Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • Christopher Pincher – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Christopher Pincher – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Christopher Pincher on 2016-03-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many tonnes of air pollution control residues were captured at municipal energy from waste incineration facilities in 2015; and what estimate she has made of the total tonnes of air pollution control residues that will be generated by municipal energy from waste incineration facilities in 2016.

    Rory Stewart

    The derogation to allow the landfilling of air pollution control residues that are three times above normal waste acceptance criteria was originally granted because there was a lack of alternative treatment capacity at the time to either treat certain wastes to levels meeting normal waste acceptance limits, to treat the wastes via alternative treatment technologies or to recycle or recover the residues. The availability of sufficient alternative treatment capacity and the costs of that treatment are therefore the two central criteria that the government will use to decide whether or not to remove the derogation.

    The Government is making an assessment of the quantity of air pollution control residues produced at energy from waste facilities to inform its decision on whether or not to remove the derogation to allow the landfilling of air pollution control residues that are three times above normal waste acceptance criteria. These figures will be available following the announcement of that decision.

    The Government is making an assessment of the costs of the different forms of treatment for air pollution control residues, including their mixing into concrete blocks and their disposal to hazardous waste landfill, to inform its decision on whether or not to remove the derogation to allow the landfilling of air pollution control residues that are three times above normal waste acceptance criteria. These figures will be available following the announcement of that decision.

  • Lilian Greenwood – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Lilian Greenwood – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lilian Greenwood on 2016-05-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the Cabinet Secretary is undertaking a review of High Speed 2.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    As is normal for large projects, the Cabinet Office’s Infrastructure and Projects Authority is conducting assurance of the HS2 programme as it proceeds into its delivery phase.

    It is standard practice for this to include a small cross Government team, and not unusual for the Cabinet Secretary to take an interest on projects of this scale.

  • Toby Perkins – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Toby Perkins – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Toby Perkins on 2016-06-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the effect on the civil war in Yemen of arms sold by the UK to Saudi Arabia.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    The UK supports the Saudi Arabian-led Coalition military intervention in Yemen, which came at the request of legitimate President Hadi to deter aggression by the Houthis and forces loyal to the former president Saleh. Saudi Arabia and the Coalition have played a crucial role and the priority now is for the Yemeni parties to agree a political solution through UN-facilitated peace talks to end the conflict. The UK is not a member of the Saudi Arabian-led Coalition and UK’s arms exports to Saudi Arabia are made under pre-existing and long-standing government to government arrangements. The UK Government takes its arms export responsibilities very seriously and operates one of the most robust arms export control regimes in the world. The Government is satisfied that extant licences for Saudi Arabia are compliant with the UK’s export licensing criteria.

  • Julie Elliott – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Julie Elliott – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Julie Elliott on 2016-09-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what representations his Department has made to the Valuation Office Agency on the effect of planned business rate increases for solar power on the solar industry.

    Mr Marcus Jones

    Business rates are based on valuations from the Valuation Office Agency and we do not intervene in their independent assessments. We will look closely at the impacts of the forthcoming revaluation and consult on how to make sure the right support is in place for businesses to adjust to any changes.

  • John Healey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    John Healey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Healey on 2016-10-21.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, with reference to the oral evidence of the Minister of State for Local Government to the Communities and Local Government Committee on 14 September 2016, at Questions 84 to 87, HC635, whether he plans to publish an estimated cost of the draft Homelessness Reduction Bill before its Second Reading.

    Mr Marcus Jones

    One person without a home is one too many. This is why on Monday 24 October the Government announced its support for Mr Blackman’s Homelessness Reduction Bill.

    The Bill will significantly reform England’s homelessness legislation, ensuring that more people get the help they need to prevent a homelessness crisis in the first place.

    The Government will fund any additional costs in line with the longstanding ‘new burdens’ arrangements.

  • Roger Godsiff – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Roger Godsiff – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Roger Godsiff on 2015-11-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 15 October 2015 to Question 11045, what the evidential base is for the statement in that Answer that the planned removal of drugs from the Cancer Drugs Fund would have no or minimal impact on survival rates for certain cancers; and what his definition is of minimal impact in that context.

    George Freeman

    NHS England is responsible for the operation of the Cancer Drugs Fund (CDF). NHS England has advised that its expert CDF clinically-led panel considers that none of the drugs removed from the national CDF list on 4 November 2015 represent a cure for patients as they are given with palliative intent.

    With respect to any impact on survival duration, the panel considered the drugs provided either no or a small to modest proven effect on survival and hence the panel considered their removal would have a minimal impact.

    Information on the decisions made on individual drugs is available in the relevant decision summary published in NHS England’s website at:

    www.england.nhs.uk/ourwork/pe/cdf/cdf-drug-sum/

    “

  • Lord Moynihan – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Lord Moynihan – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Moynihan on 2015-11-26.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action is being taken by the World Anti-Doping Agency in Russia, Argentina, Ukraine, Bolivia, Israel and Andorra, and what assessment they have made of the specific measures, timetable and budget required for determining whether France, Belgium, Greece, Mexico and Spain meet the necessary standards required to send teams to the Olympic Games in Rio.

    Baroness Neville-Rolfe

    The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Compliance Review Committee is set to review responses from Andorra, Argentina, Bolivia, Israel and Ukraine. If they are judged to have taken the necessary corrective action, WADA’s Foundation Board will be in a position to declare those countries compliant. WADA had its first meeting with the Russian National Anti-Doping Organisation on 26 November to discuss the first steps towards Russia achieving compliance in the future. All six countries, currently on WADA’s ‘watch-list’, have until 18 March 2016 to resolve compliance issues, otherwise they will be declared non-compliant.

    It is then for the International Olympic Committee and the relevant international sporting federation to decide whether a non-compliant anti-doping programme would prevent a country from competing at an Olympic Games.

  • 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 2016-01-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many US Coast Guards are currently serving in the Royal Navy in a permanent position.

    Penny Mordaunt

    There are currently 14 US Coast Guards serving in the Royal Navy, with a further five undergoing training. An additional two US Coast Guards are providing the personnel management support for these individuals.

  • Kerry McCarthy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Kerry McCarthy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kerry McCarthy on 2016-01-28.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the impact of the proposed changes to the Landfill Communities Fund on the number of community projects supported by that Fund each year.

    Damian Hinds

    The Landfill Communities Fund (LCF) is a tax credit scheme into which landfill operators contribute voluntarily. The government does not generate estimates for the number of projects supported by the scheme each year. ENTRUST, the regulator of the LCF, publishes information about projects funded by the scheme. This information is available on their website at:

    http://www.entrust.org.uk/environmental-bodies/project-search/

    Further information on the impact of the changes to the LCF announced at Autumn Statement 2015 is set out in Reform and value of the Landfill Communities Fund. This document can be found here:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/reform-and-value-of-the-landfill-communities-fund/reform-and-value-of-the-landfill-communities-fund

    “

  • Mark Durkan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Mark Durkan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Durkan on 2016-02-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to encourage routine use of NHS medicines throughout the NHS.

    George Freeman

    The Government is committed to ensuring that patients have access to new and effective treatments on terms that represent value to the National Health Service and the taxpayer.

    The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is the independent body responsible for providing advice to the NHS on the clinical and cost-effectiveness of health technologies. NHS commissioners are legally required to fund treatments recommended by NICE technology appraisal guidance, ensuring consistent access to clinically and cost effective drugs across England.

    The Accelerated Access Review, chaired by Sir Hugh Taylor, will make recommendations to government later this spring on reforms to accelerate access for NHS patients to innovative medicines, medical technologies, diagnostics and digital products.