Ruth George

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) does not collect data on the number of applications made by the CPS to the courts to extend custody time limits or on applications made by the CPS to the court to extend pre-charge bail periods. Such information could only be obtained through a manual search of records which would incur disproportionate cost.

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) does not collect data on the outcome of applications made by the CPS to the courts to extend custody time limits or the outcome of applications made by the CPS to the court to extend pre-charge bail periods. Such information could only be obtained through a manual search of records which would incur disproportionate cost.

The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.

The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.

The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.

We are committed to improving accessibility at rail stations, and have recently extended the Access for All programme with £300m to provide accessibility improvements at even more stations. This is in addition to improvements required whenever infrastructure work is carried out at a station by the industry.

The Department is consulting with UK Overseas Territories as to whether they would like to have the UK’s ratification of the Paris Agreement extended to them. For those UK Overseas Territories that so choose, the Department will work with them to ensure they are ready to implement the Paris Agreement and to regularly report to the Department on that implementation.

Under the accounting and transparency rules for the Paris Agreement agreed at COP24 in December 2018, any UK Overseas Territories included in the geographic scope of UK’s ratification of the Paris Agreement in future will also need to be included in the UK’s accounting for and regular reporting on emissions under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.

The UK was the first major economy in the world to legislate for a net zero target. The target is enshrined under the Climate Change Act 2008 which does not apply to UK Overseas Territories.

The Department is consulting with UK Overseas Territories as to whether they would like to have the UK’s ratification of the Paris Agreement extended to them. For those UK Overseas Territories that so choose, the Department will work with them to ensure they are ready to implement the Paris Agreement and to regularly report to the Department on that implementation.

Under the accounting and transparency rules for the Paris Agreement agreed at COP24 in December 2018, any UK Overseas Territories included in the geographic scope of UK’s ratification of the Paris Agreement in future will also need to be included in the UK’s accounting for and regular reporting on emissions under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.

The UK was the first major economy in the world to legislate for a net zero target. The target is enshrined under the Climate Change Act 2008 which does not apply to UK Overseas Territories.

The Government is committed to upgrading workers’ rights and protecting the most vulnerable workers. Our legal framework already ensures that employers should always treat their employees fairly, and our Good Work Plan will introduce the biggest upgrade to workers’ rights in a generation.

In the retail sector specifically, the industry-led Retail Sector Council has identified employment as a priority workstream and this will be discussed at our next meeting on 20 June.

In his statement on Monday 25^th June 2015, my rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy informed Parliament that a value for money assessment if the proposed Swansea Bay Tidal Lagoon and the subsequent programme of lagoons (including the proposed Cardiff Bay lagoon) did not represent value for money for the tax payer and consumer.

The summary value for money statement can be read at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/swansea-bay-tidal-lagoon-value-for-money-assessment.

Universities are autonomous institutions and responsible for the content of their courses, including quality and standards. The Department for Education does not assess individual courses or make judgements about the content of courses.

However, the Office for Students (OfS) is responsible for protecting the interests of all students and the quality of all regulated provision, working with the designated quality body, the Quality Assurance Agency. The OfS expects higher education providers to ensure they enable students to progress to employment, including by working with employers on the content of courses. This is particularly relevant where there are professional bodies with an interest in the abilities and standard of graduates and post-graduates. The OfS also manages the Teaching Excellence and Student Outcomes Framework.

The government has a role in ensuring a framework exists to understand and provide for skills needs at a national and local level.

Universities are autonomous institutions and responsible for the content of their courses, including quality and standards. The Department for Education does not assess individual courses or make judgements about the content of courses.

However, the Office for Students (OfS) is responsible for protecting the interests of all students and the quality of all regulated provision, working with the designated quality body, the Quality Assurance Agency. The OfS expects higher education providers to ensure they enable students to progress to employment, including by working with employers on the content of courses. This is particularly relevant where there are professional bodies with an interest in the abilities and standard of graduates and post-graduates. The OfS also manages the Teaching Excellence and Student Outcomes Framework.

The government has a role in ensuring a framework exists to understand and provide for skills needs at a national and local level.

