The below Parliamentary question was asked by Henry Smith on 2016-02-11.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with his US counterpart on the lease extension of the military base on Diego Garcia.
James Duddridge
We have been clear that we want to see US presence continue. However, the Government has not yet held discussions with the US about continuing the agreement relating to Diego Garcia.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord McKenzie of Luton on 2016-03-02.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to improve health and safety risk management skills in the construction sector.
Baroness Neville-Rolfe
Government’s role in Health and Safety is to set the framework in which companies have to operate. The Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 sets out general duties that employers owe to their employees. This is supplemented by more tailored regulations embodying the requirement to assess risks and identify measures required to deal with them. These include the Construction Design and Management Regulations 2015, which integrate health and safety into the management of construction projects throughout the entire supply chain.
In addition to the general framework for health and safety law, the Health and Safety Executive regulates health and safety in hazardous industries, including construction, through the use of permissioning regimes. These regimes include those set out in the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012.
Safety requirements for the sector are established by construction employers and representative bodies. Many of the requirements are embedded in qualifications, training courses and basic health and safety tests required by the sector to obtain skills cards, such as the Construction Skills Certification Scheme. Courses such as the Site Supervisors’ Safety Training Scheme are endorsed by Build UK as the standard training for all supervisors working on member sites.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-04-11.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what plans he has to change the terms of tax conditions for UK multinational companies operating in Malawi.
Mr David Gauke
The taxation of UK companies operating in Malawi is governed by Malawian domestic tax law, where necessary modified by the terms of the UK/Malawi double taxation tax treaty. Negotiations between the two countries on a replacement treaty are substantially complete and the Malawian government has stated that it hopes to be in a position to sign the new treaty in the near future.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kevin Brennan on 2016-05-18.
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what recent assessment he has made of the level of procurement of British steel by local authorities in the UK.
Matthew Hancock
The Government has not made an assessment of the level of procurement of British steel by local authorities in England and it does not collect or hold this information centrally.
Last year Government issued guidance across central government, which sets out how government buyers should source steel for major projects in a more strategic and transparent way. This is underpinned by more detailed guidance explaining how Government departments should take into account the social impacts of competing suppliers as well as environmental factors for certain procurements involving steel.
In April 2016, Government announced that the guidance on procuring steel would be extended to the wider public sector. We are working with key stakeholders to take this forward so that we can maximise take-up of the guidance across the wider public sector.
As local government procurement policy is a devolved matter, it is for the devolved administrations of Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales to determine how they will conduct any assessment for their local authorities.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Julian Sturdy on 2016-06-24.
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what assessment she has made of the potential effect of the proposed removal of solar thermal from the Renewable Heat Incentive on the UK’s ability to meet its 2020 renewable heat target.
Andrea Leadsom
In March 2016 we consulted on the removal of support for solar thermal technology from the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI).
The contribution from solar thermal to renewable heat generation from the RHI is currently very small. As of 31 May 2016, solar thermal accounted for 0.2% of the total heat generated and paid for under the domestic and non-domestic RHI schemes. This figure is based on RHI deployment data published online:
https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/rhi-deployment-data-may-2016
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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Hammond on 2016-09-13.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he plans to bring forward legislative proposals to extend the Help to Buy Mortgage Guarantee scheme beyond 31 December 2016.
Simon Kirby
The Help to Buy: mortgage guarantee scheme is due to close to new loans at the end of year as planned.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Emma Reynolds on 2015-11-16.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of information maintained by the NHS to enable his Department to assess the reasons why women choose to have a BRCA1/2 test.
George Freeman
NHS England does hold data on the individual reasons patients may have for seeking referral for a BRCA1/2 test. A new clinical commissioning policy to guide and expand access to BRCA testing was published by NHS England in July 2015. This policy is intended to provide greater clarity and equity for patients across England wishing to consider testing by providing consistent criteria for referral, where a referral is made by a specialist clinic.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sarah Wollaston on 2015-12-09.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make it his policy to include a commitment to constructing safe paths alongside busy roads in rural areas in the forthcoming National Road Safety Strategy to improve cycle safety.
Mr Robert Goodwill
The Conservative Manifesto 2015 had a commitment to reduce the number of cyclists and other road users killed or injured on our roads every year. We have been working closely with road safety groups to consider what more can be done and expect to publish our Road Safety Statement shortly.
The Road Safety Statement will set out the high level plan and overarching approach to road safety that we expect to take over the rest of the Parliament, and will be followed by a series of more detailed proposals and consultations. The Department for Transport will publish a Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy in 2016 which will set out our plans for investment in safer cycling and walking infrastructure.
Busy roads in rural areas will either be the responsibility of Highways England or local authorities.
Highways England have committed to provide a safer, integrated and more accessible strategic road network for cyclists and other vulnerable road users. To support this, the Government has outlined a commitment to invest £100m between 2015/16 and 2020/21 to improve provision for cyclists on the strategic road network.
On a local level, provision of cycling infrastructure is for local traffic authorities. The Department encourages them to ensure cycling is considered as part of the planning process.The Department for Transport’s Cycle Infrastructure Design guidance supports local authorities on providing cycle-safe infrastructure for cyclists.
It is also worth noting that from within the record £6 billion to be allocated to local highways authorities between 2015 and 2021 for road maintenance, from 2018/19 the plan is to change the formula used to allocate local highways maintenance capital funding so that it also takes into account footways and cycleways as well as the roads, bridges and street lighting, which it is currently based on. Once implemented, around 9% of the funding will be based on footway and cycleway lengths.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gregory Campbell on 2016-01-19.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether it is his policy to change the rate of fuel duty applied to certain isolated and rural areas in response to changes in oil price.
Damian Hinds
The rural fuel duty rebate scheme offers a 5 pence per litre discount on fuel duty for fuel sold in qualifying areas. The rebate does not vary with the price of wholesale oil.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Neil Coyle on 2016-02-10.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what assessment his Department has made of the effect on benefit and tax credit demand from workers at franchises of former post offices; and what estimate his Department has made of the potential cost of that demand to the public purse.
George Freeman
Post Office Limited runs and manages its directly managed Crown post offices. Employees of these offices are employees of Post Office Limited. Changes to the Crown network are the operational responsibility of the Post Office, and HM Government has not undertaken any analysis of the changes to the benefit and tax credit demand from these changes.