Asked by: Joan Walley (Labour - Stoke-on-Trent North)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will place in the Library a copy of all scoping reports on air quality in respect of motorway improvement schemes produced in the last three years.
Answered by John Hayes
A copy of each Environmental Assessment Report produced for motorway improvement schemes in the last three years will be placed in the House Library by 30 January 2015.
It should be noted that Air Quality scoping reports are not produced as individual documents for motorway improvement schemes, but air quality is considered as part of the overall environmental scoping exercise which is undertaken for each project in line with the Design Manual for Roads and Bridges Volume 11 Section 2 parts 4 and 6.
The results of the scoping exercise provide the basis for the subsequent Environment Assessment Report which provides decision makers and the public with an accessible document which:
Asked by: Joan Walley (Labour - Stoke-on-Trent North)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what inspections have been completed on garages performing MOT tests relating to diesel particulate filters since 26 October 2014.
Answered by Claire Perry
Every MOT tester has to apply the standards set out within the inspection manual when inspecting vehicles fitted with diesel particulate filters. Since the end of October 2014, the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency have visited around 1500 garages. If any issues have arisen during these visits, all staff at the garages have been made aware of the requirements.
Asked by: Joan Walley (Labour - Stoke-on-Trent North)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what his environmental responsibilities are for the Overseas Territories.
Answered by James Duddridge
Territory Governments are constitutionally responsible for the protection and conservation of their natural environments. As set out in the 2012 Overseas Territories White Paper, the UK Government provides technical advice and expertise to support the Territories in meeting their environmental obligations, for example through the Darwin Plus fund and supporting environmental mainstreaming initiatives.Asked by: Joan Walley (Labour - Stoke-on-Trent North)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent representations he has received on the Cayman Islands Environmental Protection Fund; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by James Duddridge
I have received no formal representations on the Cayman Islands' Environmental Protection Fund. The Fund, which is financed by a departure tax, is a matter for the Cayman Islands. Expenditure from the Fund is approved by the Finance Committee of the Cayman Islands Legislative Assembly and disbursements fall under the control of the Minister of Finance.
Asked by: Joan Walley (Labour - Stoke-on-Trent North)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what the timetable is for the adoption of a marine protected area in Pitcairn.
Answered by James Duddridge
We continue to discuss the merits and mechanisms of a potential Marine Protected Area (MPA) around Pitcairn with interested parties. HMG is an enthusiastic supporter of MPAs, having established MPAs in the British Indian Ocean Territory and South Georgia & the South Sandwich Islands. An MPA will be considered where there are scientific reasons for it, there is effective enforcement and monitoring capability and the costs are not prohibitive.Asked by: Joan Walley (Labour - Stoke-on-Trent North)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what plans he has and in what time frame to digitise (a) records from North Staffordshire and Newcastle Manor Copy Rolls and (b) other records in the National Archive; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Simon Hughes
Surviving manorial documents dating back to the 12th century are spread across a number of repositories and private owners, and digitisation would be a matter for the record owners. The National Archives holds a paper index (the Manorial Documents Register) which describes and locates these records and is available for the public to view in its reading rooms. The National Archives and its partners are currently revising, updating and publishing this index online, and entries relating to North Staffordshire and Newcastle will be made available online in 2015.
The National Archives is committed to digitising as many of the historical records it holds as possible and with its partners currently digitises around 10 million pages each year, with a focus on those series of records which are most in demand.
Asked by: Joan Walley (Labour - Stoke-on-Trent North)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what progress his Department has made on the facilities proposed for the Christie Hospital in Manchester and at UCLH to offer treatment for atypical teratoid rhabdoid tumour with proton beam therapy.
Answered by Jane Ellison
NHS England is currently planning to deliver a national Proton Beam Therapy (PBT) service in the United Kingdom in 2018. Until then, it continues to fund all clinically appropriate patients on the Proton Overseas Programme. Atypical teratoid rhabdoid tumours are not currently included in the list of clinical indications for referral to PBT. However, the list of clinical indications for the new UK service is still in development.
Asked by: Joan Walley (Labour - Stoke-on-Trent North)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when he expects that funding for a research fellow post to research atypical teratoid rhabdoid tumour for proton beam therapy will be confirmed; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Jane Ellison
NHS England is reviewing current international evidence and recent emerging findings to clarify future commissioning intentions. The relevant specialist clinicians within the Children’s and Cancer Leukaemia Group are assessing what data, including the possibility of a national audit of retrospective data, are needed. Following this, NHS England will consider the possibility of a research fellowship post.
Asked by: Joan Walley (Labour - Stoke-on-Trent North)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of G4S Care and Justice Service Ltd's compliance with housing standards for asylum seekers across the West Midlands.
Answered by James Brokenshire
Housing supplied by Home Office accommodation providers must meet the contractual standards for safe, habitable, fit for purpose and correctly equipped accommodation to comply with relevant mandatory and statutory requirements in relation to housing and this includes the Housing Act 2004. The contract contains specific requirements in relation to safe accommodation and relates the performance standard to the Housing Act.
The Home Office has robust mechanisms in place to monitor standards. This includes routine inspections of G4S properties and responding to specific concerns raised about accommodation standards. Where accommodation does not meet the required standards, the Home Office can apply service credits by way of a deduction from the provider’s invoice. The amount of money recovered in this way is determined by measuring performance against a series of Key Performance Indicators set out in the contract but could be up to 15% of the provider’s monthly invoice.
Asked by: Joan Walley (Labour - Stoke-on-Trent North)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, when the recent strike by members of the FBU was discussed by COBRA; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Lord Maude of Horsham
It has been the practice of successive Governments not to give specific information on the content of Cabinet Committee and other Ministerial meetings.