Tag: Paul Flynn

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Flynn on 2016-10-07.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what plans he has to match the level of funding for Wales that is provided by the EU.

Mr David Gauke

The UK Government will guarantee EU funding for structural and investment fund projects in Wales, including agri-environment schemes, signed before we leave the EU. It will be for the Welsh Government to make an assessment of which projects should be pursued in areas of its competence, and this guarantee will apply to any such projects. The agricultural sector in Wales will receive the same level of funding that it would have received under Pillar 1 of CAP until the end of the Multi-Annual Financial Framework in 2020.

As a result of these steps taken by the UK Government, individuals and organisations in receipt of EU funds now have a greater degree of certainty about funding over the coming years. The UK Government will work with the Welsh Government to consider future funding arrangements for once the UK has left the EU.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Flynn on 2016-10-13.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department has had discussions with suppliers other than Statens Serum Institut to procure the BCG vaccine.

George Eustice

My officials have had initial discussions with other potential suppliers of BCG vaccine about the possibility of future supply

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Flynn on 2015-10-15.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions he has held with the Care Quality Commission’s Head of Inspection on the number of vacant posts in the Commission’s inspection teams.

Ben Gummer

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is the independent regulator of health and adult social care providers in England. The CQC is an executive non-departmental public body accountable to the Secretary of State for the efficient and effective discharge of its functions, duties and powers. The Department monitors CQC’s financial and operational performance and risks, including progress with recruitment of inspectors, at a general and strategic level through regular formal and informal accountability meetings. Ministers and the Permanent Secretary also hold regular meetings with the Chair and Chief Executive of the CQC and its Chief Inspectors.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Flynn on 2015-10-15.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to increase the number of patients being offered a choice of outpatient facility by their GPs.

Ben Gummer

We are committed to giving patients more choice and control over their health care, as this can help drive up standards and improve patient care.

As set out in the Five Year Forward View, the health system is focused on embedding patient choice and, as part of this, NHS England is working to secure improvements in awareness and uptake of choice across physical and mental health services.

In addition, we have asked NHS England to come up with proposals, before the end of the year, to make sure there is choice and control over services offered in maternity and end-of-life care, as well as for those with long-term conditions.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Flynn on 2015-10-15.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, when she received the report by the group Together Against Sizewell C (TASC) Nuclear Power: New Evidence: a call for a full-scale statutory review of the Overarching National Policy Statement for Energy (EN-1); and what response she has made to the correspondents sending that report.

Andrea Leadsom

My rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State received a copy of the report on 9 July 2015. The report was discussed with officials at a meeting of my department’s Nuclear NGO Forum on 21 July and it was agreed that a sub-group of the forum should be set up to discuss the Nuclear National Policy Statement. The Department wrote to Together Against Sizewell C (TASC) on 29 July confirming these arrangements. The subgroup will hold its first meeting next month.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Flynn on 2015-10-22.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, how many meetings her Department has had with Westinghouse officials to discuss the potential partnership between Westinghouse, interested nuclear industry partners and the Government on developing small modular nuclear reactors.

Andrea Leadsom

Officials within my Department have met Westinghouse on two occasions to receive their proposal on small modular reactors (SMRs). Receipt of this proposal was acknowledged by officials and it will be considered as part of Government’s wider work on SMRs which includes evidence building through the techno-economic assessment and engagement with SMR vendors where appropriate.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Flynn on 2015-10-22.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what response she has made to the proposal put forward on 21 October 2015 for a partnership between Westinghouse and the Government to develop small modular nuclear reactors.

Andrea Leadsom

Receipt of the proposal was acknowledged by officials and it will be considered as part of Government’s wider work on SMRs, which includes evidence building through the techno-economic assessment and engagement with SMR vendors where appropriate.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Flynn on 2015-10-22.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what proportion of the safety issues identified in the Generic Design Assessment for the European Pressurised Reactor that EDF Energy plans to build at Hinkley Point C have still not been resolved to the satisfaction of the Office for Nuclear Regulation.

Andrea Leadsom

The Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) has advised me that safety issues remaining at the end of Step 4 of Generic Design Assessment (GDA) of the European Pressurised Reactor were captured either as GDA Issues or Assessment Findings. GDA Issues are items that ONR requires to be addressed before a Design Acceptance Confirmation can be issued, successfully ending the GDA process, or before nuclear safety related construction can commence on site. All of the GDA Issues were addressed and closed by ONR in 2012. These Issues, the resolution plans to address them and information on their closure are published on ONR’s website:

http://www.onr.org.uk/new-reactors/

Assessment findings are addressed throughout the post GDA phase through routine regulation under the nuclear site licence.

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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Flynn on 2015-10-22.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, for what reasons the construction cost of the planned Hinkley Point C power station has reduced from £24.5 billion to £18 billion.

Andrea Leadsom

The £24.5 billion figure included financing costs (interest and guarantee costs) assuminga £16 billion IUK guarantee. The £18 billion figure is not directly comparable as it does not include these financing costs.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Flynn on 2015-10-22.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, on what date her Department commissioned a study of the technical and economic options for small modular nuclear reactors; which organisation her Department asked to carry this out; what departmental resources have been committed to support this study; and when the final report of that study is expected to be delivered.

Andrea Leadsom

A range of studies has been commissioned by the Department of Energy and Climate Change in order to deliver a techno-economic assessment of small modular reactors. The organisations currently under contract to deliver projects for the techno economic assessment are: Atkins Limited (contracted on 22/7/15); Energy Technologies Institute LLP (contracted on 3/8/15); National Nuclear Laboratory Limited (contracted on 3/8/15); Checkendon Hill Ltd (contracted on 25/6/15); and Ernst and Young LLP (contracted on 201/10/15).

The total budget for this study is up to £4.5million excluding VAT. The equivalent of approximately 4 full time staff are supporting the study in my Department.

The final report will be delivered in Spring 2016.