The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ruth Cadbury on 2016-01-11.
To ask the Attorney General, what recent steps the CPS has taken to improve the conviction rate for violence against women and girls.
Robert Buckland
I refer the Hon. Member to the answer I gave to the oral question from the Rt. Hon. Member for Delyn earlier today
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ruth Cadbury on 2016-01-21.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of whether paragraph 20 of Schedule 9 of the Income Support (General) Regulations 1987 accurately reflects the real costs borne by a claimant who takes a boarder into their home.
Priti Patel
There has been no such assessment.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ruth Cadbury on 2016-03-07.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will bring forward measures to incentivise businesses to use recyclable materials in their packaging; and if she will give consideration to whether businesses which choose to use non-recyclable materials when a recyclable alternative is viable should be subject to financial penalties.
Rory Stewart
Developing and securing sustainable end markets for recycled materials is key to delivering a circular economy.
Working through the Waste and Resources Action Programme we have developed and delivered a number of activities in support of both the use of recycled materials in new products, and on activities to stimulate its demand.
For example, the Plastics Industry Recycling Action Plan has identified key actions that need to take place across the whole supply chain to ensure that recycling plastics packaging can be done sustainably. This includes design for recyclability, collections and sorting, reprocessing and development of sustainable end markets.
Another example is the Courtauld Commitment, a voluntary agreement aimed at improving resource efficiency and reducing the carbon and wider environmental impact of the grocery sector. Phase 3 ran from 2013 until 2015. Specifically on packaging, it looked to improve packaging design through the supply chain to maximise recycled content as appropriate, improve recyclability and deliver product protection to reduce food waste, while ensuring there was no increase in the carbon impact of packaging by 2015, from a 2012 baseline. The interim results released in January 2015, showed an approximate 4.5% reduction in carbon impacts of packaging – well ahead of the 2015 target of zero increase.
However, while we can encourage design for recyclability, it is ultimately the decision of the business that make the product to decide what packaging materials they use based on a number of functionality requirements. We are making it easier for businesses to adopt eco-design principles by ensuring access to a range of free advice and guidance on packaging design and issues which should be considered when designing packaging.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ruth Cadbury on 2016-04-08.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment the Government has made of the potential effect of a third runway at Heathrow Airport on compliance with EU Air Quality limits.
Mr Robert Goodwill
On 14 December 2015, the Government formally announced that it accepted the Airports Commission’s case for new runway capacity in the South East, as well as the Commission’s three shortlisted schemes. We continue to consider all three schemes, including a third runway at Heathrow.
The Airports Commission published a large amount of analysis on air quality, which included an assessment of potential impacts on limit values, in its Final Report, which is available in the libraries of the House.
In addition, as announced in December, we are testing the Airports Commission’s work on air quality against the Government’s new air quality plan, as recommended by the Environmental Audit Committee.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ruth Cadbury on 2016-04-20.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what information he holds on the proportion of women with fibroadenoma who went onto develop breast cancer in 2015.
Jane Ellison
The number of women who were diagnosed with fibroadenomas in each of the last five years, and the proportion of women with fribroadenomas who went on to develop breast cancer in 2015, is not held.
In addition, information on the number of women who had fibroadenomas surgically removed in each of the last five years is not held.
There are several types of benign breast lump, including fibroadenomas. Although most lumps are not breast cancer, any unusual changes to the breasts should be checked by a general practitioner (GP) as soon as possible. If a GP finds a lump on examination, they will routinely refer the patient to be seen by a hospital specialist.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ruth Cadbury on 2016-06-24.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that people who drive heavy goods vehicles in city centres receive training that specifically addresses the risks of urban driving.
Andrew Jones
The importance of being aware of vulnerable road users is tested during the process of a professional driver passing their test and gaining their heavy goods vehicle driving licence.
Additionally, all professional drivers of heavy goods vehicles have to complete ongoing Driver Professional Certificate training of 35 hours spread over a 5-year period. This periodic training includes a wide range of topics, including awareness of vulnerable road users in urban areas or city centres.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ruth Cadbury on 2016-01-12.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department took to publicise the recent NHS Mandate Consultation.
George Freeman
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for High Peak (Andrew Bingham) on 2 December 2015 to Question 18482.
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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ruth Cadbury on 2016-01-25.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will take steps to ensure that Intra Company Transfer Tier 2 visas cannot be used to replace a UK worker who has been made redundant.
James Brokenshire
Tier 2, the skilled worker route, is designed to fill roles which cannot be filled by a suitable resident worker. The immigration rules, and UK employment law, do not allow workers to be made redundant and directly replaced.
It is a decision for businesses whether to outsource certain functions. We are, however, mindful of concerns that use of the Intra-Company Transfer (ICT) category for third party contracting may undercut or displace resident workers.
That is why, in June last year, we commissioned the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) to examine the ICT category as part of its wider review on Tier 2. The MAC published its report on 19 January and it can be found on the gov.uk website at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/migration-advisory-committee-mac-review-tier-2-migration
Chapter 6 of the report sets out the MAC’s findings on the ICT category, including its use for third party contracting, the salaries paid to IT workers and the impacts on the resident labour market. The MAC found that salaries for these transferees were clustered around the 25th percentile of earnings for resident workers in IT occupations (the current minimum permitted under the immigration rules).
The Government is currently considering the MAC’s findings carefully and will announce any changes in due course.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ruth Cadbury on 2016-03-14.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, which organisation or company has been commissioned to conduct further environmental impact studies regarding possible expansions at (a) Heathrow and (b) Gatwick Airport.
Mr Robert Goodwill
WSP Parsons Brinckerhoff have been contracted by the Department for Transport. Their contract is available on https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/17ffaddc-3c19-4462-91ae-bf30029c08d9.
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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ruth Cadbury on 2016-03-24.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make an assessment of the effect on traffic congestion in (a) Brentford and Isleworth constituency and (b) the London borough of Hounslow of the proposed third runway at Heathrow.
Mr Robert Goodwill
The Airports Commission undertook a range of detailed assessments to support its Final Report published in July 2015. The analysis included a detailed assessment of transport network impacts for each of the Commission’s three short-listed options.
Copies of the Commission’s Surface Access: Dynamic Modelling Report its Local and Strategic Roads Modelling Study for the Heathrow Airport North West Runway Proposals, and the Commission’s Freight Impact Study were published alongside its Final Report, and are available from the Commission website at the following links:
The Government will carefully consider all the evidence set out when making a decision on the location of additional runway capacity.
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