Alistair Burt Portrait

Alistair Burt

Conservative - Former Member for North East Bedfordshire

First elected: 7th June 2001

Left House: 6th November 2019 (Standing Down)


Alistair Burt is not a member of any APPGs
5 Former APPG memberships
22q11 Syndrome, Bahrain, Carers, Running, United Arab Emirates
Minister of State (Foreign and Commonwealth Office) (Joint with the Department for International Development)
13th Jun 2017 - 25th Mar 2019
Minister of State (Department for International Development) (Joint with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office)
13th Jun 2017 - 25th Mar 2019
Committee on the Future Relationship with the European Union
31st Oct 2016 - 3rd May 2017
Minister of State (Department of Health)
8th May 2015 - 13th Jul 2016
Ecclesiastical Committee (Joint Committee)
17th Jul 2014 - 30th Mar 2015
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign and Commonwealth Office)
17th May 2010 - 7th Oct 2013
Opposition Whip (Commons)
20th Jan 2008 - 6th May 2010
Administration Committee
30th Mar 2009 - 6th May 2010
Deputy Chair, Conservative Party
1st Jul 2007 - 6th May 2010
Shadow Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government
10th May 2005 - 20th Jan 2008
International Development Committee
18th Nov 2002 - 17th Nov 2003
Office of the Deputy Prime Minister: Housing, Planning, Local Government and the Regions Committee
22nd Jul 2002 - 16th Dec 2002
Shadow Spokesperson (Education)
1st Jan 2001 - 1st Dec 2002
Procedure Committee
16th Jul 2001 - 4th Mar 2002
International Development Committee
1st Jan 2001 - 12th Nov 2001
Minister (Department of Social Security) (Disabled)
6th Jul 1995 - 2nd May 1997
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Social Security)
14th Apr 1992 - 6th Jul 1995


Division Voting information

Alistair Burt has voted in 2097 divisions, and 30 times against the majority of their Party.

