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Huw Irranca-Davies – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Huw Irranca-Davies on 2014-06-17.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what proportion of mango lots or number of shipments infested by tephriditae were rejected by Fera in each of the last five years; and from which source country each infected shipment was exported.

Dan Rogerson

The ban was imposed following persistent interceptions of plant pestson imports of Indian produce into the European Union (EU) and critical reports from the European Commission’s Food and Veterinary Office audits in 2010 and 2013. Despite assurances from India in response to these reports the level of interceptions remained high. The EU’s decision to introduce a ban was therefore fully justified and supported by all Member States including the UK, in line with our policy of strengthening plant health controls. Therefore, no alternatives to a ban were considered by Defra.

Protecting plant health is a key Defra objective. Plant pests and diseases such as those intercepted from India in recent years can cause serious damage to the UK glasshouse industry which is worth over £300 million per annum. However, I am aware of the importance of the mango trade and Defra officials are liaising with the Indian High Commission on what support the UK can offer to India to help it ensure compliance with EU import requirements.

The following table shows the number of consignments of mangoes imported into the UK in the last five years which were infested with Tephriditae (and therefore rejected) by country of origin. The European Commission is considering similar measures to those taken against India for other countries with high levels of interceptions of plant pests. Such consideration takes account of findings from all Member States, and covers all plant commodities and all pests identified.

Year	Country of origin	No. of consignments imported into the UK	No. of consignments infected with Tephritidae
2010	Dominican Republic	351	1
	India	1977	1
	Jamaica	228	3
	Pakistan	3302	6

2011	Dominican Republic	417	2
	India	1836	11
	Jamaica	262	3
	Pakistan	3690	19
	Puerto Rico	1	1
	Sri Lanka	144	1
	Uganda	138	1

2012	Bangladesh	146	1
	Brazil	445	1
	Costa Rica	70	2
	Dominican Republic	606	18
	Ghana	628	15
	India	3448	23
	Jamaica	332	24
	Kenya	2044	4
	Pakistan	5128	81
	Philippines	12	2
	Sri Lanka	189	10
	St Lucia	50	1
	Thailand	1050	3
	Uganda	104	2

2013	Brazil	316	3
	Dominican Republic	756	16
	Ghana	357	4
	Guinea	7	1
	India	3563	13
	Jamaica	516	17
	Kenya	1654	17
	Pakistan	5910	47
	Puerto Rico	104	1
	Sri Lanka	111	3
	U A E	1	1
	Vietnam	77	1

2014 (to 18/06/14)
	Brazil	106	1
	Dominican Republic	420	3
	Ghana	271	1
	India	401	1
	Jamaica	464	9
	Kenya	698	7
	Mexico	61	1
	Senegal	4	1
	Sri Lanka	69	3

Source: Fera and Europhyt

01/11/2022

Graham Jones – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Graham Jones on 2014-06-17.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, how many onshore petroleum exploration and development licence applications are pending approval in (a) the UK, (b) England, (c) Lancashire and (d) Hyndburn constituency.

Michael Fallon

There are no onshore petroleum exploration and development licence applications pending approval in the UK.

01/11/2022
Lisa Nandy – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lisa Nandy on 2014-06-17.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether Dominic Cummings has had any email contact with officials, Ministers or Special Advisers in his Department since he resigned his post as a Special Adviser.

Matthew Hancock

Mr Cummings is an ex-employee of the Department for Education. It is not uncommon for ex-employees to be in contact with Ministers and the Department. As the Secretary of State for Education explained to the House on Monday 16 June, many people seek to visit and contact the Department for Education to exchange ideas with old friends and colleagues.

01/11/2022
John Denham – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Denham on 2014-06-17.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many teachers have had action taken against them under Teachers’ Standards for (a) undermining fundamental British values, including democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and mutual respect and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs and (b) failing to ensure that personal beliefs are not expressed in ways which exploit pupils’ vulnerability or might lead them to break the law in the last two years.

Mr David Laws

The National College for Teaching and Leadership has prohibited two teachers following professional conduct hearings where the allegations relate to behaviours outlined in the question.

01/11/2022
Alex Cunningham – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alex Cunningham on 2014-06-17.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate he has made of the value of the land for which academy trusts currently have leasehold interest.

Mr Edward Timpson

When community schools convert to academies, the freehold is retained by the local authority and a lease is granted to the academy trust. In some circumstances, where the school governors or supporting foundation already hold the freehold, my Rt hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, may allow publicly-funded school land to be transferred to an academy trust, which will have satisfied the Secretary of State as to its ability to operate a state-funded school.

