The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Flynn on 2015-11-02.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether burbots are extinct within the UK.
George Eustice
Burbot were last reported in the UK in the early 1970s and the species has not been recorded since in the British Isles.
Various factors are likely to have contributed to the demise of the species, including the impacts of climate and environmental change. However, a precise cause remains unclear.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Flynn on 2015-11-10.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent discussions she has had with supermarkets on reducing the amount of food that is wasted because it is not considered aesthetically appealing to customers.
Rory Stewart
The Government, through the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP), is working with food manufacturers and retailers, including all the major UK supermarkets, to meet targets to reduce food waste from the grocery supply chain under the Courtauld Commitment. Signatories have reported a 7.4% reduction in supply chain waste between 2009-2012, with interim results for Courtauld 3 showing a further 3.2% reduction by 2014.
WRAP has worked with supermarkets and consumers to support acceptance and use of ‘imperfect’ fruit and vegetables. Work is also in progress with signatories, trade bodies and redistribution organisations to build a better understanding of the amounts and causes of waste in the supply of food & drink. WRAP is currently brokering a new agreement, Courtauld 2025, which will build on this progress.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Flynn on 2015-11-16.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 13 November 2015 to Question 15120, on Western Sahara: human rights, whether he discussed reports of intimidation, harassment and kidnapping of human rights defenders in the Occupied Territories of Western Sahara during the visit of King Mohamed VI.
Mr Tobias Ellwood
I discussed Western Sahara during my visit to Morocco on 11-12 November. We will continue to raise with the Moroccan authorities allegations of human rights abuses in the territory which are brought to our attention.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Flynn on 2015-11-26.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what his policy is on the hypothecation of revenues raised from VAT on specific products for a specific purpose.
Mr David Gauke
The Government’s spending priorities are not, in general, determined by the way in which the money is raised. All revenue received, in combination with the amount borrowed or repaid by the Government, contributes to the amount that the Government can spend in total. However, we will continue to look at each case on its merits.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Flynn on 2015-12-04.
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what participation the UK has had in the sustainable innovation forum hosted by the UN Environment Programme as part of the COP21 climate change conference in Paris.
Andrea Leadsom
The Foreign Secretary’s Special Representative on Climate Change attended the event and spoke on a panel event entitled “what is most needed to embed innovation across public and private sector operations.”
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Flynn on 2015-12-09.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what evaluation his Department made of the number and location of civilian workers who work at the al-Omar oil field in Syria before ordering Royal Air Force planes to bomb that facility; and how many civilians have been killed as a result of UK military action on targets in Syria to date.
Michael Fallon
UK air strikes are conducted in accordance with Rules of Engagement and International Humanitarian Law.The risks of collateral damage or civilian casualties are assessed and mitigated based on intelligence and the use of precision guided weapons. There have been no reports so far of civilian casualties as a result of UK air strikes in Syria.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Flynn on 2016-01-07.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, on what date the decision was made not to proceed with developing a future theatre nuclear weapon (FTNW); and how much had been spent on (a) the vehicle element and (b) the warhead element of the FTNW programme up to that point.
Mr Philip Dunne
On 18 October 1993, the then Secretary of State for Defence informed Parliament (Official Report, column 32): "we have concluded that our previous requirement for a new stand-off nuclear weapon capability is not a sufficiently high priority to justify the procurement of a new nuclear system in the current circumstances. Instead, we will plan, after the WE177 eventually leaves service in the long term, on exploiting the flexibility and capability of the Trident system to provide the vehicle for the delivery of our sub-strategic deterrent."
Also on 19 July 1993 (HC Deb vol 229 cc83-4W), the then Minister for Defence Procurement provided the following information about expenditure to evaluate options for the Future Theatre Nuclear Weapon:
Expenditure to the end of March 1993 on studies of possible vehicles:
|
Year |
£ |
|
1989-90 |
928,518 |
|
1990-91 |
1,372,329 |
|
1991-92 |
1,870,285 |
|
1992-93 |
2,658,471 |
Information on costs incurred on the Future Theatre Nuclear Weapon warhead programme was withheld for reasons of national security. Those reasons no longer apply but this information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Flynn on 2016-01-11.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the costs were of operating the Truck Convoy Heavy Duty in each of the last three years.
Mr Philip Dunne
The operating costs for the Truck Convoy Heavy Duty (TCHD) for the last three financial years are provided in the table below.
|
2012-13 |
2013-14 |
2014-15 |
|
|
Calculated TCHD Running Costs (£ VAT ex) |
107,446 |
90,000 |
82,195 |
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Flynn on 2016-02-01.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make it her policy to continue funding the National Wildlife Crime Unit.
Rory Stewart
The Government remains committed to tackling wildlife crime.
We are currently allocating our Spending Review settlement. Future funding for the National Wildlife Crime Unit will be decided as part of that process.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Flynn on 2016-02-23.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for projects supported by State Aid agreements of the UK leaving the EU.
Anna Soubry
The Government’s view is that the UK will be stronger, safer and better off in a reformed European Union.
As required by the EU Referendum Act 2015, the Government is committed to producing clear information, ahead of the Referendum, on: the outcome of the renegotiation, rights and obligations in European Union law, an assessment of alternatives to membership, and the process for leaving.