Asked by: Brian Mathew (Liberal Democrat - Melksham and Devizes)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether his Department has made an assessment of the merits of extending eligibility for Warm Home Grants to (a) those with EPC ratings higher than D and (b) people with disabilities.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Warm Homes: Local Grant (WH:LG) scheme is designed to target those in or at risk of fuel poverty. Those with EPC band A-C ratings are out of scope because a household is only considered by Government to be fuel poor if they have a residual income below 60% of median income (after accounting for required fuel cost) and live in a home that has a Fuel Poor Energy Efficiency Rating (FPEER) below Band C.
WH:LG excludes all disability benefits from household income calculations to help households including members with disabilities not to exceed the £36,000 household income eligibility threshold. Additionally, people with health conditions; who are vulnerable to the cold; or who are in receipt of certain disability benefits, can use this as one of their two required criterions to become eligible under ECO LA Flex Route 2.
Asked by: Brian Mathew (Liberal Democrat - Melksham and Devizes)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department plans to take to reduce the backlog of drivers waiting for a driving test.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency’s (DVSA) main priority is upholding road safety standards while it works hard to reduce car practical driving test waiting times.
On the 23 April, the Secretary of State for Transport appeared before the Transport Select Committee and announced that DVSA will take further actions to reduce driving test waiting times across the country.
Further information on these actions and progress on the DVSA’s 7-point plan, which was set out last year, can be found on GOV.UK.
Asked by: Brian Mathew (Liberal Democrat - Melksham and Devizes)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what progress she has made on her Department's Motorcycles in bus lanes consultation outcome, updated on 21 November 2024.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The consultation responses did not provide sufficient evidence to move away from a position of local authority choice to one in which allowing motorcycles to use bus lanes is the default.
The government response included a commitment to update Traffic Advisory Leaflet 1/24: Motorcyclists using bus lanes. No timetable has been set for publication. The Department will also consider how best to work with combined authorities and Transport for London, to encourage a more joined up approach to motorcycle access in these areas, through discussions around the Government’s devolution agenda.
Asked by: Brian Mathew (Liberal Democrat - Melksham and Devizes)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what progress he has made on (a) ending and (b) reversing deforestation.
Answered by Kerry McCarthy - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Tackling deforestation is vital to meeting UK goals on climate, nature and growth. If tropical forests are lost, food prices will rise, including for UK consumers. While rates of deforestation are falling in some countries such as Brazil, drivers of forest loss are complex and will require collective global effort.
The UK is driving progress through political leadership and diplomatic engagement, and through our international climate finance, working with partner governments to improve forest governance, sustainable trade and unlocking private finance.
We recognise we must also do our bit domestically. We are working towards our Environment Act targets, including to halt nature’s decline by 2030 and to reach 16.5% tree canopy cover in England by 2050. We have pledged up to £400 million for tree planting and peatland restoration over the financial years 2024/25 and 2025/26. Total tree planting and woodland creation reached over 5,500 hectares in England last year [2023/2024].
Asked by: Brian Mathew (Liberal Democrat - Melksham and Devizes)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she plans to take with Cabinet colleagues to help tackle antisemitism in universities.
Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The department has confirmed £7 million in funding to address antisemitism in education. Additionally, my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education will soon be hosting a round table with vice-chancellors to discuss tackling antisemitism on campus.
Asked by: Brian Mathew (Liberal Democrat - Melksham and Devizes)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to improve (a) access to training and (b) the integration of Ukrainian doctors into the NHS.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
There are various local schemes to support refugee health and care staff into National Health Service employment. The training and integration of refugee doctors into the NHS, including those from Ukraine, is managed at a local level by NHS employers according to local requirements.
It is our ambition that all Ukrainian refugees who are healthcare professionals in their home country and who meet the standards required in the United Kingdom are able to achieve registration efficiently and use their skills within our NHS.
A page has been published on the GOV.UK website specifically for Ukrainian refugees which aims to provide an overview of the processes required by specific healthcare professional regulators, and which is available at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/working-in-healthcare-in-the-uk-homes-for-ukraine
The General Medical Council (GMC) is the independent regulator of all medical doctors in the UK. The GMC has introduced a number of measures to support applications from refugees. Information about these measures is available at the following link:
Asked by: Brian Mathew (Liberal Democrat - Melksham and Devizes)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to prevent reduction in access to ticket offices on the Great Western Railway network.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Officials regularly discuss ticket offices with Great Western Railway, including those in Wiltshire, on behalf of the Secretary of State. Any changes to ticket offices in relation to regulated stations covered by Schedule 17 of the Ticketing and Settlement Agreement must be made following the Ticketing and Settlement Agreement process and Secretary of State guidance.