Tag: Alex Cunningham

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alex Cunningham on 2016-02-19.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how much has been paid out by local authorities to households in flood compensation payments that remains to be reimbursed to those authorities by his Department.

James Wharton

To date over £48 million has been paid out to local authorities through the Community and Business Recovery Fund and Council Tax and Business Rates discounts to assist households and businesses affected by the floods caused by Storms Desmond and Eva.

Local authorities have not notified the Department of any allowable costs not covered by the sums transferred. It is expected that further payments will be made shortly as flooded property numbers are confirmed and further funds requested.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alex Cunningham on 2016-02-24.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 28 January 2016 to Question 23729, what the Government’s policy is on the confiscation of the belongings of Syrian refugees over a certain value to help meet the cost of their stay in the UK.

James Brokenshire

The Government does not confiscate the belongings of Syrian refugees or refugees of any other nationality to help meet the cost of their stay in the UK.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alex Cunningham on 2016-03-22.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of deploying ocean-going drones to help catch illegal trawlers in Marine Conservation Zones in place of staffed patrol vessels.

George Eustice

The Marine Management Organisation (MMO) and the ten Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authorities are responsible for enforcing fisheries legislation in UK waters off England. The MMO is considering carefully the potential for new technology to aid enforcement operations, and will continue to keep such technology under review.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alex Cunningham on 2016-04-12.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what assessment her Department made of the evidential basis for the capacity for process emissions to be further reduced in cement manufacturing when designing the UK and French government’s tiering proposals under the next phase of EU Emissions Trading.

Andrea Leadsom

The Government supports the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS) as a market-based approach to achieve least-cost decarbonisation and maintain a level playing field across the EU. The Government recognises the large proportion of process emissions within some industrial sectors, such as cement. We have engaged with the cement and other sectors’ bodies to understand the enablers and barriers to deep decarbonisation, including through the joint industry-Government decarbonisation roadmaps, which considered the wider policy context and technological barriers. The proposed tiering scenarios are indicative and do not represent a confirmed Government position.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alex Cunningham on 2016-05-18.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, if she will publish the findings of the Ricardo Energy and Environment report into benchmarking for the Phase IV of the EU Emissions Trading System; and if she will make a statement.

Andrea Leadsom

In 2015, the Department of Energy & Climate Change commissioned Ricardo Energy and Environment and Vivid Economics to undertake a study into sectoral benchmarks used to determine levels of free allocation in the next phase of the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS). The study is progressing and, once complete, we will use the findings to inform EU ETS reform negotiations as well as considering publication in due course.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alex Cunningham on 2016-05-26.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many reports of criminal offences against residents of properties used to house asylum seekers have been recorded in each of the last 12 months.

James Brokenshire

The Home Office and its accommodation providers encourage accommodated asylum seekers to inform us of any criminal or anti-social activity against them so that appropriate action can be taken to ensure their safety. Information concerning the reports of criminal offences is not recorded on centrally collated statistical databases and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost by examination of case records.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alex Cunningham on 2016-10-10.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what discussions he has had with his counterpart in Colombia on reducing the incidence of children and young people aged under 16 working in coal mines; and if he will make a statement.

Jesse Norman

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has not engaged with the Colombian government on this issue. Departmental officials have had discussions with NGOs and industry bodies regarding coal mining in Columbia but have not been made aware of evidence to support these claims. We are aware that Columbia has laws in place to prevent child labour; if there is evidence to the contrary we would encourage the Hon Member to share it with officials.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alex Cunningham on 2015-11-10.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what evidence her Department has received on the potential effect on the sport of shooting that would result from the phase out of the use of lead ammunition for sport shooting in England.

Rory Stewart

The Government is considering the independent Lead Ammunition Group’s report on the effect of lead shot on human and wildlife health and will respond as soon as possible.

The Food Standards Agency has produced advice on the consumption of lead shot game which can be accessed at https://www.food.gov.uk/science/advice-to-frequent-eaters-of-game-shot-with-lead.

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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alex Cunningham on 2015-11-10.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how her Department plans to implement the Guidelines to Prevent the Risk of Poisoning to Migratory Birds adopted by the Eleventh Conference if the Parties to the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals in November 2014.

Rory Stewart

The UK has strict protection for migratory birds through existing statutory and policy provisions, noting our obligations under the EU Wild Birds Directive, as a Contracting Party to the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS), the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA), Rotterdam, Ramsar and Bern Conventions, and as a Signatory to the Memorandum of Understanding on the Conservation of Migratory Birds of Prey in Africa and Eurasia.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alex Cunningham on 2015-11-13.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions her Department has had with HM Treasury on the removal of the fuel duty escalator for liquefied petroleum gas as part of government proposals to reduce emissions from road transport.

Rory Stewart

Defra has had no discussions with HM Treasury about the removal of the fuel duty escalator for liquefied petroleum gas.