Asked by: Michelle Donelan (Conservative - Chippenham)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to (a) support airlines in preventing flight cancellations and (b) help the airline sector to tackle staff shortages.
Answered by Robert Courts - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)
The aviation industry operates in the private sector, therefore it is the responsibility of the industry to manage demand, recruit and roster staff and have appropriate mitigations in place.
We have been clear that the aviation sector’s recovery and associated challenges are the responsibility of the aviation sector.
The Government recognised that while the issues was one for industry to solve, a series of targeted measures could support their efforts. Therefore, on 30 June, the Secretary of State announced a 22-point plan, which sets out the measures the Government is taking to support the aviation industry.
Included in these measures was a one-off slot “amnesty” giving airlines the flexibility to operate a reliable schedule and avoid last minute cancellations for passengers.
We have also changed the law to allow greater flexibility over background checks for aviation staff, cutting the time it takes to bring in newly recruited staff and alleviating pressure, while ensuring that safety and security are not compromised.
The Government has taken action to support the industry. Now the sector itself needs to take the appropriate steps to ensuring they deliver realistic summer schedules, work together as an ecosystem, and put the consumer first.
Asked by: Michelle Donelan (Conservative - Chippenham)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to reopen previously closed railway lines and stations, including Corsham station.
Answered by Wendy Morton
The £500m Restoring Your Railway Fund is supporting over 45 promising schemes with the potential to level up areas and reconnect communities. Wiltshire Council was successful in its Round 3 bid to the Restoring Your Railway Ideas Fund to reopen Corsham Station. As a result, Wilshire Council is receiving up to £50,000 in development funding to complete a Strategic Outline Business Case for the scheme to be submitted to the Department in September 2022.
Asked by: Michelle Donelan (Conservative - Chippenham)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent assessment he has made of the potential merits of (a) reducing fuel duty and (b) cutting the rate of VAT on petrol and diesel.
Answered by Alan Mak - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade) (jointly with the Cabinet Office)
The temporary 5p cut to duty on petrol and diesel represents a £2.4 billion tax cut in 2022-23, to help consumers with high fuel prices.
VAT is a broad-based tax on consumption and the 20 per cent standard rate applies to most goods and services. It would cost over £6 billion to cut VAT on road fuel from 20% to 5%.
The Government keeps all taxes under review.
Asked by: Michelle Donelan (Conservative - Chippenham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to reduce rates of childhood obesity.
Answered by Steve Brine
We published the second chapter of our world-leading childhood obesity plan on 25 June. This builds on the real progress we have made since the publication of chapter one in 2016, particularly in reformulation of the products our children eat and drink most. Our plan sets a bold ambition to halve childhood obesity and significantly reduce the gap in obesity between children from the most and least deprived areas by 2030.
Asked by: Michelle Donelan (Conservative - Chippenham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what guidance the NHS provides to (a) patients and (b) the families of deceased patients on the return of medical equipment that is no longer required.
Answered by Caroline Dinenage
Arrangements for the return, reuse or recycling of equipment is decided locally between the relevant commissioners and providers of equipment. There is a responsibility on National Health Service trusts to make the best use of all resources and items including recycling and reuse of equipment where it is safe and cost effective to do so.
Asked by: Michelle Donelan (Conservative - Chippenham)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will classify paramedic science as an exception course to allow those who study it as a second degree to obtain a student loan.
Answered by Sam Gyimah
The Department of Health and Social Care decided, as part of the reforms to healthcare education funding, to provide an exemption from equivalent or lower qualification (ELQ) rules for new students starting undergraduate pre-registration nursing, midwifery and allied health profession courses from 2017/18 to allow students to receive support for these courses as a second course.
This exemption has now been extended to new students starting pre-registration courses in dental profession subjects and pre-registration postgraduate courses in nursing, midwifery and the allied health professions from 1 August 2018. As students on paramedic science courses could already access the standard student loan system, these courses were not included in the reforms noted above, and therefore they do not attract this exemption from the ELQ rules.
It is the responsibility of the Department of Health and Social Care to decide which healthcare courses should be in scope of receiving an ELQ exemption.
Asked by: Michelle Donelan (Conservative - Chippenham)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet office, what steps his Department has taken to make it easier for victims and survivors of domestic violence to register to vote anonymously.
Answered by Chloe Smith
Legislation has come into force this month making it easier to register to vote anonymously.
When registering, survivors can now provide evidence from a broader range of professionals to reflect their experiences. This includes sworn statements from refuge managers that their safety would be at risk if their details appeared on the register.
Asked by: Michelle Donelan (Conservative - Chippenham)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet office, what steps his Department has taken to make it easier for victims and survivors of domestic violence to register to vote anonymously.
Answered by Chloe Smith
Legislation has come into force this month making it easier to register to vote anonymously.
When registering, survivors can now provide evidence from a broader range of professionals to reflect their experiences. This includes sworn statements from refuge managers that their safety would be at risk if their details appeared on the register.
Asked by: Michelle Donelan (Conservative - Chippenham)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what plans her Department has in place to ensure that (a) people are informed when their personal independence payment assessment meeting is cancelled and (b) such meetings are re-arranged as soon as possible.
Answered by Sarah Newton
The PIP Assessment Providers are responsible for the scheduling and management of face to face assessments. While both Providers endeavour to avoid cancellations, unfortunately there will be situations where this is unavoidable, for example if an assessor is ill. When an assessment is cancelled both Providers will contact claimants as soon as possible to reschedule the assessment.
Asked by: Michelle Donelan (Conservative - Chippenham)
Question to the Department for International Development:
What proportion of her Department's aid spending is committed to tackling religious persecution.
Answered by Harriett Baldwin
DFID does not disaggregate specific information on aid spending committed to tackling religious persecution, however, we are firmly committed to protecting ethnic and religious minorities, and we raise the issue with partner countries. The UK promotes and protects the right to freedom of religion or belief internationally, regionally and bilaterally.