The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mike Gapes on 2014-03-31.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what his policy is on the proposed EU regulations on heritage seeds.
Dan Rogerson
Defra is negotiating for a proportionate, flexible and simplified approach to the proposed new EU legislation for Plant Reproductive Material. Our principal objectives are to make things simpler and to achieve positive outcomes for businesses and gardeners alike.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mike Gapes on 2014-03-31.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what representations he has made to the European Commission on proposed regulations relating to seeds.
Dan Rogerson
Defra has made numerous representations to the European Commission on its proposed regulation for Plant Reproductive Material. The representations have been through correspondence, negotiation at Council Working Groups, informal discussion, and in a specially convened meeting between Defra, Commission officials and UK stakeholders in London in June 2013.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mike Gapes on 2014-03-31.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to protect a diversity of older and heritage seed varieties.
Dan Rogerson
Defra takes the lead for the UK’s membership to the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture and the Convention on Biological Diversity. These require contracting parties to conserve the genetic diversity of agricultural varieties, including heritage varieties. Defra sponsors three genetic resource collections which maintain heritage varieties: the National Fruit Collection, the John Innes Pea Collection, and the vegetable collection at Warwick University. Defra is planning to follow up previous research assessing, conserving and encouraging the further cultivation of locally adapted fruit and vegetable varieties (landraces).
Defra took a leading role in developing simpler EU registration requirements, introduced in 2009, for heritage varieties of agricultural and vegetable species. These allow marketing on the basis of a simplified, low cost description, with proportionate controls to assure seed quality. Defra is now seeking further simplification in the proposed new Plant Reproductive Material legislation currently under discussion at European level.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mike Gapes on 2014-03-31.
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Debate of 3 March 2014, Official Report, columns 726-32W, on Census (Kashmiri ethnic representation), if he will add a category of Kashmiri to the tick boxes on the Census.
Mr Nick Hurd
No decision has been made on the topics or questions that could be considered for a future census.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mike Gapes on 2014-03-31.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what reports he has received about teaching standards and education at Ad-Deen Primary School, Ilford; and if he will make a statement.
Mr David Laws
The last report received by the Secretary of State for Education relating to teaching standards and education at Ad-Deen Primary School was from Ofsted following their inspection of the school on 19-20 January 2011. This judged the school to be satisfactory for curriculum, teaching and assessment.
Below is the text of the speech made by Mike Gapes, the Independent MP for Ilford South, on 14 March 2019.
Two years ago when we debated article 50 and I voted against invoking it, I said that we would go on to an escalator with no brake and no way of getting off. I now understand why the Prime Minister invoked it at that time. It was because she wanted to stop a European Parliament election. The timetable of agreeing an article 50 process 18 months before the Government had even got an agreed position, which lasted about three days before the resignations, was driven by fear inside the Conservative party. They did not want UKIP to come back in a European election, so they triggered article 50 at that point.
The reality is that the Government are now trying to get us out as quickly as possible, and amendments that refer to the end of June are also trying to get us out quickly because people fear a European election. The reality is that if we do not have a European election, we will have no voice, no say and no vote within the councils of Europe when we may still be in a transition. That will give us a great period of weakness in any future framework negotiations.
In the 1970s this country was the sick man of Europe. We are now the joke of Europe.