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Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • Dawn Butler – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Dawn Butler – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dawn Butler on 2016-04-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will assess the merits of introducing a deposit return system for single-use drinks containers in England.

    Rory Stewart

    I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Birmingham Hall Green, Roger Godsiff, on 11 April 2016, PQ UIN32607.

    Defra analysed the costs and benefits of implementing a deposit return system (DRS) for single use drink containers as part of the 2011 Review of Waste Policy in England, and sought views in the 2012 consultation on higher packaging recycling targets.

    This work showed that introducing a DRS may increase recycling and reduce litter but might impose additional costs on businesses, consumers and local authorities (which would lose revenue from recycling). However, we lack evidence to quantify these benefits and costs appropriately. The current approach has driven a significant increase in packaging waste recycling rates, from less than 47% in 2003 to nearly 65% in 2013.

    Last year, the Scottish Government published a feasibility study and a call for evidence investigating the implementation of a DRS for single use drink containers in Scotland. This valuable work highlighted significant uncertainties regarding the impacts and benefits that a DRS would have, notably regarding costs, environmental quality and littering, and existing waste collection systems. The Scottish Government is doing further work on the topic and we will review any new evidence arising from this in due course. However, in the meantime, we will continue to focus on improving existing waste collection and recycling systems, and developing a new National Litter Strategy for England to help coordinate and maximise the impact of anti-litter activity by local government, industry and others.

  • Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2016-06-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate his Department has made of the amount paid by the NHS to pharmaceutical companies for prescription drugs in each of the last 10 years; and if he will make a statement.

    Alistair Burt

    The information requested is in the table.

    Year

    Primary care drugs spend (1)

    Secondary care drugs spend

    Total drugs spend

    Outturn (£ m)

    Outturn (£ m)

    Outturn (£ m)

    2004/05

    7,376

    2,595

    9,971

    2005/06

    7,235

    2,764

    9,999

    2006/07

    7,593

    2,969

    10,562

    2007/08

    7,663

    3,274

    10,937

    2008/09

    7,749

    3,647

    11,397

    2009/10

    7,946

    3,974

    11,920

    2010/11

    8,280

    4,257

    12,537

    2011/12

    8,243

    4,482

    12,725

    2012/13(2)

    7,887

    5,055

    12,941

    2013/14(3)

    8,015

    5,324

    13,339

    2014/15

    8,206

    5,897

    14,103

    Sources:

    1. Primary care figures to 2012-13 are from Primary Care Trusts (PCTs) audited summarisation schedules. Figures from 2013-14 are from the Department’s annual report and accounts.
    2. Secondary care figures are from National Health Service trusts, PCT finance returns and foundation trust year-end accounts. Finance returns were not collected after 2011/12; figures for NHS trusts in 2012/13 are estimates.
    3. Secondary care figures from 2013-14 are from Monitor and NHS Trust Development Authority.
  • Steve Reed – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Steve Reed – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve Reed on 2016-09-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many civil injunctions have been made under the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014.

    Sir Oliver Heald

    The information requested could only be provided at disproportionate costs.

  • Catherine West – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

    Catherine West – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Catherine West on 2016-10-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what discussions he has had with Nissan on its future investment in the UK after the UK’s exit of the EU.

    Mr Nick Hurd

    The Department is in close contact with Nissan as part of its responsibility to actively manage the relationship with our major manufacturers.

  • Lisa Cameron – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Lisa Cameron – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lisa Cameron on 2015-11-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how much support her Department makes available to refugees who have experienced trauma.

    Mr Desmond Swayne

    DFID provides assistance to refugees through bilateral and central funding to a number of trusted UN and non-governmental organisations.

    Many refugees experience psycho-social and psychological trauma and/or distress, and support is provided in many forms of primary and secondary health care that include training in emergency first aid for health care workers, clinical management of rape and counselling support for survivors of sexual violence, mental health care, and also assistance with shelter, legal advice and family reunification for children that have been separated from their families due to forced displacement.

  • Julie Cooper – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Julie Cooper – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Julie Cooper on 2015-12-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how much Burnley received from the European Regional Development Fund and the European Social Fund in each year from 2010 to 2015.

    James Wharton

    The European Regional Development Fund during 2010 – 2015 has provided over £5 million in funding for Burnley.

    The breakdown of European Rgional Development Fund projects in Burnley are as follows;

    • £3.8 million invested into Burnley Bridge Business Park. The Fund undertook activity to remediate the brownfield site, provide infrastructure and deliver a first phase of commercial development totalling 9,309 sqm.
    • £940,000 invested into Weavers Triangle. The funding was allocated to support high quality civic and infrastructure work in a strategic area of Burnley.
    • £500,000 invested into Princess Way Gateway for civic improvements linked to the Burnley Education and Enterprise Park.

