Tag: Ruth Cadbury

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ruth Cadbury on 2016-03-18.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many air pollution monitors there are in which location within Heathrow Airport’s perimeter from which official data on air quality is collected.

Mr Robert Goodwill

Heathrow Airport Ltd (HAL) has monitored air quality since 1993 at its site located near the northern runway (LHR2), however this does not provide official data for Defra’s national air quality monitoring network – The Automatic Urban and Rural Network (AURN).

Heathrow also now monitors air quality at three other sites around the airport — Harlington, Longford (Green Gates) and Stanwell (Oaks Road). The Harlington site is included within AURN.

Further information is available on the Heathrow Airwatch website at: http://www.heathrowairwatch.org.uk/

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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ruth Cadbury on 2016-04-08.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will publish the proposed new flightpaths before a decision is taken on a third runway at Heathrow Airport.

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 Government continues to consider the large amount of very detailed analysis contained in the Airports Commission’s final report, including on flight paths, before taking any decisions on next steps. Ultimately, any proposals to alter the airport’s flightpaths would be subject to the Civil Aviation Authority’s Airspace Change Process.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ruth Cadbury on 2016-04-19.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department plans to allocate additional resources to police forces to combat the risks posed by drones to aircraft.

Mike Penning

Overall police spending will be protected in real terms over the Spending Review period, when the locally funded police precept element of council tax is taken into account. This is an increase of up to £900 million in cash terms by 2019/20. Overall, the public should be in no doubt that the police will have the resources they need to respond to new threats rapidly and effectively to keep people safe.

Decisions on the how the funding is allocated to priorities within forces are for individual Chief Officers and Police and Crime Commissioners.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ruth Cadbury on 2016-09-02.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the documents provided by Transport for London to Greenpeace in response to a Freedom of Information request in April 2016, what steps his Department is taking to assess the accuracy of the estimate made by Transport for London that £18.4 billion would need to be spent on surface access to Heathrow Airport should that airport be awarded a third runway.

Mr John Hayes

The Airports Commission assessed the surface access requirements of each shortlisted scheme as part of its work in completing its Final Report and Transport for London’s (TfL) views were considered by the Commission as part of this work.

The Government has noted Transport for London’s recent estimates of the surface access costs necessary for the expansion of Heathrow airport and understand that TfL’s figures include the costs of infrastructure schemes which may be needed to cater for wider population and economic growth up to 2040, as well as schemes which would be required to cater for additional airport users.

The Government will consider the large amount of very detailed analysis contained in the Airports Commission’s final report, including its examination of the costs of the surface access proposals associated with airport expansion, before taking any decisions on next steps.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ruth Cadbury on 2016-01-13.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what comparative assessment he has made of the relative economic case for expansion of Gatwick and Heathrow Airports.

Mr Robert Goodwill

The Government is currently considering the large amount of very detailed analysis contained in the Airports Commission’s final report before taking any decisions on next steps.

The Government will carefully consider all the evidence set out, including the economic cases, when making a decision on additional runway capacity.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ruth Cadbury on 2016-01-25.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential for Tier 2 Intra Company Transfer visas to be used to replace UK workers with outsourced overseas workers in the IT industry.

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 2016-03-17.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many schools are located under the current Heathrow Airport final approach flight paths; and what projection he has made of the number of schools that would be located under proposed flight paths in the event of the construction of a third runway at Heathrow Airport.

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 flight paths, before taking any decisions on next steps. Ultimately, any proposals to alter the airport’s flightpaths would be subject to the Civil Aviation Authority’s Airspace Change Process which includes the need to consult those local communities affected.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ruth Cadbury on 2016-04-08.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, at what stage in the decision making process regarding a third runway at Heathrow Airport he plans to bring forward legislative proposals on that matter.

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. At the same time, it was also announced that the Department for Transport would undertake a package of further work which it anticipates will conclude over the summer. Alongside this, they would prepare an airports national policy statement as the framework for implementing decisions on airport capacity in line with the Planning Act 2008.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ruth Cadbury on 2016-04-21.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what steps he has taken to support the work of the Women’s Business Council; and whether he has incorporated any research recommendations from the Women’s Business Council into government policy and legislative proposals.

Anna Soubry

The Government Equalities Office lead on supporting the work of the Women’s Business Council.

We support the aim of the Council to maximise the contribution of women to economic growth and we are working to ensure we create the right environment for everyone, including women, to set up and grow their own businesses.

Women are able to benefit from the full range of business support available from government, including Start-Up Loans and the New Enterprise Allowance. Over a third of loans (38%) have gone to women. Additionally, the Business is GREAT website has a specific section for women in enterprise providing information on women’s networks, childcare, flexible working, and access to finance.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ruth Cadbury on 2016-10-07.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent steps his Department has taken to ensure that human rights are being upheld in Ethiopia.

Mr Tobias Ellwood

We remain deeply concerned by the violence which has occurred in the Oromia and Amhara regions of Ethiopia throughout 2016 including the high number of deaths.

We have made clear to the Government of Ethiopia, including at ministerial level, our concerns about the handling of these protests. We have reiterated our strong support for the constitutional right of all Ethiopian citizens to gather peacefully and express their opinions. We also supported the EU’s statement of 10 August expressing concern and condolences to those affected, and their statement on the current state of emergency.

At the Ethiopian state opening on Parliament on Monday 10 October, Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn, announced proposals which Ethiopia hope will address some of the underlying grievances of the wider population.

We continue to raise our concerns with the Government of Ethiopia both through our bilateral engagement, as well as jointly with our international partners.