Asked by: Vince Cable (Liberal Democrat - Twickenham)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate he has made of the number of school children exposed to high levels of air pollution in 2019.
Answered by Thérèse Coffey
The Secretary of State has regular discussions with Ministers across Government Departments about air pollution and how to reduce it.
No estimate has been made by the Government. Local authorities are best placed to target action to improve local air quality, and are required to review and assess local air quality and to take action where there are high levels of air pollution. They have discretionary powers to restrict car access to schools and enforce anti-idling laws outside schools. In March this year Public Health England published the report Review of interventions to improve outdoor air quality and public health. This recommended that local authorities, as part of their local Review of interventions to improve outdoor air quality and public health consider a range of interventions to reduce air pollution in the vicinity of schools and reduce children’s exposure accordingly.
The Government’s Air Quality Grant Programme provides funding to local authorities for projects in local communities to tackle air pollution and reduce emissions which may include action targeting schools. The Government has awarded over £60 million in funding since the air quality grant started in 1997, including £3 million in 2018/19.
The following air quality grant award money has been allocated specifically to improve air quality around schools since 2017:
2016/17
2017/18
2018/19
Asked by: Vince Cable (Liberal Democrat - Twickenham)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what level of evidence on the safety of modified tumble dryers would be required to prompt a full recall of all modified machines.
Answered by Kelly Tolhurst
A recall notice under the General Product Safety Regulations 2005 may be issued for a dangerous product where other action that the regulator may require, either of the producer or distributor, is not sufficient to prevent the risks to health and safety. Any enforcement action, including a recall notice should be proportionate to the seriousness of the risk.
The Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) is closely monitoring the response of Whirlpool and further steps will be taken if the response is not satisfactory. Consumer safety is a key priority and the Government will hold the company to account.
Asked by: Vince Cable (Liberal Democrat - Twickenham)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to use planning policy to support the provision of co-working spaces outside London.
Answered by Kit Malthouse
A key economic objective of the planning system is to ensure that sufficient land of the right types is available in the right places to support growth and innovation. The revised National Planning Policy Framework, published in July last year, makes it clear that planning policies should allow for new and flexible working practices and be flexible enough to accommodate needs not anticipated in the plan.
Asked by: Vince Cable (Liberal Democrat - Twickenham)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions his Department has had with the hospitality sector on supporting working spaces within hotels and cafes.
Answered by Michael Ellis
We work with a wide range of stakeholders across the tourism and hospitality sector across a range of issues, however this has not been raised with us. The provision of working spaces, or co-working spaces, is a business decision which is up to individuals to implement.
Asked by: Vince Cable (Liberal Democrat - Twickenham)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps his Department is taking to support increased (a) home and flexible working and (b) provision of co-working spaces.
Answered by Kelly Tolhurst
Government is actively supporting good quality flexible working, of which home working can be part, and the provision of co-working spaces.
We have set up, with the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, the Flexible Working Taskforce to promote wider understanding and implementation of inclusive flexible work and working practices. In January this year the Taskforce published a business case, supporting guidance and its members committed to support and promote the “Happy to Talk Flexible Working” campaign.
We have committed to consult on a new duty on employers to consider when a job can be done flexibly, and make that clear when advertising.
We have also committed to review the statutory right to request flexible working in 2020 and have commissioned some of the surveys to gather data for that work.
Through the Local Enterprise Partnership we promote economic growth and jobs in local areas. In order to deliver this objective, some LEPs have supported the creation of co-working spaces alongside advice and other support for business start-ups. This is being done in a number of ways, including through Growth Hubs and innovation centres.
Asked by: Vince Cable (Liberal Democrat - Twickenham)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what estimate he has made of the contribution to the economy of home and flexible working.
Answered by Kelly Tolhurst
We carried out an impact assessment in 2014 on the extension of the statutory right to request flexible working, estimating a total benefit (net present value) of £474.9 million. This figure incorporates monetised benefits relating to the extension of the right to request to all employees with 26 weeks continuous service and therefore does not take into account the flexible working among parents and carers that was already taking place prior to the extension.
We are currently reviewing the 2014 extension of the right to request Flexible working to all eligible employees. The review will test the economic assumptions underpinning the cost-benefit analysis in the original impact assessment.
Asked by: Vince Cable (Liberal Democrat - Twickenham)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the contribution of home and flexible working to reducing congestion on (a) rail and (b) road networks.
Answered by Andrew Jones
The Department considers all aspects that may affect the rail and road network when assessing the changes of demand for the future.
The Department updated its rail forecasting guidance in 2016 to take into account different trip rates for people in different age groups and occupations. This was based on analysis of the National Travel Survey. The Department continues to review its forecasts, including analysing the impact of flexible working. The Departments’ guidance feeds into business cases for rail investments and franchise analysis. The guidance is called ‘WebTAG’ and is published on the Department’s website
The ‘Latest Evidence on Factors Impacting Road Traffic Growth’ review published by the Department in May 2018 included reviews of tele-commuting and the impact of e-commerce and social media on travel. The findings from this research informed the development of the Draft ‘Road Investment Strategy 2’.
Asked by: Vince Cable (Liberal Democrat - Twickenham)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will provide public funding to (a) fully compensate and (b) reskill UK passenger boat operators whose businesses are forced to close following the Maritime and Coastguard Agency’s review and proposals on the future of older UK passenger boats.
Answered by Nusrat Ghani - Minister of State (Minister for Europe)
Neither the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) nor the Department can offer any financial assistance to operators whose vessels may be affected by these increased safety measures. It is not normal practice for the Government to compensate individuals or companies for changes brought about by enhancements in safety legislation. To do so would set a challenging precedent.
I have asked that the MCA look to achieve a fair balance between proportionality for operators and public safety. However, public safety will always take precedence over all other considerations.
Asked by: Vince Cable (Liberal Democrat - Twickenham)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will bring together the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham and Transport for London to establish how to reopen Hammersmith bridge as quickly as possible.
Answered by Jesse Norman
Maintenance of Hammersmith Bridge is a matter for the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. The reopening of the bridge is not a decision for DfT Ministers.
Asked by: Vince Cable (Liberal Democrat - Twickenham)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department has received information on the structural state of Hammersmith bridge from the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham.
Answered by Jesse Norman
The Department for Transport has not received information from the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham on the structural state of Hammersmith Bridge.