3 Sep 2019 - European Union (Withdrawal) - View Vote Context
Alistair Burt voted Aye - against a party majority and in line with the House
One of 20 Conservative Aye votes vs 286 Conservative No votes
Tally: Ayes - 328 Noes - 301
18 Jul 2019 - Northern Ireland (Executive Formation) Bill - View Vote Context
Alistair Burt voted Aye - against a party majority and in line with the House
One of 17 Conservative Aye votes vs 262 Conservative No votes
Tally: Ayes - 315 Noes - 274
18 Jul 2019 - Northern Ireland (Executive Formation) Bill - View Vote Context
Alistair Burt voted No - against a party majority and in line with the House
One of 16 Conservative No votes vs 262 Conservative Aye votes
Tally: Ayes - 273 Noes - 315
9 Jul 2019 - Northern Ireland (Executive Formation) Bill - View Vote Context
Alistair Burt voted Aye - against a party majority and in line with the House
One of 72 Conservative Aye votes vs 84 Conservative No votes
Tally: Ayes - 332 Noes - 99
3 Apr 2019 - European Union (Withdrawal) (No. 5) Bill - View Vote Context
Alistair Burt voted Aye - against a party majority and in line with the House
One of 14 Conservative Aye votes vs 290 Conservative No votes
Tally: Ayes - 313 Noes - 312
1 Apr 2019 - Business of the House - View Vote Context
Alistair Burt voted Aye - against a party majority and in line with the House
One of 28 Conservative Aye votes vs 264 Conservative No votes
Tally: Ayes - 322 Noes - 277
1 Apr 2019 - EU: Withdrawal and Future Relationship (Votes) - View Vote Context
Alistair Burt voted Aye - against a party majority and against the House
One of 36 Conservative Aye votes vs 236 Conservative No votes
Tally: Ayes - 273 Noes - 276
27 Mar 2019 - Business of the House - View Vote Context
Alistair Burt voted Aye - against a party majority and in line with the House
One of 33 Conservative Aye votes vs 272 Conservative No votes
Tally: Ayes - 331 Noes - 287
27 Mar 2019 - EU: Withdrawal and Future Relationship Votes - View Vote Context
Alistair Burt voted No - against a party majority and in line with the House
One of 94 Conservative No votes vs 157 Conservative Aye votes
Tally: Ayes - 160 Noes - 400
27 Mar 2019 - EU: Withdrawal and Future Relationship Votes - View Vote Context
Alistair Burt voted Aye - against a party majority and against the House
One of 37 Conservative Aye votes vs 225 Conservative No votes
Tally: Ayes - 188 Noes - 283
27 Mar 2019 - EU: Withdrawal and Future Relationship Votes - View Vote Context
Alistair Burt voted Aye - against a party majority and against the House
One of 59 Conservative Aye votes vs 200 Conservative No votes
Tally: Ayes - 65 Noes - 377
27 Mar 2019 - EU: Withdrawal and Future Relationship Votes - View Vote Context
Alistair Burt voted Aye - against a party majority and against the House
One of 34 Conservative Aye votes vs 234 Conservative No votes
Tally: Ayes - 264 Noes - 272
27 Mar 2019 - EU: Withdrawal and Future Relationship Votes - View Vote Context
Alistair Burt voted No - against a party majority and in line with the House
One of 122 Conservative No votes vs 126 Conservative Aye votes
Tally: Ayes - 139 Noes - 422
25 Mar 2019 - European Union (Withdrawal) Act - View Vote Context
Alistair Burt voted Aye - against a party majority and in line with the House
One of 30 Conservative Aye votes vs 281 Conservative No votes
Tally: Ayes - 329 Noes - 302
14 Mar 2019 - UK’s Withdrawal from the European Union - View Vote Context
Alistair Burt voted Aye - against a party majority and in line with the House
One of 112 Conservative Aye votes vs 188 Conservative No votes
Tally: Ayes - 412 Noes - 202
13 Mar 2019 - UK’s Withdrawal from the European Union - View Vote Context
Alistair Burt voted No - against a party majority and in line with the House
One of 66 Conservative No votes vs 149 Conservative Aye votes
Tally: Ayes - 164 Noes - 374
24 Oct 2018 - Northern Ireland (Executive Formation and Exercise of Functions) Bill - View Vote Context
Alistair Burt voted Aye - against a party majority and in line with the House
One of 45 Conservative Aye votes vs 102 Conservative No votes
Tally: Ayes - 207 Noes - 117
16 Jul 2018 - European Statutory Instruments Committee - View Vote Context
Alistair Burt voted Aye - against a party majority and in line with the House
One of 15 Conservative Aye votes vs 52 Conservative No votes
Tally: Ayes - 57 Noes - 53
31 Jan 2018 - Restoration and Renewal (Report of the Joint Committee) - View Vote Context
Alistair Burt voted Aye - against a party majority and in line with the House
One of 66 Conservative Aye votes vs 164 Conservative No votes
Tally: Ayes - 236 Noes - 220
31 Jan 2018 - Restoration and Renewal (Report of the Joint Committee) - View Vote Context
Alistair Burt voted Aye - against a party majority and in line with the House
One of 68 Conservative Aye votes vs 166 Conservative No votes
Tally: Ayes - 234 Noes - 185
24 Nov 2014 - Recall of MPs Bill - View Vote Context
Alistair Burt voted Aye - against a party majority and against the House
One of 71 Conservative Aye votes vs 85 Conservative No votes
Tally: Ayes - 119 Noes - 193
27 Oct 2014 - Recall of MPs Bill - View Vote Context
Alistair Burt voted Aye - against a party majority and against the House
One of 110 Conservative Aye votes vs 135 Conservative No votes
Tally: Ayes - 166 Noes - 340
21 May 2013 - Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill - View Vote Context
Alistair Burt voted Aye - against a party majority and in line with the House
One of 124 Conservative Aye votes vs 134 Conservative No votes
Tally: Ayes - 366 Noes - 161
20 May 2013 - Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill - View Vote Context
Alistair Burt voted No - against a party majority and in line with the House
One of 99 Conservative No votes vs 121 Conservative Aye votes
Tally: Ayes - 150 Noes - 340
20 May 2013 - Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill - View Vote Context
Alistair Burt voted No - against a party majority and in line with the House
One of 95 Conservative No votes vs 125 Conservative Aye votes
Tally: Ayes - 148 Noes - 339
20 May 2013 - Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill - View Vote Context
Alistair Burt voted No - against a party majority and in line with the House
One of 92 Conservative No votes vs 126 Conservative Aye votes
Tally: Ayes - 163 Noes - 321
5 Feb 2013 - Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill - View Vote Context
Alistair Burt voted Aye - against a party majority and in line with the House
One of 131 Conservative Aye votes vs 139 Conservative No votes
Tally: Ayes - 400 Noes - 175
3 Jul 2008 - Members’ Salaries - View Vote Context
Alistair Burt voted No - against a party majority and in line with the House
One of 35 Conservative No votes vs 46 Conservative Aye votes
Tally: Ayes - 155 Noes - 196
3 Jul 2008 - Members’ Salaries - View Vote Context
Alistair Burt voted No - against a party majority and in line with the House
One of 34 Conservative No votes vs 46 Conservative Aye votes
Tally: Ayes - 141 Noes - 216
7 Mar 2007 - House of Lords Reform - View Vote Context
Alistair Burt voted Aye - against a party majority and against the House
One of 25 Conservative Aye votes vs 150 Conservative No votes
Tally: Ayes - 155 Noes - 418
View All Alistair Burt Division Votes

All Debates

Speeches made during Parliamentary debates are recorded in Hansard. For ease of browsing we have grouped debates into individual, departmental and legislative categories.

View all Alistair Burt's debates

Latest EDMs signed by Alistair Burt

15th July 2019
Alistair Burt signed this EDM on Monday 29th July 2019

SHARED RURAL NETWORK

Tabled by: Alistair Carmichael (Liberal Democrat - Orkney and Shetland)
That this House notes the need to improve mobile digital connectivity, particularly in rural areas; welcomes the collaborative Shared Rural Network proposal developed by the UK’s four mobile operators, under which they would share infrastructure in rural areas to increase 4G coverage in all four nations of the UK; and …
40 signatures
(Most recent: 25 Sep 2019)
Signatures by party:
Labour: 13
Conservative: 11
Scottish National Party: 5
Liberal Democrat: 3
Plaid Cymru: 3
Democratic Unionist Party: 3
Independent: 2
27th June 2019
Alistair Burt signed this EDM on Tuesday 9th July 2019

GLOBAL POLIO ERADICATION INITIATIVE

Tabled by: Jeremy Lefroy (Conservative - Stafford)
That this House recognizes that the world has nearly eliminated polio thanks to dedicated healthworkers who are committed to immunizing every last child, as well as the tireless efforts of Rotary and other civil society volunteers to raise funds and awareness to end polio; and calls for full political and …
60 signatures
(Most recent: 1 Oct 2019)
Signatures by party:
Labour: 25
Conservative: 14
Independent: 5
Scottish National Party: 5
Liberal Democrat: 4
Plaid Cymru: 3
Democratic Unionist Party: 3
The Independent Group for Change: 1
Green Party: 1
View All Alistair Burt's signed Early Day Motions

Commons initiatives

These initiatives were driven by Alistair Burt, and are more likely to reflect personal policy preferences.

