Tag: Will Quince

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Will Quince on 2016-03-21.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what proportion of the UK’s energy was generated from renewable sources in the last 12 months.

Amber Rudd

In 2014, the latest full year for which data is available, 7 per cent of the UK’s energy came from renewable sources, and 19 per cent of the UK’s electricity. This is a 15 per cent increase from the level of electricity generated from renewable sources in 2010.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Will Quince on 2016-05-03.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether his Department has analysed the potential economic effect of the soft drinks levy on the British soft drinks manufacturing industry.

Damian Hinds

The government will shortly be consulting on the detail of the soft drinks industry levy, and we will publish an initial impact assessment alongside the consultation. This assessment will be updated and refined when the policy detail is finalised.

For Finance Bill measures, HMRC provide a Tax Impact Information Note alongside the draft Finance Bill legislation, which we expect to publish in the winter.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Will Quince on 2016-04-08.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what information her Department holds on the level of EU subsidies provided to sugar manufacturers.

George Eustice

There are no specific EU subsidies provided to sugar manufacturers under the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). However, those that produce their own sugar beet are entitled to make a claim for support under the CAP Basic Payment Scheme. Details of the amounts received by UK beneficiaries can be found on the UK CAP Payments website at http://cap-payments.defra.gov.uk/Default.aspx.

“

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Will Quince on 2016-05-03.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the cost to the public purse is of provision of the National Diet and Nutrition Survey; and for what reasons an updated survey has not been published since 2012.

Jane Ellison

The total cost of the current contract for the National Diet and Nutrition Survey (NDNS), covering four years of fieldwork from 2013/14 to 2016/17 and including analysis and reporting, is £15.4 million.

The most recent NDNS report, covering diet, nutrient intake and nutritional status in United Kingdom adults and children, was published in May 2014. This report was based on data collected under the previous contract for NDNS covering fieldwork from 2008/09 to 2011/12.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Will Quince on 2016-04-08.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 21 March 2016 to Question 32013, what sanctions will apply to NHS maternity units which do not reduce their rates of stillbirth and neo-natal death.

Ben Gummer

The mandate to NHS England includes a goal and deliverable for measurable progress towards reducing the rate of stillbirths, neonatal and maternal deaths and brain injuries that are caused during or soon after birth by 50% by 2030 with a measurable reduction by 2020.

The mandate also has a deliverable for in 2016/17 to implement agreed recommendations of the National Maternity Review in relation to safety, and support progress on delivering Sign up to Safety. On 7 March we launched ‘Spotlight on Maternity’ as part of ‘Spotlight on Safety’ and asked all trusts with maternity services to commit publically to placing a spotlight on maternity and to contributing towards achieving the Government’s national ambition.

The Department holds NHS England to account for progress against the mandate, which will include progress against the deliverable and goal above. It would be for commissioners (NHS England or clinical commissioning groups) to design contracts to incentivise providers to reduce their rates of stillbirth and neonatal death, and NHS Improvement may look at these rates as part of regulating providers.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Will Quince on 2016-05-09.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether his Department plans to set target levels of reformulation for soft drinks manufacturers under the soft drinks industry levy.

Damian Hinds

The Chancellor announced at Budget 2016 that the soft drinks industry levy will be charged on drinks with added sugar and a total sugar content above 5g/100ml, with a higher charge for drinks with more than 8g/100ml of sugar.

These sugar thresholds provide a strong incentive for companies to reformulate and are set to give industry certainty over the next two years. If companies reformulate their products, as many already have, then they will pay less. But it is up to companies how they respond to the levy.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Will Quince on 2016-04-08.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that UK Government aid to the Palestinian Territories is not used to help finance violence or terrorism.

Mr Desmond Swayne

No UK aid is used for payments to Palestinian prisoners, or their families. The UK’s direct financial assistance to the PA is used to pay the salaries of public sector workers only. Our support is provided through a multi-donor trust fund administered by the World Bank, which carries out close monitoring of Palestinian Authority expenditure. Only named civil servants from a pre-approved EU list are eligible. The process is subject to independent auditing.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Will Quince on 2016-05-09.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will include a time limit in the terms of the soft drinks industry levy such that that levy would cease to apply if reformulation targets are met by soft drinks manufacturers.

Damian Hinds

There is no plan to include a time limit in the terms of the soft drinks industry levy, but the Chancellor keeps all taxes under review as part of the Budget process.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Will Quince on 2016-04-08.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what mechanisms for oversight her Department has for UK Government aid to the Palestinian Authority.

Mr Desmond Swayne

UK direct financial assistance to the Palestinian Authority (PA) is used to pay the salaries of civil servant and pensioners. Our support is provided through a multi-donor trust fund administered by the World Bank, which carries out close monitoring of PA expenditure. Only named civil servants from a pre-approved European Union list are eligible, and the vetting process ensures that our funds do not benefit terrorist groups. The process is subject to independent auditing.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Will Quince on 2016-09-06.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of reusing dispensed but unused returned drugs in the NHS.

David Mowat

In general, where a hospital pharmacy issues medicines to an individual patient and they remain within the hospital, either because they are not used or only partly used, the medicines would be returned to the pharmacy to check that they are suitable for re-use and returned to the pharmacy stock.

The Government does not promote the re-use of medicines that have left the pharmacy and been returned to either hospital or community pharmacies by patients, as it is not possible to guarantee the quality of a returned medicine by physical inspection alone.

The Government also does not recommend the donation of patient-returned medicines. This is in line with clear World Health Organization guidelines, which have been developed‎ in cooperation with major international agencies involved in humanitarian and developmental aid. The guidelines are available at:

www.who.int/medicines/publications/med_donationsguide2011/en/

“