Asked by: Greg Smith (Conservative - Mid Buckinghamshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 21 November 2023 to Question 1534 on Motor Vehicles: Carbon Emissions, whether he has made an assessment of the implications for his policies of the report entitled Powered Light Vehicles Life Cycle published by Zemo Partnership in December 2021.
Answered by Anthony Browne
As stated in the answer to Question 1534, we are now analysing responses to the 2022 consultation on ending the sale of new non-zero emission L-category vehicles, including evidence provided on this issue, and will bring forward the Government’s response in due course.
The Government recognises that L-category vehicles represent a small proportion of the overall greenhouse gas exhaust emissions created by the road transport sector. However, only a transition to fully zero emission technologies will reduce air and noise pollution.
Asked by: Greg Smith (Conservative - Mid Buckinghamshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make an assessment of the impact of the reduction of the plug-in motorcycle grant on the (a) commercial viability of the production and (b) consumer uptake of electric mopeds and motorcycles.
Answered by Anthony Browne
The plug-in motorcycle grant, which was introduced in 2017 to stimulate the early market for zero emission mopeds and motorcycles, has provided over £7m to support the purchase of over 11,000 zero emission mopeds and motorcycles.
In 2021, the share of moped (L1-category vehicles) registrations that were electric was 41.7%. After a grant rate reduction at the end of 2021, this remained similar at 40.6% in 2022.
In 2021, the share of motorcycle (L3-category vehicles) registrations that were electric was 2.9%. After a grant rate reduction at the end of 2021 and the introduction of the £10k price cap, this increased to 3.3% in 2022.
Asked by: Greg Smith (Conservative - Mid Buckinghamshire)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what recent estimate he has made of the acreage of farm land used for (a) housing development, (b) commercial development, (c) solar panels and (d) battery storage in each of the last five years.
Answered by Lee Rowley
Figures for 2019 onwards are derived using a revised methodology and are expressed as three-year totals. They are not directly comparable with figures for earlier years. Accordingly, the available information for the last three years for which figures are available for (a) and (b) is set out in the table below. Separate figures for (c) and (d) are not available.
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| Amount of land changing use (acres) (a) | |
Period (b) | Change of use: | ||
| Agriculture to residential | Agriculture to Industry and commerce | |
2019 to 2022 (c) | 9,854 | 3,168 | |
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Source: DLUHC Land use change - hectarage statistics, (part of) Live Table P361 at https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/land-use-change-hectarage-2019-to-2022 | |||
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Notes: |
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(a) Figures are published in hectares and have been converted into acres for this table. | |||
Asked by: Greg Smith (Conservative - Mid Buckinghamshire)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what recent discussions he has had with his Israeli counterpart on Hamas’s placement of military infrastructure within civilian areas.
Answered by Leo Docherty
It is clear that Hamas has put Palestinians at grave risk by embedding themselves in the civilian population, and Hamas has used civilians as human shields. The Foreign Secretary visited Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories on 23 November, where he met President Herzog, Prime Minister Netanyahu, Foreign Minister Cohen and other senior Israeli interlocutors to discuss the conflict. However, we are not going to specifically comment on individual locations. Israel has a legitimate right to self-defence against Hamas but the Israel Defense Forces military actions in Gaza must be carried out in accordance with International Humanitarian Law and Israel must take all possible measures to protect civilians.
Asked by: Greg Smith (Conservative - Mid Buckinghamshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of highways funding for (a) Buckinghamshire and (b) England.
Answered by Guy Opperman
Local highway authorities across England are set to benefit from an £8.3 billion boost in funding for highway maintenance, the biggest ever increase in funding for local roads. This funding is in addition to local transport funding from the last Spending Review and in addition to what local authorities were expecting to receive. Buckinghamshire will receive a minimum additional overall uplift of £51 million between 2023-24 and 2033-34, which should allow it to make major improvements to the condition of its local roads.
Asked by: Greg Smith (Conservative - Mid Buckinghamshire)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
o ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of mobile connectivity in rural areas.
Answered by John Whittingdale
Almost 93% of the UK benefits from good quality 4G coverage from at least one mobile network operator, but we know more needs to be done in rural areas.
Our £1bn Shared Rural Network agreement with industry, will increase coverage to 95% by the end of 2025, supporting rural businesses and communities.
Ofcom is also looking at the accuracy of coverage reporting to ensure it better reflects people’s experiences over coverage.
Asked by: Greg Smith (Conservative - Mid Buckinghamshire)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the implication for his polices of reported anti-Semitic comments by the President of the Palestinian Authority Mahmoud Abbas in the context of the Middle East Peace Process.
Answered by David Rutley
The UK condemns the recent antisemitic remarks made by President Abbas. The UK stands firmly against all attempts to distort the Holocaust. Such statements do not advance efforts towards reconciliation. President Abbas' comments are completely unacceptable and can only serve to exacerbate tensions and undermine efforts to achieve a negotiated two-state solution that is in the interests of both Israelis and Palestinians. Officials at the British Consulate General in Jerusalem have raised this matter with the Palestinian Authority and the Foreign Secretary intends to do the same during his visit to the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
Asked by: Greg Smith (Conservative - Mid Buckinghamshire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment his Department has made of potential barriers to reducing endoscopy waiting lists in (a) Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire West Integrated Care System and (b) Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust.
