Tag: Greg Mulholland

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Greg Mulholland on 2014-06-26.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential suffering felt by badgers through gaseous methods of slaughter.

George Eustice

In August 2013, we commissioned new research into alternative methods of culling badgers.

The first step involved reviewing and updating the ‘Review of effectiveness, environmental impact, humaneness and feasibility of lethal methods for badger control’ published in 2005. The review was completed in September 2013.

Following research carried out as a result of Lord Zuckerman’s review in the 1980s, we would not support the use of hydrogen cyanide gas due to humaneness concerns. However, we are considering potential humane alternatives.

In October and November 2013 we carried out initial trials of nitrogen-filled foam to analyse its dispersal in an artificial sett-like environment. These trials did not involve the use of active setts or tests on live animals.

Further research is now planned into the use of carbon monoxide as a potential sett-based means of humane culling.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Greg Mulholland on 2014-06-26.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, which policies of other countries he has assessed with regards to the gassing of badgers.

George Eustice

Carbon monoxide gas has been used successfully in the United States and Australia to control a range of species including burrowing rodents, rabbits and larger mammals such as coyotes and foxes.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Greg Mulholland on 2014-06-26.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will bring forward legislative proposals to establish a statutory system of guardianship to support victims of child trafficking.

Karen Bradley

The Modern Slavery Bill, published on 10 June 2014, includes an enabling clause
which provides a statutory basis for child trafficking advocates and their
functions including the circumstances and conditions under which a person may
act as an advocate.

The clause provides the Secretary of State with a power to make arrangements so
that specialist child trafficking advocates are available to support and
represent children who there is reason to believe may be victims of
trafficking. It also allows for requirements on public authorities to
co-operate with and provide information to these advocates.

Trials of the child trafficking advocates scheme will commence in summer 2014.
The trials will be independently evaluated both at six months and on
completion. A report on the findings will be laid before Parliament.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Greg Mulholland on 2014-06-26.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will bring forward legislative proposals to recognise child trafficking as a separate offence to adult trafficking.

Karen Bradley

The most effective way to protect child victims of trafficking is to have a
general offence, which applies to both adults and children. The Modern
Slavery Bill contains a general human trafficking offence, which does not
require prosecutors to prove the age of the child, as this can lead to practical
problems during prosecutions. Targeting a child will, however, be an
aggravating factor for sentencing purposes, and the human trafficking
offence in the Modern Slavery Bill will carry a maximum sentence of life
imprisonment.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Greg Mulholland on 2014-06-26.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the Answer to the hon. Member for Brighton, Pavilion of 25 November 2013, Official Report, column 20W, on bovine tuberculosis, whether his Department has since commissioned any research about the safety, humaneness and effectiveness of gassing badgers.

George Eustice

In August 2013, we commissioned new research into alternative methods of culling badgers.

The first step involved reviewing and updating the ‘Review of effectiveness, environmental impact, humaneness and feasibility of lethal methods for badger control’ published in 2005. The review was completed in September 2013.

Following research carried out as a result of Lord Zuckerman’s review in the 1980s, we would not support the use of hydrogen cyanide gas due to humaneness concerns. However, we are considering potential humane alternatives.

In October and November 2013 we carried out initial trials of nitrogen-filled foam to analyse its dispersal in an artificial sett-like environment. These trials did not involve the use of active setts or tests on live animals.

Further research is now planned into the use of carbon monoxide as a potential sett-based means of humane culling.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Greg Mulholland on 2015-01-13.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many businesses were ordered by the Financial Services Ombudsman to award consumers fair compensation up to the £100,000 limit in each year from 2001 to 2011.

Andrea Leadsom

The issues raised are a matter for the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) who are operationally independent from Government.

These questions have been passed on to the FOS. The FOS will reply directly to the honourable member by letter. A copy of the letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Greg Mulholland on 2015-02-10.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, if he will bring forward proposals to extend the powers of the Groceries Code Adjudicator to consider complaints from primary producers.

