Tag: Alex Cunningham

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 effectiveness of partial restrictions on the use of lead ammunition for reducing the incidence of lead poisoning; and what comparative assessment she has made of the effectiveness of that policy and those in place in other jurisdictions.

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.

“

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much funding his Department has allocated to reducing light pollution in the next five financial years.

Andrew Jones

When environmental impacts of new transport infrastructure projects are identified as part of the assessment and design process, appropriate mitigation is funded from within the budget for that project.

As part of the Road Investment Strategy, Highways England also has a £300m environment fund to deliver environmental improvements on their network, both through retrofitting measures on the existing road network and maximizing opportunities offered by new road schemes. Where there is a strong case, some of this fund could support projects which reduce light pollution.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policy on charging carers for the support they receive in their caring role of an increase in the number of councils charging carers.

Alistair Burt

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 30 October 2015 to Question 13008.

“

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alex Cunningham on 2015-11-19.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if she will introduce multi-year funding for child protection programmes in the Central African Republic.

Grant Shapps

Since 2013, DFID has committed £58 million to address the needs of Central Africans, Central African children and of refugees from the Central African Republic (CAR). This funding has enabled agencies to support children who have been separated from their families, to provide services for girls and boys who have suffered sexual and gender-based violence, to reduce malnutrition, and give children access to education and training. DFID monitors needs in CAR and reviews regularly the strategy and level of support it provides. DFID are currently considering options for programming in CAR after the end of our current programme, which runs until March 2016.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alex Cunningham on 2015-12-11.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what assessment she has made of the effect of the Government’s decision to withdraw £1 billion in funding from carbon capture and storage projects on the future of energy-intensive industries in the UK.

Andrea Leadsom

The provision of ring-fenced capital support for Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) was judged against other Government funding priorities as part of the Spending Review. Government has not taken the Spending Review decision lightly. The Government continues to view CCS as having a potential role in the long-term decarbonisation of the UK’s power and industrial sectors. Neither CCS Competition project proposed to capture CO2 from energy intensive industries.

The detailed design and implementation of CCS policy changes have yet to be determined. The Industrial 2050 Decarbonisation and Energy Efficiency Roadmaps reports published in March 2015 identified a potential role for industrial CCS technologies in decarbonising the steel, oil refining, chemicals and cement sectors. DECC and BIS continue to engage with the energy intensive industries and academics to develop decarbonisation Action Plans by the end of 2016 as the second phase of this process.

The Government remains committed to working with energy intensive industries including those in the Northern Powerhouse area. DECC provided £1million funding to Tees Valley Unlimited as part of the 2013 City Deal agreement to undertake an Industrial CCS feasibility study based on the chemicals and steel industry in the Teesside cluster and we continue to support that work. The devolution deal for Tees Valley, published in October this year, also included a commitment to explore how it can continue to develop its industrial CCS proposals.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what his policy is on housebuilding on floodplains.

Brandon Lewis

National planning policy is designed to protect people and property from flooding. Local planning authorities are expected to avoid inappropriate development in areas at risk of flooding by directing development away from areas at highest risk, including floodplains. The policy is underpinned by planning guidance which makes clear that new house building should not be permitted in functional floodplains where water has to flow or be stored in times of flood.

Mitigation measures to make development acceptable in flood risk areas can be made a requirement of any planning consent.

All local planning authorities are expected to follow the strict tests set out in national planning policy and guidance. Where these tests are not met, national policy is very clear that new development should not be allowed.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alex Cunningham on 2016-01-07.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make it her policy to establish a commission to examine the issue of hunting foxes with dogs before bringing forward proposals for a vote in the House on that issue.

Rory Stewart

The Government has no plans to establish a commission to examine the issue of hunting foxes with dogs. However, the Government continues to stand by its manifesto commitment to give Parliament the opportunity to repeal the Hunting Act on a free vote, with a government bill in government time.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alex Cunningham on 2016-01-28.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what criteria were applied when determining the boundaries of blocks offered in the 14th Onshore Oil and Gas Licensing Round by the Oil and Gas Authority.

Andrea Leadsom

The boundaries of those blocks offered in the 14th Onshore Oil and Gas Licensing Round mirrored those covered by the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) assessment carried out prior to the launch of the 14th Round. The area of the SEA was determined by the areas with most potential for hydrocarbons in Great Britain.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alex Cunningham on 2016-02-05.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what information his Department holds on the cost of maintaining and securing the former SSI steel works site on Teesside in its present condition.

Anna Soubry

Costs are being incurred by the Official Receiver who is currently delivering a safe and secure liquidation of SSI. The Government is providing the Official Receiver with an indemnity to ensure he is able to deliver that safe liquidation of SSI and the net costs will be clearer at the end of that process.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she plans to take to improve the standard of hazardous waste management in response to the recommendations contained in the assessment of member states’ performance published by the European Commission in January 2016; and if she will make a statement.

Rory Stewart

We welcome the assessment of hazardous waste management across European Union Member States, in particular the recognition of the high levels of support and guidance that UK authorities offer those producing and managing hazardous waste. We are committed to ensuring hazardous waste is managed in a responsible and environmentally sound manner and continue to work in partnership with the waste management industry to achieve this.

We have started a light-touch review of the 2010 Strategy for Hazardous Waste Management in England and will consider the report’s findings as part of that review. We will publish the results of the review later this year.