directions for major schemes such as HS2 and Crossrail.

01/01/2023
Tulip Siddiq – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tulip Siddiq on 2016-05-06.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answers of 1 February 2016 to Questions 23158 and 23749, on vetting, what progress she has made in compiling the data.

Karen Bradley

The relevant data is being finalised and I will write to the Honourable Member shortly with the information requested.

01/01/2023
The Marquess of Lothian – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

The below Parliamentary question was asked by The Marquess of Lothian on 2016-06-27.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of reports that the Israeli water supplier, Mekorot, reduced water supply to the West Bank during Ramadan.

Baroness Verma

The UK regularly raises the issue of water in the OPTs with the Israeli authorities, most recently on 27 June. We continue to stress the urgent need for Israel to take immediate and practical measures to improve the current situation and ensure fair distribution of water in the West Bank and Gaza. We encourage both parties to find a swift resolution to this issue and to reconvene the Joint Water Committee to facilitate approval of projects that will improve Palestinian access to water. We see continuity of supply to the West Bank as essential for both the basic needs of Palestinians and for stability and security more widely.

01/01/2023
Justin Tomlinson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Justin Tomlinson on 2016-09-14.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make it his policy to establish a body with the remit of ensuring that the rights of public transport users are protected.

Paul Maynard

The Government remains committed to safeguarding the interests of public transport users, doing so (in addition to the work of the DfT) primarily through the following three bodies:
- The Office of Rail and Road, which protects rail passenger rights through licensing train operating companies and enforcing consumer protection law in the rail sector.
- Transport Focus is responsible for representing the interests of Britain’s rail passengers as well as those of bus, coach and tram passengers in England (outside of London).
- London TravelWatch, which is funded by the London Assembly, performs a similar role to that of Transport Focus for passengers in London.
The Government remains open-minded to considering any alternatives as to how these arrangements could be further improved in the future.
01/01/2023
Robert Neill – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Robert Neill on 2015-10-30.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, with reference to page 21 of the Pharmaceutical Price Regulations Scheme, what steps he is taking to encourage academic health science networks to translate research into practice.

George Freeman

Academic Health Science Networks (AHSNs) have been set up to support local health economies to improve health outcomes in their communities, and maximise the National Health Service’s contribution to economic growth by enabling change through collaboration, and the spread of innovation and best practice. To do this, they bring together local NHS partners, academia and industry by acting as catalysts, brokers, coordinators, sponsors and knowledge-sharers.

Speeding up adoption of innovation into practice to improve clinical outcomes and patient experience has been one of the four core contractual objectives for AHSN since their establishment in 2013. As well as directly supporting partners to diffuse specific innovations and best practice, AHSNs also work to create an infrastructure and environment that enables the development, identification and adoption of innovation. This work encompasses the establishment of partnerships and networking opportunities, as well as investment in infrastructure.

AHSNs are supporting over 150 active programmes and projects across a range of clinical and cross-cutting themes. These have been selected in response to the priorities of their local populations and health economies. In addition to their individual programmes, AHSNs also work collectively to support national priorities which include a Medicine’s Optimisation programme. AHSNs are working with NHS England and the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry among others to promote best practice that ensures patients, the public and society more broadly get the best outcomes from medicines. This includes programmes to encourage access to innovative medicines and to ensure safer use of medicines.

AHSNs have taken a range of approaches in delivering their objectives. Case studies and exemplars of some their work can be found in the resources section of the AHSNs Network website: www.ahsnnetwork.com

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01/01/2023

April- September 2015
Brighton	20 wks
UK	18 wks
Source: SSCS Reports September 2016