Asked by: Richard Arkless (Scottish National Party - Dumfries and Galloway)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what plans the Government has for the disposal of nuclear waste in Dumfries and Galloway.
Answered by Jesse Norman
The management of radioactive waste is a devolved matter.
Asked by: Richard Arkless (Scottish National Party - Dumfries and Galloway)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether preparations are in progress on current or future nuclear waste disposal activity in Dumfries and Galloway.
Answered by Jesse Norman
The management of radioactive waste is a devolved matter.
Asked by: Richard Arkless (Scottish National Party - Dumfries and Galloway)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if the Government will continue to recognise the A75 (E18) and other main roads as Euro-Routes after the UK leaves the EU.
Answered by John Hayes
The E-Route numbering network is not part of the functions of the EU or the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE). The UK Government hasn’t ratified the E-Route Treaty and no decision has been taken on whether the UK will join the scheme in the future.
Asked by: Richard Arkless (Scottish National Party - Dumfries and Galloway)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether his Department has carried out an impact assessment of the effect of the UK leaving the EU on his Department's public procurement policies.
Answered by Ben Gummer
The current public procurement rules will continue to apply until the UK has left the EU following the successful conclusion of exit negotiations. The future options for our procurement policies are being considered carefully.
Asked by: Richard Arkless (Scottish National Party - Dumfries and Galloway)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether he plans to devolve the Met Office functions for mountain weather forecasting to Scotland.
Answered by Lord Johnson of Marylebone
The Met Office delivers a range of safety critical services to the whole of the United Kingdom through the Public Weather Service, including mountain forecasts. The Public Weather Service is overseen by the Public Weather Service Customer Group, which includes an independent chair and representatives from all of the devolved administrations.
Asked by: Richard Arkless (Scottish National Party - Dumfries and Galloway)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, which terminal illnesses will be exempted from the reassessment process for benefits.
Answered by Penny Mordaunt
Terminally ill people claiming Attendance Allowance, Disability Living Allowance, Personal Independence Payment, Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) and Universal Credit (UC) via the fast track procedure rather than the normal assessment process, will be reassessed depending on when it is considered most appropriate for the claimant to have their next contact with the Department.
As announced on 1 October, we will stop requiring people with the most severe, lifetime conditions to be repeatedly assessed for ESA and UC. Over the coming months we will work with our health assessment provider, medical professionals and other stakeholders to develop a set of criteria to switch off re-assessments for people with the most severe health conditions or disabilities.
Asked by: Richard Arkless (Scottish National Party - Dumfries and Galloway)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, which terminal illnesses he plans to make exempt from benefits assessments.
Answered by Penny Mordaunt
Terminally ill people can already claim Attendance Allowance, Disability Living Allowance, Personal Independence Payment, Employment and Support Allowance and Universal Credit using a fast track procedure rather than the normal assessment process.
Asked by: Richard Arkless (Scottish National Party - Dumfries and Galloway)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment his Department has made of reasons for the disparity between the trade price of kerosene and that offered to individual consumers; what role his Department plays in regulating and monitoring this disparity; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Jesse Norman
There is an open market for the supply of petroleum products, including jet kerosene and heating oil, in the UK which provides the best long term guarantee of competitive prices. The Government does not control prices but we do monitor the UK national average cost of jet kerosene and heating oil.
The average cost for wholesale kerosene in September 2016 was 26 pence per litre, 1p more expensive than the corresponding month in 2015, and down 22p since its 2014 peak (Jan 2014).
The average cost for retail kerosene in September 2016 was 37 pence per litre, 1p more expensive than the corresponding month in 2015, and down 22p since its 2014 peak (Jan 2014).
The value of the pound sterling has been decreasing against the dollar which means crude oil, which is traded in dollars, becomes more expensive for UK refiners to import. Analysis suggests that on average, at a national level, crude price changes are fully passed through into kerosene prices within a month.
In addition, the price of kerosene is influenced by a range of factors, including refinery capacity, stock levels, distribution costs, retail margins and seasonal factors The supply of kerosene in more remote areas is influenced by increased logistical costs.
I encourage households that use kerosene to heat their homes to join an oil buying group and to shop around for the best deal.
Asked by: Richard Arkless (Scottish National Party - Dumfries and Galloway)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment her Department has made of the effect of mobile spectrum distribution on the data capacity of the UK's mobile networks.
Answered by Matt Hancock
The Government has noted MNOs' representations on the issue of spectrum distribution and network capacity.
Asked by: Richard Arkless (Scottish National Party - Dumfries and Galloway)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment her Department has made of the benefits of the forthcoming release of 2.3GHz and 3.4GHz for the availability of high-speed mobile broadband in rural areas.
Answered by Matt Hancock
As noted in the initial conclusions of Ofcom's digital communications review published in February 2016, this spectrum "is best suited to providing additional capacity than increasing coverage" (para 3.49, p.30). Improving mobile coverage remains a key priority for Government and as a result of a licence obligation on O2 98% of UK premises should have indoor 4G coverage by end-2017.