Jo Swinson

The jurisdiction of the Groceries Code Adjudicator is defined by the Groceries Supply Code of Practice. The Code governs the commercial relationships between the ten largest UK supermarkets and their direct suppliers, and reflects the findings of the Competition Commission’s market investigation into the supermarket sector conducted between 2006 and 2008.

There will be a statutory review of the performance of the Adjudicator next year in accordance with section 15 of the Groceries Code Adjudicator Act 2013.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Greg Mulholland on 2015-02-10.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what steps his Department is taking to ensure policy coherence between trade policy and international poverty reduction with reference to the Sustainable Development Goals.

Matthew Hancock

Trade openness is a key driver of economic growth, which is essential for poverty reduction. Trade will therefore play a central role in the Means of Implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals. We are working with colleagues across Whitehall to develop an ambitious proposal for trade commitments in the Post-2015 agenda. These commitments range from securing increased market access for low income countries to ensuring that they can make the most of this access through tackling ‘behind the border’ obstacles to trade.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Greg Mulholland on 2015-02-10.

To ask the Attorney General, what steps he is taking to implement the recommendations of the report from HM Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate and HM Inspectorate of Constabulary entitled Joint Inspection of the Investigation and Prosecution of Fatal Road Traffic Incidents, published in February 2015.

Jeremy Wright

It is clear from the joint HMIC and HMCPSI report that there must be improvements in the way offences arising out of fatal road traffic incidents are investigated and prosecuted. It is therefore vital that police forces give due regard to the recommendations made in the report. However, it is rightly a matter for chief constables and Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) to ascertain how best to respond to the recommendations locally. Under Section 55 (5) of the Police Act 1996, all PCCs have a statutory requirement to publish their response to joint inspection reports that relate to their force.

The CPS must provide the best possible service to the bereaved families in these cases. Whilst many of the recommended improvements have been achieved through more general development of CPS casework and guidance, there is clearly more which needs to be done. In order to make the improvements necessary to the prosecution of offences arising out of fatal road traffic accidents, the CPS is taking or has committed to take the following steps:

• The introduction of accredited specialist prosecutors in each of the CPS Areas to prosecute these cases.
• New mandatory training on the prosecution of fatal road traffic incidents to include case analysis and strategy, and how the CPS communicates with bereaved families.
• CPS Area Coordinators to ensure that these sensitive and difficult cases receive the specialist attention they deserve and attract good quality, consistent decision making.
• Amending guidance to remind prosecutors of the circumstances in which it is appropriate to charge assaults that arise from driving a motor vehicle.
• Amending guidance to add a reference to the Criminal Practice Direction on acceptance of pleas in its Guidance on Charging Driving Offences.
• A review of the flagging process of these cases to increase the accuracy of figures.
• Consideration of better CPS Area access to appeals unit case reviews.
• Consideration of existing protocols with police forces with the intention of drafting a model protocol for CPS Areas to agree with local forces.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Greg Mulholland on 2014-05-02.

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many people were convicted of causing death by (a) careless and (b) dangerous driving in the last year for which figures are available; and what the average sentence was for each offence.

Jeremy Wright

Severe maximum penalties, of 14 years imprisonment, are available for those who cause death through dangerous driving or under the influence of drink or drugs and statistics show that the overwhelming majority of those convicted for these offences receive lengthy custodial sentences. The maximum penalty for causing death by careless driving is 5 years imprisonment and for causing death by disqualified, unlicensed or uninsured driving is two years imprisonment. We are keeping the law in this area under review. If any further changes are needed, we will bring forward proposals.

The Justice Secretary made an announcement on 6 May about our plans to strengthen the law in relation to disqualified drivers who cause death or serious injury; increasing the maximum sentence for causing death by disqualified driving to 10 years and introducing a new offence of causing serious injury by disqualified driving, with a maximum penalty of 4 years.

The number of offenders found guilty and sentenced to an immediate custody at all courts and the average custodial sentence length (months) for ‘careless’ and ‘dangerous’ driving in England and Wales from 2008 to 2012 (latest available data) can be viewed in the table.

Court proceedings data for 2013 are planned for publication in May 2014.