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  • Alison Seabeck – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Alison Seabeck – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alison Seabeck on 2014-06-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many parliamentary questions tabled to his Department in the last parliamentary Session did not receive a substantive answer by the time of the 2014 prorogation; and when each such question was first tabled.

    Mr David Lidington

    The Foreign and Commonwealth Office received 2,331 Commons written questions in the 2013/14 session. All received a substantive answer before Prorogation. Questions tabled just before Prorogation, which had invalid notice periods, were not able to be answered.

  • Robin Walker – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Robin Walker – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Robin Walker on 2014-06-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his international counterparts on co-ordinating efforts to secure the release from prison of Meriam Ibrahim.

    Mark Simmonds

    Through our Embassy in Khartoum, the UK has been coordinating international efforts, including EU, Troika and others, to secure the release of Meriam Ibrahim from prison. We are also working with EU partners in Brussels to ensure an effective EU response.

    My Ministerial colleagues and I will continue to lobby forcefully, bilaterally and with other partners, for Meriam’s release.

  • Ian Lucas – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Ian Lucas – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Lucas on 2014-06-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the meeting between President Salva Kir and Riek Machar in Addis Ababa on 10 June 2014.

    Mark Simmonds

    The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) Summit on 10 June saw President Salva Kir and Riek Machar recommit to their earlier cessation of hostilities agreement, and agree to "expedite and complete dialogue on the formation of a transitional government of national unity within 60 days". This is an important step in the peace process. Both leaders must continue to respect the commitments they have made by reining in their fighters on the ground and engaging constructively in the Addis peace talks. The UK, along with our troika (UK, US and Norway) and EU partners, continues to support IGAD efforts to resolve the crisis.

  • Tom Watson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Tom Watson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Watson on 2014-06-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 11 June 2014, Official Report, column 212W, on USA, whether either government places restrictions on the use of data shared between the UK and the US.

    Hugh Robertson

    Britain has a strong and longstanding intelligence relationship with the US. In both countries, intelligence work takes place within a strong legal framework. Our intelligence-sharing work with the US is subject to Ministerial and independent oversight and scrutiny by the Intelligence and Security Committee. As referred to in my answer to the honourable member on 11 June 2014, Official Report, column 212W, the Interception Commissioner in his latest annual report addresses the issue of intelligence sharing between the UK and its partners, including recording that the Regulation of Ivestigatory Powers Act 2000 strictly limits the lawful dissemination of intercept material to the minimum that is necessary for the authorised purposes.

  • Kerry McCarthy – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Kerry McCarthy – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kerry McCarthy on 2014-06-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the Answer of 10 April 2014, Official Report, column 394W, on forests, for what reasons the Government did not announce in the Queen’s Speech legislative proposals to protect the public forest estate.

    Dan Rogerson

    There were many proposals competing for the limited space within the Fourth Session programme and the proposed forestry measures could not be accommodated.

    The Government stands by its commitment to establish a new public body to hold the Public Forest Estate in trust for the nation, as set out in its Forestry and Woodlands Policy Statement of January 2013, as soon as Parliamentary time allows.

  • Sheila Gilmore – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Sheila Gilmore – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sheila Gilmore on 2014-06-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what visits each of the Ministers in his Department have made since January 2013; and what the purpose of each such visit was.

    Dan Rogerson

    To identify every visit made by all of our Ministers over the period would incur a disproportionate cost as the information is not collated centrally.

    However, information on Ministers’ meetings with external organisations and their overseas travel is published quarterly on the Gov.uk site. This reflects the Civil Service’s commitment to transparency.

    Please find links to the relevant reports from 1 January 2013 until 31 December 2013:

    1 January to 31 March 2013:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/212312/defra-min-transparency-1213-q4.pdf

    1 April to 30 June 2013:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/246396/Ministerial_expenses_-_1_April_to_30_June_2013.pdf

    1 July to 30 September 2013:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/265462/Ministers_Quarterly_return_July_to_September_2013.pdf

    1 October to 31 December 2013:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/320333/Ministerial_Quarterly_Transparency_information_-_October_to_December_2013.pdf

    Transparency data for 1 January to 31 March 2014 is expected to be available on the webpage later this month. The data for 1 April to 30 June 2014 is due to be published in September.

