Tag: Richard Burden

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2015-11-19.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment she has made of the potential effect of agroecology on food production in the developing world; and if she will make a statement.

Grant Shapps

DFID supports a number of research programmes that assess the use of agroecology and sustainable intensification of agriculture, such as work with the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED), and the Sustainable Agricultural Intensification Research and Learning in Africa. Research shows that yields improvements are context-based and can vary significantly, according to local agroclimatic potential, effective productivity levels and farmers’ investment capacity.

DFID believes agro ecological approaches have an important role to play in specific contexts, but does not prescribe technical approaches centrally. DFID supports a wide range of programmes with agro-ecological components, from soil and water conservation and land use management to climate resilience, conservation agriculture and agroforestry. These include, for example, The Adaptation for Smallholder Agriculture Programme (ASAP), and Building Resilience and Adaptation to Climate Extremes and Disasters (BRACED). The full range of our programmes can be found on our Development Tracker website.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2015-12-03.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what (a) information, (b) financial support and (c) other support his Department provides to employed people looking to set up their own business.

Anna Soubry

We are helping everyone, including employed people, who want to set up and start their own business. The Business Support Helpline and the Business Finance and Support Finder tool on the GOV.UK website help people get simple straight forward advice and start up finance. At a local level we are investing in 39 Growth Hubs around the country which join up local business support to make it easier for people who want to find advice and information on how to start a business. The Start-Up Loans programme has also provided over 33,500 loans worth over £180 million pounds to people who want to start their own business.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2016-01-05.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what his Department’s guidance is on shipping flags it considers unsafe or dangerous to sail under; and how often that guidance is updated.

Mr Robert Goodwill

The Department does not issue its own guidance. The selection of a shipping register (flag State) is a commercial decision for ship owners.

However, owners can take account of the assessment of a flag State’s performance. The flag’s performance is published in the annual Paris Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) report on Port State Control. These reports can be found on the Paris MoU website at

https://www.parismou.org/publications-category/annual-reports.

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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2016-01-20.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he had made of the progress in introducing graduated licensing for drivers in Northern Ireland; and what representations he has received on that matter.

Andrew Jones

Road traffic legislation is a matter for the Northern Ireland Assembly, including road user licensing. However, Northern Ireland officials have kept Department for Transport officials apprised of their plans and legislation.

From time to time the Department receives representations from stakeholders regarding graduated driver licensing, both in general and relating to Northern Ireland, including stakeholders in the insurance industry.

We are focusing our efforts on encouraging learner drivers to do more practice in a wider range of driving conditions, on ensuring that the driving test assesses the skills needed for today’s roads and vehicles and those of the future, and on identifying the most promising behavioural, educational and technological interventions that can reduce young driver casualties.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2016-01-27.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment he has made of the effect of the low oil price since summer 2014 on the number of UK seafarers employed on offshore supply vessels in the North Sea.

Mr Robert Goodwill

The 2015 seafarer statistics have just been published. We estimate that there were 23,380 UK seafarers active at sea in 2015, an increase of 2 per cent on the previous year. We are aware that the current downturn in the offshore sector may not yet be fully reflected in these figures.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2016-02-03.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will take steps to ensure that his Department’s annual seafarer statistics include forecasts of future numbers of UK seafarers.

Mr Robert Goodwill

The invitation to tender for the Seafarer Projections Review was sent out by the Crown Commercial Service on Tuesday 19 January 2016 and the closing date for bids is Tuesday 1 March 2016. Part of the ITT specified that the research should include a model and projections for seafarers over the next decade. We will draw upon this research when developing our own projections. Subject to the tender process, it is our intention to publish this work when it is complete.

In Seafarer Statistics 2015, published on 27 January 2016, it was mentioned that in 2016, the department will be undertaking a user engagement exercise to find out more about how the Seafarer Statistics are used and to collate views on the methodology. The aim of this will be to identify any opportunity for methodological improvements and ensure that the statistics continue to be fit for purpose. The inclusion of projections within this annual publication will be considered as part of this review.

I refer the honourable Member to my response to the Hon Member for Easington (Graeme Morris) on 27 January 2016 http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-questions-answers/?page=1&max=20&questiontype=AllQuestions&house=commons%2clords&uin=23191; and to my answers to the Hon Member 24914 https://wqa.parliament.uk/Questions/Details/31981 and 24917 https://wqa.parliament.uk/Questions/Details/31978.

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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2016-02-09.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the effect of the legal requirement for drivers in France to carry a breathalyser and its effect on road safety in that country in order to inform his policies.

Andrew Jones

We know that the number of people killed in drink drive collisions remains significantly higher in France than in Great Britain despite the introduction of the legal requirement to carry a breathalyser in 2012. In 2014 Trading Standards in Great Britain looked at the self-testing devices available and concluded that the majority of these were unreliable and may give anyone using them a dangerously false sense of security. We therefore have no plans to introduce any such requirement in Great Britain.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2016-02-19.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when each allocated route under the Regional Air Connectivity Fund will be launched.

Mr Robert Goodwill

Funding through the Regional Air Connectivity Fund is now available to the 11 successful bids. The start dates of the successful routes are a matter for the airlines. Flybe have announced start dates for their air services from Norwich to Exeter and Southampton to Lyon which will commence operations in March and May respectively. Funding will only be paid to airlines upon the service being provided.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2016-02-23.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much of the Regional Air Connectivity Fund has not yet been allocated.

Mr Robert Goodwill

The Regional Air Connectivity Fund was announced by the previous Government to provide up to £20 million annually to maintain existing domestic air routes to London that may be withdrawn, and to support new air routes from airports handling fewer than 5 million passengers per annum though start-up aid.

The Government has already made £5.2 million available to maintain the existing air links between Dundee and Stansted airports, and between Newquay and Gatwick airports, and will continue to consider support for other routes that may be withdrawn.

In addition, the Department last year undertook a tender process for airlines to bid for funding for start-up aid for new air routes. A total of eleven bids were received and the government announced last November that up to £7 million would be provided to support all eleven routes. It is now for the airlines to start operating these routes, with payments from the fund made upon delivery of the agreed service.

We are now considering whether to take forward further start-up funding rounds and will make an announcement later this year.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2016-02-25.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what information his Department holds on the number of (a) defections from North Korea and (b) unsuccessful defection attempts from that country in the last four years.

Mr Hugo Swire

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office does not hold detailed information on the number of defections from the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK). Information on defections from the DPRK can be obtained from the Republic of Korea’s Ministry of Unification

http://eng.unikorea.go.kr/content.do?cmsid=3026