Asked by: David Morris (Conservative - Morecambe and Lunesdale)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the debate entitled Globalisation in times of crisis and war: the role of the OECD since the Russian Federation’s aggression against Ukraine at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe on 24 January 2024.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
The UK has played an important role in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development's (OECD) response to Russia's war of aggression in Ukraine, including by making Ukraine a focus of the UK chaired Ministerial Council Meeting in 2023. We have also fully supported the OECD's firm response to Russia's actions in Ukraine, including its decision to suspend Russia and Belarus from OECD bodies and programmes, close the OECD office in Moscow and open an OECD-Ukraine liaison office in Kyiv.
We also strongly support the OECD's broader work to address shared challenges in the current global context, including its work to promote economic resilience and tackle social inequality.
Asked by: David Morris (Conservative - Morecambe and Lunesdale)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what funding is available for arts and culture in rural areas.
Answered by John Whittingdale
As set out in the Levelling Up White Paper, HM Government is committed to ensuring that funding for arts and culture is more fairly distributed across the country. Arts Council England’s 2023–26 investment programme (the ‘National Portfolio’), worth over £444 million per year, has seen investment to cultural organisations in rural areas increase to £44.6 million, benefiting 110 organisations across the country.
In local authority areas identified as predominantly rural, there has been a 22% increase in investment in National Portfolio Organisations and Investment Principles Support Organisations. Urban areas with significant rural portions have seen an increase of 37%.
Cultural opportunities are also provided in rural areas by organisations based in neighbouring urban areas – for instance, through touring. Public library services in the Arts Council’s National Portfolio with a base in urban areas are also important to cultural opportunities in rural locations. The National Rural Touring Forum has also had its funding increased to help build capacity in this important part of the sector.
Arts Council England has also supported approximately 30 Cultural Compacts across England – including in rural and Levelling Up priority areas – and has provided these existing Compacts with further funding to build capacity and long-term cross-sector relationships. (Cultural Compacts are partnerships between the cultural and heritage sectors, Local Authorities, and wider local partners such as universities, health agencies, and the private sector, with the aim of enhancing creatives’ contribution to local development.)
Additionally, arts and cultural organisations in rural areas are able to access Arts Council England’s project grants, an open access programme for arts, libraries and museums projects. This supports thousands of individual artists and community and cultural organisations, with over £105 million of funding awarded in 2022/23.
Meanwhile, DCMS’s £86 million Museum Estate and Development Fund has supported several museums in rural areas, including The Food Museum in Stowmarket which presents the agricultural history of East Anglia, the industrial museums Papplewick Pumping Station and Coldharbour Mill, Shandy Hall, the rural home of the writer Laurence Sterne, and Ruddington Framework Knitters Museum.
Asked by: David Morris (Conservative - Morecambe and Lunesdale)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what recent discussions she has had with Cabinet colleagues on the level of growth in the space sector in the last 12 months.
Answered by George Freeman
The Government is committed to growing the UK space sector. Yesterday's inaugural meeting of the reformed National Space Council Inter-Ministerial Group was an important moment for taking forward the National Space Strategy and developing a single Government voice on space.
Asked by: David Morris (Conservative - Morecambe and Lunesdale)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many individual shoot licence applications her Department has received in each of the last (a) six and (b) twelve months.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
During 2022 Natural England received 7 individual Licence applications for the release of gamebirds (common pheasants and/or red-legged partridges) on and/or with 500m of a Special Area of Conservation (SAC) or a Special Protection Area (SPA).
As of 21 June 2023, Natural England has received 84 Individual Licence applications for the release of gamebirds on and/or within 500m of those Sites.
Asked by: David Morris (Conservative - Morecambe and Lunesdale)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the statutory guidance entitled GL43: licence to release common pheasants or red-legged partridges on certain European sites or within 500m of their boundary published on 31 May 2023, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of that statutory guidance on (a) gamekeepers' jobs, (b) the rural economy and (c) conservation.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
The Government supports gamebird shooting for all the benefits it brings to individuals, the environment and the rural economy. The Government wants to see a vibrant working countryside that is enhanced by a biodiverse environment. We recognise the valuable role gamekeepers play in protecting and enhancing biodiversity through habitat management and predation control and we support the valuable role shooting provides to the rural economy. We monitor the impacts of many different rural businesses have on the rural economy and factor that into decision making whenever possible. We recognise the challenges that avian influenza presents and are considering how we can mitigate the impact on the shooting interests and the wider community.
Asked by: David Morris (Conservative - Morecambe and Lunesdale)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether Leighton Hall Estate has been granted an individual licence to shoot.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
The Defra minister responsible is working with Natural England to ensure applications are processed promptly and within the 30-working-day customer service standard. We cannot comment on individual licence decisions.
Asked by: David Morris (Conservative - Morecambe and Lunesdale)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make an estimate of the average number of days taken for individual licences to be granted by Natural England for shoots in or near Special Protection Areas in the most recent period for which data is available.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
The Defra Minister responsible has assumed responsibility for the decision making of individual licence applications for SPAs following the changes to General Licence 43 (GL43). Natural England is responsible for processing the applications and providing recommendations to Defra ministers. As at 19 June, Natural England has recommended issuing 3 individual licences which would authorise the release of a specified number of gamebirds at the specified site in the licence. The Minister has considered these applications and granted the individual licences.
Asked by: David Morris (Conservative - Morecambe and Lunesdale)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she made an assessment of the potential merits of consulting on the withdrawal of GL43 licences from special protection areas prior to implementing that policy.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
The Defra minister responsible has taken this decision following initial advice from the statutory nature conservation body, Natural England to reduce the risk of impact of avian influenza on rare and protected wild bird populations. We informed stakeholders on 10 May, based on their feedback we sought further advice from Defra’s Chief Scientific Officer prior to issuing final decision on 31 May.
Asked by: David Morris (Conservative - Morecambe and Lunesdale)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of extending the exemption in the Renters Reform Bill to allow fixed term tenancies for purpose built student accommodation to include all student accommodation.
Answered by Rachel Maclean
The Department is carefully considering the impact of our reforms on the student housing market. We recognise there is a general annual lettings cycle and are considering solutions, such as a ground for possession that enables landlords to guarantee vacant possession for next year's tenants. Any solution needs to balance the needs of both students and landlords, and we will continue to engage with the sector. I am happy to discuss this matter further with my Hon. Friend.
Asked by: David Morris (Conservative - Morecambe and Lunesdale)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she has made a recent assessment of the potential impact of withdrawing GL43 licences from special protection areas on the finances of rural businesses; and whether she plans to provide compensation to estates that (a) do not receive and (b) are delayed in receiving a licence.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
The Government supports gamebird shooting for all the benefits it brings to individuals, the environment and the rural economy and will work with the industry to try to mitigate any potential impact.