    “

  • Thérèse Coffey – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Thérèse Coffey – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Thérèse Coffey on 2014-06-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many xx-positive cases have been recorded in the UK in each of the last 30 years.

    Jane Ellison

    The Food Standards Agency (FSA) advises that no Trichinella infection has been found in United Kingdom domestic livestock in the past 30 years. Trichinella infection in food producing animals is controlled by European Union regulations, which are directly applicable in the UK. UK industry routinely tests export pigs as required by their export markets, and all sows and boars, horses and feral wild boar going through approved establishments for Trichinella (which currently amounts to about 3–4 million pigs a year), alongside a FSA programme of surveillance in wildlife.

    Monitoring for evidence of Trichinella infection in foxes has been carried out in the UK since 1999. Foxes are tested because they are a good indicator of the presence of infection. There have been only two incidences of Trichinella Spiralis found in foxes in Northern Ireland, one in 2007 and one in 2009, and just one incident of Trichinella Pseudospiralis in a fox in Great Britain in 2013.

    In terms of human infections, Trichinellosis in humans is notifiable to the Department and any case that occurs is investigated and where possible the source of infection is identified. There have been no human cases acquired from meat produced in the UK for more than 30 years.

    Ten cases of trichinellosis were diagnosed in the UK between 2000 and 2012, including an outbreak of eight cases in England and Wales in 2000. Eight of these cases were associated with the consumption of imported meat products. The remaining two cases were travel related where infection was acquired abroad: one case in 2001, and the other 2010.

  • David Simpson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    David Simpson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Simpson on 2014-06-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to ensure the effective implementation of regulations (a) relating to storage of slurry and (b) in general for safety in farm yards.

    George Eustice

    Implementing safety regulations in farm yards is the responsibility of the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). The HSE recognises agriculture as a priority industry and has a programme for measurable and sustainable changes to the industry’s health and safety performance.

    The regulation of slurry storage is a devolved matter. In England it is controlled by the Water Resources (Control of Pollution) (Silage, Slurry and Agricultural Fuel Oil) Regulations 2010 (the SSAFO regulations), with the Environment Agency as the main regulator. From this year the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) is including slurry storage in its cross compliance inspections. Both the RPA and Environment Agency work closely with the HSE on farm safety.

    Slurry storage and management in England has been reviewed recently by a Joint Industry and Government Working Group and this included a review of the SSAFO regulations. The Group’s report was published on 21 November 2013 and is available online at: www.gov.uk/government/publications/slurry-management-and-storage-joint-government-and-industry-report.The report recognised the risks involved in managing slurry and included a recommendation about developing regular assessment of the condition of slurry stores to provide assurance that stores both prevent environmental pollution and meet health and safety requirements.The Government and industry continue to work in partnership to implement the recommendations.

    “

  • Annette Brooke – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Annette Brooke – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Annette Brooke on 2014-06-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent steps he has taken to reduce risks to the environment posed by the release of helium balloons.

    Dan Rogerson

    We recognise there are concerns about the potential risks posed by helium balloons. In 2013, jointly with the Welsh Government, we commissioned an independent study to identify and assess the impacts and risks to livestock and the environment associated with sky lanterns and helium balloons.

    Evidence from the report concluded that risk to the environment from helium balloons is small or highly localised.

    The report is available at:

    http://randd.defra.gov.uk/Default.aspx?Menu=Menu&Module=More&Location=None&Completed=2&ProjectID=18402

    Any future action Government may take will need to be proportionate to the problem and backed by reliable evidence.

    “

  • Roger Williams – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Roger Williams – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Roger Williams on 2014-06-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to ensure that the UK’s sanitary and phytosanitary rules in food production are not affected by the agreement of the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership.

    George Eustice

    The Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership could be worth £10 billion a year to the UK economy, with potential to deliver significant opportunities for the UK agriculture, food and drink sectors. Sanitary and phytosanitary issues are likely to be critical to a successful agreement. I am pursuing these in consultation with industry and other interested parties to ensure progress is made, based on sound science and consistent with our biosecurity and food safety standards.