Tag: Richard Burden

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2016-04-28.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what regulations are (a) in place and (b) under consideration to support the meteorological use of drones.

Mr Robert Goodwill

There are no regulations that apply specifically to the meteorological use of drones. In order to fly a drone for commercial purposes, a permission from the Civil Aviation Authority is required, in accordance with the Air Navigation Order 2009.

There is no plan to introduce specific regulations to support the meteorological use of drones, however Government continues to keep under careful review whether there is any need for further domestic legislation of drones.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2016-05-18.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what discussions she has had with (a) Egyptian authorities and (b) other stakeholders on the implications for UK aid projects in Gaza of disconnection of power lines providing electricity into South Gaza by Egypt.

Mr Desmond Swayne

We are concerned by the electricity shortage in Gaza and the serious impact it is having on the humanitarian situation. We are in regular dialogue with Israel, the Palestinian Authority and other development actors, specifically the EU and UN, on energy issues. We regularly raise the humanitarian situation in Gaza with the Egyptian government, and have raised this issue with them. The UK will continue to urge the parties to prioritise progress towards reaching a durable solution for Gaza, and to take the necessary practical steps to ensure Gaza’s reconstruction and economic recovery.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2016-05-26.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to assess the potential merits of its proposals on drones to be included in the planned Modern Transport Bill; and what assessment he has made of the need for temporary measures to ensure public safety related to drones until such proposals have been enacted.

Mr Robert Goodwill

There are existing regulations in place that require users of drones to maintain direct, unaided visual contact with their vehicle and to not recklessly or negligently cause or permit an aircraft to endanger any person or property. There are severe penalties in place for misuse of drones, such as up to five years imprisonment for endangering an aircraft.

The Department for Transport (DfT) and the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) work with a wide range of industry partners across the aviation sector, (including manufacturers, airports, and airlines), to ensure our understanding of potential hazards to aircraft remains up-to-date. Further work is underway to better understand the risk posed by flying drones close to commercial planes to ensure that regulations remain fit for purpose.

Guidance on tackling the risks of criminal drone use has been provided to constabularies across the UK. The Secretary of State has recently written to Police to request their assistance in raising awareness of drone risks and restrictions.

Communication and education of users on current safety restrictions will be key. Officials from my Department are actively considering with the CAA the development of an expanded and diversified communication and education campaign, to include more mediums and supporting products.

The Government is planning to consult on a range of measures on drones over the summer, and will then seek any further appropriate legislative measures through the Modern Transport Bill.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2016-06-24.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions (a) he and (b) officials of his Department have had with the European Maritime Safety Agency on implementing sulphur reduction regulations.

Mr Robert Goodwill

Requirements under Directive 2012/33/EU – the sulphur content of marine fuels – came into force in the UK on 16 December 2014. Official level discussions between the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) and the Department on technical and operational aspects of the sulphur limits take place in the European Sustainable Shipping Forum (ESSF). In addition, DfT and EMSA officials attend a comitology committee which considers legal matters arising from these requirements.

There have been no direct discussions between DfT Ministers and EMSA on the sulphur requirements.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2016-07-13.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what plans the Government has for parliamentary scrutiny of the work of the UK’s representatives on the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance; and if he will list the (a) dates and (b) means by which its decisions have been reported to Parliament during 2016.

Alok Sharma

The International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance was established in 1988 as a result of the Stockholm Declaration, which represents a political commitment between signatories, rather than a legal one. Its decisions are not legally binding and have no direct impact on UK legislation, policy or resources. As such there is no formal requirement for parliamentary scrutiny of its
decisions. All its activities and decisions are reported in full on its website.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2016-09-06.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many (a) investigations and (b) prosecutions overseen by Trading Standards have related to (i) the mis-selling of vehicles and (ii) the tampering of mileage on vehicles in each of the last five years.

Joseph Johnson

The Department does not hold the information requested. National Trading Standards issues annual reports setting out annual data but it is not broken down into the categories requested.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2016-10-10.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, pursuant to the Answer of 10 October 2016 to Question 46379, how many instances of fraud have been identified by her Department’s Counter Fraud Section in relation to UK aid spending in each of the last three years; and in which areas of her Department’s spending such instances occurred.

Rory Stewart

The counter fraud section of DFID’s Internal Audit Department is responsible for managing all internal and external referrals on crime, corruption and fraud. The majority of reports are raised through our confidential hotline or through our dedicated e-mail account. Both of these access points are clearly referenced on DFID’s external website.

Our case numbers have increased in recent years. We believe this is as a result of the proactive approach we have taken on fraud awareness and counter fraud activities. Our staff and partners are now much clearer on the action to be taken to report concerns as soon as they arise.

In FY13-14 there were 6 cases of proven fraud across 4 of our central departments. There were 51 cases of proven fraud across 18 of our country offices.

In FY14-15 there were 33 cases of proven fraud across 9 of our central departments. There were 39 cases of proven fraud across 17 of our country offices.

In FY15-16 there were 28 cases of proven fraud across 11 of our central departments. There were 60 cases of proven fraud across 20 of our country offices.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2015-10-21.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what proportion of global shipping tonnage was registered in the UK in each of the last five years.

Mr Robert Goodwill

The proportion of global shipping gross tonnage (GT) registered in the UK in each of the last five years is shown below:

	2010	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015 to July 2015
World Fleet (million GT)	959.2	1036	1094	1134	1175	1193.0
UK Fleet (million GT)	17.5	17.9	17.6	15.1	13.8	14.2
UK % of World Fleet	1.8%	1.7%	1.6%	1.3%	1.2%	1.2%

These figures are for ships over 100GT. Figures for the size of the world fleet are not recorded by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency and come from Clarksons.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2015-10-21.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he has made of the proportion of global shipping tonnage that will be registered in the UK in 2020.

Mr Robert Goodwill

The Department has not produced estimates of the future size of the UK Ship Register (UKSR). The Government is committed to supporting the UK maritime sector and improving the UKSR. The Maritime Growth Study, published on 7 September 2015, contained a number of recommendations relating to the ship register.

The Government will respond formally to the report by the end of 2015, but is taking immediate action in response to some recommendations. This includes the establishment of a Ministerial Working Group for Maritime Growth and taking steps to support the improved operation of the Maritime & Coastguard Agency (MCA) such as appointing a commercial director to lead the UKSR separately from the Agency’s regulatory functions and a business case exploring the costs and benefits of options for more significant reform of the MCA.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2015-10-26.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will publish the minutes of all meetings of the Special Cabinet Economic Affairs (Airports) Sub-Committee; and if he will make it his policy to publish the minutes of future such meetings.

Mr Oliver Letwin

Information relating to the proceedings of Cabinet Committees, including when and how often they meet and which Ministers have attended, is generally not disclosed as to do so could harm the frankness and candour of internal discussion.