Asked by: Sandy Martin (Labour - Ipswich)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the impact assessment entitled, Introducing a deposit return scheme on beverage containers, included an assessment of the changes proposed to the waste regime which were included in the strategy entitled Our waste, our resources: a strategy for England published on 18 December 2018.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
We recognise that any potential deposit return scheme would need to work alongside the wider producer responsibility and recycling systems in operation in this country (including any potential changes to them). We have carefully considered the connections between these policy areas and chose to launch the three sets of consultations and impact assessments together to reflect this.
Asked by: Sandy Martin (Labour - Ipswich)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she had made of the implications for her policies of the Impact Assessment entitled, Introducing a Deposit Return Scheme on beverage containers, published on 15 February 2019.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
We published an impact assessment that detailed the costs and savings to local authority finances, including possible reduction in litter cleaning costs and loss of material revenues. However, under the reformed packaging producer responsibility system, packaging producers will be responsible for the costs of dealing with the packaging waste they produce, so the identified kerbside costs and benefits are expected to fall to packaging producers, rather than placing a burden on local authorities.
The Government has also committed to funding any additional net costs that the new policies will bring to local authorities.
We will continue to refine our analysis of the costs and benefits as we receive more evidence and as we develop further policy options.
Asked by: Sandy Martin (Labour - Ipswich)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate she has made of the potential annual (a) costs and (b) savings accruing to local authority finances of a deposit return scheme.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The introduction of a Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) is expected to increase recycling and reduce littering of the drinks containers in-scope. The greenhouse gas emissions reduction associated with this is 2.9 metric tonnes of CO2e over the ten-year appraisal period. The Net Present Value of a DRS for drinks containers is estimated in the initial impact assessment to be more than £2 billion over the appraisal period for the ‘all-in’ option, and £250 million for the ‘on-the-go’ option. We will continue to refine our analysis of the costs and benefits as we receive more evidence and develop further policy options.
Asked by: Sandy Martin (Labour - Ipswich)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to inform local authorities of changes to the financing of waste collection as a result of the policies in Our waste, our resources: a strategy for England published on 18 December 2018.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Earlier this year, the Government published three consultations: ‘consistency in household and business recycling’, ‘reforming the UK packaging producer responsibility system’ and ‘introducing a deposit return scheme for drinks containers’. The consultations sought views on the policies in our Resources and Waste Strategy (RWS) including the financing of waste collections.
During the consultation period, we held events for local authorities where we invited views on the proposals in the consultations. We have also made it clear to local authorities that the Government is committed to funding any additional net costs that the new policies will bring. We have also made local authorities aware that the reform of the packaging regulations will mean that they receive funding to pay for the collection of packaging materials for recycling.
The Environment Bill was introduced on 15 October https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/bills/cbill/2019-2020/0003/20003.pdf. It contains the draft legislation relating to the policies in the RWS. We will continue to have regular discussions as we develop our final proposals which we will consult on in 2020.
Asked by: Sandy Martin (Labour - Ipswich)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department has plans to extend the provisions of the Bus Services Act 2017 in respect of franchising bus services to local transport authorities other than Combined Authorities.
Answered by George Freeman
The Bus Services Act 2017 provides mayoral combined authorities with automatic access to franchising powers.
Other local authorities may franchise bus services with the consent of the Secretary of State. Guidance on what the Secretary of State will consider in deciding whether to franchise is available at:
We have no plans to change these arrangements at present.
Asked by: Sandy Martin (Labour - Ipswich)
Question to the Attorney General:
To ask the Attorney General what steps his Office is taking to prosecute alleged frauds involving multiple persons who cannot afford to bring civil cases against the alleged perpetrators.
Answered by Michael Ellis
Both the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) and Serious Fraud Office (SFO) are responsible for prosecuting cases of fraud.
They act in the public interest and can prosecute whether or not civil proceedings are in progress.
The government has taken concerted action over recent years to reduce the costs of civil litigation, and that work continues.
Asked by: Sandy Martin (Labour - Ipswich)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department plans to take to ensure that (a) charities and (b) community interest companies that have contracts with local authorities have an adequate level of unrestricted funding to continue to fulfill their core functions.
Answered by Luke Hall - Minister of State (Education)
Local authorities have been outsourcing and using shared service arrangements for many decades. Almost all councils have some service areas provided externally, with varying contract management arrangements.
Local authorities are accountable to local people, and it is for them to determine how best to deliver effective services for their communities. Decisions over tendering and contracts are for councils to make, following their own due diligence process.
Next year’s settlement for local government responds to the pressures councils are facing by providing access to the largest increase Core Spending Power since 2015, an estimated 4.3 per cent real terms increase of £2.9 billion.
Asked by: Sandy Martin (Labour - Ipswich)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what comparative assessment his Department has made of the merits of (a) splitting Norfolk & Suffolk Foundation Trust into separate trusts and (b) retaining that Trust as a single trust.
Answered by Edward Argar - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
No comparative assessment has been made of the merits of splitting Norfolk and Suffolk Foundation Trust into separate trusts and retaining it as a single trust.
Norfolk and Suffolk Foundation Trust is committed to delivering improved services for its patients in Norfolk and Suffolk in line with the agreed local mental health strategies for children, adults and older people in Norfolk and Suffolk. It is working collaboratively with its National Health Service and local authority partners to strengthen the local accountability of services and ensure that they are developed in a more integrated way with other local providers, for the benefit of patients in both Norfolk and Suffolk.
Asked by: Sandy Martin (Labour - Ipswich)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions he has had with First Group UK on (a) the provision of bus transport in the UK and (b) their plans for the divestment of their UK bus division.
Answered by George Freeman
Ministers and officials meet regularly with a range of bus operators to discuss a variety of issues. A record of ministerial meetings is available at: https://data.gov.uk/dataset/789fd6df-87a9-4144-bc59-62b0b84e59f0/department-for-transport-ministerial-and-special-adviser-meetings-with-external-organisations-including-meetings-with-newspaper-and-other-media-proprietors-editors-and-senior-executives
Asked by: Sandy Martin (Labour - Ipswich)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether patient deaths reported to the National Reporting & Learning System by the Norfolk & Suffolk Foundation Trust in 2018-19 included deaths of those using addiction services.
Answered by Nadine Dorries
The Trust reports deaths of patients who are accessing their services, or who have been discharged from these services within the last six months if there is evidence of a patient safety incident. This would include patients who are also known to partner services, such as addiction services.
The Trust adheres to the National Reporting and Learning System (NRLS) guidance as outlined within the Degree of Harm document available on the NHS Improvement website which specifically highlights “deaths from drugs and alcohol”. This is available at the following link:
https://improvement.nhs.uk/documents/1673/NRLS_Degree_of_harm_FAQs_-_final_v1.1.pdf
The guidance directs organisations to consider whether there is immediate evidence of a patient safety incident. If not, then no report would be made. However if further evidence comes to light, or post Coroner’s inquest, the cause of death is identified as a patient safety incident, the organisation would at this point make a report to the NRLS.