Every parliamentary written question tabled by Helen Whately this session, with the full answer and department. See how every department answers, or back to the MP page.
Showing 441–460 of 462 · this parliament
Whether he plans to allow Integrated Care Boards to enter into sub-leases for large non-owned GP leased premises (a) via exception and (b) by amending the rules.
Under the GP Contract, premises liabilities are the responsibility of the Contractor. Overall contractual payments reflect this arrangement, with the National Health Service also reimbursing direct premises costs including rent, business rates, water, and...
What steps he plans to take to ensure there is adequate healthcare provision for (a) existing and (b) new populations in (i) towns and (ii) rural areas.
The Department supports statutory integrated care systems (ICSs) in delivering National Health Services across England. ICSs are partnerships of organisations which come together to plan and deliver joined up health and care services, to improve the lives...
What the next steps are for schools which have been approved for funding under the Rebuilding Schools programme.
All the schools selected for the School Rebuilding Programme have been notified of indicative start dates and are either in delivery or ensuring they are prepared for when they do start delivery.
Pursuant to the answer of 3 September 2024 to Question 2445 on Tolls, if she will commission research on pay per mile charge schemes.
There are no pay-per-mile road charges in the UK, and the Department has no plans to commission research into pay-per-mile road charging schemes.
What assessment she has made of the potential impact of the introduction of VAT on private schools on state schools in Kent.
In line with research from the independent Institute for Fiscal Studies, the government does not anticipate the ending of the VAT exemption that private schools enjoy to prompt notable movement into the state sector, and any movement is expected to take p...
What plans she has to ensure sufficient school places in Kent; and what support she plans to provide to help children in (a) towns and (b) rural areas get to and from school by public transport.
The government wants to ensure all children have fair access to a school place, where they can achieve and thrive. Kent County Council is responsible for ensuring there are sufficient school places for children in Kent. The department engages with local a...
Whether she plans to (a) consider further introductions of and (b) increase the use of (i) congestion, (ii) ultra low emission zone and (iii) pay per mile road charges.
Local highway authorities in England have the powers to introduce road charging schemes. They do not require ministerial or parliamentary approval for such schemes. There are no pay-per-mile road charges currently in the UK.
What assessment she has made of the effectiveness of Automatic Number Plate Recognition car pilots in the London Borough of (a) Lambeth and (b) Southwark.
DfT has made no assessment of the effectiveness of Automatic Number Plate Recognition car pilots in the London Borough of (a) Lambeth and (b) Southwark.
Whether she has plans to increase the number of low traffic neighbourhoods.
The installation of low traffic neighbourhoods and other traffic management measures is a decision for local councils, and the local communities they serve.
If she will take steps to implement an alternative to Operation Brock in summer 2024.
The Kent & Medway Resilience Forum (KMRF) is responsible for operational decision making on traffic management measures in response to disruption at Eurotunnel and/or the Port of Dover. The KMRF have well-practised tactical plans in place, including Operation Brock. The traffic management at Brenley Corner at the M2/A2 interchange is a key measure in order to help stop freight using undesignated routes to Dover when they should be using the M20 and into the M20 Brock contraflow. This has played a crucial role throughout this summer where we saw many HGV drivers trying to bypass the measures on the M20. While these measures help to mitigate against the worst of any disruption, the Department still recognises the impact disruption has on local residents, businesses, hauliers, and passengers. Therefore, the Department is working with the KMRF and other local stakeholders to continually improve how traffic management plans operate.
If she will take steps to manage HGV traffic to Dover in addition to the use of (a) Operation Brock and (b) Brenley Corner.
The Kent & Medway Resilience Forum (KMRF) is responsible for operational decision making on traffic management measures in response to disruption at Eurotunnel and/or the Port of Dover. The KMRF have well-practised tactical plans in place, including Operation Brock. The traffic management at Brenley Corner at the M2/A2 interchange is a key measure in order to help stop freight using undesignated routes to Dover when they should be using the M20 and into the M20 Brock contraflow. This has played a crucial role throughout this summer where we saw many HGV drivers trying to bypass the measures on the M20. While these measures help to mitigate against the worst of any disruption, the Department still recognises the impact disruption has on local residents, businesses, hauliers, and passengers. Therefore, the Department is working with the KMRF and other local stakeholders to continually improve how traffic management plans operate.
Whether she plans to provide additional funding to fill in potholes in Kent.
