Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • Susan Elan Jones – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Susan Elan Jones – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Susan Elan Jones on 2016-04-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of banning micro beads.

    George Eustice

    Microbeads from personal care products are believed to make up a very small percentage of the total amount of microplastics entering the marine environment, with estimates ranging from 0.01% to 4.1%. A ban in the UK would therefore be expected to have only a small impact on the effects on the environment attributed to microplastics. However, microbeads, like other microplastics, do not biodegrade and so accumulate in the marine environment. There are also less harmful alternatives that are suitable to use.

    Defra supports voluntary action by industry to phase out microbeads from personal care products, and is supporting other EU Member States in calling for the European Commission to come up with proposals to ban their use in cosmetics and detergents.

  • Andy McDonald – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Andy McDonald – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andy McDonald on 2016-05-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what sanctions can be applied in the event of a breach by Govia Thameslink Railway of its remedial plan.

    Claire Perry

    The “Enforcement Policy: Rail Franchise Agreements and Closures” sets out what actions can be taken; a copy of this is attached.

  • Craig Whittaker – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Craig Whittaker – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Craig Whittaker on 2016-07-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what recent assessment she has made of the need for humanitarian aid and assistance in Yemen.

    Rory Stewart

    The United Nations’ 2016 Yemen Humanitarian Response Plan (YHRP), published in January 2016, reports that 21.2 million people in Yemen require some kind of humanitarian assistance to meet their basic needs or protect their fundamental rights, particularly for food, water and sanitation, healthcare, and support to internally displaced people. The YHRP is currently 26% funded with donations of £351 million. The UK has so far committed to spending £72 million in Yemen over 2016-17. We continue to call on other donors to provide funding for the crisis.

  • Steve McCabe – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Steve McCabe – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2016-10-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, with reference to the Government Actuary’s Department report, A cohort approach to social care funding, published on 15 September 2016, what assessment he has made of the potential effectiveness of his Department’s policies on meeting the pension and social care needs of the millennial generation; and if he will bring forward proposals for a cohort approach to social care funding in his Autumn Statement.

    David Mowat

    Social care continues to be a key priority for this Government. It is critical in enabling people with care and support needs to retain their independence and dignity. That is why we have already introduced landmark reforms to ensure people should not have to sell their home in their lifetime to meet the cost of care and we have set out plans to cap the amount that people will need to spend to meet their cost of care.

    We are mindful of the changing demographic of our population and the evidence produced from the Foresight ‘Future of Ageing Population’ project and are looking in the longer term about how best to respond to the challenges ahead. Decisions about the Autumn Statement are a matter for the Treasury.

  • Nigel Dodds – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Nigel Dodds – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nigel Dodds on 2015-10-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment she has made of the effectiveness of Frontex and Europol in countering terrorism.

    Mr John Hayes

    The UK undertakes parliamentary scrutiny of activity when appropriate, and works closely with other European Member States to ensure that both organisations conduct their roles effectively. In 2015 the UK supported the implementation of the Europol Internet Referrals Unit and Europol Counter Terrorism Centre, while emphasising that national security remains a reserved matter under Article 4(2) of the Treaty for European Union.

  • Rushanara Ali – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Rushanara Ali – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rushanara Ali on 2015-11-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how many students are supported by universities through the Student Opportunity Allocation fund.

    Joseph Johnson

    The Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) allocates the Student Opportunity Fund to Higher Education providers as part of the teaching grant.. Although the different elements of the fund are calculated on the basis of the number of students within an institution with particular characteristics, institutions have been able to use the funding in whichever way they feel is most appropriate for their students. Therefore, there is no centrally collected data on the numbers of students supported by the fund.

  • Andy Slaughter – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Andy Slaughter – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andy Slaughter on 2016-01-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what funds the Government has provided for (a) humanitarian efforts and (b) security at the refugee camp in Calais in the last 12 months.

    James Brokenshire

    As part of the UK-France Joint Declaration of 20 August 2015, the UK committed to providing £3.6 million (or €5 million) per year for two years to facilitate the movement of migrants away from Calais by providing support and facilities elsewhere in France.

    Additionally, the UK has provided £530,000 (or €750,000) to fund a project to identify those in the camps at risk of trafficking and exploitation, and to provide them with appropriate support within the French system.

    Security at the camps in Calais is the responsibility of the French Government, and the UK Government has not committed funds for this purpose.

  • Andrew Gwynne – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Andrew Gwynne – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Gwynne on 2016-01-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has been approached by (a) Stockport local authority, (b) Tameside local authority and (c) the Greater Manchester combined authority to approve the re-designation of school land for housing development in the last three years.

    Edward Timpson

    Since January 2013, the Secretary of State for Education has received:

    • 1 application from Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council, this is currently being considered.
    • 4 applications from Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council, all have been approved.
    • 19 applications from the Greater Manchester combined authority, 1 is being considered and the other 18 have been approved.

    These figures include applications in those local authorities relating to land held by Academy Trusts under a lease from the local authority.

    The Education Act 2011 requires that the Secretary of State must give consent prior to the disposal of land which has been used for any school or academy in the last eight years. Secretary of State consent is also required under section 77 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998 where local authorities wish to dispose of playing field land that has been used by a school in the last ten years. A key consideration for the government is whether the land proposed for disposal could be suitable for use by a new school.

    There are a range of reasons for these disposals. Some disposals are leases from the academy trustees back to the local authority, which allow a children’s centre on site to continue or which provide land for another school. A substantial number of consents refer to local authority maintained school sites for outright disposals where the school has closed or relocated to a new build site.

  • Robert Neill – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Robert Neill – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Robert Neill on 2016-02-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 11 November 2015 to Question 15112, when he intends to bring forward amendments to the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) Order 2015; what provisions will apply to office premises that have been granted prior approval for conversion to residential use but which will not be completed before 30 May 2016; and if he will make a statement.

    Brandon Lewis

    We announced on 13 October 2015 that the permitted development right for the change of use from office to residential is to be made permanent, and that those with prior approval will have three years from the date of prior approval in which to change use. Further information on the detail and timing of the regulations will be provided in due course.

  • Lord Berkeley – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Lord Berkeley – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Berkeley on 2016-03-21.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 17 March (HL6898), what assessment they have made of the Mont Blanc tunnel fire of 1999 and the implications of that fire and subsequent investigations, inquiries and trials for (1) the construction of a Trans-Pennine Tunnel or other long road tunnels, (2) the safety management of such tunnels, (3) the classes of vehicles that will be permitted to operate through such tunnels, and (4) the licensing and inspection of different classes of vehicles, especially heavy goods vehicles, in using such tunnels.

    Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

    The Trans Pennine Tunnel Study will include the consideration of international best practice in tunnel design and management to learn lessons from around the world. The design and development of a Trans Pennine Tunnel will comply with the current international standards that were changed as a result of the Mont Blanc fire.