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  • Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2016-06-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 9 June 2016 to Question 38502, what estimate she has made of her Department’s (a) core total evidence spend and (b) core research and development spend in each of the next five years; and if she will make a statement.

    George Eustice

    The estimated evidence spend for core Defra for 2016/17 is £50m, of which £31m is planned to be spent in research and development (R&D). The estimates for each of the remaining years of the Spending Review 2015 (SR15) period will not be finalised until the annual business planning round is concluded before the new financial year begins.

  • Toby Perkins – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Toby Perkins – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Toby Perkins on 2016-06-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assurances she has received from Natural England that the system of wildlife licences provides adequate protection for red squirrel species.

    Rory Stewart

    The red squirrel is one of the UK’s most threatened native mammals, predominantly due to the threat posed by non-native grey squirrels, which out-compete red squirrels and spread the squirrel pox virus which is deadly to reds.

    It is a priority for Natural England to prevent the release of any such non-native species that might have a negative impact on our native fauna and flora.

    Natural England’s policy, therefore, is to not issue licences to release grey squirrels in counties or areas where red squirrels are, or may be, still present. Outside of those areas, licences are currently only issued for the re-release (within 1km of their point of capture) of rehabilitated animals that were originally taken from the wild for tending or treatment, or for immediate release of individuals at the same location from physical entrapment.

    A list of species of Union concern, identified under the EU Invasive Alien Species Regulation 1143/2014, will be coming into force later this year and will impose restrictions on the keeping, breeding, sale, transporting and release of 37 listed plants and animals, including the grey squirrel. Once this happens there may be a need to consider changes to the way Natural England licenses the keeping and release of these species. As a consequence Natural England is limiting grey squirrel licences to one year only.

  • Steve McCabe – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Steve McCabe – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2016-06-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 4 May 2016 to Question 35884, on Bees: Pesticides, if she will make it her policy to exercise her powers to lift the temporary ban on neonicotinoids in the future; and if she will make a statement.

    George Eustice

    EU restrictions on the use of neonicotinoids have been fully implemented in the UK. Member States can authorise limited and controlled use of a pesticide on an exceptional basis in emergency situations to “control a danger which cannot be contained by any other reasonable means”. Emergency authorisations are not granted automatically and applications must be based on evidence relating to the need for the pesticide and possible harmful effects.

    Decisions on whether or not to grant authorisations for restricted neonicotinoids will be made on the basis of an examination of the technical and scientific information submitted by the applicant, by the UK Expert Committee on Pesticides and the Health and Safety Executive. Two applications are currently under consideration and will be assessed using the above regulatory criteria.

  • Anne Main – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Anne Main – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Anne Main on 2016-06-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what the cost was of operating the British Embassy in Ankara and the Consulate-General in Istanbul in each of the last five years.

    Mr David Lidington

    During the financial year 2015/16 the administrative cost of operating HMG’s network in Turkey was £8,598,421. For the financial year 2014/15 it was £11,085,874. For 2013/14 it was £9,402,577. For 2012/13 it was £8,462,061 and for 2011/12 it was £7,585,285.56. This includes the costs of all our missions in Turkey: the British Embassy in Ankara, the British Consulate General in Istanbul, the British Consulate in Izmir, the British Vice Consulate in Antalya, and the British Honorary Consulates in Bodrum, Fetiye and Marmaris. It does not include the cost of UK-based staff working in Turkey, which could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

  • Toby Perkins – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Toby Perkins – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Toby Perkins on 2016-06-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the effect on the civil war in Yemen of arms sold by the UK to Saudi Arabia.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    The UK supports the Saudi Arabian-led Coalition military intervention in Yemen, which came at the request of legitimate President Hadi to deter aggression by the Houthis and forces loyal to the former president Saleh. Saudi Arabia and the Coalition have played a crucial role and the priority now is for the Yemeni parties to agree a political solution through UN-facilitated peace talks to end the conflict. The UK is not a member of the Saudi Arabian-led Coalition and UK’s arms exports to Saudi Arabia are made under pre-existing and long-standing government to government arrangements. The UK Government takes its arms export responsibilities very seriously and operates one of the most robust arms export control regimes in the world. The Government is satisfied that extant licences for Saudi Arabia are compliant with the UK’s export licensing criteria.

  • Bob Blackman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Bob Blackman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Bob Blackman on 2016-06-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, with reference to the Answers of 27 April 2016 to Questions 34797 and 34798, what assessment he has made of the implications for the UK’s role in Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations of UK funding being used by UN-funded non-governmental organisations to commemorate Palestinian terrorists.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    We have made no such assessment.

  • Anne Main – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Anne Main – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Anne Main on 2016-06-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many people are part of the team working on projects to improve Turkey’s prospects of joining the EU based at the British Embassy in Ankara; and what the total cost of that team was in the last 12 months.

    Mr David Lidington

    Four members of staff at the British Embassy in Ankara work either for all or part of their time on projects to promote reform and democratisation, as a full part of our work to promote UK interests in Turkey. The total annual cost of these staff for that project work was approximately £76,000 for Financial Year 2015/2016. This does not include the cost of the one UK-based member of staff which could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

    The UK remains committed to supporting security and prosperity across Europe, where we will continue to have close relationships and mutual interests.

    In countries aspiring to join the EU, our bilateral focus will remain on strengthening stability, security, good governance and the economic fundamentals; and on building the resilience and capability to tackle global threats and challenges such as irregular migration and terrorism.

  • Anne Main – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Anne Main – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Anne Main on 2016-06-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many meetings the team working on projects to improve Turkey’s prospects of joining the EU, based at the British Embassy in Ankara, have had with representatives of the Turkish government in the last 12 months.

    Mr David Lidington

    Staff in the projects team at the British Embassy in Ankara regularly meet their Turkish Government counterparts on a range of business, including promoting reform and democratisation towards European standards. The UK remains committed to supporting security and prosperity across Europe, where we will continue to have close relationships and mutual interests. In countries aspiring to join the EU, our bilateral focus will remain on strengthening stability, security, good governance and the economic fundamentals; and on building the resilience and capability to tackle global threats and challenges such as irregular migration and terrorism.

  • Crispin Blunt – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Crispin Blunt – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Crispin Blunt on 2016-06-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, with reference to NHS England’s consultation on a proposed method to support investment decisions in specialised commissioning, launched on 12 April 2016, if NHS England will issue a consultation on arrangements for commissioning treatments recommended through NICE’s highly specialised technology programme.

    George Freeman

    As part of the work to develop NHS England’s strategic framework for specialised services, NHS England and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence will be working together closely to improve the adoption of highly specialised technologies. Further detail will be set out in the coming months in light of the conclusions of the Accelerated Access Review.

  • Crispin Blunt – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Crispin Blunt – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Crispin Blunt on 2016-06-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what plans NICE has to consult on its methodology for carrying out evidence reviews and impact analyses to support NHS England’s specialised commissioning process.

    George Freeman

    As yet, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) does not have any plans to consult on changes to its methods and processes to support NHS England’s specialised commissioning process, but will carry out a full consultation if any such changes are considered necessary.

    Following NHS England’s review of its specialised commissioning processes and the publication in the summer of the final report from the Accelerated Access Review, we anticipate NICE will want to look at its processes and methods for the assessment of drugs and treatments used in specialised commissioning.