    In addition to the above direct capital investments, small and medium enterprises in Burnley have also benefitted from a number of business support projects operating at county and regional level. Not least the £7.8 million BOOST Lancashire Growth Hub of which the Fund has invested £3.4 million.

    The European Social Fund was managed as a national programme by the Department for Work and Pensions over that period.

  • Andrew Gwynne – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Andrew Gwynne – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Gwynne on 2016-01-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many golf courses his Department owns; and what plans his Department has to sell such property.

    Mark Lancaster

    There are currently 11 operating golf courses, one pitch and putt centre and one driving range on Ministry of Defence (MOD) land.

    Of these 11 courses seven are on land leased by MOD that have no other direct connection to the Department, one is occupied by the United States Air Force and three are military encroachments.

    The majority of the golf courses located on MOD land are linked to sites that will be addressed as part of the MOD Estate Footprint Strategy to release surplus land.

    Once the future use of any site has been agreed, MOD will look at how to make best use of land that will be retained or bring to the market sites that are being vacated. This will include the potential release of the golf course element.

    As part of the Defence Infrastructure Organisation’s ongoing work to rationalise the Defence estate the courses at DMRC Headley Court and Ballykinler are being examined for potential disposal through the Department’s standard disposal process. Ballykinler and RM Condor are no longer in use as golf courses.

  • Lord Black of Brentwood – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Lord Black of Brentwood – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Black of Brentwood on 2016-02-01.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many deceased cats and dogs have been collected and identified by Highways England since the Department for Transport committed in March 2015 to ensure that it is mandatory for all new and existing contractors to collect and identify cats and dogs killed on the strategic road network.

    Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

    The Backbench Business Committee Debate on 2 March 2015, considered legislating collection and identification of pet fatalities on the strategic road network (SRN). During the debate key commitments were made to immediately make the necessary arrangements to ensure it is mandatory for all new contracts to collect and identify dogs and cats killed on the strategic road network and contact their owners, where possible, and to review how to retrofit the requirements to existing contracts.

    The review was completed in September 2015. Mandatory instructions were issued to Highways England service providers in October 2015. Since this time there have been the following dog and cat fatalities on the strategic road network:

    From October 2015

    Number of fatalities

    Number identified

    Dogs

    39

    14

    Cats

    42

    2

    Service Providers are required to make a search for a collar or disc at the incident sites. Where the owner’s details are found on a collar and/or disc, the remains are bagged, separate from any debris, taken to the depot and the owner notified as soon as possible to be given the option of collecting their pet.

    Where no collar/disc is found the entire body is scanned for microchips. Any positive identification is recorded and the appropriate identification body is informed (eg PetLog).

    If remains cannot be positively identified they are cold-stored, where facilities are available, for at least seven days or until the cold store is due to be emptied, whichever is sooner. If no owner has come forward at the end of the seven-day period, the remains are disposed of.

    Due to the high speed nature of the SRN it is impossible to guarantee that remains can be fully identified e.g. the microchip may have been lost in the collision. In this case, if the remains can be identified as a dog or cat, they are cold stored and as much information as possible is recorded.

  • Jonathan Ashworth – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Jonathan Ashworth – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jonathan Ashworth on 2016-02-25.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many civil law suits have been brought against his Department based either wholly or partially on grounds provided by the Human Rights Act 1998; how many such suits were settled out of court before a court judgment was delivered; and how much such settlements have cost the public purse since 2010.

    Harriett Baldwin

    The information requested is not available, as separate data for cases based wholly or partially on the Human Rights Act 1998 are not recorded.

  • Ruth Cadbury – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Ruth Cadbury – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ruth Cadbury on 2016-04-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment the Government has made of the potential effect of a third runway at Heathrow Airport on compliance with EU Air Quality limits.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    On 14 December 2015, the Government formally announced that it accepted the Airports Commission’s case for new runway capacity in the South East, as well as the Commission’s three shortlisted schemes. We continue to consider all three schemes, including a third runway at Heathrow.

    The Airports Commission published a large amount of analysis on air quality, which included an assessment of potential impacts on limit values, in its Final Report, which is available in the libraries of the House.

    In addition, as announced in December, we are testing the Airports Commission’s work on air quality against the Government’s new air quality plan, as recommended by the Environmental Audit Committee.