Asked by: John Stanley (Conservative - Tonbridge and Malling)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will issue a Direction to the Chief Executive of Network Rail to reply to the letter of 27 October 2014 from the hon. Member for Tonbridge and Malling on the need to lengthen the platforms at Cowden, Hever and Edenbridge Town stations by 27 July 2015.
Answered by Claire Perry
Network Rail operates at arm’s length from the Department for Transport, and is not expected to involve Ministers in its regular operational decisions such as whether to lengthen the platforms at Cowden, Hever and Edenbridge Town Stations by 27 July 2015.
However, this is an unacceptable delay. I have been advised by Network Rail that they responded on 3 February.
Network Rail has also informed me that it is now able to deliver the platforms referred to in early summer 2016 rather than December 2015 as initially planned in its Control Period 5 programme of works. As an interim measure between the trains being available in July 2015 and the platforms being complete in summer 2016, Govia Thameslink Railway will be able to use rolling stock to lengthen trains to 8-cars, which will be a considerable benefit to passengers suffering overcrowded services.
Asked by: John Stanley (Conservative - Tonbridge and Malling)
Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, whether he plans to publish the results of his call for evidence on the introduction of a pre-licensing register of arms brokers together with the Government's response in January 2015 at the latest.
Answered by Matt Hancock
The results of the Call for Evidence are still subject to internal discussion across Government. The Government will publish a response as soon as feasibly possible, however this is unlikely to be before the end of January 2015.
Asked by: John Stanley (Conservative - Tonbridge and Malling)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will issue a direction to the Chief Executive of Network Rail to reply to the letter of 3 June 2014 from the right hon. Member for Tonbridge and Malling, and his subsequent letter pressing for a reply, regarding the establishment of a business and innovation centre at the Station Masters House at Edenbridge Town Station.
Answered by Claire Perry
Network Rail operates at arm’s-length from the Department, without day-to-day supervision, and is not expected to involve Ministers in its regular operational decisions such as the establishment of a business and innovation centre at Edenbridge Town station.
However, this is an unacceptable delay and Network Rail advises that Mark Carne’s reply to the right Hon Member for Tonbridge and Malling is due to be sent on 23 January.
Network Rail held a site meeting in December with the train operator Southern and the group proposing to use the Station Masters House, to look at the rooms in question and to discuss the proposals for future use. Network Rail is continuing its discussions about the lease with all parties to find a way forward in the near future. Both Network Rail and Southern are supportive of this proposal.
Asked by: John Stanley (Conservative - Tonbridge and Malling)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will state the names and the organisations represented by the current members of the Gatwick Airport Consultative Committee.
Answered by Robert Goodwill
The Department for Transport has recently updated its guidelines on the establishment and operation of airport consultative committees which includes recommendations on the types of organisations that should be represented. These can be found on the GOV.UK website. The government does not have a role in deciding which organisations should be represented on a particular consultative committee. Responsibility for the composition of the Gatwick Airport Consultative Committee (GATCOM) rests with Gatwick Airport in collaboration with the committee.
A list of the names and organisations represented on GATCOM is publically available and can be found on the GATCOM website.
Asked by: John Stanley (Conservative - Tonbridge and Malling)
Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how many standard individual export licences were finalised in 2013; and what proportion of those licences were finalised within (a) 20 and (b) 60 working days.
Answered by Michael Fallon
13,578 Standard Individual Export Licences (SIELs) were granted in 2013 and 148 applications for SIELs were refused. 77.8 per cent of these licences were finalised in 20 working days and 97.8 per cent were finalised in 60 working days.
Asked by: John Stanley (Conservative - Tonbridge and Malling)
Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what proportion of export licence appeals were finalised within (a) 20 and (b) 60 working days in 2013.
Answered by Michael Fallon
In 2013 4 out of 56 (7%) appeals cases were finalised within 20 working days and 22 out of 56 (39%) were finalised within 60 working days.
Officials continue to review procedures to streamline the handling of appeals, including additional resources and revised arrangements for consulting Ministers and advisers in other Government Departments. We expect an improvement in performance during 2014.
Asked by: John Stanley (Conservative - Tonbridge and Malling)
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 list the government departments and public authorities to which borough councils for areas where there is no unitary authority can apply for funding towards (a) their own costs in dealing with flooding and (b) the cost of flood protection schemes in their area, stating in each case the name of the funding scheme and the government department or public authority to which the application should be made.
Answered by Dan Rogerson
(a) There are a number of schemes where borough councils can apply for funding towards their own costs in dealing with flooding and these are listed below.
The Bellwin Scheme of emergency financial assistance (funding to help Local Authorities in the emergency phase of the flooding to protect lives or property) – through the Department for Communities and Local Government.
Funding for repair of damages to roads (hit by weather damage) – through the Department for Transport
The business support scheme (hardship funding for SME businesses in areas affected by the floods) – through the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills
(b) Borough councils can also apply for funding towards the cost of flood protection schemes from Flood Defence Grant in Aid through the Environment Agency. Second tier local authorities including Borough Councils can apply for capital grants towards flood and coastal erosion risk management projects. Where there are two tiers of local government, local authorities should work together to decide which authority is best placed to lead in different circumstances.
Asked by: John Stanley (Conservative - Tonbridge and Malling)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what specific steps he will take to place the Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust on a stable and secure long-term financial footing.
Answered by Dan Poulter
The National Health Service Trust Development Authority (TDA) is working with the Trust to determine its financial recovery plans. The Trust's five year sustainability plan is currently being developed, and is due to be submitted on 20 June 2014.
The NHS TDA has also been involved in the recruitment of the Trust's new Finance Director, and is supportive of the appointment of the Trust's Turnaround Director.
NHS West Kent clinical commissioning group is also working with the Trust to ensure its future sustainability.
Asked by: John Stanley (Conservative - Tonbridge and Malling)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what his policy is on the continued exclusion of borough councils for areas where there is no unitary authority from the definition of risk management authorities in Section 6(13) of the Flood and Water Management Act 2010.
Answered by Dan Rogerson
All local authorities are risk management authorities under the Flood and Water Management Act 2010. No local authorities are excluded from the definition of a risk management authority in the Flood and Water Management Act 2010.
A ‘borough council' will either be a unitary authority or a district council. As a unitary authority it will be a ‘lead local flood authority', which in turn makes it a ‘risk management authority' in its own right (the same applies to county councils). Where it is not a unitary authority it is a district council, whether known as borough council or city council, and so is also a risk management authority.
Asked by: John Stanley (Conservative - Tonbridge and Malling)
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 name the lead local flood authority or authorities for the area of the Tonbridge and Malling constituency.
Answered by Dan Rogerson
The Lead Local Flood Authority is Kent County Council. This is defined under section 6(7) of the Flood & Water Management Act 2010.