The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kerry McCarthy on 2016-03-11.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when the Government plans to ratify the 2004 Ballast Water Management Convention.
Mr Robert Goodwill
The UK has not ratified and will now, with the entry into force criteria so close to being met, accede to the Convention once it enters into force.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kerry McCarthy on 2016-04-11.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, for what reasons the Environment Agency ended its support for the Climate Local programme; and what assessment she has made of the potential effect of this decision on the ability of local authorities to mitigate and adapt to climate change.
Rory Stewart
Climate Local is a Local Government Association initiative which was in part supported by the Environment Agency’s Climate Ready Support Service. The Climate Ready Support Service was initiated as a time-limited programme and came to an end in March this year. It is for the Local Government Association and the members of Climate Local to determine its further activities. Adaptation is integrated throughout the work of all Government departments who continue to deliver, alongside local Government and many other organisations, their commitments set out in the National Adaptation Programme.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kerry McCarthy on 2016-04-29.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 11 April 2016 to Question 32143, how many full-time equivalent officials in her Department have been working on the Government’s emissions reduction plan to date; and what work those officials have done towards the Plan so far.
Rory Stewart
The Department of Energy and Climate Change is leading work across Government to prepare the Emissions Reduction Plan. The development of policies and proposals to reduce greenhouse gases emissions is an integral part of the work of a number of staff across Defra working on many areas including forestry, farming, recycling and resource efficiency among others. This is facilitated by a small coordination team. We do not keep a record of the staff time spent on the Emissions Reduction Plan because it is impracticable to separate it out from this wider work.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kerry McCarthy on 2016-05-26.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many children under the age of 18 in England have cystic fibrosis.
Jane Ellison
The Department has made no such assessment. The families of children with cystic fibrosis may be eligible for social care support, continuing care in the home, and Disability Living Allowance or Personal Independence Payments, based on the level of the child or young person’s needs.
The number of children under the age of 18 with cystic fibrosis is not collected centrally. It is estimated that one in every 2,500 babies born in England has cystic fibrosis.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kerry McCarthy on 2016-09-02.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make it her policy to incorporate in domestic law the objectives of the (a) EU Habitats Directive and (b) EU Birds Directive.
Dr Thérèse Coffey
The Government is considering the impacts of the decision to leave the EU, including future arrangements for existing legislation.
The Government remains committed to conserving our natural environment, building on the UK’s long history of wildlife protection. This includes a manifesto commitment to produce a 25 Year Plan for the Environment.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kerry McCarthy on 2016-10-10.
To ask the Attorney General, how many people were (a) prosecuted for and (b) convicted of offences under the Wild Animals (Protection) Act 1996 in 2015; and if he will make a statement.
Robert Buckland
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) does not maintain a central record of the number of people who have been charged with, and prosecuted for, offences brought by way of the Wild Mammals (Protection) Act 1996. This information could only be obtained by examining CPS case files, which would incur disproportionate cost.
Although it is not possible to identify the number of people charged with particular offences, records are held showing the overall number of offences in which a prosecution commenced in the magistrates’ courts. The table below shows the number of offences, rather than defendants, charged by way of the Wild Mammals (Protection) Act 1996 during 2015. A single defendant may be charged with more than one offence.
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2015 |
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Wild Mammals (Protection) Act 1996 |
1 |
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Data Source: CPS Case Management Information System |
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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kerry McCarthy on 2015-11-13.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what recent discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer about the level of funding for the (a) Food Crime Unit and (b) Food Standards Agency.
Jane Ellison
As part of the Spending Review process, discussions are ongoing between officials from the Food Standards Agency and the Health Spending Team at HM Treasury on funding for the Food Crime Unit and Food Standards Agency.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kerry McCarthy on 2016-01-18.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many staff in her Department work on air quality.
George Eustice
As at 18 January 2016 there were 37 staff working on air quality in the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. Additional staff are available to work on this policy area as and when needed.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kerry McCarthy on 2016-02-23.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 22 February 2016 to Question 26611, whether the Clean Growth Committee has met to discuss air quality.
Rory Stewart
The inter-Ministerial group on Clean Growth considers issues relating to air quality and decarbonisation where these have a cross-Departmental aspect. To protect the integrity of the policy making process, we do not comment on what was discussed at a specific meeting.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kerry McCarthy on 2016-03-11.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the economic, ecological and public health effects on the UK of aquatic invasive species introduced by shipping discharging ballast water.
George Eustice
Defra has commissioned or undertaken a number of assessments that inform our understanding of the impacts of aquatic invasive species. These include, but are not limited to:
Defra also supports a database, the Great Britain Non-native Species Information Portal. This provides information on more than 3,700 non-native species including where they are present and the likely means by which they have arrived in this country.