Questioner: Ruth Jones (LAB - Newport West)
Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans his Department has to deliver on the declarations made at COP26, including (a) Operation Zero and (b) the Clydebank Declaration.
Answered by Robert Courts
Operation Zero and the Clydebank Declaration were launched at COP26 to help drive the decarbonisation of the maritime sector and meet our targets under the Clean Maritime Plan and IMO Initial GHG Strategy.
The Clydebank Declaration represents the beginning of a multi-year process to develop green shipping corridors. As such, launching the Declaration is the first step to establish at least 6 corridors by the middle of this decade. We are now moving, with other States and the industry, to explore, design and then deliver corridors involving the UK.
My Department is working with industry partners and other government departments to also develop the next steps for Operation Zero, with a view to making zero-emission operations and maintenance vessels a reality in the North Sea offshore wind sector by 2025.
Questioner: Gareth Thomas (LAB - Harrow West)
Question
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, if she will publish the activities conducted by each trade envoy since their appointment; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by Penny Mordaunt
The Prime Minister’s Trade Envoy Programme has 34 Trade Envoys, covering 72 markets, who support the UK Government’s overall strategy to drive economic growth, promote UK trade and encourage inward investment, helping to level up the country. When undertaking their role they meet numerous people, including key government contacts, stakeholders and businesses and undertake to make two visits to their respective market(s) per year, although this varies depending on the market and the commercial opportunities being pursued. A summary of their activity will be published in the Department's annual report.
Questioner: Gareth Thomas (LAB - Harrow West)
Question
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, if she will publish an updated impact assessment of access to the CPTPP; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by Penny Mordaunt
Following the conclusion of negotiations, a full impact assessment will be published. This will present estimated economic impacts of the agreement, including impacts on UK sectoral output and employment and the potential implications for the UK nations and English regions. This Government is committed to transparency, and we will ensure that parliamentarians have access to the information they need on the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) through our robust scrutiny process.
Questioner: Ruth Jones (LAB - Newport West)
Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans his Department has to support the development of coastal and inland shipping to help decarbonise the transport sector.
Answered by Robert Courts
The Clean Maritime Plan, published in 2019, and the Transport Decarbonisation Plan, published in 2021, set out the Government’s plans to decarbonise the maritime sector, including coastal and inland shipping. The Clean Maritime Plan can be found on Gov.Uk via this link: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/815664/clean-maritime-plan.pdf
Questioner: Emily Thornberry (LAB - Islington South and Finsbury)
Question
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, if she will publish the (a) dates and (b) outbound destinations for each occasion when (i) she and (ii) her predecessor made use of the VIP suites at Heathrow Airport in (A) 2019, (B) 2020 and (C) 2021.
Answered by Penny Mordaunt
My Rt. Hon. Friend the Secretary of State for International Trade has never used the VIP suites at Heathrow Airport. Her predecessor also did not use them during her time as Secretary of State for International Trade.
Questioner: Rupa Huq (LAB - Ealing Central and Acton)
Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment he has made of the impact of NHS staffing shortages on NHS waiting times; and what steps he is taking to ensure patients receive (a) timely and (b) quality care.
Answered by Edward Argar
While no formal assessment has yet been made waiting times and staffing levels are kept under review. We are on schedule to deliver 50,000 more nurses by the end of this Parliament to deliver a sustainable long term workforce supply. With the National Health Service and Health Education England, we have established a programme to improve retention and support return to practice, invest in and diversify training and increase ethical and sustainable international recruitment. We have also made £2 billion made available in 2021/22 and a further £8 billion from 2022 to 2025 to increase activity, tackle backlogs in elective care and reduce waiting times for patients.
Questioner: Kieran Mullan (CON - Crewe and Nantwich)
Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent progress his Department has made on developing surgical hubs across England.
Answered by Edward Argar
Following successful pilots in London, the National Health Service is launching surgical hubs across the country. There are currently 44 stand-alone hubs operating in England.
