Tag: Calum Kerr

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Calum Kerr on 2016-05-18.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps her Department plans to take to help ensure that the Education Cannot Wait fund for education in emergencies focuses on (a) girls, (b) children with disabilities and (c) other marginalised children.

Mr Nick Hurd

The UK has played a leading role in the development of Education Cannot Wait – a fund for education in emergencies. A key focus for Education Cannot Wait will be on ensuring that marginalised children and young people are able to access a quality education. This includes refugees and internally displaced children, as well as children facing barriers to their education because of their gender, disability or other factors. This focus is reflected in the Fund’s indicative headline results, which commits to providing “Inclusive education [that] reaches the most marginalised children and young people in crises” with a target of “100% of supported education opportunities demonstrate an increase in education for girls, disabled and those in remote locations”. The UK will continue to engage closely during Education Cannot Wait’s inception phase, to ensure that this commitment is fully reflected in its final design and results frameworks.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Calum Kerr on 2015-10-12.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department has taken to assess the (a) feasibility and (b) the potential economic and social effects on the North of England of extending the new Borders Railway to Carlisle.

Andrew Jones

The Borders Railway is a matter for the Scottish Government in line with the Scottish Parliament’s legislative competence for the promotion and construction of railways that start, end and remain in Scotland. We look to the relevant local authorities and Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) in the Transport for the North partnership, in developing a comprehensive transport strategy for the North of England, to decide whether to engage with the Scottish Government and other stakeholders on the commissioning of such assessments. The UK Government has established a £12bn Local Growth Fund (LGF) to support LEPs in delivering their priorities for supporting local economic growth.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Calum Kerr on 2015-10-12.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will work with the Office of Rail and Road to ensure that the proposed new Edinburgh to Berwick train service via Reston and East Linton stations will not be impeded by pathways being allocated to long distance train operating companies.

Claire Perry

Decisions on access to the railway are a matter for the Office of Rail and Road (ORR). When considering applications for new or additional access to the network by a railway operator the ORR will consult interested parties, including other users of the network and funders, such as the Secretary of State, and take into account their views. In reaching a decision ORR must exercise its functions in a way that it considers best achieves its statutory duties.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Calum Kerr on 2015-10-13.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make it her policy to ensure that (a) Seafish and (b) other bodies funded by fishing levies do not promote the fishing industries of other North Sea or Norwegian Sea countries.

George Eustice

Seafish does not spend its levy, directly or through other bodies, on promoting the fishing industries of other North Sea or Norwegian Sea countries. At the request of the four Fisheries Ministers, Seafish introduced a transparent process in 2012 to agree priorities for spending. Seafish consults UK Industry Panels to ensure that all parts of the UK seafood sector benefit proportionately from the levy raised. These activities are set out in the Seafish Corporate Plan, which can be found on the Seafish website.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Calum Kerr on 2015-10-13.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make an assessment of the amount spent each year by (a) Seafish and (b) other bodies funded by fishing levies on promoting the fishing industries of other countries.

George Eustice

Seafish does not use levies raised on fish caught by the UK catching sector to promote the fishing industries of other countries. Levy is raised at the first point of sale in the UK, including on imported fish, and is used to support the UK seafood industry.