Tag: Richard Burden

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 1 March 2016 to Question 27610, for what reasons the technical solution offered by VW was accepted in the EU but not in the US.

Andrew Jones

Manufacturers are required to comply with different technical standards between the EU market and the USA market. The engineering solution proposed by VW will bring its diesel cars into compliance with the EU emissions limits and testing is underway to confirm that this solution works for all model types. We do not have information regarding VW’s technical solutions in the USA.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2016-03-16.

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to his speech of 15 March 2016 to the Inter-parliamentary Coalition for Combating Anti-Semitism Conference, what legal changes he has made following a campaign led by Jewish Human Rights Watch.

Dominic Raab

On 3 October 2015, the Minister for the Cabinet Office and the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government announced the Government’s position on boycott, divestment and sanctions, including legal changes.

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 2016-03-23.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what representations his Department has (a) received and (b) made on guidance on volume controls of mobile phones and other devices using headphones.

Anna Soubry

The Department has received no representations nor made any guidance regarding the volume controls of mobile phones and other devices using headphones.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what position the UK representative at the MaMa-COHAFA meeting in Brussels on 11 April 2016 took on proposals to (a) demand compensation from the Israeli authorities for demolition of structures in the Occupied Palestinian Territory funded by the EU and its member-states and (b) make the EU damages registry publicly available.

Mr Tobias Ellwood

We do not comment on ongoing discussions between EU Member States in the Council, as they are confidential. However, our position on demolitions is clear: they cause unnecessary suffering of ordinary Palestinians and undermine the prospects for a two-state solution.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking in preparation for the International Civil Aviation Organisation meeting in autumn 2016 to ensure an agreement for controlling international aviation emissions; and who he plans will represent the UK at that conference.

Mr Robert Goodwill

The Government is working hard to reach agreement in the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) on a global market-based measure to tackle aviation emissions. The UK has a seat on the ICAO High-Level Group responsible for developing a proposal on the design of the global market-based measure. We also contribute to the working groups undertaking the technical and analytical work to support the future implementation of the measure.

We want this year’s 39^th ICAO Assembly to take a positive decision towards the implementation of a global market-based measure from 2020 that is environmentally effective, minimises competitive distortions and is as administratively simple as possible.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the remit of the Cross-Government Working Group on drones is; when it has met; and who has attended each meeting of that group.

Mr Robert Goodwill

I refer the Honourable Member to my answer give on 25 January UIN 23389

(http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-questions-answers/?page=1&max=20&questiontype=AllQuestions&house=commons%2clords&uin=23389).

Noting that the first meeting in 2016 took place in March not February and the below additions to the membership of the group:

Department for International Development

Surveillance Commissioner

UK Fire Service

Police

Border Force

“

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2016-05-04.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many UK-registered offshore supply vessels (OSVs) have been laid up in Aberdeen port since January 2015; and what the average period of inactivity was for UK-registered OSVs (a) at that port and (b) in total during that period.

Mr Robert Goodwill

According to commercial world fleet data sourced from IHS Global Limited, there were two UK registered offshore vessels with a ‘laid-up’ status on 31 December 2015.

We do not have any further data available for use on laid-up vessels since this time. The data is not in a format from which inactivity periods are readily obtainable.

According to online vessel search engines, the last known ship positions for the two UK registered offshore vessels that were laid-up at the end of 2015 were Port Elizabeth (South Africa) on 24 August 2015 and Elefsis (near the Athens port of Piraeus, Greece) on 19 September 2015.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the potential effect on maritime exports from UK ports to the EU of the UK voting to leave the EU.

Mr Robert Goodwill

At the February European Council, the Government negotiated a new settlement, giving the United Kingdom a special status in a reformed European Union. The Government’s position is that the UK will be stronger, safer and better off remaining in a reformed EU.

If the outcome of the EU Referendum is a vote to leave, the effect on maritime exports from UK ports to the EU would depend on the relationship agreed between the EU and the UK. This would have to be negotiated using the detailed processes set out in the EU Treaty.

The Government has published several information documents, setting out the Government’s views on UK membership of the EU, the process for withdrawing from the EU and alternatives to EU membership. The documents can be viewed at www.eureferendum.gov.uk.

“