MPs who are act as Ministers or Shadow Ministers are generally restricted from performing Commons initiatives other than Urgent Questions.


Alistair Burt has not been granted any Urgent Questions

1 Adjournment Debate led by Alistair Burt

Tuesday 25th March 2014

Alistair Burt has not introduced any legislation before Parliament

1 Bill co-sponsored by Alistair Burt

European Union (Withdrawal) (No. 2) Act 2019
Sponsor - Hilary Benn (Lab)


Latest 50 Written Questions

(View all written questions)
Written Questions can be tabled by MPs and Lords to request specific information information on the work, policy and activities of a Government Department
2 Other Department Questions
4th Dec 2014
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, when he plans to publish draft legislation following the Government's response to the consultation on changes to financial support for solar PV.

My rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State expects to lay draft regulations for the early closure of the Renewables Obligation to large solar PV before Parliament early in the new year. An illustrative draft was published alongside the Government Response and is available on the government website:

https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/consultation-on-changes-to-financial-support-for-solar-pv

The amendments to the Feed-in Tariff (FIT) were laid in October and are due to come into effect by 1st January 2015. The Government has finished consulting on a further question arising from that consultation (defining what is meant by “other-than-standalone”) and the Secretary of State expects to lay a further amendment to the FITS Order and necessary modifications to the licence conditions early in the new year.

25th Nov 2014
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, when he plans to respond to the letter from the hon. Member for North East Bedfordshire of 2 September 2014 regarding the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership.

My Rt Hon Friend the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills responded to the letter from my Rt hon Friend of 2 September 2014, received in his Department 22 October, on 18 November 2014.

11th Mar 2015
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what average length of time a case with the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman has taken to conclude in each of the last five years.

The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman publish information on staffing and their performance in their Annual Report and Resource Accounts which are laid before Parliament. I have asked the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman to write to the Hon. Member with further detail on the specific questions raised. Copies of the reply will be placed in the House Library.

11th Mar 2015
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many people are employed by the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman; and how many people were so employed (a) 12 months and (b) five years ago.

The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman publish information on staffing and their performance in their Annual Report and Resource Accounts which are laid before Parliament. I have asked the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman to write to the Hon. Member with further detail on the specific questions raised. Copies of the reply will be placed in the House Library.

11th Mar 2015
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many cases before the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman are awaiting allocation of an assessor.

The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman publish information on staffing and their performance in their Annual Report and Resource Accounts which are laid before Parliament. I have asked the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman to write to the Hon. Member with further detail on the specific questions raised. Copies of the reply will be placed in the House Library.

18th Apr 2019
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what proportion of electricity used in England and Wales was generated in the UK in (a) 2017 and (b) 2018.

In 2017, of 308.1 TWh electricity used in England and Wales, 293.3 TWh (95.2 per cent) was generated in the UK. This includes electricity used by generators, for pumped storage, losses, and final consumption.

Data for 2018 split by regions of the UK are not yet available. These will be published in December 2019.

18th Apr 2019
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what proportion of electricity used in England and Wales was imported from Europe via interconnector in (a) 2017 and (b) 2018.

In 2017, of 308.1 TWh electricity used in England and Wales, 14.8 TWh (4.8 per cent) was imported from Europe into the UK via interconnectors. This includes electricity used by generators, for pumped storage, losses, and final consumption.

Data for 2018 split by regions of the UK are not yet available. These will be published in December 2019.

25th Apr 2019
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what progress has been made with the Rural Connected Communities Project; and if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of using North East Bedfordshire as a pilot area for that initiative.

The 5G Testbeds and Trials Programme is currently developing proposals for the Rural Connected Communities (RCC) project. This aims to build the business case for 5G, and rural mobile coverage by testing a range of technical solutions and commercial models, building and proving demand through new use cases.

When the application process for the RCC project is open, as a mainly rural area, North East Bedfordshire may wish to submit a bid, subject to the competition’s final eligibility requirements.

25th Apr 2019
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, when he plans to launch the Rural Gigabit Connectivity programme.

At Budget 2018, £200 million was allocated from the National Productivity Investment Fund for the Rural Gigabit Connectivity programme. This is to start our "Outside-In" approach identified in the Future Telecoms Infrastructure Review, which seeks to ensure that around 10% of UK premises that are not likely to get commercial full fibre coverage by 2033 are addressed at the same pace as the rest of the country.

We will make further announcements on this policy shortly.

20th Oct 2016
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many households have taken up the Government's subsidised broadband connection offer in North East Bedfordshire.

11,257.

20th Oct 2016
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what BT's commercial investment was in broadband rollout in North East Bedfordshire.

The Department does not hold information on BT's commercial investment in broadband roll-out.

17th Nov 2014
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many different companies tendered for the 47 contracts to deliver superfast broadband under phases one and two of the Superfast Broadband programme.

In Phase 1 of the Superfast Broadband Programme there are 44 contracts between Local Bodies and providers. 33 of these used the Broadband Delivery Framework. Nine suppliers started the competitive dialogue tender process for the Framework and three submitted final tenders. Two of these tenders were accepted. Of these, only one supplier has submitted bids for individual projects.

For the remaining 11 local projects an OJEU procurement was used by the Local Bodies. Across the 11 projects a total of 19 different suppliers were invited to submit bids. Four different suppliers submitted ITT responses at the end of the procurement processes.

