Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • David Mackintosh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    David Mackintosh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Mackintosh on 2016-09-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to support the implementation of Ofcom’s recommendations related to BT and Openreach.

    Matt Hancock

    It is for Ofcom to implement its recommendations for the relationship between BT Group and Openreach. Nine out of ten homes and businesses now have access to superfast broadband, but our goal is to make sure the UK builds the right infrastructure to maintain our position as a world leading digital nation. We welcome Ofcom’s determination to tackle these issues.

    We are clear that a more independent Openreach is needed to benefit consumers and the UK’s digital infrastructure. Swift and clear action is needed to give certainty to consumers, industry and investors in the UK’s broadband infrastructure and to deliver rapid improvements in the level of investment and service.

  • Grahame Morris – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Grahame Morris – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Grahame Morris on 2015-10-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many hospitals in the North East are treating brain tumour patients with stereotactic radiosurgery; and how many patients have been treated in each such hospital in each year since NHS England was created.

    Jane Ellison

    There was no recorded activity of stereotactic radiosurgery or radiotherapy in 2013-14 for hospitals in the North East¹.

    ¹Source: The Health and Social Care Information Centre, Hospital Episodes Statistics database 2013-14.

    Notes:

    1. 2013-14 is the latest data available.
    2. Return is based on using the codes supplied by the classifications service (A10.7 Stereotactic radiosurgery on tissue of the brain and Y91.5 Megavoltage treatment for hypofractioned stereotactic radiotherapy).
    3. There are no specific OPCS-4.7 codes that classify stereotactic ablative radiotherapy. The terms stereotactic radiosurgery and stereotactic radiotherapy are sometimes used synonymously.
  • Baroness Gardner of Parkes – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Baroness Gardner of Parkes – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Gardner of Parkes on 2015-11-25.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will clarify the measures that can be taken to enable works to be carried out when they are wanted or needed by a majority of leaseholders in leasehold residential properties.

    Baroness Williams of Trafford

    The maintenance and repair of a block of flats containing leasehold properties is normally the responsibility of the landlord and will be set out under the terms of the lease. This responsibility can pass to a Right to Manage Company where leaseholders have exercised and acquired that right, allowing them to exercise direct control over how their block is maintained.

    Landlords, or those who have acquired the Right to Manage, have a contractual obligation under the terms of the leases to carry out necessary works to the properties that they are responsible for maintaining. Where works are suggested by a majority of leaseholders that are not essential to the repair or maintenance of the property, we would expect landlords to engage with their leaseholders to discuss the feasibility of the suggested works, but there are no plans to legislate to obligate landlords to carry out such work.

    There are also no plans to legislate to provide a limited time within which non-resident leaseholders who fail to respond to a proposal for qualifying works, are deemed to have agreed to the proposed works. The statutory consultation process (known as section 20) gives leaseholders the ability to have a greater say on proposed works to their property by making observations. It does not require leaseholders to make observations, but any observations that are made must be made within a specified time limit. The landlord (or Right to Manage Company) is therefore in the knowledge that subject to observations made, they are able to proceed with necessary works.

  • Mary Creagh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Mary Creagh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mary Creagh on 2015-12-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how much his Department has spent on the Darwin Initiative in each year since 2010.

    James Duddridge

    I refer the Honourable Lady to the answer provided by my Hon Friend the Member for Penrith and the Border (Rory Stewart), Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Environment and Rural Affairs, in PQ 20429 on 5 January 2016.

  • Corri Wilson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Corri Wilson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Corri Wilson on 2016-01-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, if the Government will bring forward proposals to enable the prosecution of UK businesses through the UK courts for breaches of human rights abroad when the UK’s National Action Plan to implement the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights is next updated.

    Anna Soubry

    Victims of overseas human rights abuses by UK businesses can already seek redress through UK courts. We have one of the few jurisdictions in the world where this can happen. I am proud it was a Conservative government that introduced the Modern Slavery Act, which requires companies to report on steps they have taken to ensure that slavery and human trafficking is not taking place in its supply chains.

  • Louise Haigh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Louise Haigh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Louise Haigh on 2016-02-23.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what guidance his Department issues to senior civil servants attending events organised by hon. Members of the Government party.

    Matthew Hancock

    All civil servants are subject to the requirements of the Civil Service Code and Civil Service Management Code. Further guidance on attendance at external events including those organised by political parties can be found in the Directory of Civil Service Guidance (vol 2).

  • Jessica Morden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Jessica Morden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jessica Morden on 2016-03-21.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department has made an estimate of the level of maintenance only toll on the Severn River Crossings.

    Andrew Jones

    The current tolls are set not just to cover maintenance and operation costs but also to repay the construction and financing costs of the Second Severn Crossing, plus the outstanding debt on the original Crossing.

  • Alex Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Alex Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alex Cunningham on 2016-04-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 17 March 2016 to Question 31014, whether her Department has (a) paid and (b) been issued with any fines for not meeting the aim of achieving good status for all water bodies by December 2015.

    Rory Stewart

    The Department has not been issued with any fines relating to any aspect of its implementation of the Water Framework Directive.

    The exemptions referred to in my reply to PQ 31014 are:

    • Article 4(4) provides for extensions of the deadline to 2021 or 2027 for reasons of disproportionate cost or technical feasibility;

    • Article 4(5) provides for setting of less stringent objectives where it would be disproportionately expensive or technically infeasible to achieve good status due to natural conditions or the effects of essential human activity;

    • Article 4(6) allows for temporary deterioration due to natural causes such as extreme floods or prolonged drought; and

    • Article 4(7) allows for deterioration from high status to good status and failure to achieve good status to allow for new sustainable development activities.

    The application of each of the exemptions is subject to conditions set out in the above provision.

    River Basin Management Plans (RBMPs) provide the framework for protecting and improving the water environment. Updated plans covering the period 2016 to 2021 were published by the Environment Agency (EA) on 18 February.

    The Plans for England confirm over £3 billion investment in the water environment by 2021, leading to improvements in at least 680 water bodies by 2021, including an overall target to enhance at least 8,000km of fresh waters by 2021. The EA is currently working with Defra to profile the delivery of this target over the six years that the RBMP covers, and is also working with partners to explore opportunities to deliver more.

    The EA coordinates action by water companies, farmers, local groups, businesses and councils to achieve the targets set out in the Plans. These actions include reducing pollution from sewage treatment works, managing water abstraction, opening up rivers to salmon and other fish species, and improving the physical habitat.

  • Lord Alton of Liverpool – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Lord Alton of Liverpool – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool on 2016-05-10.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the North Korean authorities about the treatment of British journalists and the continued breach of Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights pertaining to the free flow of information, and restrictions on freedom of speech in that country.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    We made immediate representations to the North Korean authorities when we were informed of the detention of a BBC journalist in Pyongyang. Our Embassy in Pyongyang provided consular assistance prior to the journalist’s departure. As part of our policy of critical engagement with the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea we consistently raise human rights issues, such as freedom of speech and freedom of expression, directly with the regime and in international fora.

  • Douglas Chapman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Douglas Chapman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Douglas Chapman on 2016-06-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the budgeted expenditure is in (a) 2016-17 and (b) 2017-18 on facility improvements at Barrow-in-Furness to support the Trident renewal programme.

    Mr Philip Dunne

    The infrastructure and facilities investments being made at the Barrow-in-Furness and Faslane sites are for all our submarines not just the Successor programme. I am withholding internal Ministry of Defence forecasts on future programme expenditure as disclosure would or would be likely to prejudice on-going commercial negotiations.