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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2014-06-04.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many Community Work Placement providers schemes (a) were operating by 28 April 2014, (b) were operating no later than 2 June 2014 and (c) are yet to commence; for what reasons any providers have breached of the 2 June 2014 commencement deadline; at what capacity the scheme is currently running; and when he estimates that the scheme will be fully operational (i) in Brighton and Hove Local Authority Area and (ii) nationally.

Esther McVey

Community Work Placements are being introduced in a phased approach from 28 May 2014 to 09 June 2014. Brighton and Hove started on 9 June 2014 and is taking placements as planned.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2014-06-04.

To ask the Prime Minister, if he will attend the global leaders Climate Summit in September 2014 in New York; and if he will make a statement.

Mr David Cameron

The UK strongly welcomes the UN Secretary General’s leadership in convening a Climate Summit in September in New York. It will provide added momentum to international action on tackling climate change and showcase significant actions to address the issue. No decision has yet been taken about the composition of the UK’s delegation to the Summit.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2014-06-04.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what mechanisms are in place to allow an investigation into an allegation that an individual Minister may have breached the Ministerial Code of Conduct during their time in office when that Minister is no longer a serving Minister; who is responsible for initiating such an investigation; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Francis Maude

The Ministerial Code sets out the process for investigating alleged breaches of the Ministerial Code.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2014-06-04.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, whether (a) he and (b) other Ministers in his Department will be attending the high-level Ministerial Dialogue on the Durban Platform for Enhanced Action on 6 June 2014 in Bonn, Germany; what the Government’s aims are in such talks; and if he will make a statement.

Gregory Barker

The UK is represented at senior official levels at Bonn. It is a mid-year meeting paving the way for the Lima Conference of Parties (COP) in December and ministers do not usually attend the Bonn meetings.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2014-06-04.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what guidance he has issued on the use of glyphosate to (a) national park authorities and (b) managers of public parks in urban areas; and if he will make a statement.

Dan Rogerson

Detailed guidance on use is provided by conditions of use on individual product labels. This is supplemented by The Code of Practice for Using Plant Protection Products, which provides guidance to all users on the safe and effective use of pesticides, including glyphosate.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2014-06-04.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the Answer given in the House of Lords of 28 October 2013, Official Report, column 208W, on Agriculture: Pesticides, if he will place in the Library a list of the (a) published research being considered by the current review of the EU approval of glyphosate and (b) ongoing or completed research relating to potential links between glyphosate and chronic diseases and conditions in humans.

Dan Rogerson

Lists of the studies found by a search of published literature and of those determined to be relevant by the German regulatory authorities, who are assessing the data on behalf of the EU, can be found in Volume 3 of the Renewal Assessment Report. This was published on 12 March 2014 on the European Food Safety Authority’s website at http://dar.efsa.europa.eu/dar-web/provision. The Government does not plan to publish a separate list of ongoing or completed research.

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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2014-06-04.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment his Department has made of the potential effect of changing the national urban default speed limit to 20 mph on (a) air pollution and (b) other environmental conditions; what similar studies in other developed nations his Department has assessed; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Robert Goodwill

The Department does not have any current plans to introduce a default 20mph speed limit. Local authorities are best placed to determine the speed limits for their areas, based on local knowledge and the views of the community, and have the powers to do so. We are aware of studies carried out for local authorities, including for the City of London, which showed no overall negative effects on air quality in 20mph speed restrictions.

However, the Department is about to commission comprehensive research into the effects of 20mph limits. This will cover many aspects including effects on speed, collisions, casualties and modal shift. The research will also consider air quality, best practice, road users’ perceptions and effects on the quality of the environment, as well as relevant research from other countries.