The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2016-02-24.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will direct Highways England to give evidence to the public hearing on 18 March 2016 organised by the West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner into closures and delays on the M6 on 4 and 5 February 2016.
Andrew Jones
Highways England is aware of the public hearing and has agreed to attend and give evidence.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2016-02-25.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the Government’s policy is on where unsuccessful asylum applicants from North Korea are deported to.
James Brokenshire
Unsuccessful North Korean asylum seekers will normally be removed to South Korea. As with any other nationality, all asylum and human rights applications from North Korean nationals are carefully considered on their individual merits in accordance with our international obligations and against the background of the latest available country of origin information from a wide range of well-recognised sources.
The Constitution of Republic of Korea (South Korea) stipulates that all North Koreans are citizens of the Republic of Korea. As citizens of South Korea, North Korean asylum seekers are able to seek the protection of the South Korean authorities.
Any application for asylum owing to a fear of persecution in North Korea is, therefore, likely to fall for refusal on the basis that (i) the applicant will not be removed to North Korea. The applicant could be returned to South Korea which is not a country where they have a well founded fear of persecution; and/or (ii) the applicant could reasonably be expected to avail himself of the protection of South Korea, where they could assert citizenship.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2016-03-01.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will bring forward legislative proposals to introduce a system of civilian drone registration similar to that used in the USA.
Mr Robert Goodwill
Officials from my department are talking to both the US and Irish authorities about the potential benefits of a registration scheme and impacts that such a scheme would have on the industry and how effective a registration scheme would be in improving transparency of ownership. However registration schemes are only as good as the enforcement mechanisms behind them. Government will be consulting on a range of options over the summer.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2016-03-21.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the Government’s review of the Davies Commission on Aviation capacity in the South East includes an assessment of the costs and benefits of government investment in aviation biofuel.
Mr Robert Goodwill
The Government continues to consider the large amount of very detailed analysis contained in the Airports Commission’s final report, including on reducing carbon emissions from an expanded airport, before taking any decisions on next steps. Separate to the work on airport capacity, the Government is also assessing the benefits of making aviation biofuels eligible for the incentives which currently apply to biofuels used in road transport through the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO). We aim to publish a consultation on legislative amendments to this scheme later this year including proposals for aviation biofuel.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2016-04-08.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, on what dates the marine offices in (a) Brixham, (b) Leith and (c) Newlyn were closed; and how many Maritime and Coastguard Agency staff were (i) made redundant or (ii) transferred to other marine offices as a result of those closures.
Mr Robert Goodwill
Brixham Marine Office, which was collocated with the Maritime and Rescue Coordination Centre, closed on 31 October 2014 when rescue coordination activity from there stopped. There were no redundancies and two members of staff relocated to other sites.
Leith Marine Office closed on 13 May 2015. There were no redundancies and one member of staff relocated to another site.
Newlyn Marine Office closed on 31 April 2015. There were no redundancies and one member of staff relocated to another site.
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 Survey and Inspection Transformation Programme.
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 Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 30 March 2016 to Question 31430, on Anti-Semitism, which legal changes form part of the Government’s position on boycott, divestment and sanctions.
Mr Marcus Jones
Following the announcement on 3 October, the Department issued a public consultation on 25 November on changes to the regulatory framework for investments made under the local government pension scheme. The consultation proposed that guidance would be issued on how pension fund authorities should take non-financial considerations into account when making investment decisions.
The Government’s response to the consultation will be published in due course.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2016-04-11.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change on the proposal to the International Maritime Organisation to develop a work plan to define shipping’s fair share in reducing its greenhouse gas emissions ahead of the meeting on 18 to 22 April 2016.
Mr Robert Goodwill
We welcome the paper submitted to the International Maritime Organization’s Marine Environment Protection Committee proposing the development of a work plan to define international shipping’s fair share in reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Negotiations on how the global shipping sector can contribute to the goal in the Paris Agreement to limit global temperature increases to well below 2°C, and to pursue efforts towards 1.5°C, are at an early, technical stage.
Department for Transport officials have been working closely with the Department of Energy and Climate Change and other departments to ensure that the UK is well placed to play a leading role in the upcoming discussions regarding this “fair share” and will continue to do so as progress is made towards a global solution to tackling emissions from international shipping.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2016-04-14.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he has made of the average cost to (a) the public purse and (b) industry of training a seafarer (i) officer cadet, (ii) deck rating, (iii) engine rating, (iv) catering rating and (v) on-board services.
Mr Robert Goodwill
Support for Maritime Training (SMarT) is the Government’s financial support scheme for merchant navy training and is available to eligible shipping companies who sponsor eligible trainees that take approved courses.
The total amount that can be claimed per trainee is listed in the table below. SMarT funding is not available for on-board services trainees.
|
Type of Trainee |
Maximum SMarT Funding Available (£) |
|
Officer Cadet |
18,156 |
|
Deck and Engine Room Rating (Traditional Route) |
385 |
|
Deck and Engine Room Rating (MNTB/MCA approved route)* |
1,032 |
|
Catering Rating (Ship’s Cook Rating) |
385 |
* MNTB – Merchant Navy Training Board; MCA – Maritime and Coastguard Agency
The MCA does not collate information on the cost to industry of training a seafarer (i) officer cadet, (ii) deck rating, (iii) engine rating, (iv) catering rating and (v) on-board services.
The total cost of training to each shipping company would vary depending upon a number of factors such as the type of course the trainee has taken, the nautical college attended (where applicable) and associated tuition fees, the amount of any training allowance paid, accommodation costs, travel and uniform costs.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2016-04-28.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will publish the Maritime and Coastguard Agency’s business case for its Survey and Inspection Transformation Programme.
Mr Robert Goodwill
The Maritime and Coastguard Agency’s business case will be published following conclusion of all the pre-implementation activities, including, but not limited to, the consultation process, negotiations with relevant Trade Unions and communications with staff, customers and stakeholders.