Asked by: Andrew Percy (Conservative - Brigg and Goole)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what estimate her Department has made of the impact of the ceramics industry on gross domestic product in the last five years.
Answered by Nusrat Ghani
The Department for Business and trade estimates that the ceramics industry was worth £1.1 billion in 20211. Over the last five years, the ceramics industry has represented 0.1% of UK GDP2.
1- ONS Annual Business Survey accessed here
2- ONS Gross Value Added accessed here
Asked by: Andrew Percy (Conservative - Brigg and Goole)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether his Department is taking steps to help support the ceramics industry to achieve net zero emissions.
Answered by Graham Stuart
The Government is committed to working with the ceramics industry to support decarbonisation. Innovative ceramics fuel mixes were supported through the Industrial Fuel Switching competition, with £300,000 for hydrogen trials in Stoke. On 5 June the Government launched the Local Industrial Decarbonisation Plans competition, which will provide support to local areas and could further support initiatives for ceramic decarbonisation. Funding for deployment of low carbon technologies, and for feasibility /engineering studies, is also available through the Industrial Energy Transformation Fund.
Asked by: Andrew Percy (Conservative - Brigg and Goole)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether she has had recent discussions with brick manufacturers on the future economic performance of the ceramics industry.
Answered by Nusrat Ghani
Department for Business and Trade ministers and officials are in regular contact with the ceramics sector, specifically brick manufacturers to discuss current and future priorities around energy costs, decarbonisation, and competitiveness.
Asked by: Andrew Percy (Conservative - Brigg and Goole)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an estimate of the total cost to her Department of administering applications for electronic travel authorisation.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
On 6 June, I set in a Written Ministerial Statement (https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-statements/detail/2023-06-06/hcws821(opens in a new tab)), that the proposed fee for an ETA application is £10.00. This is set at a level that will cover the costs of administering the system and is competitive compared with similar international schemes by international partners.
It is the government’s policy that those who use and benefit most from the immigration system should contribute towards the cost of operating the system, reducing the burden on the UK taxpayer.
The estimated cost of administering each ETA application will be published when the ETA fee is formally set in the Immigration and Nationality Fees Regulations in Autumn 2023.
Asked by: Andrew Percy (Conservative - Brigg and Goole)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many and what proportion of dual crewed emergency ambulances have entered service with Vehicle Certification Agency Whole Vehicle Type Approval since 1 April 2022.
Answered by Richard Holden
Information on the number of dual crewed emergency ambulances that have entered service with Vehicle Certification Agency Whole Vehicle Type Approval is not recorded.
Asked by: Andrew Percy (Conservative - Brigg and Goole)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the number of imported foreign ambulances in use by the NHS in England.
Answered by Will Quince
No such estimate has been made by the Department. The procurement of ambulances is an operational matter for the National Health Service. Each new ambulance is required to meet strict technical specifications to ensure consistency in quality and safety across the fleet.
Asked by: Andrew Percy (Conservative - Brigg and Goole)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many and what proportion of dual crewed emergency ambulances entered service with Driver Vehicle Standards Agency Individual Vehicle Approval certification since 1 April 2022.
Answered by Richard Holden
The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency does not hold data on dual crewed ambulances that have entered service with Individual Approval certification.
Asked by: Andrew Percy (Conservative - Brigg and Goole)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how many ambulances the Government has supplied to Ukraine since May 2022; and how many of those ambulances were manufactured in (a) the UK and (b) what other country.
Answered by Leo Docherty
In response to the Government of Ukraine's requests for assistance, the UK has provided 96 non-armoured ambulances (20 NHS and 76 new). The ambulances selected are in line with the priorities and specifications set out by Ukraine's Ministry of Health in their dialogue with officials in the FCDO. The donation of ambulances was coordinated across a number of NHS Trusts, who donated individual vehicles and the country of manufacture of the ambulance was not centrally recorded.
Asked by: Andrew Percy (Conservative - Brigg and Goole)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many and what proportion of ambulances in service are fully compliant with the latest British standards: CEN BS EN1789:2020.
Answered by Will Quince
The information requested is not held centrally. The procurement of ambulances is an operational matter for the National Health Service. Each new ambulance is required to meet strict technical specifications to ensure consistency in quality and safety across the fleet.
Asked by: Andrew Percy (Conservative - Brigg and Goole)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with the Palestinian Authority on recent attacks on Israel by Palestinian Islamic Jihad.
Answered by David Rutley
We closely monitor the security situation in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPTs). The UK has proscribed the organisation known as Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) as a terrorist entity since March 2001. PIJ and other terrorist groups must cease all actions that are violent or provocative, or that put civilian lives at risk. The Minister for the Middle East, Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon last met with Palestinian Authority Foreign Minister Riad Malki on 5 May, before the recent outbreak of violence. As the Foreign Secretary said in his 14 May statement, we welcome the current Egyptian-brokered ceasefire and urge all sides to de-escalate tensions.