The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2016-04-08.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he has held discussions with academics and charities in receipt of grants from his Department on the potential effect of the anti-lobbying clause on their work.
Mr Robert Goodwill
The Department is currently rolling out the new anti-lobbying clause in its grant agreements and will monitor any feedback on the effect it may have on recipients.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2016-04-11.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what representations he has received about possible revision of the seafarer’s earnings deduction incentive.
Mr David Gauke
The Chancellor has not recently received any specific representations about possible revisions to the seafarer’s earnings deduction.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2016-04-14.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many and which (a) ministers and (b) officials he plans will represent the UK at the International Maritime Organisation conference on controlling shipping emissions.
Mr Robert Goodwill
The 69th Session of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) Marine Environment Protection Committee will be held from 18 to 22 April 2016 at the IMO, at which a number of environmental matters will be discussed, including air pollution and reducing greenhouse gas emissions from shipping.
No Ministers are attending. 14 Government officials plan to attend the committee; one from the Department of Energy and Climate Change; one from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office; and 12 from the Department for Transport including seven from the Maritime and Coastguard Agency.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2016-04-22.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the estimated cost is to Highways England for monitoring the performance of its contract with Amey for services in Area 7; and what the scope is of monitoring to be undertaken by Highways England to ensure Amey’s compliance.
Andrew Jones
The estimated annual cost to Highways England for monitoring the performance of its contract with Amey for services in Area 7 is £207,840.This equates to approximately 0.75% of the total value of the contract with Amey annually.
Highways England has a robust bespoke performance management in place for the Area 7 Amey contract in the form of a Collaborative Management Toolkit. It is designed to drive continuous improvement in Amey’s performance and ensure compliance with the contract using a combination of quantitative metrics and performance indicators. Reporting is on a monthly basis.
Highways England will manage and monitor Amey’s performance, with evidence from non-conformity reports, service quality reviews and Quality Management Points.
Every three years, a full Service Review will be carried out to appraise the suitability of the service being delivered. It will include but is not limited to measuring their performance against the Health, Safety and Environment criteria, the scope of service being delivered and the extent to which Amey has delivered and is committed to delivering continual improvement to ensure value for money.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2016-04-27.
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, when he plans to respond to the letter of 24 March 2016 on ethical procurement from the hon. Member for Birmingham, Northfield.
Matthew Hancock
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given today.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2016-05-23.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when he expects to launch the Government’s proposed consultation on changing the law to allow learner drivers to drive on motorways with instructors.
Andrew Jones
The Government expects to launch a consultation on proposals to allow learner drivers to drive on motorways, with an approved driving instructor in a car that has dual controls, later this year.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2016-05-26.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking on steps to find a long-term solution for congestion in the South East.
Andrew Jones
The Government is committed to alleviating congestion in the South East and is providing £15.2 billion between 2015 and 2021 to invest in our strategic road network. This is the biggest upgrade to our motorways and A roads for a generation, and it is adding capacity and tackling congestion. Of this total, about £2.2 billion is being invested in the South East and includes tackling congestion on key parts of the network such as the M25.
On local roads we have set up the £12 billion Local Growth Fund to 2021 which has enabled Local Authorities through the Local Enterprise Partnerships to identify and secure funding for projects to enable among other things, local road improvements and sustainable local transport projects. This is on top of over £6 billion through to 2021 to councils in England to help maintain their local roads and repair potholes. This funding includes more than £143 million for the South East in 2016/17, and over £777 million up to 2021.
In addition, our investment in railways contributes to the Government’s overall transport vision by facilitating, amongst other things, congestion relief on our road network. As part of our Rail Investment Strategy, the Government is investing over £700 million on infrastructure in the most congested routes in London and the South East between 2014-2019, in addition to delivering the Crossrail and Thameslink Programmes to transform east-west and north-south travel across the region.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2016-06-24.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what work his Department is carrying out in advance of the International Maritime Organisation’s 70th session of the Marine Environment Protection Committee to ensure a collective agreement on (a) fair share and (b) other possible measures needed to reduce carbon emissions.
Mr Robert Goodwill
With greenhouse gas emissions from international shipping expected to grow as others sectors act to reduce theirs, the UK Government is clear that the International Maritime Organization (IMO) must take further steps to reduce emissions and improve the energy efficiency of ships.
At the 69th session of the IMO’s Marine Environment Protection Committee, there was broad support from Member States and industry for proposals to define international shipping’s fair share of global greenhouse gas emissions. The UK strongly supports the establishing of a Working Group at the 70th session of the Committee (MEPC70) to discuss how the Organization should take this work forward and will play an active part in this group.
Department for Transport officials are continuing to engage with international partners to consider how these proposals can be taken forward in the IMO and to ensure that international shipping plays its part in working towards the goals of the Paris Climate Change Agreement.
Regarding the energy efficiency of ships, the UK is actively contributing to the Intersessional Correspondence Group on the data collection system for fuel consumption of ships ahead of the MEPC70. The establishing of the data collection system is the first step in an agreed three step process towards further technical and operational measures applicable to new and existing ships. We are confident that the data collection system will be adopted at MEPC70 and the UK will continue to contribute to the work of this group to ensure that the data collection system is robust and transparent.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2016-07-19.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the effect on the UK’s policy on the Middle East of recent demolitions by Israel of Palestinian homes and other structures in the West Bank.
Mr Tobias Ellwood
The UK position on demolitions is clear: demolitions cause unnecessary suffering to ordinary Palestinians; are harmful to the peace process; and are, in all but the most exceptional of cases, contrary to international humanitarian law. Officials from our Embassy in Tel Aviv have raised our opposition to demolitions with the Israeli authorities repeatedly, most recently on 12 July, and urged them to provide a legal route for Palestinian construction. I also made our position clear at Oral Questions in the House on 12 July.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2016-09-12.
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, when he plans to publish his Department’s response to the consultation on the Local Government Pension Scheme: investment regulations; and what steps he is taking to ensure full parliamentary scrutiny of any resulting proposals.
Mr Marcus Jones
The government’s response to the consultation will be published in due course.
The regulations will be made according to the negative resolution procedure as required by the Public Service Pensions Act 2013. The instrument will be scrutinised by the Joint Committee on Statutory Instruments and the Secondary Legislation Scrutiny Committee and may be subject to additional scrutiny in either House in accordance with the procedures applicable to all negative resolution statutory instruments.