All three contracts so far signed for Phase 2 of the programme have used the Broadband Delivery Framework that was established as part of Phase 1.

5th Nov 2014
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what proportion of properties in North East Bedfordshire receive (a) broadband at speeds below 2MBPS and (b) superfast broadband; and what changes there have been in these proportions.

Ofcom publish availability data. They report that the percentage of premises in Central Bedfordshire with speeds less than 2Mbps was 8.6% and 12% in Bedford. Superfast broadband is available to 76.8% of Central Bedfordshire and 77.1% of Bedford.

Between 2012 and 2013 this represents an increase of 6.5% in superfast broadband availability in Central Bedfordshire and a 1.8% reduction in the number receiving 2Mbps or below. For Bedford, figures are 1.1% increase in availability of superfast broadband and a 2.4% reduction in 2Mbps or below services.

Ofcom did not publish analysis at constituency level. The Ofcom figures were released in 2013, but Ofcom are due to release an update of its Fixed Broadband Map for 2014 shortly.

5th Nov 2014
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what funding for broadband his Department has provided to (a) Bedford Borough Council and (b) Central Bedfordshire Council in each of the last three years.

The Government has allocated £2.6million to the Central Superfast partnership which includes Central Bedfordshire, Bedford Borough and Milton Keynes under Phase 1 of the Superfast Broadband Programme. Funding of £34,372 has been paid to the project so far, paid in financial year 2014/15. The second phase of the programme is in the procurement process and BDUK has allocated £3.18million (to also include coverage of Luton).

5th Nov 2014
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what proportion of contracts to deliver rollout of superfast broadband have been granted to BT since 2010.

There are 47 contracts to deliver superfast broadband which have been let under phases 1 and 2 of the superfast broadband programme, a further eight market test pilot projects, and five projects funded by the Defra/DCMS Rural Community Broadband Fund. The eight market test pilot projects and three of the Rural Community Broadband Fund projects are with companies other than BT. The remaining 49 projects have contracts with BT.

18th Jun 2019
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he is taking to improve the (a) quality and (b) provision of accommodation for 16 and 17 year old children in care.

Local authorities have a duty to consider the placement for each child and are required to ensure that children in care are provided with suitable accommodation that meets their needs.

Many children in care aged 16 and 17 live in foster care or children’s homes, which are inspected by Ofsted. Data from Ofsted’s latest annual report (2017/18) show that 84% of providers are judged as good or outstanding and 2% are inadequate.

We are supporting local authorities to increase sufficiency of fostering, secure and non-secure residential placements and ensure that placements meet children’s needs. This includes investing £5 million in an innovation programme funding 3 projects to increase councils residential care capacity and improve commissioning practice.

In fostering, we have invited local authorities and their partners to bid for seed funding to conduct feasibility studies into new or expanded collaborative approaches. This is across sufficiency planning, commissioning, recruitment and training of foster parents. In addition, arrangements for young people preparing to step up to, or down from residential care, or return home from foster care. The department is also increasing the number of secure children’s homes beds through our £40 million capital grants programme. In addition, the department has invested nearly £6 million in a pilot programme called Staying Close, which will provide further support for young people leaving residential care.

Where it is judged to be in the child’s best interests, local authorities can also accommodate children in care and care leavers aged 16 or 17 in suitable unregulated provision.

Suitable accommodation is defined in regulations in the Children Act Volume 2 statutory guidance, a copy of which is available at the following link: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/441643/Children_Act_Guidance_2015.pdf.

Unregulated accommodation can be the right option for some older children in care and care leavers aged 16 or 17, providing a stepping-stone towards living as an independent adult. In some cases, the quality of accommodation provided may not be reaching the standards we would expect, so I have asked Sir Alan Wood, the Chair of the Residential Care Leadership Board, to collect evidence to help us understand where improvements might be needed.

In light of Sir Alan Wood’s findings, we will consider whether further steps need to be taken to ensure that all children in care aged 16 or 17 are living in settings that are safe and provide the wrap-around support that they need.

14th Sep 2016
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps the Government is taking to ensure that 16 to 18 year-olds take up apprenticeships.

Apprenticeships are paid jobs that give young people the chance to reach their potential; acquire transferable skills much valued in the labour market and the apprentice does not have to contribute to the costs of their learning.

We are encouraging a wide range of people into apprenticeships – our ‘Get In Go Far’ campaign is aimed at 14-24 year-olds, their parents, teachers and employers. This major four-year campaign aims to influence public perceptions, awareness and attitudes towards apprenticeships as a route into a successful career, encouraging more young people to apply and more employers to offer apprenticeship opportunities.

From May 2017, we have proposed giving employers and providers a cash payment each of £1,000 when they train a 16-18 year old, and we will fund 100 per cent of apprenticeship training costs for small employers with fewer than 50 staff when they employ 16-18 year old apprentices.

The National Careers Service provides independent, professional advice on careers, skills and the labour market, including on the benefits of apprenticeships and how to apply for vacancies.

14th Sep 2016
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent progress she has made on implementing 30 hours' free childcare for working parents.

We pledged to introduce the manifesto commitment to give working parents of 3- and 4-year-olds 30 hours of free childcare from September 2017, and we have already made excellent progress in meeting this deadline.

We have already put in place legislation to support 30 hours through the Childcare Act 2016, announced increased funding of £1billion extra per year by 2019/20 to support the introduction of 30 hours and launched a consultation on how we can allocate funding in a fairer way. We have also: identified £50million of capital funding to create new childcare places; consulted on the operational delivery of 30 hours; and have worked to provide parents applying for 30 hours and Tax-Free Childcare with a single online application process for both government offers.

We have brought forward the implementation of the additional 15 hours to September 2016 for some families in eight areas. These areas will test how we can implement 30 hours in a way that works for children, parents and childcare providers.

Since the beginning of this month, working parents in York, Northumberland, Newham, Wigan, Staffordshire, Swindon, Portsmouth and Hertfordshire have been enjoying the benefits of 30 hours of free childcare.

4th Feb 2015
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she or a Minister in her Department will pay a visit to Sandy Upper School, Bedfordshire.

My Rt hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Education and my noble Friend the Lord Nash met the headteacher and chair of governors of Sandy Upper School, together with my hon. Friend in December 2014. They were pleased to note the rapid improvement in standards at the school.

14th Oct 2019
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the findings of the 2016 Joint Nature Conservation Committee review of Special Protection Areas, (a) what representations she has received on completing and (b) what steps she is taking to complete the network of Special Protection Areas for the nightjar.

Several Members have enquired about the protection of specific wild bird species with reference to the findings of the 2016 review of Special Protection Areas (SPA). The answers are available on the Parliamentary website.

Defra officials, in liaison with Natural England, are finalising an assessment of how best to implement the SPA review in England. This draws on the advice and options set out in the second phase of the Review in 2017. It will include advice on how to prioritise implementation to achieve the best conservation outcomes including for nightjar.

4th Feb 2015
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions she has had with Norbert Dentressangle on the closure of the Border Inspection Post at Heathrow Airport.

Border Inspection Posts (BIPs) that handle imported product of animal origin at UK ports and airports are provided by commercial operators. The BIP at Heathrow Airport is comprised of three separately managed inspection centres including one that handles imports of live animals. Norbert Dentressangle operates one of two inspection centres that are approved to handle different types of product of animal origin.

Defra has received representations from and on behalf of businesses that currently rely on the inspection centre currently operated by Norbert Dentressangle. Officials have responded informally to understand better these concerns.

I understand that the operator of the second animal product inspection centre at Heathrow has expressed an interest in providing alternative inspection facilities. Their facility will require some structural and other changes and these will need to be checked by the Animal and Plant Health Agency. Any fundamental change to the existing facility will also need to be approved by the Food and Veterinary Office of the European Commission. This could require an inspection of any new facilities.

I also understand that the parties involved are also exploring contingency measures that could operate whilst any planning and building work is carried out. The aim is to ensure that there is a continuous Border Inspection capability for all types of product of animal origin at Heathrow.

I appreciate the importance that the bio-pharmaceutical industry and other importers attach to the maintenance of inspection facilities for animal product at Heathrow Airport. I welcome the discussions that are currently taking place between various interested parties. Defra will continue to follow developments closely and officials will provide any advice needed to assist the possible development the other animal product inspection centre at Heathrow Airport.

4th Feb 2015
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department has assessed the feasibility of options to ensure the Border Inspection Post at Heathrow Airport remains open.

Border Inspection Posts (BIPs) that handle imported product of animal origin at UK ports and airports are provided by commercial operators. The BIP at Heathrow Airport is comprised of three separately managed inspection centres including one that handles imports of live animals. Norbert Dentressangle operates one of two inspection centres that are approved to handle different types of product of animal origin.

Defra has received representations from and on behalf of businesses that currently rely on the inspection centre currently operated by Norbert Dentressangle. Officials have responded informally to understand better these concerns.

I understand that the operator of the second animal product inspection centre at Heathrow has expressed an interest in providing alternative inspection facilities. Their facility will require some structural and other changes and these will need to be checked by the Animal and Plant Health Agency. Any fundamental change to the existing facility will also need to be approved by the Food and Veterinary Office of the European Commission. This could require an inspection of any new facilities.

I also understand that the parties involved are also exploring contingency measures that could operate whilst any planning and building work is carried out. The aim is to ensure that there is a continuous Border Inspection capability for all types of product of animal origin at Heathrow.

I appreciate the importance that the bio-pharmaceutical industry and other importers attach to the maintenance of inspection facilities for animal product at Heathrow Airport. I welcome the discussions that are currently taking place between various interested parties. Defra will continue to follow developments closely and officials will provide any advice needed to assist the possible development the other animal product inspection centre at Heathrow Airport.

4th Feb 2015
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the effect of the closure of the Border Inspection Post at Heathrow Airport on the bio-pharmaceutical industry.

Border Inspection Posts (BIPs) that handle imported product of animal origin at UK ports and airports are provided by commercial operators. The BIP at Heathrow Airport is comprised of three separately managed inspection centres including one that handles imports of live animals. Norbert Dentressangle operates one of two inspection centres that are approved to handle different types of product of animal origin.

Defra has received representations from and on behalf of businesses that currently rely on the inspection centre currently operated by Norbert Dentressangle. Officials have responded informally to understand better these concerns.

I understand that the operator of the second animal product inspection centre at Heathrow has expressed an interest in providing alternative inspection facilities. Their facility will require some structural and other changes and these will need to be checked by the Animal and Plant Health Agency. Any fundamental change to the existing facility will also need to be approved by the Food and Veterinary Office of the European Commission. This could require an inspection of any new facilities.

I also understand that the parties involved are also exploring contingency measures that could operate whilst any planning and building work is carried out. The aim is to ensure that there is a continuous Border Inspection capability for all types of product of animal origin at Heathrow.

