Asked by: Danny Kruger (Conservative - East Wiltshire)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what her planned timetable is for making a revised draft of key stages one and two available to the Expert Panel for the National Curriculum review.
Answered by Damian Hinds - Shadow Secretary of State for Education
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
Asked by: Danny Kruger (Conservative - East Wiltshire)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what her planned timetable is for making a draft of key stage three available to the Expert Panel for the National Curriculum review.
Answered by Damian Hinds - Shadow Secretary of State for Education
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
Asked by: Danny Kruger (Conservative - East Wiltshire)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when she plans to publish the model history curriculum.
Answered by Damian Hinds - Shadow Secretary of State for Education
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
Asked by: Danny Kruger (Conservative - East Wiltshire)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will publish her Department's (a) report on the state of conservation of the Stonehenge World Heritage Site and (b) package of information associated with that report.
Answered by Julia Lopez - Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
His Majesty’s Government is fully committed to protecting the World Heritage Sites for which we are responsible, and we continue to engage closely with UNESCO’s World Heritage Centre and the World Heritage Committee to ensure that we are able to meet their requests as far as is reasonably practicable. This includes ongoing dialogue regarding the Stonehenge, Avebury and Associated Sites World Heritage Site and the A303 Scheme, ahead of the World Heritage Committee meeting on 21–31 July this year.
We anticipate the full State of Conservation reporting and associated information will be published on UNESCO’s website shortly before the Committee meeting.
Asked by: Danny Kruger (Conservative - East Wiltshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what his planned timetable is for publication of the M4 to Dorset Coast Connectivity Study.
Answered by Guy Opperman
The M4 to Dorset Coast Study has been considering how to improve north-south strategic road connectivity between the M4 corridor and the Dorset Coast.
The findings of this study will be reflected in the final RIS3 document when published later in 2024. Rather than a standalone report, National Highways will be in contact to discuss its outcomes with you.
Asked by: Danny Kruger (Conservative - East Wiltshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make an estimate of the (a) (i) previous, (ii) future and (iii) total costs for the construction of the A303 Stonehenge road scheme between Amesbury and Berwick Down and (b) annual maintenance costs over the next 60 years in present day values; and whether contractual penalties exist if the scheme is (A) cancelled and (B) subject to serious construction delays.
Answered by Guy Opperman
Construction costs
In 2017, when the Outline Business Case was approved, the construction costs estimate range for the project was between £1.1bn to £2.5bn, with a central estimate of £1.6bn. This was predicated on starting construction work in 2021 and the project being delivered under the government’s Private Finance 2 model (PF2).
In 2018, the estimate was updated following the cancellation of PF2. The revisedcost estimate ranged between £1.5bn to £2.8bn, with a central estimate of £1.9bn. This was predicated on a start of works in 2021 and public funding.
Maintenance costs
Based on 2019 prices, National Highways will need to make provision for operations, maintenance and renewals costs of approximately £8m per annum (plus inflation) over a 60-year operating period.
Contractual Penalties
There are no contractual penalties if the project is cancelled or delayed, but National Highways would need to agree compensation events relating to the costs of delay and inflation.
Asked by: Danny Kruger (Conservative - East Wiltshire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of septic tanks on the cleanliness of rivers; and if he will make it his policy to ban septic tanks (a) in the catchment areas of chalk streams and (b) near other watercourses.
Answered by Robbie Moore - Shadow Minister (Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Large numbers of properties in rural areas of England rely on on-site water treatment systems as they are not connected to mains sewerage systems. Septic tanks, the most common on-site sewage treatment systems in these areas, are regulated to ensure they are maintained properly and do not cause pollution. Through our long-term Plan for Water, the Government is committed to delivering a clean water environment for people and nature, including the impact of private sewerage systems on chalk streams. This aligns with our broader commitment to review private sewage discharges regulation to manage environmental risk.
Asked by: Danny Kruger (Conservative - East Wiltshire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will make an assessment of the implications for her policies of findings from (a) the report by the Anscombe Institute entitled Suicide prevention: does legalising assisted suicide make things better or worse?, published on 21 April 2022, and (b) other suicide prevention organisations.
Answered by Maria Caulfield
It remains the Department’s view that any change to the law in this sensitive area is a matter for Parliament to decide, and an issue of conscience for individual parliamentarians rather than one for Government policy. The Department as no such plans to make any formal assessment.
Asked by: Danny Kruger (Conservative - East Wiltshire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of legalising assisted dying on suicide prevention programmes.
Answered by Maria Caulfield
It remains the Department’s view that any change to the law in this sensitive area is a matter for Parliament to decide, and an issue of conscience for individual parliamentarians rather than one for Government policy. The Department as no such plans to make any formal assessment.
Asked by: Danny Kruger (Conservative - East Wiltshire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether she has made an assessment of the impact of legalising assisted suicide on palliative care.
Answered by Maria Caulfield
No assessment has been made of the impact of legalising assisted suicide on palliative care. The Government recognises that access to high-quality, personalised palliative and end of life care can make a significant difference to individuals and their families, at a sensitive time.
While the National Health Service has always been required to commission appropriate palliative and end of life care services to meet the reasonable needs of their population, as part of the Health and Care Act 2022, palliative care services were added to the list of services an integrated care board must commission, promoting a more consistent national approach and supporting commissioners in prioritising palliative and end of life care.