Tag: Huw Irranca-Davies

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Huw Irranca-Davies on 2016-01-26.

To ask the Attorney General, pursuant to the Answer of 20 January 2016 to Question 22432, by what measure the Director of the Serious Fraud Office judges whether there is a significant public interest element in a case.

Robert Buckland

The Criminal Justice Act 1987 provides that “The Director may investigate any suspected offence which appears to him on reasonable grounds to involve serious or complex fraud.”

Each case is assessed on its own facts and merits.

The Statement of Principle sets out some of the factors that the Director will take into account when considering the matter for investigation. All of these will be considered, and there is no minimum requirement or measure in respect of the different factors.

Each on its own or taken in combination can establish sufficient grounds for the Director to decide that the case is sufficiently large, complex or of wide public interest that it should be dealt with by the Serious Fraud Office.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Huw Irranca-Davies on 2016-01-26.

To ask the Attorney General, pursuant to the Answer of 20 January 2016 to Question 22432, what measure the Director of the Serious Fraud Office uses to judge actual or potential economic harm.

Robert Buckland

The Criminal Justice Act 1987 provides that “The Director may investigate any suspected offence which appears to him on reasonable grounds to involve serious or complex fraud.”

Each case is assessed on its own facts and merits.

The Statement of Principle sets out some of the factors that the Director will take into account when considering the matter for investigation. All of these will be considered, and there is no minimum requirement or measure in respect of the different factors.

Each on its own or taken in combination can establish sufficient grounds for the Director to decide that the case is sufficiently large, complex or of wide public interest that it should be dealt with by the Serious Fraud Office.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Huw Irranca-Davies on 2016-01-26.

To ask the Attorney General, pursuant to the Answer of 20 January 2016 to Question 22432, how the Director of the Serious Fraud Office measures the undermining of UK PLC commercial or financial interests in the (a) City of London and (b) UK.

Robert Buckland

The Criminal Justice Act 1987 provides that “The Director may investigate any suspected offence which appears to him on reasonable grounds to involve serious or complex fraud.”

Each case is assessed on its own facts and merits.

The Statement of Principle sets out some of the factors that the Director will take into account when considering the matter for investigation. All of these will be considered, and there is no minimum requirement or measure in respect of the different factors.

Each on its own or taken in combination can establish sufficient grounds for the Director to decide that the case is sufficiently large, complex or of wide public interest that it should be dealt with by the Serious Fraud Office.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Huw Irranca-Davies on 2016-01-26.

To ask the Attorney General, pursuant to the Answer of 20 January 2016 to Question 22432, what the figure is for high actual or potential loss listed in the Statement of Principle.

Robert Buckland

The Criminal Justice Act 1987 provides that “The Director may investigate any suspected offence which appears to him on reasonable grounds to involve serious or complex fraud.”

Each case is assessed on its own facts and merits.

The Statement of Principle sets out some of the factors that the Director will take into account when considering the matter for investigation. All of these will be considered, and there is no minimum requirement or measure in respect of the different factors.

Each on its own or taken in combination can establish sufficient grounds for the Director to decide that the case is sufficiently large, complex or of wide public interest that it should be dealt with by the Serious Fraud Office.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Huw Irranca-Davies on 2016-01-26.

To ask the Attorney General, pursuant to the Answer of 20 January 2016 to Question 22432, whether a case considered by the Serious Fraud Office must meet all Statement of Principle considerations.

Robert Buckland

The Criminal Justice Act 1987 provides that “The Director may investigate any suspected offence which appears to him on reasonable grounds to involve serious or complex fraud.”

Each case is assessed on its own facts and merits.

The Statement of Principle sets out some of the factors that the Director will take into account when considering the matter for investigation. All of these will be considered, and there is no minimum requirement or measure in respect of the different factors.

Each on its own or taken in combination can establish sufficient grounds for the Director to decide that the case is sufficiently large, complex or of wide public interest that it should be dealt with by the Serious Fraud Office.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Huw Irranca-Davies on 2016-03-10.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, whether she plans to take forward talks on reaching an intergovernmental agreement with Ireland on expanding electricity interconnection capacity in response to the conclusions of the National Infrastructure Commission’s report on Smart Power, published in March 2016.

Andrea Leadsom

The Government is ambitious for the market to deliver an increase in electricity interconnection capacity where projects demonstrate value for money and provide benefits to consumers. We are primarily focused on facilitating developer-led delivery. Already one interconnection project to Ireland, Greenlink, has been approved by Ofgem in the first round of cap and floor applications. More projects, including to Ireland, can apply to Ofgem’s second cap and floor application window which opens this month.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Huw Irranca-Davies on 2016-03-10.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, with reference to the Memorandum of Understanding on renewable energy trade agreed between the UK and Ireland in January 2013, what progress has been made on reaching an intergovernmental agreement with Ireland.

Andrea Leadsom

We recognise the benefits of cooperation mechanisms and of opening our renewable support schemes to foreign generation in principle. This is why we signed the Memorandum of Understanding with Ireland. Whilst we have yet to agree with Ireland on any particular project, we remain open to new proposals.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Huw Irranca-Davies on 2014-06-24.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many herd owners have (a) failed to complete TB surveillance tests on time and (b) received reductions in their Single Payment Scheme payments since the introduction of a revised TB testing regime in January 2014.

George Eustice

Owners of cattle herds are given a two or three month window to complete their TB surveillance tests, depending on whether they are subject to annual or four yearly surveillance testing. The enhanced cross compliance rule for overdue surveillance tests applies to cattle keepers with a testing window that started on or after 1 January 2014. In April 2014 (the most recent date for which we have data) 264 herd owners had failed to complete their TB tests on time, which compares to 689 overdue tests in April 2013. All of these herd owners who are Common Agricultural Policy scheme recipients will be liable to reductions in their payments once these become due, unless they can show that the late testing was beyond their control.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Huw Irranca-Davies on 2014-06-24.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he plans to take in response to falls in beef farm gate prices.

George Eustice

With supplies of cattle outstripping demand both at home and abroad, domestic prime cattle prices have been under pressure and have fallen throughout 2014. In May, prices were at their lowest level since mid-2012 and 15-20% lower than the peak reached in 2013. The European Commission (EC) Short Term Outlook expects beef prices to remain firm although below the 2013 record highs.

On 1 July, the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Farming, Food and the Marine Environment will be hosting a senior-level beef industry summit with retailers, meat processors and farmers to discuss falling farm gate beef prices and develop strategies for a sustainable British beef sector.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Huw Irranca-Davies on 2014-07-16.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what progress has been made on the investigation into criminal prosecutions as a result of the adulteration of beef products with horsemeat; and if she will make a statement.

George Eustice

The Food Standards Agency and the City of London police, working with their counterparts across Europe, are taking forward complicated and far-reaching investigations into the Europe wide horsemeat fraud. The Crown Prosecution Service has announced that criminal proceedings have been instituted for the mislabelling of goat meat and the failure to comply with traceability requirements in relation to horsemeat. It would not be appropriate to comment further on ongoing criminal investigations.