This Government is committed to ensuring that people have access to transport and transport infrastructure that enables them to travel to the destinations they want to reach and meets their needs. On funding for roads, this year Kent County Council received an additional £4.296 million for highways maintenance, on top of the over £34 million it typically receives as part of the SR21 3-year settlement. Further funding beyond 2024/25 is matter for the forthcoming Spending Review. In addition, in her statement on 29 July, the Chancellor announced that the Department for Transport will review its capital roads portfolio over the summer.
Whether her Department will continue to fund improvements to (a) Brenley Corner and (b) Bluebell Hill.
This Government is committed to ensuring that people have access to transport and transport infrastructure that enables them to travel to the destinations they want to reach and meets their needs. On funding for roads, this year Kent County Council received an additional £4.296 million for highways maintenance, on top of the over £34 million it typically receives as part of the SR21 3-year settlement. Further funding beyond 2024/25 is matter for the forthcoming Spending Review. In addition, in her statement on 29 July, the Chancellor announced that the Department for Transport will review its capital roads portfolio over the summer.
How much funding her Department plans to provide for road improvements at (a) Blue Bell Hill, (b) Brenley Corner and (c) other roads in Kent.
This Government is committed to ensuring that people have access to transport and transport infrastructure that enables them to travel to the destinations they want to reach and meets their needs. On funding for roads, this year Kent County Council received an additional £4.296 million for highways maintenance, on top of the over £34 million it typically receives as part of the SR21 3-year settlement. Further funding beyond 2024/25 is matter for the forthcoming Spending Review. In addition, in her statement on 29 July, the Chancellor announced that the Department for Transport will review its capital roads portfolio over the summer.
Whether she has plans to increase the number of clean air zones.
Clean Air Zones (CAZ) are road user charging measures that local authorities in the Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2) Programme introduced to address NO2 exceedances. Local authorities lead the development of plans to improve air quality, which are then assessed by Government. CAZ have been implemented by local authorities where modelling has shown them to achieve NO2 compliance in the shortest possible time. The majority of the local authorities in the programme have agreed their local plans. Greater Manchester’s CAZ remains under review.
Whether she has plans to increase the number of roads with 20 mph speed limits.
The power to introduce 20mph limits on roads in England rests with local authorities.
What research her Department has (a) undertaken and (b) commissioned into the potential impacts of (i) pay per mile road charging and (ii) similar schemes.
The Department has not undertaken or commissioned any such research since the conclusion of the road pricing demonstrations project in 2011.
With reference to page 11 of her Department's document entitled Fixing the Foundations: Public spending audit 2024-25, CP 1133, how her Department evaluated which transport commitments were considered low value.
This government wants to ensure that public spending on transport infrastructure drives economic growth and delivers value for money for taxpayers.Transport schemes are assessed in accordance with the principles set out in the Green Book. The Green Book is the central government guidance on appraising policy options and ensuring that they represent good value for money. In this context, ‘low value’ means low value for money, taking account of the costs and benefits of these schemes.
With reference to Table 1 of her Department's document entitled Fixing the Foundations: Public spending audit 2024-25, CP 1133, what the evidential basis is for saying there was an additional £1.3 billion cost for rail maintenance in the 2024-25 financial year.
Rail infrastructure is managed by Network Rail (NR). The Department for Transport (DfT) provides grant funding to NR for operations, maintenance, and renewals via five-year regulated ‘Control Periods’. Funding for each Control Period is established through a statutory process of Periodic Reviews, the timelines for which have not aligned with Spending Review periods. At Spending Review 2021, DfT’s budgets were set for a period (2021/22-2024/25) which extended beyond the end of the previous Control Period (Control Period 6, 2019/20-2023/24). The periodic review to determine Control Period 7 (2024/25-2028/29) concluded in October 2023, confirming the funding requirements for 2024/25. Therefore, the assumption for maintenance costs in 2024/25 had to be revised following the periodic review in 2023 as these costs were higher than budgeted at SR21.
With reference to paragraph 25 of her Department's document entitled Fixing the Foundations: Public spending audit 2024-25, CP 1133, what the evidential basis is for saying there was an additional £1.6 billion cost to the rail system in the 2024-25 financial year.
The £1.6 billion cost referenced is an HMT assessment of the additional cost to run rail services in 2024/25 compared to SR21 plans. This assessment was made at the point at which this government entered office. The additional cost is primarily driven by the impact of weaker-than-expected passenger demand recovery following the COVID-19 pandemic.