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Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer on 2016-06-15.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what surveys of earthworm populations and diversity in arable soils in England have been carried out since 1996, and for each project what was the contractor’s budget, and where the final report can be found on the gov.uk website.

    Lord Gardiner of Kimble

    Defra has not carried out any surveys of earthworm populations and diversity specifically in arable soils.

    However, Defra carries out research on earthworms as part of a wider programme of research on sustainable land management because of their important role in developing soil structure, water movement, nutrient dynamics, and plant growth.

    Defra has contributed funding to the Open Air Laboratory (OPAL) Soil and Earthworm Survey in England launched in 2012. Two technical reports detailing the analysis of the first set of results of the Soil and Earthworm Survey are publicly available on the website of Imperial College London.

    Defra’s delivery partner Natural England has previously funded the London Natural History Museum to survey earthworms in a number of semi-natural sites across England and Scotland, but also included sampling from 6 arable sites. This work was captured in a report published by Natural England in April 2014 entitled “Earthworms in England: distribution, abundance and habitat”. The report is available on Natural England’s website, reference NECR145.

    In 2014 Defra funded the establishment of the Sustainable Intensification Research Platform (budget £4,111,184), supporting research into sustainable productive farming techniques, which includes current assessment of earthworm abundance under contrasting arable systems at the Allerton Project at Loddington.

  • Lord Taylor of Warwick – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

    Lord Taylor of Warwick – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Taylor of Warwick on 2016-09-12.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics’ Labour Force Survey showing that there has been a 20 per cent increase in the past year of workers on zero-hours contracts, what action they are taking to support those workers.

    Baroness Neville-Rolfe

    The latest ONS survey shows that less than 3% of the UK workforce is on a zero hours contract with nearly 70% happy with the hours they work. These contracts have a part to play in a modern, flexible labour market.

    Government made exclusivity clauses in zero hour contracts unlawful in 2015, meaning individuals have more control over their lives and can work more hours with another employer if they wish. Government also created a route of redress for individuals whose employer mistreats them if they look for, or work elsewhere.

  • Anne Main – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Anne Main – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Anne Main on 2016-10-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many rail freight interchanges there are in the UK; and what the utilisation rate is on the freight network.

    Paul Maynard

    The UK has 16 intermodal rail freight interchanges. These are:

    o Birmingham International Railfreight Terminal

    o Daventry International Railfreight Terminal

    o Hams Hall

    o Widnes

    o Wentloog

    o Selby

    o Doncaster Railport

    o Grangemouth

    o Trafford Park Euroterminal

    o Trafford Park

    o Lawley Street

    o Leeds – Freightliner

    o Mossend Euroterminal

    o Wakefield Euroterminal

    o Willesden Euroterminal

    • Barking

    In addition to these interchanges, there are a large number of port-located rail terminals and small independent facilities nationwide.

    The usage and available capacity of these terminals varies by facility and time of year. However, overall changes in the rail freight market means there has been an increase, in recent years, in imports and exports of containerised goods through the major ports (intermodal freight), increasing utilisation at these sites.

  • Jim Shannon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Jim Shannon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2015-11-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps NICE has taken to make the Novalung treatment available on the NHS.

    George Freeman

    The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has recommended in interventional procedures guidance that the use of extracorporeal membrane ventilators, like Novalung, may be considered as a treatment option for suitable patients in a number of conditions.

    NICE’s interventional procedures guidance is available on NICE’s website at: www.nice.org.uk/Guidance

  • Jonathan Reynolds – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Jonathan Reynolds – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jonathan Reynolds on 2015-12-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much income from passengers was earned by the Isle of Wight Island Line in each of the last five years.

    Claire Perry

    We do not have the running costs of the Isle of Wight Island Line in each category of expenditure in each of the last three years. What we do have are the figures for 2014/15 as supplied by SSWT:

    Costs

    £m

    Staff costs

    2.093

    Station Lease costs

    1.298

    Depot Track Renewals, Maintenance, Materials

    0.66

    Track access and Electric Traction

    0.123

    Other

    0.443

    Total Costs

    4.617

    SSWT have informed us that the Island Line generated the following income in each of the last five years:

    2010/11 = £0.9m

    2011/12 = £1.0m

    2012/13 = £1.0m

    2013/14 = £0.9m

    2014/15 = £0.9m

  • Lord Tunnicliffe – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Lord Tunnicliffe – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Tunnicliffe on 2016-01-18.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of (1) how many people have sought debt management advice in each year since 2010, and (2) how many of those were already in debt.

    Lord O’Neill of Gatley

    These questions have been passed on to the Money Advice Service (MAS). MAS will reply to directly to the Noble Lord by letter. A copy of the letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

  • Joan Ryan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Joan Ryan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Joan Ryan on 2016-02-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, which (a) Israeli and (b) Palestinian non-governmental organisations and projects have received Conflict Pool funding in each of the last five years.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    Details on which non-governmental organisations and projects costs that have received Conflict Pool funding in each of the last five years are not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  • Lord Livermore – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Lord Livermore – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Livermore on 2016-03-01.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what percentage of pupils in each socio-economic group achieved three grade A* to B at A Level in each year for the past 10 years.

    Lord Nash

    The information requested is not collected by the Department.

  • Mark Prisk – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Mark Prisk – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Prisk on 2016-03-23.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the plans she has to reintroduce tick treatment for pet animals returning to the UK.

    George Eustice

    The requirement for tick treatment was dropped as part of the harmonisation of the EU pet travel rules for movement and import of non-commercial dogs following a qualitative risk assessment and economic impact assessment for the introduction of Mediterranean Spotted fever (MSF) and the Brown Dog tick, Rhipicephalus sanguineus.

    The evidence which informed these pieces of work has not changed and therefore there is still no strong scientific basis for reintroducing the requirement for tick treatment to control MSF, a zoonotic disease.

    Treatments for ticks are readily available and veterinary practices are able to advise on the most appropriate treatments.

  • Lord Roberts of Llandudno – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Lord Roberts of Llandudno – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Roberts of Llandudno on 2016-05-03.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government how long it takes on average for the UK to reach a decision on asylum claims made under the Dublin III Regulations.

    Lord Keen of Elie

    Whilst the Home Office does publish information on decision timeliness the way the data is recorded means that it would require manual interrogation of the main immigration database to calculate the average decision time for cases transferred under Dublin III. This data cannot be provided for reasons of disproportionate cost