I appreciate the importance that the bio-pharmaceutical industry and other importers attach to the maintenance of inspection facilities for animal product at Heathrow Airport. I welcome the discussions that are currently taking place between various interested parties. Defra will continue to follow developments closely and officials will provide any advice needed to assist the possible development the other animal product inspection centre at Heathrow Airport.

18th Jun 2019
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to tackle the practice of stop-skipping on the Great Northern line at Arlesey.

Omitting scheduled station stops (‘skip-stopping’) is used in exceptional circumstances where there is disruption to restore the service to schedule for the peaks as quickly as possible.

We expect the operator to make the correct operational decisions which balance the needs of passengers who are inconvenienced by taking stops out of service against the wider advantage to passengers of getting services back on schedule as soon as possible. Operators are expected to communicate this to passengers in good time where possible, and to provide affected passengers with advice on the alternative options to complete their journey.

Officials meet regularly with GTR to discuss performance and the operator has confirmed that it tries to protect stations like Arlesey where there are no alternative modes of transport. Where trains do miss these stations GTR has a procedure to try and ensure that the next fast service does call there.

7th Sep 2016
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many refunds of vehicle excise duty were awarded (a) less than four weeks,(b) between four and six weeks and (c) more than six weeks after the original claim being made.

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) does not hold information in this way.

Since 1 October 2014, vehicle excise duty (VED) automatically ends when the DVLA receives notification that a vehicle has been sold to a new keeper or the motor trade. VED also ends when DVLA is notified that a Statutory Off Road Notification has been made or a vehicle has been stolen, exported or scrapped. When the DVLA record is updated with one of these qualifying events, a refund is usually generated automatically to the registered keeper. This can take longer in a small number of cases where further enquiries by the DVLA are necessary or the vehicle keeper is asked to provide additional information.

7th Sep 2016
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many refunds of vehicle excise duty have been awarded in each financial year since 2014.

The following table sets out the volume of refunds of vehicle excise duty issued in each financial year since 2014.

2014/15

2015/16

2016/17*

4,439,033

5,477,955

2,234,931

*Figures for 2016/17 are April to August

7th Sep 2016
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many complaints have been made to the DVLA about vehicle excise duty refunds in each month since October 2014.

Between October 2014 and August 2016, the DVLA has issued over 10.7 million vehicle excise duty refunds. The following table sets out the number of complaints about refunds received each month by the DVLA since October 2014.

October 2014

31

November 2014

45

December 2014

51

January 2015

114

February 2015

102

March 2015

74

April 2015

58

May 2015

64

June 2015

79

July 2015

95

August 2015

107

September 2015

110

October 2015

88

November 2015

67

December 2015

43

January 2016

50

February 2016

59

March 2016

53

April 2016

60

May 2016

32

June 2016

39

July 2016

35

August 2016

34

26th Feb 2015
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will visit the Black Cat roundabout in Bedfordshire to make an assessment of the extent of the improvement works being carried out and the effect of those works on neighbouring businesses.

I would be delighted to visit again the Black Cat roundabout.

Work on this important Pinch Point Scheme is now nearing completion and the impact that the work has had on neighbouring businesses will soon end.

I am keen to ensure that the impact of all construction work on local businesses is minimised wherever possible, as is the Highways Agency. I am aware that the close proximity of these particular works to neighbouring businesses has been the cause of some frustration, however, I am also aware of the efforts made by the Highways Agency to listen to local concerns and to address them during the construction phase where it has been possible to do so.

Once completed, the improvements made at the Black Cat Roundabout will benefit not only its near neighbours but the local and wider economies through safer and less congested journeys.

24th Nov 2014
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what route options have been considered for the new railway between Bedford and Cambridge.

Twenty route corridors have been identified, each of which could potentially provide a route between the existing Oxford - Bedford railway and Cambridge. The East West Rail Consortium of local authorities and Network Rail have evaluated these against agreed criteria and reduced them to seven corridors for further evaluation.

5th Nov 2014
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what funding his Department provided to (a) Bedford Borough Council and (b) Central Bedfordshire Council for local welfare assistance schemes in 2014.

The table below shows the funding provided by DWP to Bedford Borough Council and Central Bedfordshire Council in relation to local welfare assistance schemes for 2013/14 and 2014/15.

2013/14

2014/15

Local Authority

Programme Funding

Administration Funding

Total

Programme Funding

Administration Funding

Total

Bedford Borough Council

£399,829

£84,487

£484,316

£399,829

£77,441

£477,270

Central Bedfordshire Council

£355,903

£75,205

£431,108

£355,903

£68,934

£424,837

1st May 2019
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans his Department has to allocate funding to IT connectivity for primary care optical practices to ensure safe and efficient referrals to hospital eye departments.

The Department has no plans to allocate funding to enable IT connectivity between primary care optical practices and hospital eye departments. NHS England is continuing to work with the eye care sector and other key stakeholders on this area of work and will be considering priorities for IT investment later this year.

25th Apr 2019
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the level of reserves held by The Caxton Foundation were, prior to their winding up in 2018; and how those reserves were distributed.

For the cessation period which ended 16 August 2018, closing reserves were £203,657 which was returned to the Department, as the Founder, at close on 16 August 2018, in line with the requirements of the Trust Deed.

The Department has since directly financed the NHS Business Services Authority to administer the England Infected Blood Support Scheme to provide discretionary ex gratia financial assistance, to those individuals who have been shown to be infected or affected, by hepatitis C and HIV throughout the 1980s and 1990s. On 30 April 2019, the Department committed to increase the total amount of financial support for these individuals from £46 million to £75 million.

8th Mar 2017
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what plans he has to expand health services in North East Bedfordshire to meet growing demand as a result of additional houses being built.

