A copy of the Ex-UK Coal Concessionary Fuel Scheme Rules following the 15^th November 2013 announcement was placed in the Libraries of the House.

As at 24 March 2015 the Government are meeting the solid fuel and cash in-lieu entitlement of 1,323 former UK Coal miners and their beneficiaries who had lost their entitlement as a result of the restructure of UK Coal in July 2013.

The ESA 50 is completed by claimants with help from a friend, relative, carer or representative such as a support worker if needed.

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/408008/esa-50-capability-for-work-questionnaire.pdf

Therefore no training is required or provided to GPs and other healthcare professions on completing it.

Guidance and information for GPs and other healthcare professionals from the DWP can be found at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/healthcare-practitioners-guidance-and-information-from-dwp

The Green Investment Bank (GIB) has a budget of £3.8bn and there is no immediate need for the bank to borrow.

As set out in ‘investing in Britain’s future’, the GIB has the power to borrow from the NLF if desired.

As at 24 March 2015 the Government are meeting the solid fuel and cash in-lieu entitlement of 1,323 former UK Coal miners and their beneficiaries who had lost their entitlement as a result of the restructure of UK Coal in July 2013.

In 2012, my Department, consulted interested parties on this issue. The responses supported the Government's view, that the local resilience forums are best placed to decide how to organise local flooding response, as they do for other emergencies. In 2013 the Government amended its flood response guidance to support the work of the local resilience forums, and to affirm that no statutory duty would be needed.

The Civil Contingencies Act already requires fire and rescue authorities, and other responders such as the police, ambulance and local authorities, to work together to deal with a range of risks in their area, including flooding. This collaboration worked well during the flood events in winter 2013-14.

The Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 requires the Prudential Regulation Authority and Financial Conduct Authority to include consideration of the principles of good regulation in their annual report.

These statutory principles of good regulation include “the desirability of sustainable growth in the economy of the United Kingdom in the medium or long term”.

We have no plans to introduce a requirement for origin marking for ceramic products. However, ceramics companies continue to be free to use origin marking on a voluntary basis. Industry sectors with well-deserved reputations for design and quality, such as the UK ceramics industry, may find this a helpful promotional tool.

First, I pay tribute to the hon. Lady and the efforts she has made on this and many other issues; she has been a stalwart campaigner on this issue, standing up for the ceramics industry. I will happily give her the assurance that when officials meet representatives of the industry, they will be listening very carefully to what they say. We have commissioned a study on this recently, and of course we will welcome the outcome of the European Commission study.

This is a matter for Ofqual, the Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation. I have therefore asked its Chief Regulator, Glenys Stacey, to write directly to the Honourable Member. A copy of her reply will be placed in the House of Commons Library.

This Government is committed to encouraging resource efficiency. The resource and waste management sector has grown faster than the wider economy over the past two decades, while waste arisings have fallen. We are extracting significantly more economic value from each tonne of waste managed by the sector, a 43% increase from £32 to £46 per tonne since 2004. As such, there are already a number of incentives in place to promote resource efficiency, for example:

• Landfill Tax has reduced the amount of waste going to landfill by approximately 65% since its introduction in 1996, and has contributed to a threefold increase in household recycling;

• Enhanced Capital Allowances enable the cost of investment in water and energy-efficient equipment to be written off against taxable profits of the period in which the investment is made;

• Government–funded Innovate UK is to invest up to £800k in feasibility studies into the business case for retaining value in durable goods through reuse, remanufacture or leasing/maintenance. This competition opened on 2 March 2015;

• Government is funding Action Based Research projects to explore innovative ways for businesses to develop more resource-efficient systems and products. £1.2m of support is being provided over the lifetime of the current round of projects; and

• Government are providing £17.9m funding in 2014-15 for the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) to support English businesses, industry, civil society organisations, as well as local authorities and households in realising the benefits of resource efficiency and improved resource management.

The Government takes natural capital very seriously. It has set long-term goals to stop decades of decline in wildlife and habitats, which have already resulted in improvements. Since 2010, it has helped to create over 150,000 acres of field margins, wetlands and woodlands; woodland cover is at its highest level in 700 years.

