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Tag: 2016

  • Julian Sturdy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Julian Sturdy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Julian Sturdy on 2016-03-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will take steps to ensure that the proposed changes to the Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2000 concerning the burning of waste oil do not result in an increase in unrestricted dumping of such oil.

    Rory Stewart

    The changes referred to do not amend the Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2010. The changes made are to the ‘Environmental Guidance On Waste Incineration’, which now clarifies that small waste oil burners used to burn waste oil must meet the requirements of Chapter IV of the Industrial Emissions Directive or switch to non-waste fuels. This guidance can be found on GOV.UK at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/environmental-permitting-guidance-the-waste-incineration-directive/environmental-permitting-guidance-waste-incineration.

    A consultation on the changes to the guidance was undertaken between 14 September and 26 October last year. A summary of responses can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/487892/waste-incineration-consult-sum-resp.pdf.

    The impact assessment for the changes to this guidance considered some sensitivities on the price of crude oil with regard to collection fees only. The impact assessment can be found at: www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/487895/waste-incineration-consult-ep-ia.pdf.

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  • Julian Sturdy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Julian Sturdy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Julian Sturdy on 2016-04-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if the free childcare pilot scheme budget will be ring-fenced from September 2016.

    Mr Sam Gyimah

    As you may be aware, the Government has allocated £13m to DfE for early implementation, allowing some families to access the additional 15 hour places from September 2016. The Department plans to ring-fence this funding available for early implementers.

  • Rebecca Long Bailey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Rebecca Long Bailey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rebecca Long Bailey on 2016-05-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to protect Rwandans residing in the UK from assassination.

    Mr John Hayes

    It is long established Home Office policy not to comment upon matters of personal protective security.

  • Barry Gardiner – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Barry Gardiner – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Barry Gardiner on 2016-06-14.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what plans he has to appoint a new Charity Commissioner to replace Peter Clarke.

    Mr Rob Wilson

    We are currently recruiting three new board members for the Charity Commission in England and Wales, including a replacement for Peter Clarke. We are specifically seeking skills and experience in the charity sector, in law enforcement and in IT. The posts were opened for applications in early June and we intend to appoint as soon as this process is successfully concluded. The recruitment process follows the Commissioner for Public Appointments’ Code of Practice for Ministerial Appointments to Public Bodies and its core principles of merit, openness and fairness.

  • David Mackintosh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    David Mackintosh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Mackintosh on 2016-09-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to support the implementation of Ofcom’s recommendations related to BT and Openreach.

    Matt Hancock

    It is for Ofcom to implement its recommendations for the relationship between BT Group and Openreach. Nine out of ten homes and businesses now have access to superfast broadband, but our goal is to make sure the UK builds the right infrastructure to maintain our position as a world leading digital nation. We welcome Ofcom’s determination to tackle these issues.

    We are clear that a more independent Openreach is needed to benefit consumers and the UK’s digital infrastructure. Swift and clear action is needed to give certainty to consumers, industry and investors in the UK’s broadband infrastructure and to deliver rapid improvements in the level of investment and service.

  • Kerry McCarthy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Kerry McCarthy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kerry McCarthy on 2016-01-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills on the implications of the proposed extension of the Business Impact Target as set out in the Enterprise Bill for the work of (a) the Environment Agency, (b) the Forestry Commission, (c) the Marine Management Organisation, (d) Natural England, (e) the Water Services Regulation Authority and (f) the Farriers Registration Council; and what such discussions she has had on (i) the Food Standards Agency, (ii) the Gangmasters’ Licensing Authority and (iii) the Groceries Code Adjudicator insofar as those bodies relate to her Department’s responsibilities.

    George Eustice

    My Rt. Hon Friend, the Secretary of State for Business, will shortly issue a public consultation seeking views on the statutory regulators proposed to be brought within scope of the Business Impact Target, with a view to introducing the necessary secondary legislation.

  • Tulip Siddiq – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Tulip Siddiq – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tulip Siddiq on 2016-02-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many people living in the Akrotiri and Dhekelia RAF Sovereign Base Areas have applied for asylum since October 1998; how many such applications have been (a) accepted and (b) rejected; and how many such people have been removed from the Sovereign Base Areas.

    Penny Mordaunt

    Since 1998 and up until October 2015, 67 People have applied for asylum in the Sovereign Base Areas (SBA), 29 of those were accepted as recognised refugees and 38 asylum claims were rejected.

    In October 2015 a group of 115 migrants arrived in RAF Akrotiri, 46 of those migrants temporarily resident in the SBA have lodged asylum claims that are being considered by the SBA Administration. As at 12 February 2016, six have been recognised as refugees by the SBA Administration and 15 have been issued asylum rejection letters. In total 85 migrants are no longer in the SBA. Those remaining who are not eligible for asylum will be liable for deportation.

  • Stephen Timms – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Stephen Timms – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2016-03-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, when his Department will provide substantive Answers to Questions 25366 and 25426 submitted on 2 February 2016.

    Mr Edward Vaizey

    The PQs have now been answered.

  • Alex Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Alex Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alex Cunningham on 2016-04-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 17 March 2016 to Question 31014, whether her Department has (a) paid and (b) been issued with any fines for not meeting the aim of achieving good status for all water bodies by December 2015.

    Rory Stewart

    The Department has not been issued with any fines relating to any aspect of its implementation of the Water Framework Directive.

    The exemptions referred to in my reply to PQ 31014 are:

    • Article 4(4) provides for extensions of the deadline to 2021 or 2027 for reasons of disproportionate cost or technical feasibility;

    • Article 4(5) provides for setting of less stringent objectives where it would be disproportionately expensive or technically infeasible to achieve good status due to natural conditions or the effects of essential human activity;

    • Article 4(6) allows for temporary deterioration due to natural causes such as extreme floods or prolonged drought; and

    • Article 4(7) allows for deterioration from high status to good status and failure to achieve good status to allow for new sustainable development activities.

    The application of each of the exemptions is subject to conditions set out in the above provision.

    River Basin Management Plans (RBMPs) provide the framework for protecting and improving the water environment. Updated plans covering the period 2016 to 2021 were published by the Environment Agency (EA) on 18 February.

    The Plans for England confirm over £3 billion investment in the water environment by 2021, leading to improvements in at least 680 water bodies by 2021, including an overall target to enhance at least 8,000km of fresh waters by 2021. The EA is currently working with Defra to profile the delivery of this target over the six years that the RBMP covers, and is also working with partners to explore opportunities to deliver more.

    The EA coordinates action by water companies, farmers, local groups, businesses and councils to achieve the targets set out in the Plans. These actions include reducing pollution from sewage treatment works, managing water abstraction, opening up rivers to salmon and other fish species, and improving the physical habitat.

  • Lord Alton of Liverpool – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Lord Alton of Liverpool – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool on 2016-05-10.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the North Korean authorities about the treatment of British journalists and the continued breach of Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights pertaining to the free flow of information, and restrictions on freedom of speech in that country.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    We made immediate representations to the North Korean authorities when we were informed of the detention of a BBC journalist in Pyongyang. Our Embassy in Pyongyang provided consular assistance prior to the journalist’s departure. As part of our policy of critical engagement with the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea we consistently raise human rights issues, such as freedom of speech and freedom of expression, directly with the regime and in international fora.