The department places a high priority on supporting parents and carers of children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

Engaging parents fully in determining support for children with SEND is a critical part of the SEND reforms. Section 19 of the Children and Families Act places a duty on local authorities and others to listen to and take account of the views of parents in SEND matters.

The department continues to support families by funding parent carer forums (PCF) in each local authority area, providing £15,000 per year per PCF. The department also funds plus £1.9 million per year until March 2020 to support strategic participation and co-production with local authorities and other partners, by parents and young people through the charity Contact.

The department is also providing £20 million until March 2020 to improve the quality of local authority SEND Information, Advice and Support Services (IASS), and to provide a national helpline and online support.

The IASS support builds on the £60m per year Independent Supporters programme (between 2014-18), which provided support to families going through the Education, Health and Care needs assessment and plan process.

My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, meets regularly with Cabinet colleagues to discuss the Department for Education's agenda.

The Department for Education committed in 2017, jointly with the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC), to an ambitious programme to improve children and young people’s mental health provision in and around schools and colleges. This is highlighted in the Government’s response to the green paper, ‘Transforming Children and Young People’s Mental Health Provision’. Further information on the Government’s proposals can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/transforming-children-and-young-peoples-mental-health-provision-a-green-paper.

Issues related to the professional training of those who work therapeutically with children and young people on mental health issues are the responsibility of the DHSC.

The specific data requested is not available.

To access 30 hours free childcare for their child a parent must apply via the Childcare Service and receive an eligibility code. Once they have received this code they are required to reconfirm their circumstances every three months but they do not need to apply for a new code each term.

The Government does not currently have any plans to introduce vicarious liability in England. The introduction of new legislation, such as vicarious liability, requires evidence that it will be effective. So far there is no compelling evidence that the introduction of the provisions in Scotland and Northern Ireland has had a significant deterrent effect on those who persecute such birds.

Full details of the 79 LEADER groups are available through the Rural Development Programme for England LEADER homepage on gov.uk.

At a national level, the LEADER programme is on track to commit the majority of its funds by March 2019 with more than half of these groups now closed to new applications.

Individual LEADER groups close their programmes when they have sufficient demand to spend their full allocation. As a result, the decision to close is made by the LEADER groups and is shown on their individual websites.

A list of LEADER programmes currently open is provided in the table below.

The Government assessed the impacts of charging clean air zones on businesses nationally in the technical report accompanying the 2017 UK plan for tackling roadside nitrogen dioxide concentrations. This did not look at the impacts on Manchester, or Greater Manchester as whole, or in isolation.

As set out in the UK plan, it is the responsibility of local authorities, as part of their feasibility studies, to assess the impact a local plan could have on individuals and businesses, including through an economic impact assessment and a distributional and equalities impact analysis. This also includes the consultation of relevant stakeholders where appropriate. In the case of Greater Manchester, Transport for Greater Manchester is coordinating work with local authorities to develop their local air quality plan.

The Government has not had direct discussions with small and medium-sized businesses in Manchester or Greater Manchester about the financial effect of clean air zones.

We assessed the impacts of charging clean air zones on businesses nationally in the technical report accompanying the 2017 UK plan for tackling roadside nitrogen dioxide concentrations.

This did not look at the impacts in Manchester or Greater Manchester in isolation. The UK plan for tackling roadside nitrogen dioxide concentrations and the documents associated with it, such as the clean air zone framework, were consulted on, inviting relevant stakeholders to submit their views.

As set out in the UK plan for tackling roadside nitrogen dioxide concentrations, it is the responsibility of local authorities, as part of their feasibility studies, to assess the impact a local plan could have on individuals and businesses, including through an economic impact assessment and a distributional and equalities impact analysis.

This also includes consultation of relevant stakeholders where appropriate. In the case of Greater Manchester, Transport for Greater Manchester is coordinating work with local authorities to develop their local air quality plan.

Funding for the maintenance of the England Coast Path will be in line with the National Funding Formula for National Trails as the new access rights come into force on stretches of the path.

Natural England has written to each of the National Trail Partnerships to let them know that it will be funding the existing National Trails in 2018/19 at the same level of funding as in 2017/18.

