Asked by: Ben Wallace (Conservative - Wyre and Preston North)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress his Department has made on the New Hospital Programme in Preston and Lancaster; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Will Quince
The New Hospital Programme (NHP) scheme for Royal Preston Hospital and Royal Lancaster Infirmary is at the early stages of development and the trusts are currently exploring options for sites, including investment at Furness General Hospital. This will include a public consultation, expected in 2024. The trusts have received an overall indicative funding allocation for their scheme to support planning, and up to the end of the 2022/23 financial year, the trusts have received £11.36 million in fees and funding for the development of their scheme.
We are working closely with Preston and Lancaster on how our national standardised approach, Hospital 2.0, can support their plans using standardised designs to streamline approvals and speed up construction. This will deliver improvements for patients and staff whilst driving cost reduction and decreasing overall development timescales.
Asked by: Ben Wallace (Conservative - Wyre and Preston North)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the assessed spiral development costs and upgrades for the CH47(ER) are.
Answered by James Cartlidge - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The Department acknowledge and are working to resolve H47(ER) cost growth. The updated programme costs and schedule, including Spiral Development, will be considered by the Ministry of Defence Investment Approvals Committee upon conclusion of this work and, until this has taken place, it would not be appropriate to disclose the figures.
Asked by: Ben Wallace (Conservative - Wyre and Preston North)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the cost growth is of the CH47(ER) since approval by his Department's Investment Approvals Committee.
Answered by James Cartlidge - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The Department acknowledge and are working to resolve H47(ER) cost growth. The updated programme costs and schedule, including Spiral Development, will be considered by the Ministry of Defence Investment Approvals Committee upon conclusion of this work and, until this has taken place, it would not be appropriate to disclose the figures.
Asked by: Ben Wallace (Conservative - Wyre and Preston North)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what progress his Department has made on the delivery of the National Cyber Force at Samlesbury; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by James Heappey
The National Cyber Force (NCF) headquarters in Samlesbury is currently undergoing construction work. It will open in 2025, and the NCF is planning for several hundred staff to be based there within the first 12 months. By the 2030s this will have increased to up to two thousand people, including those from other partners, working there. We continue to prioritise the NCF workforce growth.
Asked by: Ben Wallace (Conservative - Wyre and Preston North)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many civil servants at the director general level from other Departments are working in the Cabinet Office as of 16 October 2023.
Answered by Jeremy Quin
20 civil servants are working in the Department at the level of director general who are employed by the Cabinet Office as of 30 September 2023.
As of the same date the number of civil servants at the director general level from other Departments working in the Cabinet Office is less than 5 so we are unable to answer this as it would disclose personal data of the civil servants involved.
321 civil servants from other Departments are working in the Cabinet Office and on Cabinet Office payroll, on a Loan or Secondment as of 30 September 2023.
Asked by: Ben Wallace (Conservative - Wyre and Preston North)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many civil servants at the level of director general are employed by his Department as of 16 October 2023.
Answered by Jeremy Quin
20 civil servants are working in the Department at the level of director general who are employed by the Cabinet Office as of 30 September 2023.
As of the same date the number of civil servants at the director general level from other Departments working in the Cabinet Office is less than 5 so we are unable to answer this as it would disclose personal data of the civil servants involved.
321 civil servants from other Departments are working in the Cabinet Office and on Cabinet Office payroll, on a Loan or Secondment as of 30 September 2023.
Asked by: Ben Wallace (Conservative - Wyre and Preston North)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many civil servants from other Departments are working in his Department as of 16 October 2023.
Answered by Jeremy Quin
20 civil servants are working in the Department at the level of director general who are employed by the Cabinet Office as of 30 September 2023.
As of the same date the number of civil servants at the director general level from other Departments working in the Cabinet Office is less than 5 so we are unable to answer this as it would disclose personal data of the civil servants involved.
321 civil servants from other Departments are working in the Cabinet Office and on Cabinet Office payroll, on a Loan or Secondment as of 30 September 2023.
Asked by: Ben Wallace (Conservative - Wyre and Preston North)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps he has taken to ensure the UK complies with the undertakings agreed to in the Geneva Agreements with Iran on the sale of civil aerospace parts to Iran.
Answered by Tobias Ellwood
The UK, as part of the E3+3, has fully met its obligations under the Joint Plan of Action agreed with Iran in Geneva, including in the area of sanctions relief. The supply of civil aerospace parts to Iran was permitted under EU sanctions prior to the Joint Plan of Action and remains so (subject to the usual export control procedures).
Asked by: Ben Wallace (Conservative - Wyre and Preston North)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if he will amend paragraph 98 of the National Planning Policy Framework to require applicants for onshore wind energy developments to demonstrate an overall national need for renewable energy.
Answered by Kris Hopkins
Inappropriately sited wind turbines can cause significant harm to the local environment. Hence, last year, we changed planning guidance to strengthen the protection of landscape and heritage in relation to onshore wind.
Looking forward, we are keeping planning policy on renewable energy under review and will consider whether any further steps are appropriate in the light of this monitoring. We are open to representations.
Asked by: Ben Wallace (Conservative - Wyre and Preston North)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if he will take steps to review the boundaries of the county of Lancashire.
Answered by Brandon Lewis
It is not possible to make changes to county areas other than as a consequence of local government structural or boundary changes recommended by the independent Local Government Boundary Commission for England. We have no intention of seeking such change. We are however keen to recognise and acknowledge the continuing role of England's traditional counties in the public and cultural life of the nation and the Government has sought to encourage the marking and continued use of traditional county names and areas irrespective of current tiers of local administration.