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  • Kerry McCarthy – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Kerry McCarthy – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kerry McCarthy on 2014-04-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what reasons the Government received from the Chinese government for the cancellation of the UK-China human rights dialogue in April 2014; and when the Government was informed of that cancellation.

    Mr Hugo Swire

    The Dialogue was originally scheduled for 15-16 April, but China informed us of its decision to postpone on 7 April. An open exchange of views on human rights is in the interests of both sides, and is an important part of our bilateral relationship. We are working with the Chinese government to reschedule the dialogue as soon as possible.

  • Kerry McCarthy – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Kerry McCarthy – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kerry McCarthy on 2014-04-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of steps taken by the Burmese government to (a) prevent sexual violence and (b) end impunity for sexual offences allegedly committed by the Burmese military.

    Mr Hugo Swire

    During his visit to the UK last year, President Thein Sein welcomed the initiative of the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), on preventing sexual violence in conflict (PSVI). We continue to encourage Burma to join 146 nations and endorse the declaration on PSVI. The launch in October 2013 of the Burmese government’s National Strategic Plan for the Advancement of Women (NSPAW) committed Burma “to develop and strengthen laws, systems, structures and practices to eliminate all forms of Violence Against Women and Girls and to respond to the needs of women and girls affected by violence”.

    We are clear, however, that all of these steps need to be accompanied by actions leading to real progress in Burma. We remain concerned by continued reports of sexual violence against women, including reports of crimes committed by members of the Burmese military. We regularly lobby the Burmese government on the rights of women, particularly on preventing sexual violence in conflict areas. We continue to make clear that where serious crimes have been committed, those who have perpetrated them should be held accountable for their actions. I raised the issue of sexual violence directly with senior Ministers, the Commander in Chief and the Northern Commander during my visit to Burma in January. More recently, the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs raised the issue in a call with the Burmese Foreign Minister on 28 April.

  • Roger Godsiff – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Roger Godsiff – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Roger Godsiff on 2014-04-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, whether hydraulic fracturing will be permitted to take place under property where the owner’s consent has not been given.

    Michael Fallon

    Shale gas and oil operations involve hydraulic fracturing in wells drilled over a mile below the surface. At that depth it is highly unlikely that there will be any negative impact closer to the surface.

    Like most other industrial activities, oil and gas operations require permission from landowners to access their land in order to reach mineral deposits.

    Operators prefer where possible to agree this through negotiation with the landowner, but there is an existing legal route by which they can apply for access where this cannot be negotiated. In this respect, it is already possible for an operator to gain access to land for the extraction of oil or gas without a landowner’s permission through the courts.

    The Government is considering whether these existing procedures used to obtain access are fit for purpose in relation to underground land. We have not yet made a decision on what actions we may take.

  • Tom Blenkinsop – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Tom Blenkinsop – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Blenkinsop on 2014-04-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government on the issuing of planning guidance as part of the proposed National Pollinator Strategy to ensure that future development is beneficial to bees and other pollinators.

    George Eustice

    Defra officials discussed the National Pollinator Strategy in relation to planning guidance with officials at the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) in autumn 2013. DCLG published the National Planning Practice Guidance in March 2014, which is clear about biodiversity aims.

  • Tom Blenkinsop – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Tom Blenkinsop – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Blenkinsop on 2014-04-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will provide funding as part of the National Pollinator Strategy to create a national insect monitoring scheme.

    George Eustice

    Defra is currently commissioning a two year research project that will develop and test a new national pollinator monitoring scheme. The project will develop the methods, sampling framework and delivery mechanisms for a cost-effective national monitoring scheme, which will assess changes in pollinator populations and their pollination services. Commissioning of this research is at an advanced stage and the project could start as early as this month. Once contracts are in place we will provide details on our science webpages (http://randd.defra.gov.uk/ ).

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  • John Stevenson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    John Stevenson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Stevenson on 2014-04-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what progress he has made on establishing a new Public Forest Trustee body.

    Dan Rogerson

    I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave on 10 April 2014, Official Report, column 394W, to the hon. Member for Sterling (Anne McGuire).

  • John Stevenson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    John Stevenson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Stevenson on 2014-04-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he plans to take to replace productive conifer forest cover lost as a result of the (a) Open Habitats Policy and (b) Ancient Woodlands Policy.

    Dan Rogerson

    Open habitats policy has a mechanism within it to ensure there is a balance between woodland creation and woodland loss based on the composition and productivity of the woodland that is being removed.

    The Forestry Commission monitors the area of woodland restored to open habitats and uses the data along with the quality of biodiversity benefit to determine whether compensatory planting should be required when granting a felling licence.

    Keepers of Time, the Ancient Woodland Policy, promotes the restoration of Plantations on Ancient Woodlands to site native species for biodiversity benefits. There is no reason why these woods should not still be managed productively, albeit with a different timber crop.

  • John Stevenson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    John Stevenson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Stevenson on 2014-04-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he plans to take to double the amount of new productive conifer planting necessary to meet the target of 12 per cent woodland cover by 2060.

    Dan Rogerson

    I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave on 10 March 2014, Official Report, column 75W, to the hon. Member for Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock (Sandra Osborne).

  • John Stevenson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    John Stevenson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Stevenson on 2014-04-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what amount of new forest has been planted in each year since 2010; and if he will make a statement.

    Dan Rogerson

    Up to date figures for woodland creation are expected to be available in June this year. In the meantime I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave on 24 February 2014, Official Report, column 100W, to the hon. Member for Strangford (Jim Shannon).

  • John Stevenson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    John Stevenson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Stevenson on 2014-04-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when the Rural Development Programme for Forestry will announce its amount of funding and how it is to be used.

    George Eustice

    We announced on 19 December 2013 that we will be investing over £3.5 billion in rural development schemes up to 2020, of which over £3 billion will be spent on improving the environment.

    Our responses to the consultation on implementing the new Common Agricultural Policy in England published on 19 December 2013 and 26 February 2014 provide further information on how rural development funding will be used. These are available at:

    www.gov.uk/government/consultations/common-agricultural-policy-reform-implementation-in-england

    We also announced on 9 January 2014 that as part of the new Rural Development Programme we intend to offer tree planting grants in 2015 in advance of new environmental land management agreements coming into effect in January 2016.

    The new Rural Development Programme that we will submit to the European Commission shortly will confirm the amount of spending on forestry measures.

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