Asked by: Stephen Morgan (Labour - Portsmouth South)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will undertake an environmental impact assessment of Southern Water’s decision to respond to increased rainfall by improving surface water drainage.
Answered by Robbie Moore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Environment Agency continues to liaise with Southern Water to implement Pathfinder projects in Whitstable, Margate and Deal, in order to reduce surface water inputs to Waste Water Treatment Works (WWTW) during heavy rainfall. These catchments are affected by hydraulic overload from groundwater infiltration into sewers, leading to the WWTW becoming overloaded and therefore subject to additional sewage spills to the environment. Measures taken by the Pathfinder project to slow rainfall ingress into groundwater have already led to reductions in spill numbers and works are continuing to reduce total spill numbers further. The Environment Agency also inputs to Drainage and Waste Water Management Plans to ensure future integrated planning is in place.
Asked by: Stephen Morgan (Labour - Portsmouth South)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will undertake an environmental impact assessment of Southern Waters policy on sewage discharges into (a) Langstone Harbour and (b) the Solent.
Answered by Robbie Moore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Sewage discharges by Southern Water into Langstone Harbour and the Solent are permitted by the Environment Agency. The limits on these permits are informed by environmental impact assessments. If the Environment Agency finds any company breaching the conditions of their permits, they will take action, up to and including prosecution.
The Government’s Storm Overflows Discharge Reduction Plan is driving £60bn between now and 2050 to reduce the use of storm overflows, including those discharging into the Solent and Langstone Harbour.
Asked by: Stephen Morgan (Labour - Portsmouth South)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what his Department's policy is on communicating future increases to the State Pension age to the public.
Answered by Paul Maynard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
Asked by: Stephen Morgan (Labour - Portsmouth South)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the Parliamentary and Health Services Ombudsman report into the changes to Women’s State Pension Age, published on 21 March 2024, if he will apologise to the women impacted by the changes to state pension age in that report.
Answered by Paul Maynard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
Asked by: Stephen Morgan (Labour - Portsmouth South)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether she plans to respond to the APPG on Music report entitled Artificial Intelligence and the Music Industry- Master or Servant, published on 1 May 2024.
Answered by Julia Lopez - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
Asked by: Stephen Morgan (Labour - Portsmouth South)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether her Department plans to take steps to monitor secondary ticketing practices.
Answered by Julia Lopez - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
Asked by: Stephen Morgan (Labour - Portsmouth South)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the Parliamentary and Health Services Ombudsman report into the changes to Women’s State Pension Age, published on 21 March 2024, if he will bring forward a response to that report before 23 July 2024.
Answered by Paul Maynard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
Asked by: Stephen Morgan (Labour - Portsmouth South)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, whether he has made an estimate of the amount of fuel required to operate electricity generators in Gaza; and if he will make an assessment of the adequacy of fuel supplies available in Gaza.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
The UN and humanitarian agencies estimate that 200,000 litres of fuel a day are needed in Gaza.
Asked by: Stephen Morgan (Labour - Portsmouth South)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, what recent assessment he has made of the impact of Israel’s political strategy on Gaza.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
Israel suffered an appalling terrorist attack on 7 October - the deadliest in its history. It has the right to defend itself in accordance with International Humanitarian Law. Hamas must release the hostages immediately.
The fastest way to end the conflict is to secure a deal which gets the hostages out and allows for a pause in the fighting in Gaza. We must then work with our international partners to turn that pause into a sustainable, permanent ceasefire.
The UK wants to bring the Gaza conflict to a sustainable end as quickly as possible.
Asked by: Stephen Morgan (Labour - Portsmouth South)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, whether he is taking steps to investigate reports of Israeli air strikes on refugee camps in Gaza.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
We are aware of these reports. We continue to call for International Humanitarian Law to be respected and civilians to be protected.
The UK Government continues to have significant concerns over humanitarian access and protection of civilians in Gaza. The Foreign Secretary reiterated this during his visit to Israel on 17 April.