Tag: Scott Mann

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Scott Mann on 2015-12-10.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what funding and other resources her Department has provided for Syrian refugee camps.

Mr Desmond Swayne

The UK has pledged over £1.1 billion in response to the Syria crisis, of which £559 million has been allocated to support refugees in the region and vulnerable host communities. The vast majority of refugees in the region live in host communities rather than camps.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Scott Mann on 2015-12-14.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans he has to change the distribution of Common Fisheries Policy quotas for inshore fishing fleets.

George Eustice

Defra is in the final stages of a permanent quota realignment exercise which will represent a 14% uplift in the amount of quota the inshore fleet currently receives.

We have also announced that the inshore fleet will be the principal beneficiaries of any quota uplift received as a result of the introduction of the demersal landing obligation.

For species subject to the discard ban from January 2016, we have announced that the non-sector pools will receive the first 100 tonnes of any quota uplift received and 10% of any remaining uplift. For 2016 this represents more than 1,000 tonnes of uplift to support the non-sector in their adaptation to the landing obligation and includes key stocks such as haddock, whiting and plaice.

In the Celtic Sea there will be an estimated additional 126 tonnes of whiting and 142 tonnes of hake to support the non-sector.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Scott Mann on 2016-03-07.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the effects on rural communities of disbursements from the community transport minibus fund.

Mr Patrick McLoughlin

The Community Transport Minibus Fund will provide over 300 organisations with a new minibus so that they can continue to provide vital services to help elderly residents, people with learning and physical disabilities and those who do not have access to a commercial bus service.

Approximately one third of the organisations obtaining vehicles through the Fund are based in rural areas.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Scott Mann on 2016-04-12.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps his Department is taking to increase tourism in Cornwall from (a) domestic and (b) foreign visitors.

David Evennett

Our tourism industry supports millions of jobs and is one of the nation’s leading employers and export earners. In 2014, the sector contributed nearly £60bn to the UK economy, and at the latest spending round the Chancellor announced a new £40m Discover England to encourage international visitors to explore beyond London. In the South West, the number of domestic visitors has​ increased by 14% in the 12 months to December 2015, compared with the previous year; and we have been working to promote international tourism through the £5m South West Tourism Growth Fund. Full-year data for international visitors in 2015 will be released in due course.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Scott Mann on 2016-06-15.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to protect the armed forces from persistent legal claims.

Penny Mordaunt

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave in the House on 18 April 2016 to Question 904485 to the hon. Member for Braintree (James Cleverly).

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Scott Mann on 2016-07-11.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what progress has been made in his talks with the German government on compensation for British citizens affected by Thalidomide.

Sir Alan Duncan

The UK Government has not been involved in talks with the German Government on compensation for British survivors of Thalidomide. We have been assisting the Thalidomide Trust in making their own representations directly to the German Government.

At the request of representatives of the Thalidomide Trust the then Minister for Europe (Rt Hon David Lidington MP) wrote on 4 February to the German Ambassador to London, setting out the Trust’s desire for further discussions with the German Government and requesting his support in raising the matter within Germany. The Ambassador passed this request to the German Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth. The FCO received a response from the Families Ministry on 1 June. In this response the German Government sets out that UK survivors of Thalidomide are able to apply for compensation from the Contergan Foundation For Disabled People.

The Contergan Foundation was established by the German Government to help disabled people whose deformities can be linked to their mothers taking medicinal products during pregnancy which contained thalidomide. While funded in part by the German Government, the Contergan Foundation is independent of the German Government who do not control or influence the awards made. As such the Families Ministry declined to meet the Thalidomide Trust for further discussions and reiterated their belief that British survivors should contact the Contergan Foundation.

The UK Government remains in contact with the Thalidomide Trust to discuss all aspects of this case.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Scott Mann on 2016-07-07.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of imposing fines on the Rural Payments Agency for late Basic Payment Scheme payments to farmers.

George Eustice

2015 has been a challenging year for a number of well documented reasons. We understand the importance of Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) payments for farmers and their particular frustration in the first year of this new scheme.

From 1 December 2015, the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) made full and accurate 2015 BPS payments which continued throughout the payment window. As of 3 July, some 85,852 (98.6%) of 2015 BPS claims have now been completed and 86,760 have received a payment amounting to some £1.3billion.

The RPA remain focused on making full and accurate payments as promptly as possible. They are also committed to improving payment performance in 2016, and 2016 should be easier as we will have both the systems and data already in place. Ministers have regular meetings with the RPA and closely monitor its performance.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Scott Mann on 2016-07-07.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent progress has been made on the UK’s bass management plan.

George Eustice

We continue to work closely with the recreational angling sector and others interested in the long term sustainability of bass stocks, to help inform the future policy of bass management measures.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Scott Mann on 2016-07-19.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if her Department will take steps to provide financial support to coastal communities to develop their capacity to manage local fishing waters after the UK leaves the EU.

George Eustice

The precise nature of our relationship with the EU is still being determined and will be subject to negotiation. We will be looking at a future package for fishing, including potential support measures, and will work closely with industry and other key interests to develop these new arrangements.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Scott Mann on 2016-07-19.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department plans to take to (a) help expedite implementation of neighbourhood plans and (b) prevent delays resulting from judicial review of such plans.

Gavin Barwell

We are committed to supporting communities throughout the process and encouraging more communities to join them. Reforms in the Housing and Planning Act 2016 will help to speed up and simplify the neighbourhood planning process. We are looking to introduce a new package of measures that would further strengthen the neighbourhood planning process when Parliamentary time allows over the course of the second session.

The neighbourhood planning legislation means that most challenges to neighbourhood planning decisions need to be brought within six weeks of the decision that is being challenged, rather than three months for most other judicial review proceedings, with no discretion to extend the time limit. This helps ensure that any associated delays are minimal. The establishment of the Planning Court in 2014 also means that it is more likely that these cases will be heard quickly by a specialist planning judge.