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Tag: Parliamentary Question

  • Mark Menzies – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture Media and Sport

    Mark Menzies – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Menzies on 2014-04-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps his Department is taking to improve mobile internet connectivity in rural areas.

    Mr Edward Vaizey

    One of the licences granted in the 2013 4G auction contains a demanding indoor coverage obligation. The owner of this licence, Telefonica O2 UK, is obliged to provide indoor coverage for 4G mobile services to at least 98 per cent of the UK population (and to at least 95 per cent of the population of England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales respectively) by the end of 2017. Ofcom expects that this level of indoor coverage will result in approximately 99 per cent outdoor coverage. As a result of the competitive UK telecoms market, all four of the UK mobile network operators have publicly committed to provide this level of coverage by the end of 2015.

    There is also likely to be further improvement in 2G and 3G coverage as a result of increasing roll out of combined 2G/3G/4G equipment by the industry.

    However, sometimes it is not commercially viable for operators to install and operate base stations and associated infrastructure in areas of very low population. On 3 October 2011, the Government announced the Mobile Infrastructure Project (MIP) with up to £150 million funding to extend mobile phone coverage to remote and rural area across the country that currently receive no coverage from any network. The scheme sees Government provide the capital funding for Arqiva as contractors to build the new infrastructure. The four mobile network operators (EE, Telefonica, Three and Vodafone) will provide coverage from the sites and cover operating costs for the twenty year life of the project. The project is currently underway and is expected to deliver by 2015. It is focussed primarily on improving voice coverage but is also likely to improve data coverage. Details of this work can be found on the GOV.UK website: https://www.gov.uk/government/policies/making-it-easier-for-the-communications-and-telecoms-industries-to-grow-while-protecting-the-interests-of-citizens/supporting-pages/improving-mobile-coverage

    Ofcom has also published a plan to improve mobile coverage: http://consumers.ofcom.org.uk/2013/11/five-point-plan-to-improving-mobile-coverage/

    “

  • Paul Blomfield – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Paul Blomfield – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Blomfield on 2014-04-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many properties that were purchased or built with Sure Start Local Programme funding are now owned by NHS Properties.

    Elizabeth Truss

    Data on the ownership of assets funded by the Sure Start Local Programme is held by local authorities.

  • Julie Elliott – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Julie Elliott – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Julie Elliott on 2014-04-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 18 March 2014, Official Report, column 533W, on wind power, what proportion of the anticipated generating capacity of onshore wind projects at appeal stage in the planning system related to applications recovered by him in each month of 2013.

    Kris Hopkins

    As I have said in my earlier answer, my Department does not centrally hold details of the generation capacity of wind turbine appeals.

    As at the 1 October 2013, there were 255 onshore wind farm appeals, of which 32 were or have subsequently been recovered.

    I can confirm that 17 onshore wind farm appeals were recovered in 2013. This amounts to 6% of the number of onshore wind farm appeals received (280) during that period.

    2013

    Appeals Received

    Appeals Recovered

    Jan

    23

    4

    Feb

    37

    1

    Mar

    28

    2

    Apr

    19

    1

    May

    25

    1

    Jun

    27

    1

    Jul

    19

    2

    Aug

    26

    Sept

    24

    1

    Oct

    14

    3

    Nov

    17

    1

    Dec

    21

    Total

    280

    17

    I also refer the hon. Member to the written statement of 9 April 2014, Official Report, Column 12-13WS, which explains the background to the recovery of these planning appeals.

  • Simon Kirby – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Simon Kirby – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Simon Kirby on 2014-04-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what comparative assessment he has made of the performance of programmes in the UK and other EU countries which aim to reduce litter; and if he will make a statement.

    Dan Rogerson

    The Government has not carried out any comparative assessment of the performance of litter reduction programmes in the UK and the rest of the EU.

  • Sharon Hodgson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Sharon Hodgson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sharon Hodgson on 2014-05-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what estimate he has made of levels of satisfaction with Cafcass among younger children who do not complete formal feedback forms.

