Tag: Alex Cunningham

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alex Cunningham on 2015-11-04.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department has met vehicle manufacturers to discuss the availability of liquid petroleum gas vehicle models in the UK market and their potential effect on air quality.

Andrew Jones

As part of a consultation in 2014 on amendments to the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO) the department considered the potential benefits of biopropane in delivering GHG savings. In recognition of this, the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation was subsequently amended to increase rewards for suppliers of that fuel from April 2015.

The department, working with the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs, have evaluated a range of options for tackling poor air quality; this formed the basis of the Government’s draft air quality plans that recently went to public consultation. Switching to LPG can provide air quality benefits but may not be easily deployed in all vehicle types.

As part of the department’s 2014 Clean Vehicle Technology Fund (CVTF) grant scheme, Birmingham City Council were awarded £500,000 to enable the conversion of 80 older black cabs from diesel to LPG which will help improve air quality on some of the most polluted roads. There is a possibility of funding through the current CVTF grant scheme being used to support further LPG conversions in other areas.

We are considering many competing priorities across Government as part of the Spending Review, including measures to tackle air quality pollutants and reduce other harmful emissions. The outcome of the Spending Review will be announced later in the autumn.

The department regularly meets with motor manufacturers and their representative body the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). Discussions on how manufacturers can act to tackle poor air quality cover a range of measures.

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 assessment her Department has made of the relative costs and effectiveness of alternatives to lead ammunition for sports shooting.

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 2015-11-13.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the effect of the starter homes policy on access to (a) home ownership and (b) affordable rented accommodation in (i) London and the South East and (ii) England.

Brandon Lewis

Evidence shows that young first time buyers have been priced out of home ownership. Since the early 1990s, the proportion of under 40s who are homeowners in England has declined by over a third from 62% in 1993/4 to 39% in 2013/14. The Housing and Planning Bill will require local planning authorities to promote Starter Homes and ensure Starter Homes are included on all suitable, reasonably-sized developments in future.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alex Cunningham on 2015-11-23.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what the implications for her policies on support for community-based renewable generation projects are of the proposed changes to the feed-in tariff scheme and HM Treasury’s decision to remove such projects from tax relief.

Andrea Leadsom

Part of the purpose of the feed-in tariff (FIT) review consultation was to gather views on the broader economic impact of the proposed changes. We also sought views on whether the scheme should be focussed towards specific groups or sectors which might, for example, include households or communities. We had a strong response from community energy groups via the consultation and workshops.

The actual impact on the community sector will depend on the options taken forward after all responses to the consultation have been considered. We are currently analysing feedback submitted during the consultation and intend to publish a Government response as soon as possible.

The purpose of the tax-advantaged venture capital schemes is to provide funding to smaller higher-risk companies that would otherwise struggle to access finance to develop and grow. To ensure that the schemes are well targeted and deliver value for money, the government announced at the Autumn Statement the exclusion of all remaining energy generation activities from the schemes. This follows the exclusion of certain types of energy generation in 2012, 2014 and 2015, including most recently the announcement that the provision of reserve energy generating capacity and the generation of renewable energy benefiting from other government support by community energy organisations would be excluded from the schemes with effect from 30^th November 2015, as well as from Social Investment Tax Relief when that scheme is expanded. These changes help to ensure that higher risk investments are not crowded out by lower risk investments.

We will continue to work with the community energy sector over the coming months to develop a joint approach that addresses the priorities of the sector and satisfies our overarching objective of cost-effective emissions reductions.

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, with reference to Resolution 11.15 adopted by the Eleventh Conference of the Parties to the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals in November 2014, what (a) assessment she has made of and (b) information her Department has received on the extent and type of poisoning risk from lead ammunition in the UK in the last 12 months.

Rory Stewart

The Ministry of Justice has confirmed that no defendants were proceeded against at magistrates courts for offences under the Environmental Protection (Restriction of the Use of Lead Shot) (England) Regulations 1999 in England between 2011 and 2014.

This return relates to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. Up to and including 2010, these regulations were part of a miscellaneous grouping, which could only be separately analysed at disproportionate cost. Data for 2015 is not yet available.

In the last 12 months Defra has received:

• the Lead Ammunition Group report,
• a report submitted by those that resigned from the Lead Ammunition Group, and
• papers from the Oxford Lead Symposium.

The Government is considering this information and will respond as soon as possible.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will review the adequacy of the maximum sentences available to the courts for offences of cruelty to animals under the Animal Welfare Act 2006.

George Eustice

The Animal Welfare Act 2006 makes it an offence to cause an animal unnecessary suffering. Anyone found guilty of an offence under the Act can be subject to an unlimited fine and/or six months’ imprisonment.

It is for the courts to decide on an appropriate penalty based on the individual circumstances of each case. To help magistrates to impose appropriate sentences and penalties they are provided with guidance in the form of the Magistrates’ Courts Sentencing Guidelines issued by the Sentencing Council. The guidelines give examples of offences, aggravating and mitigating factors, as well as the range of suggested sentences and penalties for various types of offences. The sentences currently imposed for such offences are not regularly set towards the upper end of the range. This suggests that courts are not finding their current sentencing powers inadequate.

Nevertheless, Defra understands the concern that existing levels of punishment may be insufficient in some cases. Overall policy on sentencing is the responsibility of the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) and Defra Ministers have made sure that the MoJ is aware of these concerns.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alex Cunningham on 2016-01-08.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what representations her Department made to the recent meeting of the EU Fisheries and Agriculture Council; and for which species support was given at that meeting for quotas exceeding those recommended by scientific advice.

George Eustice

At the EU Agriculture and Fisheries Council in December 2015 the UK Government supported quota setting in accordance with three high level objectives: to increase the number of stocks fished at sustainable levels, in particular the number fished at maximum sustainable yield (MSY) in 2016; to follow the available science, notably that from the International Council for the Exploration of the Seas (ICES); and to minimise discards in line with the landing obligation.

With respect to stocks with full MSY assessments, the UK supported total allowable catches (TACs) higher than the ICES advice for Farn Deeps Nephrops and Eastern Channel sole, because new management measures had been developed which, when implemented, should deliver MSY by 2017 and 2019 respectively.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the Private Sponsorship Scheme for Syrian refugees; and what estimate she has made of the number of people likely to participate in that scheme.

Richard Harrington

The Syrian Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Scheme is based on need and prioritises those who cannot be supported effectively in the region. As the refugees that are being resettled may have medical, social care or other needs, all of the arrivals to date have been placed with local authorities which are being provided with funding to ensure these needs can be addressed.

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. This is why we are now working with the individuals and groups who have made offers on developing a sustainable model for helping vulnerable people settle and integrate in the UK and, where they are able, find employment.

We are consulting international partners to understand how their schemes work, and with partners in the UK to make sure we design a scheme which works well here.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, when he expects to have body scanners to help detect illicit substances installed in prisons.

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 2016-02-19.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many £5,000 flood protection grants have been paid to (a) households and (b) businesses by local authorities.

James Wharton

To date, local authorities have received 1,285 applications for Property Level Resilience grant funding and have so far approved 162.

Property Level Resilience grants are dependent on works which require properties to dry out and are usually claimed retrospectively. The current rate of payments is similar to equivalent previous schemes where the profile of spend shows payments accelerate in the third and fourth quarters after damage.