There are strict rules protecting publicly funded land used by academies, regardless of who holds the freehold. This is set out in published guidance, which is available online:

www.gov.uk/government/publications/protection-of-school-playing-fields-and-public-land-advice

A copy of the guidance has been placed in the House Library.

The Department does not hold information about the average value of land used for academies on a freehold or leasehold basis. Information about the number of academies that occupy land on a leasehold and freehold basis is not held centrally.

“

01/11/2022
Tom Watson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Watson on 2014-06-17.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what role he has had in designing the new GCSE English Literature curriculum; and on what dates he has had meetings about its design in the last 12 months.

Matthew Hancock

The Secretary of State for Education set out that new GCSEs should provide students with fulfilling and demanding courses of study, with expectations that match and exceed those in the highest performing countries. GCSE English literature subject content was developed drawing on the evidence gathered through its public consultation on GCSE English literature content, which ran from June to August 2013, and from Ofqual, the Awarding Organisations and other subject experts.

In the last 12 months, the Secretary of State has met Department for Education officials on a series of occasions to discuss evidence gathered during the consultation.

01/11/2022
Alex Cunningham – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alex Cunningham on 2014-06-17.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the estimated value of the land is for which academy trusts have a freehold interest.

Mr Edward Timpson

When community schools convert to academies, the freehold is retained by the local authority and a lease is granted to the academy trust. In some circumstances, where the school governors or supporting foundation already hold the freehold, my Rt hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, may allow publicly-funded school land to be transferred to an academy trust, which will have satisfied the Secretary of State as to its ability to operate a state-funded school.

There are strict rules protecting publicly funded land used by academies, regardless of who holds the freehold. This is set out in published guidance, which is available online:

www.gov.uk/government/publications/protection-of-school-playing-fields-and-public-land-advice

A copy of the guidance has been placed in the House Library.

The Department does not hold information about the average value of land used for academies on a freehold or leasehold basis. Information about the number of academies that occupy land on a leasehold and freehold basis is not held centrally.

“

01/11/2022
Alex Cunningham – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alex Cunningham on 2014-06-17.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many cases of academy trusts acquiring freehold interests on land for schools there have been in each of the last five financial years.

Mr Edward Timpson

When community schools convert to academies, the freehold is retained by the local authority and a lease is granted to the academy trust. In some circumstances, where the school governors or supporting foundation already hold the freehold, my Rt hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, may allow publicly-funded school land to be transferred to an academy trust, which will have satisfied the Secretary of State as to its ability to operate a state-funded school.

There are strict rules protecting publicly funded land used by academies, regardless of who holds the freehold. This is set out in published guidance, which is available online:

www.gov.uk/government/publications/protection-of-school-playing-fields-and-public-land-advice

A copy of the guidance has been placed in the House Library.

The Department does not hold information about the average value of land used for academies on a freehold or leasehold basis. Information about the number of academies that occupy land on a leasehold and freehold basis is not held centrally.

“

01/11/2022
Alex Cunningham – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alex Cunningham on 2014-06-17.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what his policy is on the question of who retains ownership of the land in cases where freehold interest in local authority land is granted to an academy trust.

Mr Edward Timpson

When community schools convert to academies, the freehold is retained by the local authority and a lease is granted to the academy trust. In some circumstances, where the school governors or supporting foundation already hold the freehold, my Rt hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, may allow publicly-funded school land to be transferred to an academy trust, which will have satisfied the Secretary of State as to its ability to operate a state-funded school.

There are strict rules protecting publicly funded land used by academies, regardless of who holds the freehold. This is set out in published guidance, which is available online:

www.gov.uk/government/publications/protection-of-school-playing-fields-and-public-land-advice

A copy of the guidance has been placed in the House Library.

The Department does not hold information about the average value of land used for academies on a freehold or leasehold basis. Information about the number of academies that occupy land on a leasehold and freehold basis is not held centrally.

“

01/11/2022
Tim Loughton – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tim Loughton on 2014-06-17.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when he expects to release funds to finance the extension of staying put for young people leaving care.

Mr Edward Timpson

Local authority allocations for 2014-15 of the Staying Put Implementation Grant will be paid in four instalments on or by 30 June 2014, 30 August 2014, 30 November 2014 and 27 February 2015.

01/11/2022