Asked by: Chris Williamson (Independent - Derby North)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the feasibility of negotiating an equitable and practical access arrangement for canoeing with all riparian owners and stakeholders along the 106km of the River Derwent in Derbyshire.
Answered by Thérèse Coffey
There has been no assessment by the department into the feasibility of access agreements on the River Derwent.
Asked by: Chris Williamson (Independent - Derby North)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of uncontested access on water within National Parks for canoeing; and how many successful access arrangements there are within National Parks that facilitate access on water for recreation.
Answered by Thérèse Coffey
There has been no departmental assessment of the adequacy of uncontested access on water within National Parks.
The department does not hold information on access agreements within National Parks.
Asked by: Chris Williamson (Independent - Derby North)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, for what reasons the East Midlands franchise was awarded to Abellio until 2027 before the conclusion of the Williams review.
Answered by Andrew Jones
The government will publish a White Paper setting out how we will implement the Review’s recommendations in the autumn. Reform will start as early as 2020. This does not prevent us taking every opportunity in the short term to improve passengers’ experience.
We considered on a case-by-case basis whether to continue with the current franchise competitions and concluded that awarding the East Midlands franchise now would be in the best interests of passengers and taxpayers and would allow planned passenger benefits, such as new trains, to be delivered at the earliest opportunity.
Asked by: Chris Williamson (Independent - Derby North)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, at what stage in the franchise process the decision was taken to exclude Stagecoach from bidding for the East Midlands franchise.
Answered by Andrew Jones
The decision was made shortly before Stagecoach was informed of the disqualification decision on 9 April 2019.
Asked by: Chris Williamson (Independent - Derby North)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assurances Abellio have provided his Department in relation to the pensions of staff employed on the East Midlands line.
Answered by Andrew Jones
The Railways Pension Scheme was established in 1994, replacing the previous British Rail scheme. Contributions in to the Railways Pension Scheme are split according to a shared cost arrangement, whereby employers (the Train Operating Companies) pay 60% and employees pay the remaining 40%. Since franchising arrangements were first introduced Train Operating Companies have been, and continue to be, responsible for paying employer pension contributions during a franchise term.
Under the East Midlands Franchise Agreement Abellio will participate in and become the Designated Employer for the East Midlands section of the Railways Pension Scheme. Abellio will be obliged by the Franchise Agreement to pay the employer contributions required under the schedule of contributions applicable during their franchise term. All of Abellio’s pensions related obligations are detailed in Schedule 16.1 to the Franchise Agreement which will be published in due course.
Asked by: Chris Williamson (Independent - Derby North)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, for what reason her Department (a) allocated funding for the PACE medical trial; and has not allocated funding for other medical trials since the PACE trial.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Funding, authorised by the then Chief Medical Adviser to the Department for Work and Pensions, was made available as a contribution from the department to the PACE study. The Department continues to be involved in research activity relevant to its remit.
Asked by: Chris Williamson (Independent - Derby North)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps he has taken to ensure the effectiveness of the recruitment policies for (a) nurses and (b) care workers from (i) EU and (ii) non-EU countries after the UK leaves the EU.
Answered by Caroline Nokes
In December 2018, the Government set out its proposals in “the UK’s future Skills-based Immigration System” White Paper. The White Paper proposals include a new route for skilled workers which will be open to anyone at RQF level 3 and above, irrespective of where they are applying from. This route will not be capped allowing all of those who meet our requirements to come to the UK.
The White Paper also includes a transitional route for temporary workers which will be open to anyone from qualifying countries, wishing to fill positions at any skill level, for up to 12 months. We do not intend to impose a cap on the number of people wishing to use the route.
Asked by: Chris Williamson (Independent - Derby North)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he make an assessment of the potential merits of ring-fencing funding for high-quality ME research as the Government has done for dementia and brain cancer.
Answered by Caroline Dinenage
The Department for Health and Social Care funds research through the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR). The Government also supports research relating to myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME) through the Medical Research Council (MRC), part of the Department for Business, Environment and Industrial Strategy partner organisation, UK Research and Innovation. Both the NIHR and the MRC welcome funding applications for research into any aspect of human health, including ME; it is not usual practice to ring-fence funds for particular topics or conditions. Applications to the NIHR and the MRC are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards being made on the basis of the importance of the topic to patients and health and care services, value for money and scientific quality.
Research into chronic fatigue syndrome CFS/ME is an area of strategic importance for the MRC and the only medical condition for which the MRC has a dedicated Highlight Notice which identifies areas where proposals are particularly encouraged. These include proposals which have a focus on the underpinning mechanisms of ME/CFS, with priority areas including immune dysregulation; pain; improved sub-phenotyping and stratification of ME/CFS; and mechanisms of ME/CFS in children and young people.
Asked by: Chris Williamson (Independent - Derby North)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to his Turkish counterpart on ending the isolation of Abdullah Ocalan in line with International and Turkish domestic law and bring an end to hunger strikes in that country.
Answered by Alan Duncan
British Embassy officials discussed the imprisonment of Abdullah Öcalan with Turkish officials in mid-January. They also covered the hunger strikes in support of Abdullah Öcalan by Kurdish prisoners, including Leyla Guven MP. We are pleased to note that she was recently released from prison. We expect the Turkish authorities to ensure that prisoners' human rights are observed, including access to medical treatment.
Asked by: Chris Williamson (Independent - Derby North)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many individuals who have the right to work in the UK have no recourse to public funds.
Answered by Caroline Nokes
There are a number of forms of leave that can be granted which give the right to work in the UK but with no recourse to public funds. This is underpinned by Part 5A of the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002.
We do not routinely record information centrally on individuals who have the right to work in the UK without recourse to public funds.