Tag: Zac Goldsmith

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Zac Goldsmith on 2016-09-13.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he has made of the number of staff (a) departing from his Department who accepted jobs with Heathrow Airport Limited and (b) arriving in his Department from Heathrow Airport Limited in each of the last five years.

Mr John Hayes

The Department does not hold any information on the destination of employees, or their previous work history so is unable to provide an estimation or confirm numbers of staff.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Zac Goldsmith on 2016-06-08.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what proportion of naval vessels and aircraft routinely conduct monitoring and reporting of maritime activity (a) in the presence of vessels engaged in fishing and (b) otherwise when they are operating in or transiting through the Exclusive Economic Zone of British Overseas Territories.

Penny Mordaunt

The Ministry of Defence supports the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs in combatting illegal, unregulated and unreported fishing through a support agreement between the Marine Management Organisation (MMO) and the Royal Navy (RN), whereby naval assets conduct fishery protection activities. The RN and MMO work closely to maximise the effectiveness of these fishery protection activities within the Exclusive Economic Zone of the UK.

RN and Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) vessels also conduct maritime security operations at all times while at sea, this includes monitoring and reporting maritime activity to relevant UK authorities. Reporting of fishing and other maritime activity to local UK authorities in Overseas Territories and the relevant authorities of other nations is routinely undertaken whenever a RN or RFA vessel is operating in the vicinity of UK Overseas Territories.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Zac Goldsmith on 2016-09-13.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether he plans to retain solar thermal under the Renewable Heat Incentive for (a) domestic and smaller commercial heating applications and (b) new applications including space heating and community heating.

Jesse Norman

In March the Department for Energy and Climate Change published a consultation “The Renewable Heat Incentive: A reformed and refocused scheme”, including proposals relating to solar thermal.

The Government is currently considering responses to the consultation and will announce its final proposals in due course.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Zac Goldsmith on 2016-06-08.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that Government aid to the fishing sector on St Helena supports pole and line fishing methods.

James Duddridge

UK Government support has helped the St Helena Fisheries Cooperation become a member of the International Pole and Line Foundation and the Earth Island Institute’s Dolphin Safe Tuna Monitoring Programme.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Zac Goldsmith on 2016-10-07.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, for what reason his Department has not implemented the Department of Energy and Climate Change’s commitment to a biannual budget reconciliation process for the new feed-in tariff scheme, set out in its review of that scheme in December 2015.

Jesse Norman

The Government response to the 2015 review of the scheme set out that a budget reconciliation process could be biannual, or more or less frequent, depending on deployment. As well as our current consultation on support for anaerobic digestion and micro-combined heat and power under the scheme, we are reviewing the deployment that has taken place since the revised scheme was re-launched in February of this year and will make a statement in due course.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Zac Goldsmith on 2016-06-08.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent progress has been made on establishing a fully-protected marine reserve in the waters of Ascension Island.

James Duddridge

Ascension Island Government currently maintains a closed area of approximately 220,000 square kilometres to commercial fishing. Working with a coalition of academic institutions, scientists and non-governmental organisations, the Island Government is currently developing a scientific roadmap to determine the location of the final Marine Protected Area ahead of formal designation. Scientific research is underway to assist in this process and once collected and analysed will inform the final designation, which is on track to occur within the next few years.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Zac Goldsmith on 2016-10-07.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will make it his Department’s policy to implement the Department of Energy and Climate Change’s commitment to feed-in tariff deployment cap top-ups, set out in its review of the feed-in tariffs scheme, published in December 2015.

Jesse Norman

The Government response to the 2015 review of the scheme set out that a budget reconciliation process could be biannual, or more or less frequent, depending on deployment. As well as our current consultation on support for anaerobic digestion and micro-combined heat and power under the scheme, we are reviewing the deployment that has taken place since the revised scheme was re-launched in February of this year and will make a statement in due course.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Zac Goldsmith on 2016-06-08.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether all government vessels are checked by rodent detection dogs before visiting locations where rodents have been eradicated in South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands.

James Duddridge

The Government of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands operates a wide range of peer-reviewed rodent detection and mitigation measures which seek to prevent rodents from entering the Territory. It works closely with those organisations with a footprint on South Georgia to ensure best practice guidelines are implemented. At present these measures do not include the use of a rodent detection dog, although the feasibility of this is under active consideration with relevant stakeholders as part of wider discussions to continually improve biosecurity.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Zac Goldsmith on 2016-10-07.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what her Department’s policy is on seeking a ban on ivory sales.

Dr Thérèse Coffey

The Government is deeply concerned by the continued poaching of elephants for their ivory, which is why we are committed to maintaining the current global ban on any international trade in new ivory. The UK has made no formal assessment of the impact of other countries’ additional measures to restrict trade in ivory. However, as a further step in delivering the Government’s manifesto commitment to press for a total ban on ivory sales, on 21 September the Secretary of State announced plans for a ban on sales of items containing ivory dated between 1947 and the present day, putting UK rules on ivory sales among the world’s toughest. We will consult on plans for the ban early next year. This will complement the existing UK approach not to permit the trade of raw ivory tusks.

The Government also successfully lobbied for the EU-wide adoption of the existing UK ban on sales of raw ivory tusks, which was advocated through the EU Council Conclusions on an EU Action Plan on Wildlife Trafficking and adopted in June. This urged EU Member States not to issue export or re-export documents under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) for raw, pre-Convention ivory (pre-1990) and to consider further measures to put a halt to commercial trade in ivory from elephants.

At the CITES Conference that took place from 24 September to 5 October the UK was involved in negotiations that successfully secured a strong agreement calling for the closure of domestic ivory markets where they contribute to poaching or illegal trade. This was agreed by all 183 Parties to CITES.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Zac Goldsmith on 2016-06-08.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many rodent reintroduction incidents have occurred on South Georgia since the commencement of the rodent eradication project.

James Duddridge

There has been one confirmed sighting of a rodent in October 2014. It was found in an area baited as part of the rodent eradication project. The source of the rodent is not known. On its sighting a pre-prepared plan was enacted. After intensive monitoring of the area, no signs of rodents have been seen, and it is believed the response was effective and the area remains rodent free.