Tag: Richard Burden

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2016-02-11.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps her Department is taking to encourage UK companies to improve (a) working conditions, (b) safety standards and (c) pay in clothes factories in Bangladesh in their supply chains.

Mr Desmond Swayne

The UK, through DFID, is encouraging UK companies to improve working conditions, safety standards and pay in the garment sector in Bangladesh in a number of ways. The UK has used every opportunity to call for companies to take responsibility for the working conditions. This has included a Westminster Hall debate, repeat Ministerial visits to Bangladesh, and various meetings with retailers and buyers.

The UK Government has also encouraged all UK Brands to sign up to the Bangladesh Safety Accord, an independent and legally-binding agreement between trade unions and private companies that was established in the wake of the Rana Plaza disaster to improve safety and health standards in the Bangladeshi Ready-Made Garment Industry. A total of 30 UK companies have signed the Accord.

The UK is also supporting the Trade in Global Value Chains Initiative (TGVCI) which supports UK companies to invest more in their supply chains and improve working conditions in the factories in which they are working. DFID also supports the Ethical Trading Initiative (ETI) which is a leading alliance of British companies, trade unions and non-governmental organisations working together to improve the lives of workers around the world.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2016-02-24.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department plans to implement the policy announced on 27 March 2015 by the previous Government on funding to increase the uptake for electric two-wheeled vehicles.

Andrew Jones

The Government remains committed to supporting the UK’s zero emission motorcycle industry. We have been working with stakeholders on the details of a scheme and will make a further announcement in due course.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2016-02-25.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations his Department has made to (a) China, (b) Laos, (c) Vietnam and (d) Myanmar on the repatriation of North Korean defectors from those countries to North Korea.

Mr Hugo Swire

We regularly raise the treatment of North Korean refugees in multilateral fora such as the United Nations Security Council and the Human Rights Council. We raise our concerns around refoulement regularly at the annual UK-China Human Rights Dialogue and through our Embassy in Beijing. In addition, we work directly with the Chinese authorities on a number of projects to counter human trafficking, which seek to protect the most vulnerable from exploitation, abuse, neglect and violence. We made bilateral representations to Laos in 2013 (see written answer HL950) regarding the refoulement of DPRK refuges. We have not made any specific representations to Vietnam or Burma on DPRK refugees, but we continue to maintain a dialogue on human rights issues with these countries.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2016-03-01.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what objectives his Department has set for the proposed sale of the M6 toll road; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Jones

The sale of the M6 Toll is being carried out by a private company and it is for the vendor to set objectives for the process.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2016-03-21.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 17 March 2016 to Question 30892, when his Department plans to set up the independent Road Safety Management Capacity Review, announced in his Department’s Road Safety Statement, published on 21 December 2015.

Andrew Jones

The Department for Transport plans to commission a road safety management capacity review during the next financial year.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2016-04-08.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether an impact assessment has been carried out on the Maritime and Coastguard Agency’s proposals to reduce the number of marine offices in the UK.

Mr Robert Goodwill

Guidance from Cabinet Office indicates that there is no requirement to complete a Business Engagement Assessment on this activity.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2016-04-08.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what arrangements Highways England have agreed with Amey to provide services for Area 7 of the network on (a) reporting to Highways England, (b) monitoring fulfilment of that contract and (c) options for early termination.

Andrew Jones

For Area 7, Amey will report to Highways England on a monthly basis using robust bespoke performance management. This is designed to drive continuous improvement and ensure compliance with their Maintenance and Response (M&R) Contract, using a combination of quantitative metrics and performance indicators.

Amey will also be subject to an annual review and, every three years, a full Service Review will be carried out on the appropriateness of the service required and the method of payment.

The M&R Contract includes provision for early termination for poor performance. Highways England will monitor the response to poor performance and invoke appropriate action through an escalation process which includes the right for Highways England to bring in another contractor if performance is not addressed satisfactorily. Continued poor performance may lead to early termination.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2016-03-23.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment his Department has made of the effects on the incidence of hearing loss of mobile phones and other similar devices which do not have a volume control; and if he will make a statement.

Alistair Burt

The Department has made no assessment of the effects on the incidence of hearing loss of mobile phones and other similar devices which do not have a volume control.

The Department’s Policy Research Programme is funding COSMOS (Cohort Study of Mobile Phone Use and Health) which is conducted by Imperial College London and expected to end in 2019. This study will investigate possible health effects from long term use of mobile phones and other wireless technologies, on a United Kingdom cohort of 105,000 adults. One of the health outcomes investigated will be tinnitus (ringing in the ears). Hearing loss is one of the factors that may be involved in the development of tinnitus and this study will monitor the incidence of tinnitus in mobile phone users.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2016-04-11.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent discussions his Department has had with the Department of Energy and Climate Change on ensuring the Government meets its EU renewable energy targets.

Andrew Jones

The Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO) requires larger fossil fuel suppliers to demonstrate that sufficient renewable fuel has been supplied to meet their obligation. The obligation is set as a proportion of a supplier’s overall fuel supply by volume.

Renewable fuels supplied for use in transport in the UK are also reported under the RTFO on a volume basis, in litres or kilograms. The energy content of renewable fuels used in transport is calculated using the default energy values set out in Annex III of the Renewable Energy Directive (Directive 2009/28/EC).

Officials from the Department for Transport and the Department for Energy and Climate Change are in regular contact on the development of proposals to meet EU renewable energy targets, under the Directive.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2016-04-14.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what his policy is on the Maritime and Coastguard Agency retaining core responsibility for the (a) commercial promotion and (b) auditing and assurance of the Red Ensign Group of Shipping Registers.

Mr Robert Goodwill

The Secretary of State for Transport has ultimate responsibility for the safety of all British shipping and has delegated authority to the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) to ensure that the standards maintained by Red Ensign Group (REG) shipping registries operated by UK Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies are in accordance with their International obligations.

Commercial promotion and marketing is the responsibility of the individual shipping registries. The registers operate on the basis of mutual support rather than in direct commercial completion.

The MCA’s promotion of the REG shipping registries is limited to ensuring that they all maintain the same core high standards and international obligations as the REG ship registers are represented as a single member state within the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) by the UK.

Overseeing, monitoring, enforcing of standards, the audit and assurance of the REG shipping registries, is undertaken by the MCA’s Business Improvement and Assurance (BI&A) team which is independent from the UK Ship Register (UKSR). As part of this process, the BI&A team will monitor REG members to ensure that they have in place the necessary resources and infrastructure appropriate to the types and size of ships they wish to register.