Asked by: Bob Blackman (Conservative - Harrow East)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of requiring the Planning Inspectorate to reject local plans that do not include a policy statement that sets a target for the proportion of homes to be built for wheelchair users under part M4 (3) of the building regulations.
Answered by Lee Rowley
I refer my Hon Friend to the answer given to Question UIN HL8422 on 26 June 2023. Councils can only adopt a plan that is sound; it should be consistent with national policy, be supported by evidence and take the views of local people into account. Each plan is subject to a public examination in front of an independent Inspector who plays an important role in examining plans impartially to ensure that they are legally compliant and sound. The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) sets out that local authorities should assess the size, type and tenure of housing needed for different groups in the community, including older people and people with disabilities, and reflect this in their local plan.
Asked by: Bob Blackman (Conservative - Harrow East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what recent assessment he has made of the implications for his Department's policies of media reports of Hamas's use of (a) children’s toys and (b) speakers broadcasting crying sounds in the conflict in Gaza.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
We are aware of media reports from Israel of a range of tactics used by Hamas during the conflict in Gaza, including the use of psychological warfare, but cannot comment on specific reports. The UK has proscribed Hamas as a terrorist organisation in part since 2001 and in whole since 2021. We are clear that Hamas commits terrorist acts. As the Foreign Secretary has set out, Israel has the right to defend itself against Hamas and to eliminate the threat posed. Leaving Hamas in power in Gaza would be a permanent roadblock on the path to a two-state solution. On 13 December 2023, the Government announced new sanctions on the leaders and financiers of Hamas.
Asked by: Bob Blackman (Conservative - Harrow East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what recent assessment he has made of the implications for his Department's policies of Israeli Defence Force reports of Hamas using schools as bases.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
Hamas is putting Palestinian civilians at grave risk by embedding themselves in the civilian population and civilian infrastructure. The UK is aware of reports of Hamas using schools and other infrastructure, such as healthcare facilities, bases and command nodes.
This does not absolve parties from their responsibility to ensure that their actions are compliant with International Humanitarian Law, and minimise harm to civilians. The UK is particularly clear that civilian buildings must not be targeted, and extra care must be taken in relation to hospitals and other locations such as places of worship.
Asked by: Bob Blackman (Conservative - Harrow East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies on prevention of the Cancer Research UK publication entitled, Longer, better lives: A manifesto for cancer research and care.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson
The Government welcomes the Cancer Research UK report which rightly highlights progress made against cancer. We have invested over £100 million into cancer research in 2021/22 through the National Institute for Health and Care Research. We are working closely with research partners in relevant all sectors and are confident the Government's continued commitment to cancer research will help us to continue to make progress, leading to continued improvements for cancer patients.
Cancer is being diagnosed at an earlier stage, more often, with survival rates improving across almost all types of cancer and the National Health Service seeing and treating record numbers of cancer patients over the last two years.
Our Major Conditions Strategy will set out how we will improve cancer prevention, diagnosis and treatment and we have opened 135 community diagnostic centres offering over five million additional tests, including for cancer.
Asked by: Bob Blackman (Conservative - Harrow East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, by which date in early 2024 her Department plans to publish the Major Conditions Strategy.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson
Following publication of the Strategic Framework, we will continue to develop the strategy, informed by the Call for Evidence and ongoing engagement. Our intention is to publish the Major Conditions Strategy in early 2024.
Asked by: Bob Blackman (Conservative - Harrow East)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what progress he has made on reducing the backlog of asylum cases.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
Provisional data indicates that between the end of November 2022 and October 2023 the legacy backlog reduced by 64% and we remain on track to clear the legacy backlog by the end of the year as per the Prime Minister’s commitment last year.
We will continue the steps we are already taking to speed up asylum processing whilst maintaining the integrity of the system. This includes better performance management, overtime, and shorer, focussed interviews.
Asked by: Bob Blackman (Conservative - Harrow East)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the use of (a) low carbon and (b) synthetic fuels for L-Category vehicles in the transition to net zero.
Answered by Anthony Browne
The consultation on when to end the sale of new non-zero emission L-category vehicles was open to responses from 14 July to 21 September 2022 and was supported by a thorough programme of stakeholder engagement. We are now analysing the responses and will bring forward the Government’s response in due course.
The Government’s approach to delivering its ambitions for greener transport is not outcome neutral - the end goal must be zero exhaust emissions. Vehicles that burn synthetic fuels still emit air pollutants at the exhaust. However, the Government understands the need to decarbonise vehicles on the road today and the potential contribution synthetic fuels can make. This is why the Government has increased targets for the supply of low carbon fuels under the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO) and will continue to review that scheme to ensure that it can continue to support delivery of its carbon budgets.
Synthetics and other alternative fuels can be expensive, energy intensive to produce and do not always improve air quality. They show greatest potential in areas that are difficult to electrify, such as aviation. Relying on synthetic fuels to decarbonise road transport would put the UK at risk of failing to meet its economy wide targets on both CO2 and air pollution emissions.
Asked by: Bob Blackman (Conservative - Harrow East)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he plans to take account of the life cycle analysis of L-Category vehicles when phasing out new non zero emission variants.
Answered by Anthony Browne
The consultation on when to end the sale of new non-zero emission L-category vehicles was open to responses from 14 July to 21 September 2022 and supported by a thorough programme of stakeholder engagement. We are now analysing the responses and will bring forward the Government’s response in due course.
Analysis of lifecycle emissions is an important consideration as we accelerate the transition to a zero-emission fleet of road vehicles. Whilst there is no internationally recognised method of measuring lifecycle emissions in any transport sector, the Department’s Transport Energy Model, published in 2018, and the externally commissioned Lifecycle Analysis of UK Road Vehicles, published in 2021, provide clear assessments of the relative environmental impacts of different road vehicle technologies and fuels in the UK.
Asked by: Bob Blackman (Conservative - Harrow East)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions he has had with his EU counterparts about their decision not to set a date for the phase out of new non zero emission L-Category vehicles.
Answered by Anthony Browne
The UK’s exit from the European Union has provided the opportunity for this country to develop its own regulatory approach to decarbonising its entire fleet of new road vehicles, supporting UK industry and riders in the process.
Asked by: Bob Blackman (Conservative - Harrow East)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether his Department has made a recent assessment of the potential merits of (a) implementing additional tax measures for the tobacco industry and (b) ringfencing tax receipts from the tobacco industry to help fund steps the Government is taking to reduce smoking prevalence to 5% or less by 2030.
Answered by Gareth Davies - Shadow Exchequer Secretary (Treasury)
The Government is unable to speculate on tax matters outside of fiscal events. As with all taxes, the Government keeps the tobacco duty system under review during its yearly Budget process.
As announced by the Prime Minister on 4 October 2023, the Government is creating the first smokefree generation, by bringing forward legislation so that children turning 14 this year or younger will never be legally sold tobacco products. This will prevent future generations from ever taking up smoking, as there is no safe age to smoke. The command paper sets out the proposed actions the Government will take to tackle smoking and youth vaping including an additional £70 million per year to support local authority-led stop smoking services and can be accessed here: