Tag: Richard Burden

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he has made of the number of seafarers that would be affected by the proposal in Question 35 of the Department for Health consultation on the extension of charging overseas visitors and migrants using the NHS in England.

Mr Robert Goodwill

UK regulations implementing Regulation 4.1. of the Maritime Labour Convention, 2006 (MLC) make the shipowner responsible for meeting the cost of medical care for seafarers working on their ships, in order to ensure that such care is provided at no cost to the seafarer. Since the Department of Health’s proposal does not affect seafarers’ access to medical care at the point of need, no seafarers should be affected by the proposal, and there should be no impact on the welfare of seafarers. I am satisfied that the proposal in Question 35 of the Department of Health consultation is not contrary to the requirements of the Convention.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2016-04-12.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, for what reasons the gov.uk contracts finder webpage for the Driving Theory Test And Other Computer Based Testing Services contract is not updated with the latest information for that contract.

Andrew Jones

This section of the gov.uk website is shortly to be updated.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2016-04-18.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of regulations relating to drones and public safety.

Mr Robert Goodwill

The Government’s primary responsibility is the safety and security of our citizens. That is why we apply one of the highest regulatory safety standards for commercial aviation in the world.

There are existing regulations in place that require users of drones to maintain direct, unaided visual contact with their vehicle and to not recklessly or negligently cause or permit an aircraft to endanger any person or property. Guidance on tackling the risks of criminal drone use has been provided to constabularies across the UK.

The Department and the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) work with a wide range of industry partners across the aviation sector, (including manufacturers, airports, and airlines), to ensure our understanding of potential hazards to aircraft remains up-to-date and mitigations effective. Further work is underway to better understand the risk posed by flying drones close to commercial planes to ensure that regulations remain fit for purpose.

The Cross Government Working Group on RPAS has undertaken analysis of the use of drones for criminal purposes, including the potential use of drones for terrorist purposes, and the impacts of their negligent use near sensitive locations, such as airports. This work is kept under review and is being used to inform research and testing to improve mitigation techniques and strategies.

Awareness and education on current restrictions are vitally important. The Civil Aviation Authority is undertaking activities to raise awareness of the basic safety requirements, including an ongoing ‘Dronecode’ safety awareness campaign, issuing safety leaflets at the point of sale, publishing an animated video on their website, and running ‘small UAS’ Risk and Hazard workshops with industry as part of the Mid Air Collision Programme.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2016-04-25.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the implications for his Department’s policy of the recommendations by the Maritime Accident Investigation Branch in its review of the sinking of the Cemfjord; what discussions his Department has had with the Maritime Coastguard Agency on implementing those recommendations; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Robert Goodwill

The Maritime Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) report into the sinking of the Cemfjord was published on the 21 April. The Maritime & Coastguard Agency (MCA) is carefully considering the recommendations about maritime safety information, ship reporting and routeing, and monitoring.

None of the recommendations in the MAIB report are addressed specifically to the Department. However, the Department takes these findings, and those from other MAIB reports, into consideration in the development of policy and in its interactions in international forums on these issues.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2016-04-28.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what regulations are (a) in place and (b) under consideration to support the meteorological use of drones.

Mr Robert Goodwill

There are no regulations that apply specifically to the meteorological use of drones. In order to fly a drone for commercial purposes, a permission from the Civil Aviation Authority is required, in accordance with the Air Navigation Order 2009.

There is no plan to introduce specific regulations to support the meteorological use of drones, however Government continues to keep under careful review whether there is any need for further domestic legislation of drones.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2016-05-18.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what discussions she has had with (a) Egyptian authorities and (b) other stakeholders on the implications for UK aid projects in Gaza of disconnection of power lines providing electricity into South Gaza by Egypt.

Mr Desmond Swayne

We are concerned by the electricity shortage in Gaza and the serious impact it is having on the humanitarian situation. We are in regular dialogue with Israel, the Palestinian Authority and other development actors, specifically the EU and UN, on energy issues. We regularly raise the humanitarian situation in Gaza with the Egyptian government, and have raised this issue with them. The UK will continue to urge the parties to prioritise progress towards reaching a durable solution for Gaza, and to take the necessary practical steps to ensure Gaza’s reconstruction and economic recovery.

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 to assess the potential merits of its proposals on drones to be included in the planned Modern Transport Bill; and what assessment he has made of the need for temporary measures to ensure public safety related to drones until such proposals have been enacted.

Mr Robert Goodwill

There are existing regulations in place that require users of drones to maintain direct, unaided visual contact with their vehicle and to not recklessly or negligently cause or permit an aircraft to endanger any person or property. There are severe penalties in place for misuse of drones, such as up to five years imprisonment for endangering an aircraft.

The Department for Transport (DfT) and the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) work with a wide range of industry partners across the aviation sector, (including manufacturers, airports, and airlines), to ensure our understanding of potential hazards to aircraft remains up-to-date. Further work is underway to better understand the risk posed by flying drones close to commercial planes to ensure that regulations remain fit for purpose.

Guidance on tackling the risks of criminal drone use has been provided to constabularies across the UK. The Secretary of State has recently written to Police to request their assistance in raising awareness of drone risks and restrictions.

Communication and education of users on current safety restrictions will be key. Officials from my Department are actively considering with the CAA the development of an expanded and diversified communication and education campaign, to include more mediums and supporting products.

The Government is planning to consult on a range of measures on drones over the summer, and will then seek any further appropriate legislative measures through the Modern Transport Bill.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2016-06-24.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions (a) he and (b) officials of his Department have had with the European Maritime Safety Agency on implementing sulphur reduction regulations.

Mr Robert Goodwill

Requirements under Directive 2012/33/EU – the sulphur content of marine fuels – came into force in the UK on 16 December 2014. Official level discussions between the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) and the Department on technical and operational aspects of the sulphur limits take place in the European Sustainable Shipping Forum (ESSF). In addition, DfT and EMSA officials attend a comitology committee which considers legal matters arising from these requirements.

There have been no direct discussions between DfT Ministers and EMSA on the sulphur requirements.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2016-07-13.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what plans the Government has for parliamentary scrutiny of the work of the UK’s representatives on the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance; and if he will list the (a) dates and (b) means by which its decisions have been reported to Parliament during 2016.

Alok Sharma

The International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance was established in 1988 as a result of the Stockholm Declaration, which represents a political commitment between signatories, rather than a legal one. Its decisions are not legally binding and have no direct impact on UK legislation, policy or resources. As such there is no formal requirement for parliamentary scrutiny of its
decisions. All its activities and decisions are reported in full on its website.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2016-09-06.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many (a) investigations and (b) prosecutions overseen by Trading Standards have related to (i) the mis-selling of vehicles and (ii) the tampering of mileage on vehicles in each of the last five years.

Joseph Johnson

The Department does not hold the information requested. National Trading Standards issues annual reports setting out annual data but it is not broken down into the categories requested.