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  • Andrew Rosindell – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Andrew Rosindell – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2014-06-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of living conditions and labour standards on commercial vessels long-lining in the waters of Ascension Island from 2010 to 2013.

    Mark Simmonds

    The Ascension Island Government is legally responsible for administering the marine fishery in the 200 nautical mile Exclusive Fishing Zone centred on the island.

    No assessment of living conditions and labour standards on commercial vessels carrying out licensed long-line fishing, or otherwise, in the waters of Ascension Island from 2010 to 2013 has been carried out. The primary responsibility for the setting and enforcement of such standards lies with the flag state of each vessel.

    The Ascension Island Government paused the issuing of licences for commercial long-line fishing from 1 January 2014 in order to undertake a full review of the management of its fisheries with a view to a new structure to be put in place by 2015. Revised conditions for licences will form part of that outcome.

  • Andrew Rosindell – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Andrew Rosindell – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2014-06-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much (a) his Department and (b) the Joint Nature Conservation Committee spent on biodiversity research in (i) the UK and (ii) the Overseas Territories in each of the last four years.

    Dan Rogerson

    We are collating the information requested and will place it in the House Library as soon as possible.

  • Andrew Rosindell – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Andrew Rosindell – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2014-06-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much his Department spent on biodiversity conservation in (a) the UK and (b) the Overseas Territories in 2013-14.

    Dan Rogerson

    We are collating the information requested and will place it in the House Library as soon as possible.

  • Andrew Rosindell – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Andrew Rosindell – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2014-06-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when he expects to decide whether Cape Pyla in the Cyprus sovereign base area of Dhekelia will be designated as a protected area.

    Mr Mark Francois

    Designation of Cape Pyla as a Special Area of Conservation under the Protection and Management of Nature and Wildlife Ordinance 2007 is being considered. As part of this process, the Administration must take account of representations about the proposed designation before making a final decision. It is hoped that a decision on designation can be achieved in 2015, following the consultation period and work to determine the precise boundaries of the designated area.

  • Keith Vaz – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Keith Vaz – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Keith Vaz on 2014-06-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, which companies that have been asked to report on progress relating to the Responsibility Deal have not yet done so.

    Jane Ellison

    Reports from Responsibility Deal (RD) partners are published on the RD website as they are submitted and processed, which takes place throughout the year. Full details of the 675 partners signed up to the RD, the pledges they have signed up to and their annual updates are available on the RD website at:

    https://responsibilitydeal.dh.gov.uk/partners/

    As at 5 June 2014, more than 70% of expected reports had been submitted for the 2013-14 reporting cycle.

    Partners new to the RD (signed up after 1 October 2013) and those signed up to new pledges launched during 2013, were not expected to provide an annual update. Other partners signed up to one or more of the majority of collective pledges were asked to provide an annual update.

    The RD reporting cycle does not always map with organisations’ cycles (for example clearance at board level) and end of fiscal year is a busy period for most partners. Some updates will also be in a ‘draft’ status where they are partly completed by partners and not yet submitted. This means there can be delays, and we expect further submissions over the next few months. Partners can also update their submissions in-year, reporting on further progress made.

  • Keith Vaz – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Keith Vaz – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Keith Vaz on 2014-06-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many marriages reported as suspicious or sham were (a) same sex marriages, (b) heterosexual marriages and (c) civil partnerships in each year since 2009.

    James Brokenshire

    Sections 24 and 24A of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 place a duty on
    registration officers to submit a report to the Home Office where they have
    reasonable grounds to suspect that a marriage or civil partnership is a sham
    being entered into for immigration purposes. Table 1 shows the
    number of section 24/24A reports received in each year since 2009. Same sex
    marriages only came into effect this year there is therefore no data relating
    to this period, or for civil partnerships before 2011.

    The Home Office Intelligence Management System (IMS) records allegations from
    the public regarding immigration-related offences. Since 30 September 2012 we
    have recorded the following numbers of reports relating to sham marriage as set
    out in Table 2.
    These figures relate to reports identified by the public as possible sham
    marriage.

    Table 1

    Year

    Number of section 24/24A reports

    Of which refer civil partnerships

    2009

    561

    2010

    934

    2011

    1,741

    28

    2012

    1,891

    28

    2013

    2135

    25

    Table 2

    Year

    Number of reports relating to sham marriage recorded on IMS

    2012 (from 30 September)

    984

    2013

    6909

  • Keith Vaz – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Keith Vaz – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Keith Vaz on 2014-06-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many marriages were reported to the Home Office as suspicious or sham in each year since 2009.

    Karen Bradley

    Sections 24 and 24A of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 place a duty on
    registration officers to submit a report to the Home Office where they have
    reasonable grounds to suspect that a marriage or civil partnership is a sham
    being entered into for immigration purposes. Table 1 shows the
    number of section 24/24A reports received in each year since 2009. Same sex
    marriages only came into effect this year there is therefore no data relating
    to this period, or for civil partnerships before 2011.

    The Home Office Intelligence Management System (IMS) records allegations from
    the public regarding immigration-related offences. Since 30 September 2012 we
    have recorded the following numbers of reports relating to sham marriage as set
    out in Table 2.
    These figures relate to reports identified by the public as possible sham
    marriage.

    Table 1

    Year

    Number of section 24/24A reports

    Of which refer civil partnerships

    2009

    561

    2010

    934

    2011

    1,741

    28

    2012

    1,891

    28

    2013

    2135

    25

    Table 2

    Year

    Number of reports relating to sham marriage recorded on IMS

    2012 (from 30 September)

    984

    2013

    6909

  • Maria Eagle – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Maria Eagle – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Maria Eagle on 2014-06-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what meetings (a) the Prime Minister and (b) officials in his Office had with the National Farmers’ Union (NFU) on the pilot badger culls in Gloucestershire and Somerset in 2013; what advice he has given to the NFU on communications with the media during the commencement of the culls; and if he will make a statement.

    George Eustice

    Meetings were held with the National Farmers Union in the six months prior to the start of the pilot culls in 2013.

    There was no media blackout during the pilots. Defra and the National Farmers Union continued to make spokespeople available to talk to the media throughout the period in which culling was taking place.

    However, both the National Farmers Union and Defra were always clear that operational information that could compromise the effectiveness of the cull or the safety of those involved would not be disclosed during the operation.

  • Maria Eagle – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Maria Eagle – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Maria Eagle on 2014-06-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether (a) the Prime Minister or (b) officials in his Office have ever advised the National Farmers’ Union not to communicate with journalists during the commencement phase of the pilot badger culls in Somerset and Gloucestershire in 2013.

    George Eustice

    Meetings were held with the National Farmers Union in the six months prior to the start of the pilot culls in 2013.

    There was no media blackout during the pilots. Defra and the National Farmers Union continued to make spokespeople available to talk to the media throughout the period in which culling was taking place.

    However, both the National Farmers Union and Defra were always clear that operational information that could compromise the effectiveness of the cull or the safety of those involved would not be disclosed during the operation.

  • Maria Eagle – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Maria Eagle – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Maria Eagle on 2014-06-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the Government expects to implement all the measures contained in Schedule 3 of the Flood and Water Management Act regarding sustainable urban drainage systems in this Parliament.

    Dan Rogerson

    The Government remains committed to implementing sustainable drainage systems at the earliest available opportunity, but not in a way that affects development. A statement, which will set out our plans in greater detail, will be made in the summer. It has become clear that, as previously hoped for, we will not be commencing Schedule 3 of the Flood and Water Management Act in October 2014.