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  • Chi Onwurah – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Chi Onwurah – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chi Onwurah on 2015-02-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much her Department spent on training in each of the last three financial years.

    Dan Rogerson

    The Core Department does not budget at a level of detail that allows for the identification of annual training budgets. The information requested can therefore not be provided.

    The table below sets out details of spend on training within Core Defra in the last three complete financial years. This information can also be found in the Department’s published Annual Reports and Accounts.

    Financial Year

    Spend on Training (£000)

    2011-12

    1,191

    2012-13

    1,353

    2013-14

    1,105
  • Chi Onwurah – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Chi Onwurah – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chi Onwurah on 2015-02-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what her Department’s training budget was in each of the last three financial years.

    Dan Rogerson

    The Core Department does not budget at a level of detail that allows for the identification of annual training budgets. The information requested can therefore not be provided.

    The table below sets out details of spend on training within Core Defra in the last three complete financial years. This information can also be found in the Department’s published Annual Reports and Accounts.

    Financial Year

    Spend on Training (£000)

    2011-12

    1,191

    2012-13

    1,353

    2013-14

    1,105
  • Chi Onwurah – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Chi Onwurah – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chi Onwurah on 2015-02-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the average number of days training of full-time equivalent staff employed in her Department was in each of the last three financial years.

    Dan Rogerson

    The information to answer this question is not readily available and can only be provided at disproportionate cost.

  • Joan Walley – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Joan Walley – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Joan Walley on 2015-02-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans she has to introduce biodiversity offsetting; and whether ancient woodland will be exempt.

    George Eustice

    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.

  • Chi Onwurah – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Chi Onwurah – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chi Onwurah on 2015-02-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what guidance her Department provides to its managers on how many days training should be made available to staff.

    Dan Rogerson

    The Department supports and actively promotes the ‘5 a year’ Civil Service Learning campaign to encourage individuals to take at least five days a year targeted learning and development, as set out in the Civil Service Reform plan. The campaign is promoted to both staff and managers using posters, the intranet and learning and development plans.

  • George Hollingbery – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    George Hollingbery – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by George Hollingbery on 2015-02-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, which towns and cities in England and Wales have been most affected by flooding caused by urban surface run-off following heavy rain events in the last five years.

    Dan Rogerson

    The Environment Agency publishes maps of locations at risk of flooding from surface water. The maps can be interrogated by place name or postcode.

    The maps can be found at:

    http://watermaps.environment-agency.gov.uk/wiyby/wiyby.aspx?topic=ufmfsw#x=357865&y=355121&scale=1

    “

  • Nicholas Soames – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Nicholas Soames – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicholas Soames on 2015-02-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, for what reasons his Department will not be flying the Commonwealth Flag on Commonwealth Day; and by whom that decision was taken.

    Mr David Lidington

    In addition to flying the Union Flag at all times, it is the Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s policy to fly the flags of the nations of the United Kingdom on the appropriate national days, and the flags of the British Overseas Territories on the day that is most significant in each of their histories. The Foreign Secretary is responsible for FCO policy.

  • Jeremy Corbyn – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Jeremy Corbyn – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jeremy Corbyn on 2015-02-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations his Department has made to the government of Democratic Republic of Congo on the arrest and incommunicado detention of 12 activists after protests in January 2015 against revision of the electoral law.

    Mr Hugo Swire

    During the recent period of unrest in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) officials at our Embassy in Kinshasa were in regular contact with the DRC authorities, and urged all parties to exercise calm and restraint. Officials also highlighted the importance of allowing those who wished to protest peacefully against the proposed electoral reform bill to be allowed to do so. This was echoed in an Foreign and Commonwealth Office statement https://www.gov.uk/government/news/fco-expresses-concern-over-violence-in-drc issued on 19 January.

    On 25 January a revised electoral law was passed, and on 26 January an FCO statement https://www.gov.uk/government/news/uk-welcomes-new-electoral-law-and-cessation-of-violence-in-drc welcomed the revised electoral law, which sought to address some of the protestors’ concerns. We are pleased that calls for an end to violence were heeded but are concerned that – according to UN reports – as many as 300 people remain in detention following the demonstrations, including some who have not had access to a lawyer. Of those currently being held, the UN estimates that at least 11 are believed to be in ‘incommunicado’ detention, including Christopher Ngoyi.

    Officials continue to raise the ongoing detention of protestors at the highest level. On 11 February, EU Head of Mission in Kinshasa issued a joint statement expressing concern at arrests and arbitrary detention of political activists by the security services. Those imprisoned for peacefully exercising their right to free speech must be released without delay.

  • Chi Onwurah – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Chi Onwurah – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chi Onwurah on 2015-02-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what guidance his Department provides to its managers on how many days training should be made available to staff.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) does not specify how many days training should be available to staff. We adhere to Civil Service guidelines which recommend that staff should aim to do a minimum of five days training a year, however, the amount of time staff spend participating in both informal learning and formal training events will vary according to their role, profession or personal development needs. The amount of time allocated for language training is calculated spearately depending on the operational requirements of the role.

  • Nigel Dodds – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Nigel Dodds – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nigel Dodds on 2015-02-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with the Libyan government on the campaign for equitable compensation for victims of IRA terrorism sponsored by Colonel Gaddafi’s government and the decision by the Libyan Parliament to revoke a law banning officials from that government from re-entering the political realm.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    While we do not intend to negotiate a compensation settlement with the Libyan authorities, once stability returns, and our Embassy re-opens, we will again encourage the Libyans to engage with UK victims seeking redress, including those seeking compensation and their legal representatives. The Prime Minister, my right hon. Friend the member for Witney (Mr Cameron) is committed to doing this and has asked the National Security Advisor to lead cross-government efforts to engage the Libyans on reconciliation initiatives. The Government will also continue to promote broad and lasting reconciliation between Libya and affected UK communities. The UK has not formally discussed with the House of Representatives their decision on the political isolation law. Only an inclusive political solution can resolve the ongoing hostilities and political polarisation in Libya. The UK has urged all parties to cease all hostilities and support the UN process led by the Special Representative of the UN Secretary General, Bernardino Leon.