    Simon Hughes

    While complaints made to Cafcass by children and young people are monitored nationally, it collects, monitors and acts on feedback at a local level. Cafcass has commissioned the Family Justice Young People’s Board to review how children and young people provide feedback to Cafcass and advise on ways to encourage more feedback both via formal and informal routes. Cafcass now has various methods of obtaining feedback from the children and young people it works with which include more formal methods such as feedback forms and more informal and child-friendly methods such as ‘feedback trees’. Feedback trees encourage children to write out or draw their feelings on how Cafcass has worked with them, allowing Cafcass practitioners to build on this feedback. There is no central or national monitoring of this informal feedback.

  • Julie Elliott – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Julie Elliott – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Julie Elliott on 2014-05-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, how much solar PV was installed on roof-tops under the Renewables Obligation in (a) 2012, (b) 2013 and (c) 2014 to date.

    Gregory Barker

    Total UK solar PV capacity at the end of March 2014 was 2,941 MW. It is not currently possible to break down the data to indicate the proportion of that capacity that is installed on rooftops.

    Source: Table ET 6.4, available at

    https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/energy-trends-section-6-renewables.

    “

  • Graham Stringer – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Graham Stringer – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Graham Stringer on 2014-05-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what amount of (a) large particulates (PM10), (b) small particulates (PM2.5) and (c) nitrogen dioxide were emitted to air in the UK by (i) domestic biomass generation of heat and (ii) biomass for power generation in the latest year for which figures are available; and what proportion of the annual national inventory of the respective emissions these represent.

    Dan Rogerson

    The most recent year for which historic emission estimates are available from the National Atmospheric Emissions Inventory is 2012. This data was published in December 2013.

    The emissions from domestic combustion and their share of national total emissions are estimated to have been: (a) for large particles (PM10), 10.9 thousand tonnes and 9.6%; (b) for small particles (PM2.5), 10.6 thousand tonnes and 13.7%; (c) for nitrogen oxides, 0.96 thousand tonnes and 0.09%.

    The emissions from power generation and their share of national total emissions are estimated to have been: (a) for large particles (PM10), 0.65 thousand tonnes and 0.57%; (b) for small particles (PM2.5), 0.55 thousand tonnes and 0.72%; (c) for nitrogen oxides, 4.2 thousand tonnes and 0.4%.

    Emissions of nitrogen dioxide have not been separately estimated from those of nitrogen oxides.

  • Nicholas Brown – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Deputy Prime Minister

    Nicholas Brown – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Deputy Prime Minister

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicholas Brown on 2014-05-02.

    To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what criteria he will use to assess local enterprise partnerships strategic economic plans for funding under the Local Growth Deal.

    Greg Clark

    The criteria the Government will be using to assess Strategic Economic Plans and bids for the Local Growth Fund were published in July 2013 and are available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/growth-deals-initial-guidance-for-local-enterprise-partnerships

    “

  • Julian Brazier – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Julian Brazier – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Julian Brazier on 2014-05-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate he has made of the prevalence of the pre-signing of abortion (HSA1) certificates since the conclusion of the Care Quality Commission’s 2012 investigations into abortion clinics.

    Jane Ellison

    The Care Quality Commission (CQC) previously investigated the prevalence of the pre-signing of abortion (HSA1) certificates due to a specific request in 2012. The CQC has put in place information for its own staff to help identify if pre-signing or other instances of non-compliance are taking place to make sure that such cases would be picked up during inspections. This is in line with how the CQC would handle any information of concern identified during an inspection.

    If a CQC inspection identifies pre-signing or other instances of non-compliance with the Health and Social Care Act and Regulations then appropriate regulatory action will be taken. This includes reporting any concerns in relation to termination of pregnancy practice to the Department. The Department has not received any notification of pre-signing of abortion certificates from the CQC since these inspections.

  • Sadiq Khan – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Sadiq Khan – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sadiq Khan on 2014-05-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many UK citizens returned from abroad to complete their custodial sentences in prisons in England and Wales in each of the last four years.

    Jeremy Wright

    It has not been possible to obtain this information. I will write to the Right Honourable member in due course.