Answered by Will Quince
£2.3 billion was awarded at the 2021 Spending Review to transform diagnostic services over the next three years to increase diagnostic capacity, including for endoscopy services. This funding will also increase the number of community diagnostic centres (CDCs) up to 160 by March 2025, including a number delivering endoscopy services.
In 2022/23, Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire West Integrated Care System (ICS) spent a total of £24,790,510 on all diagnostic services. Of this, £5,179,888 (21%), was spent on diagnostic endoscopy procedures at Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust.
Cutting National Health Service waiting lists, including for endoscopy services, is one of the Government’s top priorities. This is a shared ambition amongst ICSs, including Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire West ICS. Priorities are set locally through joint strategic needs assessments as part of joint forward plans across the ICS and partnering NHS trusts.
In October 2021, Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire West ICS opened West Berkshire Community Hospital CDC. West Berkshire Community Hospital CDC has since delivered 4,492 additional endoscopy tests closer to people’s homes, supporting earlier access to endoscopy procedures. Additional endoscopy capacity from new CDCs within the ICS will also start to come onstream later this year. This includes North Bedfordshire CDC (Whitehouse Health Centre), which will be located in the Buckingham constituency. Endoscopy services at these CDCs may be offered to the Buckingham population where convenient, to improve their access to diagnostic care.
The Government has not made a recent assessment of the barriers to reducing endoscopy waiting lists in the Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire West ICS. It is the responsibility of individual ICSs to work with NHS England to understand local barriers to delivering the required diagnostics services, including endoscopy, and to implement appropriate waiting list solutions based on local need.
Asked by: Greg Smith (Conservative - Mid Buckinghamshire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what proportion of Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire West Integrated Care System's diagnostic funding was spent on diagnostic endoscopy procedures in Buckinghamshire NHS Healthcare Trust in 2022-23.
Answered by Will Quince
£2.3 billion was awarded at the 2021 Spending Review to transform diagnostic services over the next three years to increase diagnostic capacity, including for endoscopy services. This funding will also increase the number of community diagnostic centres (CDCs) up to 160 by March 2025, including a number delivering endoscopy services.
In 2022/23, Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire West Integrated Care System (ICS) spent a total of £24,790,510 on all diagnostic services. Of this, £5,179,888 (21%), was spent on diagnostic endoscopy procedures at Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust.
Cutting National Health Service waiting lists, including for endoscopy services, is one of the Government’s top priorities. This is a shared ambition amongst ICSs, including Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire West ICS. Priorities are set locally through joint strategic needs assessments as part of joint forward plans across the ICS and partnering NHS trusts.
In October 2021, Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire West ICS opened West Berkshire Community Hospital CDC. West Berkshire Community Hospital CDC has since delivered 4,492 additional endoscopy tests closer to people’s homes, supporting earlier access to endoscopy procedures. Additional endoscopy capacity from new CDCs within the ICS will also start to come onstream later this year. This includes North Bedfordshire CDC (Whitehouse Health Centre), which will be located in the Buckingham constituency. Endoscopy services at these CDCs may be offered to the Buckingham population where convenient, to improve their access to diagnostic care.
The Government has not made a recent assessment of the barriers to reducing endoscopy waiting lists in the Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire West ICS. It is the responsibility of individual ICSs to work with NHS England to understand local barriers to delivering the required diagnostics services, including endoscopy, and to implement appropriate waiting list solutions based on local need.
Asked by: Greg Smith (Conservative - Mid Buckinghamshire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire West Integrated Care System plans to take to increase capacity levels for endoscopy procedures for patients in Buckingham constituency.
Answered by Will Quince
£2.3 billion was awarded at the 2021 Spending Review to transform diagnostic services over the next three years to increase diagnostic capacity, including for endoscopy services. This funding will also increase the number of community diagnostic centres (CDCs) up to 160 by March 2025, including a number delivering endoscopy services.
In 2022/23, Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire West Integrated Care System (ICS) spent a total of £24,790,510 on all diagnostic services. Of this, £5,179,888 (21%), was spent on diagnostic endoscopy procedures at Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust.
Cutting National Health Service waiting lists, including for endoscopy services, is one of the Government’s top priorities. This is a shared ambition amongst ICSs, including Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire West ICS. Priorities are set locally through joint strategic needs assessments as part of joint forward plans across the ICS and partnering NHS trusts.
In October 2021, Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire West ICS opened West Berkshire Community Hospital CDC. West Berkshire Community Hospital CDC has since delivered 4,492 additional endoscopy tests closer to people’s homes, supporting earlier access to endoscopy procedures. Additional endoscopy capacity from new CDCs within the ICS will also start to come onstream later this year. This includes North Bedfordshire CDC (Whitehouse Health Centre), which will be located in the Buckingham constituency. Endoscopy services at these CDCs may be offered to the Buckingham population where convenient, to improve their access to diagnostic care.
The Government has not made a recent assessment of the barriers to reducing endoscopy waiting lists in the Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire West ICS. It is the responsibility of individual ICSs to work with NHS England to understand local barriers to delivering the required diagnostics services, including endoscopy, and to implement appropriate waiting list solutions based on local need.