The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alex Cunningham on 2015-12-15.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what representations he has received from NHS trusts in England and Wales on the adequacy of midwife recruitment in the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement.
Ben Gummer
No representation from NHS trusts about the adequacy of midwife recruitment has been received in the last 12 months.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alex Cunningham on 2016-01-04.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much his Department has spent on research and development to find a synthetic alternative to bear pelts for the making of bearskins and other associated headgear containing real fur in each of the last 10 years.
Mr Philip Dunne
The Ministry of Defence (MOD) does not buy bear pelts; it buys ceremonial caps direct from suppliers who source pelts from animals culled as part of a programme to manage the wild population licensed by the Canadian government. Animal welfare standards relating to the bear cull are a matter for the Canadian government.
The MOD also purchases coney skin (rabbit fur) for the Royal Engineers’ and Royal Signals’ busby and fox fur for the Royal Horse Artillery, Kings Troop Officers’ busby. The current contract requires a commitment to sustainable procurement.
Depending on usage and maintenance, bearskin busbys can last for up to 50 years. The coney skin and fox fur busbys have indefinite lifespans if properly maintained.
|
Calendar Year |
Cost of Bearskin Busby Headgear (£) |
Financial Year |
Cost of Coney Skin Busby Headgear (£) |
Cost of Fox Fur Busby Headgear(£) |
|
2005 |
Not held |
2005-06 |
1,532 |
0 |
|
2006 |
Not held |
2006-07 |
0 |
1,472 |
|
2007 |
Not held |
2007-08 |
0 |
0 |
|
2008 |
31,319 |
2008-09 |
9,173 |
406 |
|
2009 |
148,891 |
2009-10 |
0 |
0 |
|
2010 |
131,886 |
2010-11 |
0 |
0 |
|
2011 |
90,822 |
2011-12 |
0 |
861 |
|
2012 |
126,087 |
2012-13 |
1,779 |
861 |
|
2013 |
65,108 |
2013-14 |
0 |
0 |
|
2014 |
136,671 |
2014-15 |
10,257 |
1,899 |
|
2015 |
149,379 |
2015-16 |
2,558 |
0 |
All figures are rounded to the nearest pound.
|
Calendar Year |
Number of Bearskin Busby Headgear |
Financial Year |
Number of Coney Skin Busby Headgear |
Number of Busby Headgear made of Fox Fur |
|
2005 |
Not held |
2005-06 |
4 |
0 |
|
2006 |
Not held |
2006-07 |
0 |
2 |
|
2007 |
Not held |
2007-08 |
0 |
0 |
|
2008 |
35 |
2008-09 |
22 |
1 |
|
2009 |
195 |
2009-10 |
0 |
0 |
|
2010 |
158 |
2010-11 |
0 |
0 |
|
2011 |
99 |
2011-12 |
0 |
1 |
|
2012 |
126 |
2012-13 |
4 |
1 |
|
2013 |
63 |
2013-14 |
0 |
0 |
|
2014 |
127 |
2014-15 |
20 |
2 |
|
2015 |
122 |
2015-16 |
5 |
0 |
Historically the MOD has undertaken a number of trials on synthetic alternatives to bear skin but none of these matched the properties of the natural material. No trialling has taken place since 2007. Information about costs of these trials is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. In 2012 the Ministry of Defence loaned a sample bearskin to the animal rights organisation, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, to aid its research and development programme on a synthetic alternative.
There has been no research and development carried out to find a synthetic alternative to coney skin or fox fur.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alex Cunningham on 2016-01-18.
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he is taking to ensure that Practice Direction 12J: Child Arrangement and Contact Orders: Domestic Violence and Harm is properly implemented in each case involving domestic abuse seen in the family courts.
Caroline Dinenage
The family courts take the issue of domestic violence extremely seriously. The Child Arrangement Programme and Practice Direction 12J set out a strong and clear framework for use where domestic violence is alleged. All judges receive specific training on this framework. The judge, on the basis of the evidence, will determine how the framework will be applied in a particular case and in particular, must be satisfied that any contact ordered with a parent who has perpetrated violence or abuse is safe and in the best interests of the child.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alex Cunningham on 2016-02-02.
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what estimate he has made of the number of prisoners returned to jail having broken their licence conditions and subsequently been found to be carrying concealed drugs.
Andrew Selous
Prisoners recalled to custody having breached the conditions of their licence will be arrested by the police and then taken to the nearest local prison for the area in which they were arrested.
Once returned to a local prison, prisoners will be searched and risk assessed in line with the prisons’ local policy for stopping contraband. Prisons deploy a comprehensive range of robust searching and security measures to detect items of contraband, both at the point of entry to the prison and concealed within the prison. We will continue to explore new methods of preventing drugs coming into prisons
Prisoners found with drugs on entry to prison are sanctioned, potentially including days added to their sentence, or, in cases where the quantity of drug or packaging suggests possession with intent to supply, will be referred to the police. All visitors or staff caught with drugs are referred to the police.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alex Cunningham on 2016-02-08.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, pursuant to the Answer of 3 February 2016 to Question 24265, how much transitional funding has been allocated to meet costs deemed essential to the successful implementation of his Department’s area reviews but which cannot be met locally.
Nick Boles
Further details of the purpose and availability of the transitional funding facility will be available in due course.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alex Cunningham on 2016-02-22.
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 22 February 2016 to Question 27055, what the Government considers to be the date of first damage by floods in Cumbria during December 2015.
James Wharton
5 December 2015.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alex Cunningham on 2016-03-15.
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, on what date an application was submitted for assistance from the EU Solidarity Fund to help communities affected by recent floods.
James Wharton
The Government submitted an initial UK application to the EU Solidarity Fund on Friday 26 February. The application included an estimate of eligible costs from Scotland, Wales, Cumbria, Lancashire, Greater Manchester, North Yorkshire and the City of York, West Yorkshire, and Northumberland.
Having made this initial application, we are in the process of refining our cost estimations and figures, and will work with the Commission to finalise details.
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, what steps her Department is taking to (a) improve water quality and (b) ensure that all water bodies achieve good status as soon as possible.
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.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alex Cunningham on 2016-04-25.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the average length was of disqualification orders issued under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 for each year since that Act was passed.
George Eustice
There are no central records of disqualification orders issued by the courts under the Animal Welfare Act 2006. Each individual court would have the details of any disqualification order they have made.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alex Cunningham on 2016-05-23.
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, with reference to the Energy Technologies Institute report, published on 12 May 2016, what assessment she has made of the implications for her policy of carbon capture and storage technology contributing to meeting the UK’s commitments to reduce carbon dioxide emissions.
Andrea Leadsom
The Government views Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) as having a potentially important role in the long-term decarbonisation of the UK’s economy. The Government will set out its approach to CCS in due course, and the recent Energy Technologies Institute report, funded by DECC, will inform the Government’s thinking.