Blog

  • Alex Cunningham – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Alex Cunningham – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alex Cunningham on 2015-11-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of whether ending her Department’s funding for the National Wildlife Crime Unit would affect the UK’s Commitment to Action on the illegal wildlife trade.

    Rory Stewart

    An assessment of the effect of future funding decisions regarding the UK National Wildlife Crime Unit on the UK’s Commitment to Action on the Illegal Wildlife Trade has not yet been made.

    Decisions on future funding of the National Wildlife Crime Unit beyond March 2016 will be made as part of the current Spending Review process.

  • David Hanson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    David Hanson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Hanson on 2015-11-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she has taken to ensure that organic food producers are subsidised under the Common Agricultural Policy.

    George Eustice

    Organic farmers in England are eligible to claim Common Agricultural Policy support under the Basic Payments Scheme and are also eligible to apply for funding under the Countryside Stewardship Scheme.

  • Sheryll Murray – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Sheryll Murray – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sheryll Murray on 2015-11-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the level of stocks of sea bass since the implementation of restrictions on landing that fish by (a) commercial and (b) recreational fishermen in 2015.

    George Eustice

    The European Commission has issued proposals[1] on fishing opportunities to be agreed for 2016, which includes EU bass management measures for the commercial fishing and recreational sea angling sectors consisting of a moratorium on fishing for bass in the first six months, and reduced catch limits for the latter half of the year. The UK response to these proposals is being considered in advance of negotiations at the December Fisheries Council.

    The latest available assessment of the bass stock, from the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea, was published in June this year before the full set of EU bass management measures for 2015 was finalised in September. Its next assessment is due in June 2016.

    [1] http://eur-lex.europa.eu/resource.html?uri=cellar:f4d9701d-87b1-11e5-b8b7-01aa75ed71a1.0011.02/DOC_1&format=PDF

    “

  • Angela Smith – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Angela Smith – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Angela Smith on 2015-11-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many dogs in Wales have been placed on the register of exempt dogs under section 4A and section 4B procedures under the Dangerous Dogs (Amendment) Act 1997 in each year since 1997; and if she will make a statement.

    George Eustice

    The number of dogs in Wales that have been placed on the Index of Exempted Dogs under Section 4A and Section 4b of the Dangerous Dogs (Amendment) Act 1997 in each complete year since 1997 is in the table below. There were no recorded entries in Wales for the period 1997 – 2003.

    Year

    Number of Dogs

    2004

    1

    2005

    1

    2006

    0

    2007

    2

    2008

    7

    2009

    7

    2010

    9

    2011

    17

    2012

    33

    2013

    41

    2014

    35
  • Andrew Rosindell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Andrew Rosindell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2015-11-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will assess the extent to which grants made by her Department to third parties are used for activities designed to influence her Department, other departments or Parliament.

    George Eustice

    Grants are made to third parties so that those organisations can deliver Defra’s objectives. They are not made to such organisations for use to influence Defra, other Departments or Parliament.

  • David Crausby – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    David Crausby – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Crausby on 2015-11-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when she plans to bring forward proposals to ban the use of wild animals in circuses.

    George Eustice

    I refer the hon. Member to the reply previously given to the hon. Member for Penistone and Stocksbridge, Angela Smith, on 21 July 2015, PQ UIN 7749.

  • Cheryl Gillan – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Cheryl Gillan – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Cheryl Gillan on 2015-11-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many officials in her Department are working on matters related to High Speed 2; and what the grades of those officials are.

    George Eustice

    Technical and policy specialists contribute to the Department’s work on HS2. Within the core Department a policy team (1 Grade 7 and 1 SEO) co-ordinates input from specialists from across the Department as required. This forms one part of the team’s role.

    The Environment Agency (EA) and Natural England (NE) provide input through the roles of the following officials:

    3 Grade 7s (2 EA, 1 NE)

    1 Grade 6 (EA)

    7 SEOs (5 EA, 2 NE)

    3 HEOs (1 EA, 2 NE)

    In addition, one Grade 7 and two SEOs from the Forestry Commission and members of local EA and NE teams provide specialist advice as required.

  • Peter Kyle – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Peter Kyle – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Peter Kyle on 2015-11-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what progress her Department has made on plans to improve energy efficiency across schools through introducing solar hubs.

    Andrea Leadsom

    In April 2014 the Department published a leaflet encouraging schools to invest in Solar PV, which was followed up with a letter to local authorities in November 2014, and we have also continued to encourage deployment through the financial incentive of the Feed-in Tariff.

    DECC officials are continuing to work with other Government Departments to explore what more can be done to make it easier for schools to invest in renewable energy.

    Their ability to fund such projects through commercial and third party loans is restricted, to ensure value for money and protect public sector finances, but schools have found alternative ways of funding solar projects, for example through crowd funding and other mechanisms.

  • Paul Blomfield – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Paul Blomfield – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Blomfield on 2015-11-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, if she will re-introduce feed-in tariff preaccreditation for community renewable energy schemes.

    Andrea Leadsom

    The Government proposed changes to the feed-in tariff scheme (FITs) as part of the FIT review, on which we consulted widely between 27th August and 23rd October.

    We are currently analysing feedback submitted during the consultation and intend to publish a Government response as soon as possible.

  • Peter Kyle – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Peter Kyle – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Peter Kyle on 2015-11-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what progress her Department has made towards its renewable energy target for 2020; and if she will make a statement.

    Andrea Leadsom

    I refer the Hon. Member to the answer I gave the Hon. Member for Greenwich and Woolwich on 6 July 2015 to Question 4832:

    http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-question/Commons/2015-06-30/4832/

    “