This information is not held centrally. Decisions regarding the planning of services in a local area are the responsibility of individual clinical commissioning groups.

19th Jan 2017
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what progress has been made on incorporating current discretionary support payments into the new scheme for victims of contaminated blood; and if he will make a statement.

The new infected blood payment scheme will contain a discretionary element.

The three existing discretionary schemes will remain in place until the new scheme administrator is in place later in 2017. This will ensure a smooth handover of the discretionary elements under the new scheme.

Further details of the discretionary support scheme will be provided in advance of the new scheme being set up.

16th Jan 2017
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to decrease the number of people missing hospital appointments.

Information published by NHS England shows that the proportion of hospital outpatient appointments that were missed by patients has decreased from 10.3% in 2009-10 to 8.9% in 2015-16.

It is the responsibility of National Health Service hospital trusts to make their own arrangements for reducing the number of missed appointments. Intensive Support Teams within NHS Improvement have published an information sheet1 containing a range of initiatives that NHS hospital trusts should consider.

The Department, in conjunction with behavioural scientists at Imperial College, has conducted randomised controlled trials at Barts Hospitals NHS Trust into the content of the most effective text reminder. The results were published in an online academic journal2 in September 2015 and summarised on the Department’s website3 in January 2016.

The NHS e-Referral Service replaced Choose and Book in June 2015. From 2016-17, as well as booking appointments, patients have been able to change or cancel their appointment on a smartphone, tablet or computer.

The NHS Constitution is clear that patients have responsibilities too, including “to keep appointments, or cancel within a reasonable time.”

References:

1 http://www.nhsimas.nhs.uk/fileadmin/Files/IST/NHS_IMAS_IST_Cancellations_and_DNA_s_Information_Sheet__Final__I-26_v1.00.pdf

2 http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0137306

3 https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/reducing-missed-hospital-appointments-using-text-messages

11th Mar 2015
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the average time was for the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman to allocate an assessor to a health case in (a) February 2015, (b) August 2014, (c) February 2014 and (d) 2010.

The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman is independent of Government, accountable directly to Parliament. The Department does not, therefore, hold this information. However, we understand that the Ombudsman will be writing directly to the hon. Member with further detail on the question raised.

27th Nov 2014
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many people were registered with (a) the Macfarlane Trust, (b) the Skipton Fund and (c) the Caxton Foundation in each year since 2011.

The number of people registered with the Macfarlane Trust, the Skipton Fund and the Caxton Foundation, from 2011-12 to the most recent full year for which the Department has figures are as follows:

2011-12

2012-13

2013-14

Skipton Fund

4,908

5,038

5,132

Caxton Foundation

505

555

695

Macfarlane Trust

549

608

599

The Skipton Fund figures relate to successful stage 1 applications in respect of infected claimants, but it is not known how many of these people are currently still alive. The Caxton Foundation and Macfarlane Fund figures are the number of living beneficiaries at 31 March in each of the specified years, and includes both infected and uninfected beneficiaries.

27th Nov 2014
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what change there has been in the salary of the Chief Executive of the Macfarlane Trust and Caxton Foundation since her appointment in 2013.

The amount of time that each member of staff spends working on either Macfarlane Trust business or Caxton Foundation business is given in the following table:

% of time spent on Caxton Foundation

% of time spent on Macfarlane Trust

Chief Executive

48

48

Director of Finance

27

27

Finance Assistant

32

32

Director of Operations

47

47

Support Services Officer

0

100

Welfare Assistant

100

0

Office Manager

50

50

IT Manager

13

13

The Caxton Foundation cannot provide details of the salaries of these individuals because salaries are personal information under section 1 of the Data Protection Act 1998. However, as with all charities, the pay bands of the highest paid members of staff are a matter of public record. The Caxton Foundation’s annual report and accounts for 2013-14, state that one member of staff received a salary in the pay band of £70,001 - £80,000. That salary was paid in respect of work for both the Caxton Foundation and the Macfarlane Trust. All employees of who were employed at 1 April 2014 received a 1% salary increase. That is the only pay increase that the Chief Executive has received since her appointment in 2013.

27th Nov 2014
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many staff are employed by the (a) Macfarlane Trust and (b) Caxton Foundation; and what their (i) posts and (ii) current salaries are.

The amount of time that each member of staff spends working on either Macfarlane Trust business or Caxton Foundation business is given in the following table:

% of time spent on Caxton Foundation

% of time spent on Macfarlane Trust

Chief Executive

48

48

Director of Finance

27

27

Finance Assistant

32

32

Director of Operations

47

47

Support Services Officer

0

100

Welfare Assistant

100

0

Office Manager

50

50

IT Manager

13

13

The Caxton Foundation cannot provide details of the salaries of these individuals because salaries are personal information under section 1 of the Data Protection Act 1998. However, as with all charities, the pay bands of the highest paid members of staff are a matter of public record. The Caxton Foundation’s annual report and accounts for 2013-14, state that one member of staff received a salary in the pay band of £70,001 - £80,000. That salary was paid in respect of work for both the Caxton Foundation and the Macfarlane Trust. All employees of who were employed at 1 April 2014 received a 1% salary increase. That is the only pay increase that the Chief Executive has received since her appointment in 2013.

4th Nov 2014
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what representations his Department has received from the Caxton Foundation about increases in funding to cover the costs of winter fuel payment in 2014.

The Department has not had any discussions with the Caxton Foundation in relation to winter payments in 2014-15, nor has it received any requests for increased funding in 2014-15 to cover the costs of winter payments.

