The Government Digital Service has created the award-winning, world-leading gov.uk, the single web domain for Government information and services, and 25 major services have been redesigned to make them simpler, clearer and faster to use. That will not only provide savings to the taxpayer but improve delivery for the public, so that it is focused on user need, not Government convenience. In the next Parliament, we will deliver government as a platform, building common services such as a once-for-all payments platform.

A number of routes in the North West are in the process of being electrified.

Network Rail is considering potential projects for the next funding Control Period through the refresh of its national electrification Route Utilisation Strategy.

Final decisions on further schemes will take into account the recommendations of the Task Force of northern MPs and Council Leaders set up to explore the priorities for future electrification in the North.

The attached table provides the headcount number and percentage of all regular teachers in service in primary schools in each constituency in England with a degree in a science subject in November 2013. This is the latest information available.

I am delighted to report to the House that the number of CT scans performed at the Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust increased by 67% between 2010 and 2014. In December 2014, only 0.6% of patients waited more than six weeks from referral to test at the trust—that is rather better than the figure we inherited in 2010 of 4.9%, and I hope that the Opposition will welcome it.

The Ministry of Defence supports the Department for International Development led effort in Sierra Leone. My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Defence, has just returned from Sierra Leone where he has seen for himself the great work being undertaken by the Ministry of Defence to assist those affected by the outbreak.

We have deployed around 1,200 personnel over the last six months which represents our largest current overseas deployment and the second largest contribution to the fight against Ebola after the US.

We have overseen the construction of six Treatment Centres to deliver specialist care to Ebola patients, one of which – Kerrytown – includes a specialist unit staffed and managed by UK military personnel; we have constructed an Ebola Training Academy and trained over 4,000 local nationals in a variety of Ebola related roles; we have deployed the extremely capable RFA ARGUS and its three Merlin helicopters to increase our logistical capability; and we have engaged widely with our international partners to ensure the response in West Africa is – as it should be – a global effort.

The Washington Post hailed the UK as

“setting the gold standard of digital government”,

and the Obama Administration have created a digital service modelled on our own. The Australian Government announced the same in January this year. The New Zealand Government have taken the source code from gov.uk and used it for their own online presence. Last October, we celebrated the 1 billionth visit to gov.uk.

Since December 2013, over half a million refugees have fled South Sudan to Ethiopia, Kenya, Sudan and Uganda. £58.9 million has been committed by my Department to support these refugees through provision of nutrition, water, medical services and protection. We continue to closely monitor the situation.

On November 4^th, we published the National Pollinator Strategy, a 10 year plan to help pollinators thrive involving farmers, major landowners and the public. Bees and other pollinators are vital for our £100bn food chain and are worth £400m to the economy.

I set up the £30 million innovation fund four years ago to test cutting-edge projects for helping disadvantaged young people: some of those most at risk of becoming NEET—not in education, employment or training—or falling in with gangs. Using social impact bonds, these projects are now proving they can deliver a return on the investment; 16,600 positive educational and employment outcomes have been achieved, each one an improvement in a young person’s prospects.

Wales has the potential to be a beacon of hi-tech excellence and innovation. Since 2010, thousands of new jobs have been created in the advanced manufacturing, ICT and life sciences sectors. The growth in those sectors is contributing to the rebalancing of our economy, which is so vital to future economic success.

The number of new cases and the rate of infection are, I am pleased to say, both now decreasing in Sierra Leone. The fall in the infection rate is a clear demonstration that UK-led efforts are slowing the spread of this deadly disease. The UK remains fully committed to providing the resources and leadership needed to defeat Ebola in Sierra Leone.

Of the £160 billon ten year investment that will be detailed in the Equipment Plan, £70 billion is investment in new equipment, funding cutting edge capabilities such as the new aircraft carriers, Astute class submarines, the Type 26 Frigates, the F35 Joint Strike Fighter, the A400M Atlas transport aircraft and the Scout armoured vehicle.

Almost half a million South Sudanese refugees have fled from the conflict in South Sudan to Ethiopia, Kenya, Sudan and Uganda. £42.5 million has been committed by my Department for support to these refugees through UN agencies and we are closely monitoring the situation.

We have made strong progress in cleaning up our rivers. They are now in far better health than 20 years ago. For example, pollution from sewage works has gone down significantly; phosphate pollution will fall by a further fifth and ammonia by a further sixth by 2015. Overall, this government has improved over 15,000 kilometres of rivers – equivalent to the length of the Amazon and Nile combined – but we know more needs to be done.

A wide range of electrification schemes is being considered by the taskforce of northern MPs and council leaders set up to explore the priorities for future electrification in the north. The taskforce expects to provide me with an interim report in February 2015 setting out its recommended priorities for scheme development in future rail funding control periods from 2019.

Mr Speaker, the specifics of the work of your commission are not directly the responsibility of the House of Commons Commission. However, I understand that work is at an advanced stage, and that it is planning to publish its report on 21 January.

We are actively promoting female role models on our new ‘Women in Enterprise’ web page (http://www.greatbusiness.gov.uk/women-in-enterprise/ ) and as part of our Great Business campaign. We have invested £1.9m in the Get Mentoring project, which recruited and trained over 6000 mentors to specifically support female entrepreneurs. We announced earlier this month that we would build on this programme by holding a series of ‘Meet a Mentor’ events for women in venues across the UK.