Asked by: Lord Benyon (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many complaints have been (a) made and (b) upheld against the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service in the last three years.
Answered by Simon Hughes
The following table sets out the number of complaints received by Cafcass in each of the last three years:
Financial Year | Number of complaints |
2011-12 | 1,264 |
2012-13 | 1,496 |
2013-14 | 1,596 |
In 2012 Cafcass simplified their complaints process, reducing the number of stages involved from three to one and ending the classification of complaints as ‘upheld’. Figures for the number of upheld complaints during this period do not, therefore, exist. The focus of the complaints system is now on putting things right for service users while their case is ongoing so that any necessary remedial action can be taken.
The rising trend shown by the figures is, in part, a reflection of the increase in the volume of cases which Cafcass dealt with during this period. However, the main factors which have contributed to the rising trend are Cafcass’ focus on raising awareness of the complaints process for service users.
Asked by: Lord Benyon (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to ensure disabled rail users can access all platforms at rural stations.
Answered by Stephen Hammond
By 2015 the Access for All programme will have spent over £400m providing accessible routes at more than 150 stations since its launch in 2006. An additional £100m, to fund a further 42 projects up to 2019, was allocated in April 2014. More than 1,100 stations have also benefitted from smaller scale access improvements under the programme. Many of these projects have been at rural stations and are over and above accessibility improvements delivered as part of other station infrastructure works.
Asked by: Lord Benyon (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what basic measures his Department takes in relation to (a) controls on abstraction and (b) prevent and control pollutants from diffuse sources in order to comply with Article 11.3 of the Water Framework Directive.
Answered by Dan Rogerson
Controls on water abstraction are applied through the licensing system operated by the Environment Agency, which sets out prior authorisation and control of water abstractions and impoundments.
Measures to prevent and control pollutants from diffuse sources include:
i. Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2010. These make it an offence to cause or knowingly permit a water discharge activity or groundwater activity, except under, and to the extent authorised by, an environmental permit. The Environment Agency regulates discharges under the environmental permitting regime. It can carry out works itself to rectify activities causing pollution, or issue anti-pollution works notices to require work to take place to prevent, remedy or prohibit pollution, as well as prosecuting offenders if pollution does take place;
ii. the Nitrate Pollution Prevention Regulations 2008, which aim to reduce agricultural nitrate pollution and the risk of further such pollution occurring. The regulations implement the Nitrates Directive, and apply within designated Nitrate Vulnerable Zones (57% of England);
iii. the Water Resources (Control of Pollution)(Silage, Slurry and Agricultural Fuel Oil)(England) Regulations 2010, which set standards for storing silage, livestock slurry and agricultural fuel oil to minimise the risk of water pollution. These are applicable nationally; and
iv. cross-compliance requirements for those farmers claiming direct payments and those participating in various rural development schemes.
Asked by: Lord Benyon (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what strategic priorities her Department has given to the National Wildlife Crime Unit in each of the last five years; and on what key areas her Department has instructed that unit to focus until 2016.
Answered by Norman Baker
The Home Office recognises the importance of wildlife crime, and is providing specific funding of £136,000 for the National Wildlife Crime Unit in each of the next two financial years.
The Home Office does not set specific priorities for the National Wildlife Crime Unit, other than to tackle wildlife crime. The Unit produces a tactical assessment of wildlife crime across the UK every six months. This assessment is then considered by the UK Tasking and Co-ordinating Group, which includes the Home Office and Defra.
Asked by: Lord Benyon (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the Declaration of the London Conference on the Illegal Wildlife Trade, what consideration her Department has given to ensuring that wildlife crime offences are made recordable offences.
Answered by Norman Baker
Offences relating to the illegal purchase and sale of the world's most highly endangered species are already included in the Home Office Counting Rules for police recorded crime, with the specific crime recording code of 99/3. This includes the illegal trade in iconic species such as elephants, rhinoceroses and tigers, which provided the focus to the London Conference on the Illegal Wildlife Trade.