4th Nov 2014
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what recent discussions his Department has had with the Caxton Foundation about the level of winter fuel payment in 2014.

The Department has not had any discussions with the Caxton Foundation in relation to winter payments in 2014-15, nor has it received any requests for increased funding in 2014-15 to cover the costs of winter payments.

4th Nov 2014
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many beneficiaries of the Caxton Foundation received winter fuel payments in each of the last three years; and how much was paid out in each of those years.

The following table sets out the number of winter payments, size of those payments, and total amounts paid out by the Caxton Foundation for the years 2011-12, 2012-13 and 2013-14.

Year

Amount Paid per Household

Number of Payments

Total Amount Paid

2013-14

£500

571

£285,500

2012-13

£500

377

£188,500

2011-121

£500

32

£16,000

£250

25

£6,250

1In 2011-12, two rates of winter payment were made, depending on household income. £500 was paid to those with household incomes below £14,000, and £250 was paid to those with household incomes above £14,000.

12th Jan 2015
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent representations he has made to his counterparts in the Lebanese government on the removal of restrictions placed on Syrian refugees seeking to enter Lebanon.

I discussed the issue of Syrian refugees with the Lebanese Prime Minister and the Speaker for Parliament when I visited Lebanon in December. I paid tribute to Lebanon’s generosity as they host nearly 1.2 million registered refugees and made clear that the UK’s support, which is now around £160 million since the start of the Syria crisis, will continue. Following the announcement of new border regulations by the Lebanese authorities, our Ambassador in Lebanon alongside EU partners, reiterated to the Lebanese Prime Minister the international community’s concern that the new border regulations should adequately provide for the most vulnerable humanitarian cases.

25th Jun 2014
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many (a) Government Ministers, (b) non-governmental organisations and civil society groups and (c) survivors attended the Global Summit to End Sexual Violence in Conflict; and if he will make a statement.

I refer my honourable Friend the member for North East Bedfordshire to the statement made by the Foreign Secretary to this House on 16 June 2014 on the outcomes of the Global Summit to End Sexual Violence in Conflict. 79 Ministers and 129 country delegations were accredited for Summit, plus 950 experts from civil society, non-governmental organisations, academia, health practitioners, military and policy. Many more members of the public attended the Fringe. The FCO supported participation of the 300 grass roots and civil society activists from conflict affected countries, many of whom had direct experience of sexual violence in conflict. Other organisations who attended also had survivors as part of their delegations. Together we discussed practical action to tackle impunity for the use of sexual violence as a tactic of conflict and continued the long process of changing global attitudes to these crimes.

25th Jun 2014
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many fringe events were held during the Global Summit to End Sexual Violence in Conflict; and if he will make a statement.

I refer my honourable Friend the member for North East Bedfordshire to the Foreign Secretary's statement to the House on 16 June 2014 on the Global Summit to End Sexual Violence in Conflict. There were 175 fringe events during the Summit, which included panel discussions and debates, theatre and performance, marketplace with products made by survivors, gallery, silent cinema, exhibitions. We estimate that several thousand members of the public attended the fringe each day. In addition, our Embassies and High Commissions overseas held a global fringe and hosted events for each of the 84 hours of the Summit. These events challenged perceptions and encouraged policy and decision makers and the general public to engage with a subject that for too long has remained hidden.

25th Jun 2014
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what the outcomes were of the Global Summit to End Sexual Violence in Conflict.

The Global Summit had two primary objectives: to agree practical action to tackle impunity for the use of rape as a weapon of war, and to begin to change global attitudes to these crimes. The Summit set in motion a series of unprecedented practical steps and commitments. In addition, it significantly raised the profile of this issue and placed it firmly on the international policy agenda.

During the Summit we launched the first ever International Protocol on how to document and investigate sexual violence in conflict as a means of overcoming one of the key barriers to prosecutions of these crimes and announced an ambitious plan to implement the Protocol. The Foreign Secretary announced £6 million in new UK funding to support survivors of rape, and the United States, Bahrain, Australia, Japan and others including European partners also made new pledges. The African Union announced a pilot project in the Central African Republic to respond to the urgent needs of victims of sexual violence, supported by the UK and Japan. In addition the Somali government launched a new action plan, supported by the UN and the international community, for addressing sexual violence, which has blighted the lives of thousands there.

Within the Summit we convened a special meeting on security in Nigeria, where violence against women and girls is a particular concern among the wider impact of Boko Haram. We agreed that a Regional Intelligence Fusion Unit should be made operational immediately. The countries of the region also agreed rapidly to implement joint or coordinated patrols along their borders and Cameroon committed to add a battalion to that regional task force. The UK, US and France pledged to support of these regional efforts. We announced a separate package of support for Nigeria including: increased tactical training for the Nigerian army, assistance to regional security and intelligence cooperation, and a joint UK/US educational programme to educate an additional one million children in Nigeria. All the parties present also agreed on the need for UN sanctions against Boko Haram’s leadership and Ansaru, another dangerous terrorist organisation. Both were listed by the UN Security Council’s Al Qaida Sanctions Committee on 26 June.

Finally, states and delegates at the Summit joined together to sign a Statement of Action, uniting governments, UN Agencies, civil society, experts and survivors with a shared determination to tackle these issues.

25th Jun 2014
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what estimate he has made of public footfall at the Global Summit to End Sexual Violence in Conflict.

One of the principal aims of the Global Summit was to invite members of the public to take part in the Summit and to transform awareness of a taboo and often poorly understood subject. We estimate that several thousand members of the public attended the Fringe events each day.