Tag: Jim Cunningham

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2016-07-20.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether his Department plans to bring forward legislative proposals to ban the indirect investment by pension schemes in companies linked with the manufacture of cluster munitions; and if he will make a statement.

Richard Harrington

Trustees and managers are responsible for acting in the best interests of beneficiaries, including the investment of members’ funds. They must, under existing obligations, prepare a statement of investment principles. This must set out the extent to which social, environmental, or ethical considerations are taken into account in the selection, retention, and realisation of investments.

We have no immediate plans to change these existing obligations, but will keep them under review.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2016-09-06.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what estimate he has made of his Department’s budget in each of the next three years; and if he will make a statement.

Joseph Johnson

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him by my hon. Friend the Minister for Small Business, Consumers and Corporate Responsibility on 18 July 2016, UIN 43020.

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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2016-09-13.

To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, how many international flights have been taken by (a) Ministers, (b) civil servants and (c) special advisers of his Department in an official capacity since his Department was created.

Mr Robin Walker

The Government publishes information about flights and other expenses incurred on Ministerial and senior official overseas trips on a quarterly basis.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2016-10-12.

To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, how many civil servants working in his Department have been seconded from other government departments; and if he will make a statement.

Mr David Jones

All departments are equipping themselves with the resources they need to get the best deal for the UK. The Department for Exiting the European Union now has over 250 staff plus the expertise of over 120 officials in Brussels, and we are still growing rapidly.

The term ‘secondment’ to refers to an interchange of staff between the Civil Service and an external organisation as such we have not brought any secondees into the Department from elsewhere in the Civil Service. All joiners from other Government departments have been on a loan basis, which refers to an interchange of staff between Civil Service departments or Agencies.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2016-10-19.

To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what steps he is taking to ensure that the UK leaving the EU does not have a deleterious effect on the operation of UK universities; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Robin Walker

​​The Department for Exiting the EU has engaged with a number of higher education institutions and groups including Universities UK and Royal Academies. Over the next few months the department will continue to engage with key stakeholders in business and civil society, including universities, through a series of roundtables, bi-laterals and visits across the UK.

We have been clear that we want to create an environment in which the UK as a whole can continue to be a world leader in research, science and the tertiary education sector more broadly. The government has already announced that UK researchers can still apply for Horizon 2020 projects and the Treasury will underwrite the payment of such awards, even when specific projects continue beyond the UK’s departure from the EU. Equally, EU students applying for a place at an English university or further education institution in the 2017 to 2018 academic year will continue to be eligible for student loans and grants – and will be for the duration of their course.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2016-10-20.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, whether his Department plans to begin the formal negotiation process for trade deals with (a) EU and (b) non-EU countries after the (i) initiation and (ii) conclusion of the Article 50 process; and if he will make a statement.

Greg Hands

The Prime Minister has been clear, we are not going to provide a running commentary on the negotiations. We recognise the need for a smooth transition as the UK leaves the EU, which minimises disruption to our trading relationships. Ministers and officials in the Department for International Trade are working closely with counterparts across a wide range of markets, in order to promote the UK as a great place to do business and with which to trade. We are taking advantage of all the opportunities available to us to ensure that Britain becomes the global leader in free trade once we leave the EU.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2015-10-27.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assistance her Department is providing to the agronomic sector in the UK to reduce (a) carbon emissions and (b) water use; and if she will make a statement.

George Eustice

Agriculture produces relatively small amounts of carbon dioxide emissions with this gas accounting for around 10% of emissions from the industry sector. The major greenhouse gasses (GHG) produced by agriculture are methane and nitrous oxide. Defra has engaged with the agriculture industry in England to help develop an industry led approach, the Green House Gas Action Plan, which includes farming sector roadmaps for reducing GHG emissions. We will be reviewing progress on the action plan with the industry next year.

The Government is investing £160 million in the UK Agri-Tech Strategy to help take our world class agricultural research to the farm. £60 million of Government and industry funding has already been committed to projects which aim to make farming more productive, resilient and sustainable.

Rural Development Programme (RDPE) funded capital grants are available for reservoirs to improve security of water supplies for agriculture (including horticulture) and reduce pressure on summer water flows in the environment Capital grants to improve efficiency of water application to reduce water use are also available.

Applications are also being processed for Countryside Productivity scheme capital funding for precision farming equipment to improve the accuracy of field operations and application of fertilisers and sprays, which can achieve savings of (typically) 5% plus in fuel, fertilisers and sprays with consequent reduction in CO₂ emissions.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2015-11-03.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what estimate she has made of the proportion of total UK energy production likely to be sourced from fracking in each of the next five years.

Andrea Leadsom

The Government is of the view that there is a national need to explore and test our shale resources in a safe, sustainable and timely way.

It is too early to make an assessment of the future extent of shale gas and oil production. We do not yet know the full scale of the UK’s shale resources nor how much can be extracted technically or economically.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2015-11-10.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 10 November 2015 to Question 14616, what estimate her Department has made of the number of signatories to the (a) Cortauld Commitment 3, (b) Electrical and Electronic Equipment Sustainability Action Plan, (c) Hospitality and Food Service Agreement and (d) Sustainable Clothing Action Plan in each of the last five years.

Rory Stewart

The number of signatories to the voluntary agreements in the last five years is as follows:

Courtauld Commitment 2/3 (signatories):

• 53 from Aug 2011

ESAP Electrical and Electronic Equipment Sustainability Action Plan (signatories):

• 50 at launch, Nov 2014;
• 70 at Nov 2015.

Hospitality and Food Service Agreement (signatories plus supporters*):

• 73 at launch in Jun 2012;
• 171 in Nov 13;
• over 200 in Dec 14
• 226 in Nov 2015.

SCAP 2020 Commitment (signatories plus supporters*):

• 22, at launch in Jun 2013;
• 68 at Dec 2014;
• 82 at Nov 2015.

*Supporters also take an active role in promoting activities which support the Commitments

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2015-11-17.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will review the number of counter-terrorism officials in the West Midlands; and if she will make a statement.

Mr John Hayes

The level and distribution of counter-terrorism resources across the country is informed by advice from the police and security and intelligence agencies on assessments of what is needed to counter the threat. This is regularly kept under review. For security reasons we do not publish a breakdown of counter-terrorism resources by region.

In the Spending Round 2013, specific funding for counter-terrorism policing was protected at £564.3 million for each of the years 2014-15 and 2015-16. We are also providing an additional £14.9 million in 2015-16 to the police to strengthen capabilities in response to the increased threat from terrorism.

In the Summer Budget on 8 July, we committed to protecting overall counter-terrorism spending across the course of the next Spending Review Period. On 16 November we said we would go further. Through the Strategic Defence and Security Review, we will make new funding available for the security and intelligence agencies to provide for an additional 1,900 officers – an increase of 15% – to better respond to the threat we face from international terrorism, cyber-attacks and other global risks.