Asked by: Thomas Docherty (Labour - Dunfermline and West Fife)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his counterparts in other EU member states on proposals to amend EU treaties.
Answered by David Lidington
I have already visited 24 Member States to discuss EU reform with my counterparts, most recently, Warsaw on 6 March. Leaders across Europe agree that the EU needs to change. We are setting out the case for Britain’s view of the reforms required to make the EU fit for purpose in the 21st Century. We have already made progress: the June European Council agreed that EU reform was necessary and that the UK’s concerns should be addressed.
Asked by: Thomas Docherty (Labour - Dunfermline and West Fife)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Written Statement of 13 January 2015, HCWS183, by the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, on Nuclear Decommissioning Authority, whether he expects any changes to the programme for the Submarine Dismantling Project as a result of changes announced to NDA Management at Sellafield.
Answered by Philip Dunne
There will be no changes to the programme of the Submarine Dismantling Project (SDP) as a result of changes announced to the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority's management at Sellafield.
The assessment of each shortlisted site for the interim storage of Intermediate Level radioactive Waste arising from the SDP will take account of the site operator's ability to meet and deliver the Ministry of Defence's (MOD) requirement. The site assessment work is at an early stage; no decision has been made as to the final interim storage location.
The MOD will continue to work closely with the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority on the SDP.
Asked by: Thomas Docherty (Labour - Dunfermline and West Fife)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether a specialist beekeeper has been employed to supervise the hives on the roof of Nobel House.
Answered by Dan Rogerson
Two beehives were installed on the rooftops of Nobel House on 3 November 2014. Honey production is dependent on the season’s weather conditions. Generally a single hive can be expected to produce a minimum of 25 kg of honey per year. As we are entering the winter period, the Nobel House beehives will not produce honey until summer 2015.
The beehives are managed by a skilled bee farmer, who is a member of the Bee Farmers’ Association. He is aided by an apprentice, who is part of the Defra co-funded Beekeeping Apprenticeship scheme.
Asked by: Thomas Docherty (Labour - Dunfermline and West Fife)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, on what dates bees were introduced to the hives on the roof of Nobel House.
Answered by Dan Rogerson
Two beehives were installed on the rooftops of Nobel House on 3 November 2014. Honey production is dependent on the season’s weather conditions. Generally a single hive can be expected to produce a minimum of 25 kg of honey per year. As we are entering the winter period, the Nobel House beehives will not produce honey until summer 2015.
The beehives are managed by a skilled bee farmer, who is a member of the Bee Farmers’ Association. He is aided by an apprentice, who is part of the Defra co-funded Beekeeping Apprenticeship scheme.
Asked by: Thomas Docherty (Labour - Dunfermline and West Fife)
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 quantity of honey produced by the hives on the roof of Nobel House since the installation of those hives.
Answered by Dan Rogerson
Two beehives were installed on the rooftops of Nobel House on 3 November 2014. Honey production is dependent on the season’s weather conditions. Generally a single hive can be expected to produce a minimum of 25 kg of honey per year. As we are entering the winter period, the Nobel House beehives will not produce honey until summer 2015.
The beehives are managed by a skilled bee farmer, who is a member of the Bee Farmers’ Association. He is aided by an apprentice, who is part of the Defra co-funded Beekeeping Apprenticeship scheme.
Asked by: Thomas Docherty (Labour - Dunfermline and West Fife)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will estimate the cost to the public purse of enabling all armed forces' widows to retain their pension in the event of later cohabiting or remarrying.
Answered by Anna Soubry
We have decided to change both the Armed Forces Pension Scheme 75 (AFPS75) and the War Pension Scheme (WPS). The changes we have made will ensure that from 1 April 2015, widows, widowers and surviving civil partners of all members of the Armed Forces Pension Scheme will now retain their pensions for life, fulfilling the Government's ongoing commitment to the Armed Forces Covenant.
From 1 April 2015 the spouse or civil partner of all members of AFPS75 and any WPS widows will retain their pension for life if they have not already surrendered it due to remarriage or cohabitation.
For those who have already surrendered their pension due to remarriage or cohabitation, should that relationship end they can apply to have their pension restored for life.
Asked by: Thomas Docherty (Labour - Dunfermline and West Fife)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what estimate he has made of the costs incurred by his Department in responding to the Ebola outbreak in West Africa that will be recovered from the Department for International Development.
Answered by Mark Francois - Shadow Minister (Defence)
The Department continues to work with the Department for International Development to refine the estimate for costs for the Ebola operation, this work is still ongoing.
Asked by: Thomas Docherty (Labour - Dunfermline and West Fife)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will estimate the cost to the public purse of ensuring that (a) all veterans with service-related hearing problems are able to have their MoD-issued hearing aids serviced and replaced at no cost and (b) working-age veterans can access higher grade hearing aids including in-the-ear aids.
Answered by Anna Soubry
The provision of hearing aids for veterans is a matter for the Department of Health (DH) and therefore no such estimate has been undertaken. For veterans of a working age, priority National Health Service (NHS) treatment and access to clinically appropriate digital aids where hearing problems are due to service is already best practice across the United Kingdom. For veterans with hearing loss just below the compensation threshold I have written to my Ministerial colleagues responsible for health in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland and have their agreement in principle that these individuals should be able to access NHS supplied digital aids. The DH has advised recently that the NHS England strategy on hearing aids is currently out for consultation with a view to sign off early next year.
Asked by: Thomas Docherty (Labour - Dunfermline and West Fife)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will estimate the cost to the public purse of uprating the military compensation of injured veterans by whichever is the higher of earnings, inflation or 2.5 per cent.
Answered by Anna Soubry
We have not undertaken any formal estimates on uprating the military compensation of injured veterans by whichever is the higher of earnings, inflation or 2.5 per cent. Our approach, increasing awards with reference to the Consumer Price Index, is in line with other public sector schemes, and consistent with the measure of inflation used by the Bank of England.
Asked by: Thomas Docherty (Labour - Dunfermline and West Fife)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will estimate the cost to the public purse of guaranteeing veterans with mental health problems evidence-based treatment provided by practitioners with an understanding of veterans' needs within 18 weeks of referral.
Answered by Anna Soubry
The provision of mental health services for veterans is a matter for the Department of Health and therefore no such estimate has been undertaken.
You will be aware of the announcement made by my right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister on 8 October 2014, announcing new waiting time standards from April 2015 for the treatment of mental health conditions by NHS England. I also understand that the Scottish Government has set a target for the NHS in Scotland to deliver a maximum 18 week wait from referral to treatment for Psychological therapies from December 2014.