Asked by: Neil Parish (Conservative - Tiverton and Honiton)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to improve access to NHS dentistry in Devon.
Answered by Maria Caulfield
NHS England and NHS Improvement have asked National Health Service dental practices in England to deliver at least 95% of contracted units of dental activity between April and June 2022 to improve access for patients safely. Patients can contact NHS England’s Customer Contact Centre for assistance in finding a local dental practice or NHS 111 if seeking urgent dental care.
NHS England and NHS Improvement are working with Health Education England and Bristol and Peninsula Dental schools as part of the South West Dental Reform programme to address the challenges facing NHS dentistry in the region. We are also currently developing further proposals for dental system reform with the aim of improving access for patients.
Asked by: Neil Parish (Conservative - Tiverton and Honiton)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to (a) support Ukrainian refugees to escape the conflict zone in Ukraine and (b) expedite asylum applications to the UK for vulnerable people, including the elderly, women and children.
Answered by Kevin Foster
The Government is moving as quickly as possible to ensure those fleeing Ukraine can find safety in the UK through the Ukraine Family Scheme and Homes for Ukraine Scheme, the first of their kind to be operationalised anywhere in the world.
Both of these schemes are free, and people applying under the schemes will be able to live and work in the UK for up to three years. They will have full and unrestricted access to benefits, healthcare, employment, and other support.
The Government has streamlined the process so valid Ukrainian passport holders do not have to attend in-person appointments before arriving in the UK, simplified our forms and boosted caseworker numbers, while ensuring vital security checks are carried out.
Whilst the Government sympathises with people in many difficult situations around the world, there is no provision within the Immigration Rules for someone to be allowed to travel to the UK to seek asylum or temporary refuge.
The Government does though welcome vulnerable people in need of protection to the UK through our resettlement schemes. These schemes have provided safe and legal routes for tens of thousands of people to start new lives in the UK.
Asked by: Neil Parish (Conservative - Tiverton and Honiton)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to provide support to NATO countries bordering Ukraine on humanitarian assistance for refugees of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Answered by James Cleverly
The UK has now committed £395 million in aid to the current crisis. This includes £220 million of humanitarian assistance which will be used to save lives, protect vulnerable people inside Ukraine and in neighbouring countries. It will also be used to support refugees fleeing Ukraine through the provision of logistics, advice and analysis of needs on the ground.
We have deployed UK humanitarian experts to support Ukraine's neighbours, including Poland and Romania, who are receiving and supporting the increasing flow of refugees fleeing Ukraine.
Asked by: Neil Parish (Conservative - Tiverton and Honiton)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, which countries have contributed to the $12 billion donor fund announced at COP26 to halt and reverse forest loss and protect land rights; and how much each of those donors has committed.
Answered by Greg Hands
Over a five-year period between 2021-2025, the $12billion Global Forest Finance Pledge will support forest-related climate action in countries eligible for Official Development Assistance.
The pledge has been supported by 12 public donors: Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Japan, the Netherlands, Norway, South Korea, the UK, the USA, and the European Commission on behalf of the European Union.
The UK has confirmed to provide at least £1.5 billion to the pledge.
Further details of what the pledge will deliver on can be found at:
https://ukcop26.org/the-global-forest-finance-pledge/
Asked by: Neil Parish (Conservative - Tiverton and Honiton)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether the Levelling Up White Paper will include plans to take specific and targeted steps to realise the social and economic potential of the countryside.
Answered by Neil O'Brien - Shadow Minister (Education)
Levelling up means empowering local leaders and communities to seize their own destiny; boosting living standards, particularly where they are lower; spreading opportunity and improving public services, particularly where they are weak; and restoring local pride across the UK.
The UK Government recognises that each place and geography is different, and is committed through the Levelling Up White Paper to fulfil the social and economic potential of all places and geographies across the UK by building on their individual strengths and opportunities.
More details are set out in the White Paper which was published today.
Asked by: Neil Parish (Conservative - Tiverton and Honiton)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he has taken to improve the efficiency of the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
The quickest and easiest way to make an application to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) is to use its extensive suite of online services. There are no delays in successful online applications and customers should receive their documents within a few days.
However, many people still choose or have to make a paper application and the DVLA receives around 60,000 items of mail every day. To help reduce waiting times for paper applications, the DVLA has introduced additional online services, recruited more staff, increased overtime working and has secured extra office space in Swansea and Birmingham. The DVLA has reconfigured its accommodation to safely maximise the number of staff on site and is working hard to process paper applications as quickly as possible.
Together with the ending of industrial action, these measures are having a positive impact. The queues are reducing, and customers will continue to see an improving picture in terms of turnaround times.
Asked by: Neil Parish (Conservative - Tiverton and Honiton)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what are the projected emissions resulting from waste over the period of the 4th, 5th and 6th carbon budget periods.
Answered by Jo Churchill
The Government's Net Zero Strategy sets the UK on the path to deliver on its commitment to reach net zero emissions by 2050. The Net Zero Strategy sets out Government's vision for transitioning to a net zero economy and covers a wide range of actions across different sectors.
Sectoral emissions for Waste and F-gases over forthcoming carbon budget periods are set out in Table 8 of the technical annex to the net zero strategy. These are: Carbon Budget (CB) 4 24-27 MtCO2e; Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) 17-20 MtCO2e and CB6 12-15 MtCO2e.
n.b. NDC is the midpoint of CB5
Asked by: Neil Parish (Conservative - Tiverton and Honiton)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department has an emissions reduction plan.
Answered by Jo Churchill
On 19 October, the Government's Net Zero Strategy was published, setting the UK on the path to deliver on its commitment to reach net zero emissions by 2050. The Net Zero Strategy sets out Government's vision for transitioning to a net zero economy and covers a wide range of actions across different sectors. The Natural Resources, Waste and Fluorinated-Gases (F-Gases) chapter covers Defra related sectors and their emission reductions including agriculture, peat and tree planting.
Asked by: Neil Parish (Conservative - Tiverton and Honiton)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what are the projected resulting emissions for Agriculture, Forestry and Other Land Use over the period of the 4th, 5th and 6th carbon budget periods.
Answered by Jo Churchill
The Government’s Net Zero Strategy sets the UK on the path to deliver on its commitment to reach net zero emissions by 2050. The Net Zero Strategy sets out the Government’s vision for transitioning to a net zero economy and covers a wide range of actions across different sectors.
Sectoral emissions for Agriculture, Forestry and Other Land Use (AFOLU) over forthcoming carbon budget periods are set out in Table 8 of the technical annex to the Net Zero Strategy. These are Carbon Budget (CB) 4; 51-57 MtCO2e; Nationally Determined Contribution 44-52 MtCo2e and CB6 38-48 MtCO2e.
Asked by: Neil Parish (Conservative - Tiverton and Honiton)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he (a) has made and (b) plans to make an assessment of the potential merits of using powers under The Common Fisheries Policy and Aquaculture (Amendment etc.) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 to apply trade sanctions on relevant stocks against a nation State that is overfishing, for the purposes of securing the most advantageous deals for the UK fishing industry.
Answered by Victoria Prentis
Powers set out under Retained Regulation (EU) No 1026/2012 on certain measures for the purpose of the conservation of fish stocks in relation to countries allowing non-sustainable fishing. The measures can include targeted trade sanctions on the species that has been caught. Sustainable fishing remains a priority for UK and we continue to consult a range of countries through bilateral and multilateral engagement to agree suitable harvest control rules to prevent overfishing.