Asked by: Sarah Wollaston (Liberal Democrat - Totnes)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many overheating occurrences triggering a risk assessment were recorded by (a) NHS trusts and( b) foundation trusts in (i) England and (ii) Totnes in each of the last five years.
Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
Asked by: Sarah Wollaston (Liberal Democrat - Totnes)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps the Government has taken to reduce the complexity of environmental schemes for land holders.
Answered by George Eustice
The Rural Payments Agency (RPA) took on responsibility for Environmental Stewardship and Countryside Stewardship schemes in October 2018, and has introduced a number of measures on agri-environment schemes to make it easier for farmers and land managers to apply and make it simpler for them to administer.
The RPA has made improvements to the online service, including making more offers available to apply for online and allowing applicants to download application packs. It has simplified both the rules regarding the evidence we require and the guidance manuals. In addition the RPA has made changes to the processing cycle which has reduced completion times for applications, agreements, claims and payments.
Looking forward we are considering ways to drive further online uptake, make improvements to the information on GOV.UK, and whether there are further simplifications we can make to the scheme to support the transition to a new Environmental Land Management Scheme, subject to exit negotiations and funding.
Asked by: Sarah Wollaston (Liberal Democrat - Totnes)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the statement entitled Health and harmony: the future for food, farming and the environment in a green Brexit, published in September 2018, what steps his Department is taking to limit the costs for small land owners of the future environmental land management scheme.
Answered by George Eustice
The Agriculture Bill constitutes the first major agricultural reform in the UK for almost 50 years. It will allow us to break from the rules of the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy and presents a unique opportunity to devise a new Environmental Land Management system where the Government will work with farmers, land managers, environmental experts and stakeholders to test and trial new approaches and investigate innovative mechanisms for delivery of environmental outcomes.
Small farmers and land owners will be well placed to benefit from any future scheme.
Asked by: Sarah Wollaston (Liberal Democrat - Totnes)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made on the cost effectiveness of installing three-phase electricity supplies in (a) new and (b) existing homes.
Answered by Chris Skidmore
Electricity connections and upgrades for new and existing homes are a matter for distribution network operators (DNOs) overseen by the independent regulator, Ofgem. Under the Distribution Connection and Use of System Agreement, DNOs are required to offer customers the most efficient solution to meet their requirements. In doing so, DNOs assess whether a single or three-phase supply would be appropriate.
Asked by: Sarah Wollaston (Liberal Democrat - Totnes)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made on the feasibility on subsidising the cost of upgrading single-phase electricity suppliers to three-phase electricity suppliers to support people to make their homes carbon neutral.
Answered by Chris Skidmore
Network operators are responsible for ensuring the reliable supply of electricity and the Ofgem RIIO-2 price control framework ensures network operators invest efficiently to provide continued safe and reliable services. In doing so they will need to balance the expected reductions in demand due to improvements in home energy efficiency against projected increases in demand from charging requirements of electric vehicles and the increased installation of heat pumps.
Asked by: Sarah Wollaston (Liberal Democrat - Totnes)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what plans he has to increase support for parents who care for disabled children at home.
Answered by Elizabeth Truss
Child Disability Living Allowance (DLA) is a benefit for children under the age of 16 who, due to a disability or health condition, have mobility issues and/or require substantially more care, attention and supervision than children their age normally would. If a parent or carer is claiming Child Tax Credits (CTC) and their child is in receipt of DLA, they are also eligible for additional premiums on their award and for childcare support. Parents of disabled children may be also able to claim Carer’s Allowance.
Universal Credit is designed to ensure that work pays and the most vulnerable in society are protected, making the system fair for claimants and those who are able to support themselves solely through work. The increased work allowance in Universal Credit from April 2019 is assisting 2.4 million working families, with children or with a disability, to become better off by £635 per year.
The government is committed to protecting and supporting the most vulnerable in society. It is for that reason the government has continued to uprate disability and carer benefits by inflation, including the disability elements of tax credits.
Asked by: Sarah Wollaston (Liberal Democrat - Totnes)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what programmes will be funded through the £10 million allocated for fisheries innovation South West announced in Budget 2018.
Answered by Elizabeth Truss
At Budget 2018, the government announced that £10 million from UK Research and Innovation will be invested into the fisheries and seafood industries to help ensure the UK is a world leader in safe, sustainable and productive fishing.
Defra and Cefas will deliver this funding. I understand they expect to launch the fund shortly.
Asked by: Sarah Wollaston (Liberal Democrat - Totnes)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
What recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the probate system.
Answered by Paul Maynard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
Waiting times in the probate service have recently increased. However, following urgent action by the courts service, they are now starting to improve.
The temporary delays were the result of more work coming into the system and the impact of the initial move to a new IT system for managing probate work.
Now that move is complete, and the unusually high workload has been dealt with, we expect waiting times to continue to improve – and be back to normal levels in the coming weeks.
Asked by: Sarah Wollaston (Liberal Democrat - Totnes)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has plans to allocate funding to ensure the future of Brixham Harbour.
Answered by Robert Goodwill
It is expected that the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF) will continue until 2020. In the event of no deal being reached, the Chancellor announced on 24 July 2018 that all EMFF projects approved before the closure date of the current programme will be fully funded under a Treasury guarantee. On 10 December 2018, this Government announced £37.2 million of extra funding for the UK seafood sector for projects approved during 2019 and 2020 to boost the industry as we become an independent coastal state.
Applications for funding to improve infrastructure in fishing ports should be directed to the Marine Management Organisation (MMO) in England. Applications are assessed against the scheme rules. The European Grants Team in the MMO processes applications for funding and projects over £100,000 will be assessed by a selection panel.
All applications in England should be sent to:
Marine Management Organisation
Lancaster House, Hampshire Court
Newcastle Business Park
Newcastle Upon Tyne, NE4 7YH
Telephone: 0208 026 5539
Email: emff.queries@marinemanagement.org.uk
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/european-maritime-and-fisheries-fund-emff-apply-for-funding
Asked by: Sarah Wollaston (Liberal Democrat - Totnes)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the July 2017 tobacco control plan for England, when the Government plans to announce a date for achieving its smokefree generation target of smoking prevalence at 5 per cent or below.
Answered by Seema Kennedy
The Government’s vision, as set out in the Tobacco Control Plan for England published in 2017, is to create a smokefree generation by reducing adult smoking prevalence to 5% or below. The current smoking rates for England are 14.4%, the lowest on record. The Government has not yet committed to a date by which to achieve a smokefree generation but continues to keep progress on reducing prevalence under close review.