The Withdrawal Agreement establishes the terms of the UK’s departure from the EU, settling the UK’s financial and legal rights and obligations on withdrawal and providing an orderly transition to the future relationship. The Government has set out a reasonable central estimate of the financial settlement in the Withdrawal Agreement of £35bn to £39bn, which the 20 April 2018 National Audit Office report ‘Exiting the EU: The financial settlement’ concluded was reasonable.

The Advanced Market Commitment for Pneumococcal Vaccines (AMC) has been enormously successful and has achieved its targets three years ahead of schedule. Its innovative approach has enabled 114 million children to be immunised across 57 countries and prevented 762,000 deaths from severe pneumonia. It is a tremendous example of the impact UK Aid has in delivering results.

The UK works closely with the Gavi Alliance and other AMC donors to ensure that our contribution to the AMC achieves the maximum impact and value for money. We have engaged in extensive discussions regarding the potential extension of Advanced Market Commitment pilot beyond the current end date of December 2020. However, given that the AMC has achieved all of its targets 3 years ahead of schedule, there is limited evidence an extension will deliver significant further benefits. The UK has pushed the AMC to develop and communicate a strategic use for any residual funds during the remaining life of the AMC and will continue to work with the Gavi Secretariat and donors to ensure the best use of these.

The UK supports countries to build the strong and resilient health systems needed to achieve universal health coverage (UHC). DFID provides technical assistance and financial support directly to countries, promotes the technical leadership of the World Health Organisation, and funds research and new products that increase access and reduce prices for essential quality medicines and other commodities. Through health partnerships, we share UK experience and expertise in providing UHC through the NHS.

I refer the honourable member to the answer I gave to her earlier PQ 135170.

Flights are activated for lifesaving medical emergencies only, but the St Helena Government’s (SHG) Health Directorate will where possible send other urgent medical referrals on the same flight to maximise value for money. In 2016/17, there were 5 medical evacuation flights (transporting 9 patients) at a cost to the SHG of £203,160. In 2017/18, there were 8 medical evacuation flights (transporting 13 patients) costing £406,820.

Urgent lifesaving medical evacuations were not possible until the airport opened in St Helena. The first medical evacuation flight was on 3 June 2016. Before then, the island relied primarily on the Royal Mail Ship St Helena to get patients off the island for medical treatment. There are, therefore, no comparable medevac figures pre-2016.

Flights are activated for lifesaving medical emergencies only, but the St Helena Government’s (SHG) Health Directorate will where possible send other urgent medical referrals on the same flight to maximise value for money. In 2016/17, there were 5 medical evacuation flights (transporting 9 patients) at a cost to the SHG of £203,160. In 2017/18, there were 8 medical evacuation flights (transporting 13 patients) costing £406,820.

Urgent lifesaving medical evacuations were not possible until the airport opened in St Helena. The first medical evacuation flight was on 3 June 2016. Before then, the island relied primarily on the Royal Mail Ship St Helena to get patients off the island for medical treatment. There are, therefore, no comparable medevac figures pre-2016.

The value of support provided by UK Export Finance (UKEF) for exports, including the percentage share of support for SMEs, is shown in the table:

UKEF offers a range of short-term products to help SMEs fulfil export contracts. The typical value of each facility provided through this range is under £2m but enables SMEs to fulfil export contracts of greater value than the support they receive. UKEF has supported £2.5bn in export contracts for SMEs through this product range over the last 5 years. In 2017-18, 77% of all companies UKEF supported were SMEs.

The overarching legal requirements governing medical fitness to drive are contained in sections 92-96 of the Road Traffic Act 1988.

The statutory basis for the standards relating to driving and diabetes can be found in Section 72 of the Motor Vehicles (Driving Licences) Regulations 1999. The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency produces guidance for the public and medical professionals based on the legal requirements.

The appointment of an honorary medical advisory panel on driving and diabetes is not provided for in law. The panel’s role is to help maintain and improve road safety by providing the Secretary of State for Transport with expert medical advice about diabetes and its impact on driving. The panel complies with the Code of Practice for Scientific Advisory Panels, which provides guidance on processes and practices for bodies providing independent scientific advice to government.