Asked by: Lord Greaves (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the letter by the Medical Director for Primary Care and the Director of Primary Care at NHS England and NHS Improvement to Primary Care Network (PCN)-led local vaccination sites and community pharmacy-led local vaccination sites, published on 13 February, whether PCN-led local vaccination sites are required to invite anyone who has ever had an emergency asthma admission as part of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation’s cohort six.
Answered by Lord Bethell
NHS England advised local vaccination sites that Primary Care Networks should focus their efforts on inviting priority cohort six, which includes adults who had required hospital admission due to the severity of their asthma.
Asked by: Lord Greaves (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government when each NHS Nightingale Hospital opened; how many patients have been accommodated in each such hospital in each week since they opened; whether any such hospitals have been permanently closed; and, if any such hospitals have closed, when.
Answered by Lord Bethell
The opening dates of each of the Nightingale sites are shown in the following table.
Date | Nightingale Site |
3 April 2020 | London |
16 April 2020 | Birmingham |
17 April 2020 | Manchester |
21 April 2020 | Harrogate |
27 April 2020 | Bristol |
5 May 2020 | Sunderland |
6 July 2020 | Exeter |
This number of patients accommodated is not available in the format requested. NHS England and NHS Improvement are collating some data relating to patient activity in the Nightingale hospitals but this information has not been centrally validated. Only the NHS Nightingale Hospital Exeter, NHS Nightingale Hospital North West and the NHS Nightingale Hospital London have provided inpatient services. Nightingale hospitals were activated based on local clinical decisions in response to patient demand and are now in the process of being decommissioned.
Asked by: Lord Greaves (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will issue new exploration licences for the potential extraction of gas by fracking, and what advice they provide to the holders of existing exploration licences.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Oil and Gas Authority operates the licensing regime that gives companies exclusive rights to search, bore for and get petroleum and it stewards existing onshore exploration licences to ensure they fulfil agreed work commitments.
The Government’s position on hydraulic fracturing is set out in the Written Ministerial Statement of 4 November 2019 [HLWS68]. As set out in the Statement, the shale gas industry should take the Government’s position into account when considering new developments.
Asked by: Lord Greaves (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their most recent assessment of (1) the contribution that the Bowland Shale Formation can make to meeting the energy requirements of the UK, and (2) the proportion of such requirements during the next 10 years that will be met by shale gas fracking.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
BEIS and Ofgem’s joint annual Statutory Security of Supply Report provides an assessment of the current availability of secure, affordable electricity, gas and oil for meeting the needs of consumers. The latest report, published on 18 December 2020, does not use hydraulically fractured shale gas in any of its security of supply assessments. Please see attached.
In October 2017, BEIS published a report summarising gas security over the next 20 years, including consideration of the role of shale gas in general. Please see attached.
Asked by: Lord Greaves (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of how much of the trade through each of the proposed new freeports will be (1) existing trade through that port, (2) new trade, and (3) trade diverted from other UK ports.
Answered by Lord Agnew of Oulton
At Budget, the Chancellor announced the 8 Freeports from 8 regions of England, as selected by the Secretary of State for the Ministry for Housing, Communities & Local Government – this followed the fair, open and transparent assessment process outlined in the Bidding Prospectus.
Freeports will play a significant role in boosting trade, attracting inward investment and driving productive activity across the UK. This will level up communities across the country through increased employment opportunities. This is more important than ever as we begin to recover from the ongoing economic impacts of Covid-19.
Our focus has been on getting places to send us their bids and proposals, rather than second-guessing what they will do. The modelling we have done to support that process remains sensitive at this point and liable to change significantly now the locations have been announced.
Asked by: Lord Greaves (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the contribution that will be made by the creation of eight freeports to levelling up the north of England with the south and south-east.
Answered by Lord Agnew of Oulton
At Budget, the Chancellor announced the 8 Freeports from 8 regions of England, as selected by the Secretary of State for the Ministry for Housing, Communities & Local Government – this followed the fair, open and transparent assessment process outlined in the Bidding Prospectus.
Freeports will play a significant role in boosting trade, attracting inward investment and driving productive activity across the UK. This will level up communities across the country through increased employment opportunities. This is more important than ever as we begin to recover from the ongoing economic impacts of Covid-19.
Our focus has been on getting places to send us their bids and proposals, rather than second-guessing what they will do. The modelling we have done to support that process remains sensitive at this point and liable to change significantly now the locations have been announced.
Asked by: Lord Greaves (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether, after 7 May, local authorities will be permitted to hold (1) remote proceedings, or (2) hybrid proceedings, for (a) council meetings, (b) Executive meetings, (c) committee meetings, (d) sub-committee meetings, or (e) other meetings at which members of the public are able to be present.
Answered by Lord Greenhalgh
The Government keeps all policy under review. To extend the facility for councils to continue to meet remotely, or in hybrid form after 7 May 2021 would require primary legislation.
We have received representations from local authorities and sector representative organisations making the case for the continuation of remote meetings beyond 7 May 2021 and are carefully considering next steps in this area.
Asked by: Lord Greaves (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how much of the £1 billion Towns Fund announced in the Budget 2021, published on 3 March, each English region will receive, and how much of the £1 billion Stronger Towns Fund, launched on 4 March 2019, each English region received.
Answered by Lord Greenhalgh
The Towns Fund is helping level up the country, driving economic regeneration, productivity and growth. At Budget 2021, the Chancellor announced 45 Town Deals. Regional totals can be found in the Budget document (attached) here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/966868/BUDGET_2021_-_web.pdf.
These are in addition to the first seven Town Deals announced in October 2020, further details of which can be found (attached) here: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/first-town-deals-worth-almost-180-million-announced
The Towns Fund superseded the previously announced Stronger Towns Fund, ensuring even more places could be supported. No funding was committed through that Fund.
Further Town Deals will be announced in due course.
Asked by: Lord Greaves (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the number of proposals for rail network improvements in Lancashire and Cumbria in Transport for the North’s plan for Northern Powerhouse Rail.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Department has worked closely with Northern leaders to develop a Northern Powerhouse Rail (NPR) network that benefits all regions of the North, including Lancashire and Cumbria. The Integrated Rail Plan (IRP), which will outline a recommended way forward on scoping, phasing and sequencing of NPR, has carefully considered the views of stakeholders across the North of England to produce an investment programme that truly reflects the key transport priorities of the North.
Asked by: Lord Greaves (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of (1) Transport for the North’s “preferred route” for Northern Powerhouse Rail, (2) how that route was chosen, and (3) whether the route can be built with the previously announced funding estimate of £42 billion.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government has been actively considering this as part of its Integrated Rail Plan (IRP) which will outline the investment blueprint for Northern Powerhouse Rail, HS2 Phase 2b and other transport investment in the North and Midlands. Work is ongoing to establish the exact costs.