Tag: Caroline Lucas

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2014-06-04.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment his Department has made of the potential effect of changing the national urban default speed limit to 20 mph on (a) air pollution and (b) other environmental conditions; what similar studies in other developed nations his Department has assessed; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Robert Goodwill

The Department does not have any current plans to introduce a default 20mph speed limit. Local authorities are best placed to determine the speed limits for their areas, based on local knowledge and the views of the community, and have the powers to do so. We are aware of studies carried out for local authorities, including for the City of London, which showed no overall negative effects on air quality in 20mph speed restrictions.

However, the Department is about to commission comprehensive research into the effects of 20mph limits. This will cover many aspects including effects on speed, collisions, casualties and modal shift. The research will also consider air quality, best practice, road users’ perceptions and effects on the quality of the environment, as well as relevant research from other countries.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2014-06-11.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many of the financial penalties for non-compliance with the minimum wage issued by HM Revenue and Customs in 2013-14 were for the then maximum sum of £5,000.

Mr David Gauke

The Government takes the enforcement of the National Minimum Wage (NMW) very seriously. HMRC review every complaint that is referred to them by the Pay and Work Rights Helpline (0800 917 2368). In addition, HMRC conduct targeted compliance activity based on data received from various sources and robust risk assessment processes, to identify the sectors and employers across the United Kingdom, who are considered more likely to be failing to pay NMW.

The Government has increased the financial penalty percentage that employers pay for breaking minimum wage law from 50 per cent to 100 per cent and the maximum penalty has increased from £5,000 to £20,000. The revised penalty is calculated as 100 per cent of the total underpayment for all of the workers specified in a Notice of Underpayment relating to pay reference periods that commence on or after 7 March 2014.

HMRC issued the maximum penalty of £5,000 to 52 employers identified as owing workers arrears of pay under national minimum wage legislation in 2013/14.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2014-06-04.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the Answer given in the House of Lords of 28 October 2013, Official Report, column 208W, on Agriculture: Pesticides, if he will place in the Library a list of the (a) published research being considered by the current review of the EU approval of glyphosate and (b) ongoing or completed research relating to potential links between glyphosate and chronic diseases and conditions in humans.

Dan Rogerson

Lists of the studies found by a search of published literature and of those determined to be relevant by the German regulatory authorities, who are assessing the data on behalf of the EU, can be found in Volume 3 of the Renewal Assessment Report. This was published on 12 March 2014 on the European Food Safety Authority’s website at http://dar.efsa.europa.eu/dar-web/provision. The Government does not plan to publish a separate list of ongoing or completed research.

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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2014-06-11.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether Ministers or officials of his Department have (a) met the Attorney General of Nigeria since January 2012 and (b) had any conversations about the sale of the OPL 245 oil concession in Nigeria involving Shell and ENI with (i) the Attorney General of Nigeria and (ii) any other senior official of the Nigerian government.

Mr Francis Maude

Details of meetings held by Ministers and Permanent Secretaries with external organisations are published quarterly and can be found at Gov.uk.

Information on meetings by other officials is not held centrally.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2014-06-04.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what guidance he has issued on the use of glyphosate to (a) national park authorities and (b) managers of public parks in urban areas; and if he will make a statement.

Dan Rogerson

Detailed guidance on use is provided by conditions of use on individual product labels. This is supplemented by The Code of Practice for Using Plant Protection Products, which provides guidance to all users on the safe and effective use of pesticides, including glyphosate.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2014-06-11.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether Ministers or officials of his Department have (a) met the Attorney General of Nigeria since January 2012 and (b) had any conversations about the sale of the OPL 245 oil concession in Nigeria involving Shell and ENI with (i) the Attorney General of Nigeria and (ii) any other senior official of the Nigerian government.

Mark Simmonds

No FCO Ministers have met the Nigerian Attorney General since January 2012. Given the range and frequency of meetings between FCO officials with the Nigerian Attorney General, I am unable to offer a full list of them. The Metropolitan Police Proceeds of Corruption Unit are investigating complaints made about the case of oil block OPL-245 in Nigeria. Because this is an on-going investigation, it would not be appropriate to comment any further.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2014-06-04.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, whether (a) he and (b) other Ministers in his Department will be attending the high-level Ministerial Dialogue on the Durban Platform for Enhanced Action on 6 June 2014 in Bonn, Germany; what the Government’s aims are in such talks; and if he will make a statement.

Gregory Barker

The UK is represented at senior official levels at Bonn. It is a mid-year meeting paving the way for the Lima Conference of Parties (COP) in December and ministers do not usually attend the Bonn meetings.