Tag: Alex Cunningham

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alex Cunningham on 2015-11-18.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how her Department plans to ensure it identifies organised crime groups involved in wildlife crime through the information sharing process after March 2016.

Mike Penning

The National Crime Agency brings together intelligence from the whole of UK law enforcement to provide a single view of the most significant serious and organised crime threats and vulnerabilities. Organised acquisitive crime, which includes wildlife crime, is one of the threat categories considered by the National Crime Agency.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alex Cunningham on 2015-12-02.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what financial support her Department has provided to (a) the Convention on Migratory Species and (b) the Preventing Poisoning Working Group of the Convention on Migratory Species in the last five years; and what her policy is on continuing financial support to these organisations.

Rory Stewart

The UK has paid £1,261,317 in subscriptions to the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS) between 2011 and 2015.

The UK provided £25,000 towards the Preventing Poisoning Working Group in 2012.

With the Spending Review concluded, Defra is now looking at what this settlement means in terms of the detailed allocation of its budgets, including the future funding of the CMS.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alex Cunningham on 2015-12-14.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what advice his Department gives to local authorities, housing associations and other housing providers on permitting or restricting (a) senior citizens and (b) others from keeping animals in rented accommodation.

Brandon Lewis

The Department for Communities and Local Government does not issue any guidance on keeping animals in rented accommodation.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alex Cunningham on 2016-01-04.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the (a) membership and (b) terms of reference will be of the extended Natural Capital Committee.

Rory Stewart

Professor Dieter Helm was reappointed as Chair of the Natural Capital Committee on 9 December 2015. The recruitment process to select the other members of the Committee is underway. The new Committee’s remit will be to advise Government on the development of an integrated 25 year environment plan to protect and improve our natural capital. The detailed terms of reference for the new Committee will be finalised once the Committee members are appointed.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alex Cunningham on 2016-01-21.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the number of Syrian refugees brought to the UK under the Private Sponsorship Scheme will be in addition to the Government’s commitment to take 50,000 refugees over the next five years.

Richard Harrington

The Prime Minister announced on 7 September 2015 that the Syrian Vulnerable Persons Resettlement (VPR) scheme would be expanded to resettle 20,000 Syrians in need of protection during this Parliament.

We will build on offers of support to develop a community sponsorship scheme to allow individuals, charities, faith groups, churches and businesses to support refugees directly.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what his Department’s policy is on investing in drug detection technology to tackle illicit substances being brought into prisons; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Selous

The National Offender Management Service (NOMS) deploys 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. NOMS continues to explore new methods of preventing drugs coming into prisons and body scanners are seen as a valuable part of this strategy.

An independent expert panel is assessing the use of a body scanner at HMP Wandsworth, as required by the Justification of Practices Involving lionising Radiation Regulations 2004.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alex Cunningham on 2016-02-10.

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 10 February 2016 to Question 25491, how many prisoners returned to jail having broken their licence conditions were subsequently found to be carrying concealed drugs in each of the last five years.

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 prison’s 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.

Prisoners found with drugs on entry to prison could receive a range of sanctions including days added to their sentence, or, in cases where the quantity of drug or packaging suggests possession with intent to supply, are referred to the police. All visitors or staff caught with drugs are referred to the police as supply is always suspected in these cases.

Data on the number of prisoners who were found with drugs following licence recall could only be collated at disproportionate cost.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the cost to the public purse has been of his Department reimbursing local authorities for payments to households in flood compensation payments.

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 2016-03-17.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how much funding his Department has applied for from the EU Solidarity Fund to help communities affected by recent floods.

James Wharton

The Government submitted an initial EU Solidarity Fund application on Friday 26 February. We are in the process of refining our cost estimates and figures.

The United Kingdom’s Permanent Representation to the European Union submitted the initial application to the European Commission on the UK Government’s behalf and will continue to engage with them and the Department on the development of the application.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alex Cunningham on 2016-04-11.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what account she took of her Department’s Industrial Decarbonisation Roadmap for the cement industry in bringing forward proposals with France for tiering under the next phase of the EU Emissions Trading System.

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. A tiered approach to free allocation of EU ETS allowances targets the available allowances to the sectors that need them most and provides greater certainty for sectors about their allocation, reducing risk and boosting investor confidence. In determining the impact of different tiered scenarios, the Government took account of the decarbonisation roadmap, which considered the wider policy context and technological barriers to decarbonisation and innovation. The proposed tiering scenarios are indicative and do not represent a confirmed Government position.