Tag: Richard Burden

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

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will ensure that the results of the police investigation into the drone collision at Heathrow airport on 17 April 2016 are published.

Mr John Hayes

The Aircraft Accident investigation Bureau investigation into the collision will be made public. However, the separate, ongoing criminal investigation, and any decision to release the results of the investigation, is an operational matter for the Metropolitan Police, as the investigatory authority.

Guidance has been circulated to Police Forces to assist them when dealing with incidents involving misuse. A decision on whether to investigate and prosecute is made on an assessment of threat, risk and harm.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2016-04-20.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the implications for testing of emissions data by the Vehicle Certification Agency of Mitsubishi Motors having falsified fuel economy data; what information his Department holds on the number of vehicles affected by their falsification in the UK; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Jones

The Government takes very seriously any misrepresentation of fuel consumption data to consumers. The Vehicle Certification Agency publishes data on new and used passenger cars and vans and is liaising urgently with Mitsubishi Motors to ensure that information provided in the UK is accurate.

VCA has not issued approvals for any of the vehicles reported to be affected in the Japanese market. However the Department for Transport will continue to monitor for updates concerning whether other models are affected.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the timetable is for (a) Highways England to make a decision on the location of the new Lower Thames Crossing and (b) construction to begin on the new Lower Thames Crossing; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Jones

The public consultation closed on 24 March 2016 and the responses are currently being analysed. It is expected that a decision on the location and route will be made later this year following Highways England’s recommendation to the Department for Transport.

Subject to funding and planning approvals, we anticipate construction to start in 2020/2021.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2016-05-10.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he has had discussions with Fred Olson cruise lines and his US counterparts on the welfare of passengers aboard MV Balmoral who have contracted norovirus; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Robert Goodwill

There have not been any discussions with Fred Olsen cruise lines or the US maritime authorities about welfare of passengers on the MV BALMORAL.

This ship is registered with the Bahamas Maritime Authority and in the first instance it is for them as the flag-State and the countries where the ship calls, in this case the USA and Canada as the port-States, to liaise with Fred Olsen cruise lines and the local Port Health Authority.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2016-05-23.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to page 18 of the Motoring Services Strategy consultation, what (a) criteria, (b) process and (c) timeframe his Department plans to use to explore the possible privatisation of practical driving tests.

Andrew Jones

The Motoring Services Strategy was published on 12 May. As this document explains, we are exploring whether other models of service delivery might offer a better and more flexible range of services to road users, either as alternatives to the current arrangements or to complement them, including involving the private sector in delivering some or all of the services.

This is in line with the Government’s wider agenda to ensure that the driver testing and training regime prepares new drivers for a wide range of real life driving conditions and situations.

No decision has been taken about the preferred option or range of options, and we are committed to ensuring that, whatever model may eventually be chosen (including the option of retaining the present system), current standards of propriety and testing will be maintained. We are clear that road safety is our top priority and therefore the high quality and integrity of the UK’s driver testing regime must not be compromised by any changes to the delivery model.

We will work with DVSA, stakeholders and customer groups to assess the viability of those options with the aim of improving road safety.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2016-06-28.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he has made an assessment of the implications for (a) the UK aviation sector and (b) his Department’s aviation policies of the outcome of the referendum on the UK’s membership of the EU.

Mr Robert Goodwill

It is too early to assess the impacts of the outcome of the EU Referendum for any particular sector, including aviation. The Prime Minister has made it clear that at present we remain a member of the EU with all the rights and obligations this entails and that it will be for the next administration to determine the terms of our exit from the European Union.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2016-07-08.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent discussions he has had with his (a) Ministerial colleagues and (b) US counterparts on cooperation and assistance on counter-drone technology.

Mr Philip Dunne

I have regular discussions with both Ministerial Colleagues and US counterparts on a range of issues, including counter-drone technologies.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2016-09-02.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what proportion of the population in (a) Birmingham, Northfield constituency and (b) Birmingham city was homeless in each year since 2010.

Mr Marcus Jones

Total numbers of households, numbers of households accepted as homeless and in priority need, and numbers of homeless households in temporary accommodation, have been published for each local authority in England, for the years 2004/05 to 2015/16, in live table 784:

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/live-tables-on-homelessness

Constituency level information on homelessness is not collected.

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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2016-09-14.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, with reference to her article in the Daily Mail, entitled Too much of your money is simply stolen or squandered, published on 13 September 2016, in what areas of her Department’s spending funding is being stolen or wasted.

Rory Stewart

DFID has a zero tolerance approach to fraud and has a wide range of robust measures and controls in place to protect UK aid and ensure we maximise value for money. My department works in challenging areas and operates a comprehensive risk management framework which assesses and responds to the risk of fraud at every stage of the project cycle. The Counter Fraud Section responds firmly to any allegation of fraud recovering funds wherever possible. We expect our partners to account for losses from their own funds to minimise the impact on UK taxpayers and the recipients of aid.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2016-10-20.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the (a) structure and (b) membership of the cross-departmental air quality unit is.

Mr John Hayes

The Joint Air Quality Unit has been established to lead delivery of the national air quality plan for nitrogen dioxide, published in December last year.

The unit is headed by a senior civil servant. The team consists of civil servants from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and the Department for Transport (DfT), and is primarily based within Defra.

It reports to two Senior Responsible Officers: the Director for the Energy, Technology, and Innovation directorate in DfT, and the Director of the Environmental Quality directorate in Defra. The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs is the Cabinet representative for air quality policy. Decisions relating to delivery of the national air plan for nitrogen dioxide are agreed jointly by the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for the Environment and Rural Life Opportunities at Defra, and the Minister of State at the Department for Transport.