Tag: Kerry McCarthy

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kerry McCarthy on 2016-06-24.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to stop the illegal export of electronic and other hazardous waste from the UK to Africa.

Rory Stewart

The UK is a Party to the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Waste and their Disposal, which sets controls on the shipments of waste from developed to developing countries. This is implemented through the Waste Shipment Regulations and the UK Plan (on import and export of waste) which bans the export of waste for disposal to non-OECD countries.

The UK environment agencies enforce the Regulations in the UK. They have adopted an intelligence-led approach to identify and disrupt the movement of waste intended for illegal export.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kerry McCarthy on 2016-09-06.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what UK representation there is at the International Union for Conservation of Nature World Conservation Congress.

Dr Thérèse Coffey

The UK is represented at the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) World Conservation Congress by various members of the IUCN UK National Committee (IUCN NCUK). The IUCN NCUK is comprised of IUCN members in the United Kingdom and its Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies, and also represents the interests of its Members in the IUCN Pan European region. The Chair and Chief Executive from NCUK are both in attendance at the Congress.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kerry McCarthy on 2016-10-20.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, which animal welfare groups her Department consulted on the new Code of Practice for the use of snares for fox control in England.

Dr Thérèse Coffey

The Government has sought to improve the welfare of snared animals through the commission of snare use research and by working with stakeholders to produce improved best practice guidance and increase its observance by users.

Evidence obtained from the research helped to identify possible improvements to the code of best practice as well as to snare design. Defra worked with animal welfare groups such as OneKind, the League Against Cruel Sports and the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, as well as snare user groups to develop an improved guidance for the use of snares in England and Wales.

This improved guidance, which was supported by both sides of the debate, was then used as the basis for Welsh Government designed and owned guidance for Wales and snare user group designed and owned guidance for England.

By taking ownership of this guidance and showing leadership in this area, the snare user groups should be more successful in promoting good practice with their members and changing their behaviour than the Government would on its own.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kerry McCarthy on 2015-11-30.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what funding the Government has allocated for flood defence maintenance in (a) 2015-16, (b) 2016-17, (c) 2017-18, (d) 2018-19 and (e) 2019-20.

Rory Stewart

The Government has confirmed through the Spending Review that, given the potentially devastating impact flooding can have on communities, Defra will protect investment in flood defences. We remain committed to spending £2.3 billion on over 1,500 schemes by 2021, better protecting 300,000 homes from flooding. Flood defence maintenance funding will also be protected, and a planned efficiency programme will generate 10% efficiencies by 2019-20, with all resultant savings reinvested in maintenance.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kerry McCarthy on 2016-01-28.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the capacity of landfill operators to pay 10 per cent of qualifying contributions under the Landfill Communities Fund; and if he will allow more flexibility in the sourcing of the match funding.

Damian Hinds

The Landfill Communities Fund (LCF) is a tax credit scheme into which landfill operators contribute voluntarily. Information on the impact of the changes to the LCF announced at Autumn Statement 2015 is set out in Reform and value of the Landfill Communities Fund. This document can be found here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/reform-and-value-of-the-landfill-communities-fund/reform-and-value-of-the-landfill-communities-fund

The government has received representations from a number of waste operators on this issue. We are taking views into consideration and our priority is to ensure that the LCF operates effectively and encourages money to be spent in the communities that need it.

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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kerry McCarthy on 2016-03-03.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what representations were made by the Minister of State for Small Business, Industry and Enterprise at the Pre Competitiveness Council on 29 February 2016, on the EC Circular Economy package.

Anna Soubry

My noble Friend Baroness Neville-Rolfe represented the UK at the meeting of the Competitiveness Council on 29^th February 2016.

In the discussions on the Circular Economy Package, the UK supported the ambition behind the Circular Economy Action Plan and stressed that action should be prioritised to ensure ambitious use of voluntary approaches and measures to improve the coherence between existing EU legislation and initiatives.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kerry McCarthy on 2016-03-10.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what representations were made by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Environment and Rural Affairs at the EU Environment Council on 4 March 2016 on the EU action plan for the circular economy.

Rory Stewart

The Council debated the EU Action Plan for the Circular Economy. The UK highlighted work that had been done domestically, expressed support for elements of the Action Plan such as industrial symbiosis, and expressed overarching concerns for the proposed waste targets, stressing the need to pay close attention to the costs and benefits. These concerns were shared by Ireland, Lithuania and Portugal. Most Member States also sought reassurance that a joined up approach was being taken by the Commission. The Presidency stated that they will aim for a set of Council Conclusions on the Action Plan to be agreed at June Environment Council.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kerry McCarthy on 2016-04-13.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she consulted the Science Advisory Council on her Department’s decision to remove the limit on the duration of the badger-culling period.

George Eustice

The Science Advisory Council (SAC) has a high-level strategic role and does not normally advise on detailed scientific aspects of policies. Therefore advice has not been sought recently from the SAC on the causes of, or methods of controlling, bovine TB, including badger control. The Guidance to Natural England on licences to control the risk of bovine TB from badgers was published in December 2015 after a public consultation. The Guidance reflects the advice of the UK’s Chief Veterinary Officer and Defra’s Chief Scientific Advisor.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kerry McCarthy on 2016-05-06.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department has withdrawn the Code of Practice on how to prevent the spread of ragwort; and what plans she has to consult with stakeholders and bring forward regulations under the Ragwort Control Act 2003.

George Eustice

The Code of Practice on How to Prevent the Spread of Ragwort is not being withdrawn. The Code will remain available on the GOV.UK website and all interested parties will be consulted if any changes are made in the future.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kerry McCarthy on 2016-06-24.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assistance his Department is providing to protect the wildlife and habitats of Gough Island from invasive non-native species; and what support his Department plans to give to Tristan da Cunha Council’s proposal to eradicate those species.

David Evennett

The Government is aware of the threat to the seabirds of Gough Island posed by invasive mice and plants. Research and scoping work has concluded that it should be possible to eradicate both the mice and the invasive groundcover which present the two main threats to the island’s biodiversity. Together with colleagues across government, we are currently reviewing the options for addressing the problem and the necessary action to ensure the protection of these rare and endangered species and to protect the World Heritage Site status of Gough Island.