We are providing a further £1.5 billion for elective recovery and reconfiguration, which includes funding for developing surgical hubs. This is in addition to £500 million provided in September 2021. Surgical hubs will be developed in existing hospital settings and plan to provide 29 types of operations.
The Getting It Right First Time programme, in collaboration with NHS England and NHS Improvement, is providing guidance to systems and regions on how to use hubs effectively, to standardise pathways and adopt best surgical practice.
Questioner: Mike Kane (LAB - Wythenshawe and Sale East)
Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to plan for the potential effect on international travel of new variants of covid-19.
Answered by Robert Courts
The Government will conduct a full review of international travel restrictions by the end of January, including the approach to responding to future variants, to ensure a stable system for 2022.
Questioner: John Baron (CON - Basildon and Billericay)
Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he plans to respond to the correspondence from the hon. Member for Basildon and Billericay of 20 October 2021, 17 November and 17 December 2021 regarding his constituent with reference JB34702.
Answered by Edward Argar
We replied to the hon. Member on 13 January 2022.
Questioner: Matthew Offord (CON - Hendon)
Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many more cataract operations will be performed as a result of the additional £2 billion being allocated to the NHS.
Answered by Edward Argar
This information is not held centrally, as this funding will not be distributed through set allocations.
Questioner: Luke Evans (CON - Bosworth)
Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions he (a) has had and (b) plans to have with relevant stakeholders in Leicestershire on helping to ensure that proposed changes to The Highway Code are successfully implemented in Bosworth constituency.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
When carrying out the review of The Highway Code to improve road safety for cyclists, pedestrians and horse riders, the Department for Transport worked closely with an expert stakeholder group from the outset representing different users of the road.
We agree that for the changes to have the desired impact it will be important that these are supported by effective communications. We will communicate the changes in two phases, the first being an awareness raising campaign alerting road users to the changes as they come into effect. A broader behaviour change campaign is then planned later in the year, to align with seasonal increases in active travel, to help embed the changes and encourage understanding and uptake of the new guidance. We are also developing a toolkit for stakeholders to use to promote the changes in their area.
Questioner: Sarah Green (LDEM - Chesham and Amersham)
Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure that the £500 million funding allocated to supporting and developing the social care workforce includes dedicated training on Parkinson's and Parkinson's-related dementia for staff involved directly in providing care.
Answered by Gillian Keegan
Equipping the health and social care workforce with the skills they need is crucial to providing high quality of care for those living with dementia.
As announced in our recent white paper, People at the Heart of Care, Government will invest at least £500 million over the next three years in the training and development of the social care workforce. This will include co-producing a sector-wide Knowledge and Skills Framework, building on existing frameworks including the Dementia Training Standards Framework and providing hundreds of thousands of training places and qualifications for the workforce, including those working to support individuals with Parkinson's and dementia.
Questioner: Anna McMorrin (LAB - Cardiff North)
Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he has plans to review the provisions of the Road Traffic Act 1998.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
The Department for Transport will be conducting a call for evidence on parts of the Road Traffic Act 1988. It is expected that we will be in a position to publish this in the first half of 2022.
While details are still being worked up as to its scope, it is expected that it will include drink and drug driving offences, and the offence of failure to stop and report.
Questioner: Fleur Anderson (LAB - Putney)
Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the number of people with severe allergies who are eligible for a covid-19 vaccine exemption pass.
Answered by Maggie Throup
Severe allergies are a potential basis for exemption from vaccination and testing. We estimate that 90,000 people in England are eligible for an exemption, excluding pregnant women. However, information on the number of people in this cohort with severe allergies who would be eligible for a medical exemptions NHS COVID Pass is not held.
Questioner: Stephanie Peacock (LAB - Barnsley East)
Question
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether his Department has taken steps to ensure that underlying industrial disease is recorded on the death certificates of former miners with respiratory conditions who die with covid-19.
Answered by Michael Ellis
The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. I have, therefore, asked the Authority to respond.