The Government’s environmental objectives are reflected in the National Infrastructure Plan. Its Top 40 Priority Infrastructure Investments include rail electrification, renewable energy and Smart Meters. These projects support a transition to a less resource intensive economy.

Economic growth and improving the environment go hand-in-hand, and the Natural Capital Committee has made a range of recommendations on how we manage the environment in a way that will enhance it for future generations whilst meeting our economic needs.

Given the significance of this work, the Government is carefully analysing the recommendations made in the Natural Capital Committee’s report, and will respond in due course. As part of that response, we will set out how Government plans to integrate natural capital into wider policy making and reporting.

The Government takes natural capital very seriously. We have set long term-goals to stop the decades of decline in wildlife and habitats, and have already seen some improvements. Since 2010 we have helped to create over 150,000 acres of field margins, wetlands and woodlands, and woodland cover is at its highest level in 700 years.

The Government’s Horizon Scanning Programme examines emerging trends and developments, such as those related to resource insecurity, that have the potential to lead to risks and opportunities for the UK. As part of this programme, Defra led a piece of work to assess risks to the UK economy from countries or companies restricting the supply of key resources. A summary of this work was published in Civil Service Quarterly in July 2014.

Last year, the Chairman of the Joint Intelligence Committee set up the Strategic Resources and Risks group to coordinate work on resource insecurity across Government. As part of its remit, this group considers risks and opportunities that resource insecurity poses to the UK economy. This work is being reflected in the current refresh of the Government’s National Security Risk Assessment. Domestic risks related to resource insecurity are also included in the UK’s National Risk Register.

The Bank of England, its subsidiary the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA), and the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) operate independently within the statutory remit agreed by Parliament.

The statutory principles of good regulation to which the PRA and FCA must have regard, provided for at section 3B of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 include “the desirability of sustainable growth in the economy of the United Kingdom in the medium or long term”.

The UK already requires quoted companies to report, where necessary for an understanding of their business, on environmental matters. Companies are required to report their policy, principle risks and outcomes.

In addition, UK will implement directive 2014/95/EU that requires reports to cover, amongst other matters, environmental policy. This disclosure will include a discussion of the company policy, including the due diligence measures implemented, the outcome and the principle risks related to the environment related to the company’s operations, business relationships, products and services.

Considering the requirements already in place and those necessary to implement the EU Directive, we have no current plans to bring forward additional legislation proposals on this issue.

The Government is not proposing any policy change regarding biodiversity offsetting at this point. As recommended by the Environmental Audit Committee and others, Defra waited for - and is considering - the report on the six offsetting pilots before making any further decisions.

The Government has always been clear that any policy change regarding offsetting would not alter existing protections in the planning system such as those for ancient woodland.

Let me reassure the hon. Lady that energy efficiency is at the heart of our policies. That is why we have managed to achieve our 1 million target early, and why I have put forward legislation for the private rented sector, which I hoped the hon. Lady would welcome. She might be interested to know that today John Alker, acting chief executive officer of the UK Green Building Council said:

“This could be the single most significant piece of legislation to affect our existing building stock in a generation”.

I am proud that this Government have introduced that.

We have extended our successful energy companies obligation to 2017 and reformed the green deal with changes such as the green deal home improvement fund. Together, ECO and the green deal have helped more than 1 million homes become more energy efficient. As I have said, I laid regulations before Parliament yesterday to require landlords to bring their properties up to a minimum level of energy efficiency by 1 April 2018. If the House agrees these new, tough rules for the private rented sector, we estimate that around 1 million tenants will benefit from warmer and cheaper-to-heat homes.

I will look closely at the specific issue that the hon. Lady has raised. As she knows, the safety of patients in Staffordshire is absolutely our main priority. I know that the University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust is working hard with the trust development authority and the other parties involved to manage a safe and timely transition of services, and I think that all parties should work together to do that. I have to say that that is not helped by the Leader of the Opposition going to Stafford and deliberately scaremongering and trying to frighten local people. He has said that Stafford hospital is on “the road to closure”. This is what he means by “weaponising” the NHS. It is an absolutely disgraceful tactic. The hon. Lady knows it is not true, and the Leader of the Opposition knows it is not true but he hasn’t got the gumption to say so.