Tag: Richard Benyon

  • Richard Benyon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Richard Benyon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Benyon on 2016-01-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential effect on school budgets of the National Living Wage.

    Mr Sam Gyimah

    We want to reward people in work, so we are introducing a national living wage in April 2016 which raises the current minimum rate by 50p per hour. Over a million workers will benefit directly from the increase, many by up to £900 a year.

    Some of those workers are employed in our schools. We will be expecting schools, like all employers, to manage the change within their budgets. To help them do that, we have protected the core schools budget, including the pupil premium, and we have ensured that the extra £390 million allocated in 2015-16 remains in the baseline for future years. Throughout this Parliament we will increase the amount of money for our schools as pupil numbers rise, protecting the total budget in real terms.

    We have committed to target this funding more fairly by introducing a national funding formula. With a fair formula we will be able to fund schools based on their individual needs, so that they can manage cost pressures effectively and make informed decisions about what is best for them and their pupils in the long term. This fairer system will mean schools can keep driving up educational standards while managing their budgets.

  • Richard Benyon – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Richard Benyon – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Benyon on 2014-03-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what strategic priorities her Department has given to the National Wildlife Crime Unit in each of the last five years; and on what key areas her Department has instructed that unit to focus until 2016.

    Norman Baker

    The Home Office recognises the importance of wildlife crime, and is providing specific funding of £136,000 for the National Wildlife Crime Unit in each of the next two financial years.

    The Home Office does not set specific priorities for the National Wildlife Crime Unit, other than to tackle wildlife crime. The Unit produces a tactical assessment of wildlife crime across the UK every six months. This assessment is then considered by the UK Tasking and Co-ordinating Group, which includes the Home Office and Defra.

  • Richard Benyon – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Richard Benyon – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Benyon on 2014-03-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the Declaration of the London Conference on the Illegal Wildlife Trade, what consideration her Department has given to ensuring that wildlife crime offences are made recordable offences.

    Norman Baker

    Offences relating to the illegal purchase and sale of the world’s most highly endangered species are already included in the Home Office Counting Rules for police recorded crime, with the specific crime recording code of 99/3. This includes the illegal trade in iconic species such as elephants, rhinoceroses and tigers, which provided the focus to the London Conference on the Illegal Wildlife Trade.

  • Richard Benyon – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Richard Benyon – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Benyon on 2014-06-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what basic measures his Department takes in relation to (a) controls on abstraction and (b) prevent and control pollutants from diffuse sources in order to comply with Article 11.3 of the Water Framework Directive.

    Dan Rogerson

    Controls on water abstraction are applied through the licensing system operated by the Environment Agency, which sets out prior authorisation and control of water abstractions and impoundments.

    Measures to prevent and control pollutants from diffuse sources include:

    i. Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2010. These make it an offence to cause or knowingly permit a water discharge activity or groundwater activity, except under, and to the extent authorised by, an environmental permit. The Environment Agency regulates discharges under the environmental permitting regime. It can carry out works itself to rectify activities causing pollution, or issue anti-pollution works notices to require work to take place to prevent, remedy or prohibit pollution, as well as prosecuting offenders if pollution does take place;

    ii. the Nitrate Pollution Prevention Regulations 2008, which aim to reduce agricultural nitrate pollution and the risk of further such pollution occurring. The regulations implement the Nitrates Directive, and apply within designated Nitrate Vulnerable Zones (57% of England);

    iii. the Water Resources (Control of Pollution)(Silage, Slurry and Agricultural Fuel Oil)(England) Regulations 2010, which set standards for storing silage, livestock slurry and agricultural fuel oil to minimise the risk of water pollution. These are applicable nationally; and

    iv. cross-compliance requirements for those farmers claiming direct payments and those participating in various rural development schemes.