The below Parliamentary question was asked by Greg Mulholland on 2016-01-05.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what projection she has made of the number of full-time equivalent staff working in the Environment Agency in each year until 2020.
George Eustice
There are no firm projections over the next 5 years of the number of full-time equivalent staff working in the Environment Agency. Formal budgets have not yet been allocated for 2016/17 to 2020/21.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Greg Mulholland on 2016-01-13.
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answer of 12 January 2016 to Question 21036, what funding was allocated by Sport England in each parliamentary constituency in each year since 2010.
Tracey Crouch
Sport England National Lottery grant investment, broken down by constituency, is publicly available on Sport England’s website and can be found here: www.sportengland.org/funding/investments-weve-made.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Greg Mulholland on 2016-01-18.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of the effect of the Tier 2 visa scheme’s minimum salary threshold on the ability of curry restaurants to recruit chefs from abroad.
James Brokenshire
Acquiring this information on visa applications from chefs would involve examining each individual case record held by UK Visas & Immigration for the Tier 2 category. To do so would incur a disproportionate cost.
The Home Office regularly receives representations to lower the criteria (including the salary requirement) for sponsoring chefs under Tier 2, the skilled worker route. Tier 2 is, however, reserved for graduate level occupations. We continue to welcome the very top chefs who promote innovative and authentic cuisine here in the UK — and these types of skilled chefs are on the shortage occupation list. The salary threshold applied to chefs was based on expert advice from the independent Migration Advisory Committee.
We have been clear, however, that the restaurant industry needs to move away from an unsustainable reliance on migrant workers. We want to nurture more home-grown talent and encourage young people in this country who want to pursue a skilled career. This means the restaurant sector offering training to attract and recruit resident workers to meet their staffing needs.
The industry is starting to make progress in this area, recruiting and training more chefs in the UK, and this needs to continue.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Greg Mulholland on 2016-01-21.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will bring forward proposals to require the DVLA immediately to (a) suspend the driving licences of people suspected to have drug-related seizures and (b) require such people to undergo medical tests before their suspension can be lifted.
Andrew Jones
The law allows the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) to revoke a driving licence after appropriate medical investigations have been carried out. In cases where a drug related seizure has been confirmed after medical investigations, the DVLA is able to immediately revoke a licence for a minimum of six months. The licence will only be restored when it has been confirmed that the driver has been free from drug misuse or dependence for an appropriate period. It will normally be necessary for independent medical assessment, including appropriate tests and consultant reports, to be carried out before the driving licence is restored.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Greg Mulholland on 2016-02-01.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many phone calls were made to HM Revenue and Customs’ High Net Worth Unit in each of the last five years; and what the average amount of time taken was to answer a phone call to that unit in each of those years.
Mr David Gauke
HM Revenue and Customs does not hold this information.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Greg Mulholland on 2016-03-07.
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, when he plans to respond to the letter to him of 13 January 2016 from the hon. Member for Leeds North West, relating to criminal driving.
Dominic Raab
The Secretary of State for Justice replied on 3 February 2016.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Greg Mulholland on 2016-03-10.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how many people applied to the Pubs Code Adjudicator vacancy; and how many such people were (a) longlisted and (b) shortlisted.
Anna Soubry
I refer the hon Member to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Harrow East on 10 March, Official Report, Vol 607, Col 428.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Greg Mulholland on 2016-03-21.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to encourage households to donate unused food.
Rory Stewart
Through the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP), the Government continues to work with the grocery sector to reduce household food waste. The Love Food Hate Waste programme helps UK households to reduce food waste and save money through awareness raising and consumer advice. There has been a 15% (1.3 million tonnes) reduction in household food waste between 2007 and 2012.
WRAP launched Courtauld 2025 on 15 March, which builds on the progress we have already made. This new agreement includes a target to reduce food and drink waste arising in the UK by 20% by 2025 (calculated as a relative reduction per head of population).
For the average household, the price of avoidable food and drink waste is £470 per year. For the average household with children, the cost of avoidable food and drink waste is £700 per year.
The total amount of food thrown away by the average household is 260 kg per year. 160 kg of this is avoidable waste. For the average household with children, this figure rises to 390 kg per year, including 240 kg of avoidable food waste.
These are the latest available figures, applying to 2012. WRAP aims to publish updated figures for household food waste later this year.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Greg Mulholland on 2016-04-08.
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will publish the terms of reference of his Department’s review of criminal driving offences.
Dominic Raab
Driving offences can have devastating consequences for victims and their loved ones.
The government is aware of concerns about a number of sentencing issues and is committed to making sure sentencing for driving crimes is proportionate within the context of our wider sentencing framework. It is our intention to commence a consultation in due course which will look at driving offences and penalties.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Greg Mulholland on 2016-04-25.
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, pursuant to the Answer of 21 April 2016 to Question 34222, on the humanitarian situation in Madaya, for what reasons the UN had to seek written approval from the Syrian regime.
Mr Desmond Swayne
Attempting to deliver humanitarian assistance without the consent of the parties to the conflict is extremely challenging. There is a risk that shipments of humanitarian assistance would be physically stopped and confiscated, humanitarian staff placed in danger and that convoys could come under attack. Likewise, delivering assistance without consent may risk undermining ongoing negotiations on humanitarian access to the 4.6 million people in hard to reach areas across Syria.