Written Question
Monday 15th July 2019
Asked by:
Gavin Robinson (Democratic Unionist Party - Belfast East)
Question
to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he will take to ensure that (a) Northern Ireland is represented on the Office of Environmental Protection’s (OEP’s) Board and (b) that the specific needs of Northern Ireland are taken into account when the OEP’s budget and strategy is agreed.
Answered by Baroness Coffey
Environmental policy is largely a devolved matter. Northern Ireland officials requested to make options available to ensure that environmental governance in Northern Ireland can be safeguarded after the UK’s departure from the EU. We are working in conjunction with officials in DAERA to ensure the forthcoming Environment Bill enables the Office for Environmental Protection (OEP) to provide effective oversight of the environment in Northern Ireland should the Executive in Northern Ireland agree to it.
Executive officials’ agreement to extension of the Bill is on the basis of a default position that decisions on implementation will be left for returning Ministers and subject to the requisite Assembly scrutiny procedures.
If a Northern Ireland executive decides to use the OEP in the future, it will then be for the OEP to work with the Executive to address any issues specific to the needs of Northern Ireland.
Written Question
Monday 15th July 2019
Asked by:
Gavin Robinson (Democratic Unionist Party - Belfast East)
Question
to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he will take to ensure Office of Environmental Protection staff have adequate knowledge and experience of Northern Ireland’s legislation and practices.
Answered by Baroness Coffey
Environmental policy is largely a devolved matter. Northern Ireland officials requested to make options available to ensure that environmental governance in Northern Ireland can be safeguarded after the UK’s departure from the EU. We are working in conjunction with officials in DAERA to ensure the forthcoming Environment Bill enables the Office for Environmental Protection (OEP) to provide effective oversight of the environment in Northern Ireland should the Executive in Northern Ireland agree to it.
Executive officials’ agreement to extension of the Bill is on the basis of a default position that decisions on implementation will be left for returning Ministers and subject to the requisite Assembly scrutiny procedures.
If a Northern Ireland executive decides to use the OEP in the future, it will then be for the OEP to work with the Executive to address any issues specific to the needs of Northern Ireland.
Speech in Westminster Hall - Mon 16 Jul 2018
Dangerous Dogs Act: Staffordshire Bull Terriers
"The hon. Lady makes entirely the right point. When I was the Lord Mayor of Belfast, there was the case of a dog called Lennox, which hon. Members can look up online. It led to 200,000 complaints to the council, death threats to council officers and ammunition technical officers defusing …..."Gavin Robinson - View Speech
View all Gavin Robinson (DUP - Belfast East) contributions to the debate on: Dangerous Dogs Act: Staffordshire Bull Terriers
Speech in Westminster Hall - Mon 16 Jul 2018
Dangerous Dogs Act: Staffordshire Bull Terriers
"The Minister is making a good point, but is there a direct correlation between the attacks he outlined and dogs that are on the register? My fear is that the irresponsible owners of dogs that carry out attacks are not complying with the law, not muzzling their dog in public, …..."Gavin Robinson - View Speech
View all Gavin Robinson (DUP - Belfast East) contributions to the debate on: Dangerous Dogs Act: Staffordshire Bull Terriers
Speech in Westminster Hall - Mon 16 Jul 2018
Dangerous Dogs Act: Staffordshire Bull Terriers
"That is why we need robust sentencing and actual deterrence. A notorious family in my constituency of East Belfast has been before the courts on a number of occasions and convicted of dog fighting. The Chair of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee referred to this. They were convicted …..."Gavin Robinson - View Speech
View all Gavin Robinson (DUP - Belfast East) contributions to the debate on: Dangerous Dogs Act: Staffordshire Bull Terriers
Speech in Westminster Hall - Mon 04 Jun 2018
Fur Trade
"The hon. Gentleman knows me to be an Ulster MP, but I was surprised when researching this issue that there are still three animal fur farms in the Republic of Ireland, one of which is in Ulster—in Donegal. Those farms kill more than 200,000 mink per year. Does the hon. …..."Gavin Robinson - View Speech
View all Gavin Robinson (DUP - Belfast East) contributions to the debate on: Fur Trade
Speech in Westminster Hall - Mon 21 May 2018
Sale of Puppies
"My hon. Friend is raising a number of issues that touch on devolution and the cross-jurisdictional nature of the issue; it would be easy for the Minister to say, “We can deal only with England.” I well remember working with the former hon. Member for Dumfries and Galloway, Richard Arkless, …..."Gavin Robinson - View Speech
View all Gavin Robinson (DUP - Belfast East) contributions to the debate on: Sale of Puppies
Speech in Westminster Hall - Wed 14 Mar 2018
Electric Dog Collars
"I congratulate the hon. Gentleman on bringing this matter forward and on supporting the Secretary of State in his endeavour. However, he has just touched on a point about the extent of this sort of legislation. In Northern Ireland, we currently do not have a democratic institution that could pass …..."Gavin Robinson - View Speech
View all Gavin Robinson (DUP - Belfast East) contributions to the debate on: Electric Dog Collars
Speech in Westminster Hall - Wed 14 Mar 2018
Electric Dog Collars
"I asked a specific question about the extent of proposals. Can the Minister confirm that he will look carefully and kindly on the idea of the legislation, if it is introduced, extending across the entire United Kingdom?..."Gavin Robinson - View Speech
View all Gavin Robinson (DUP - Belfast East) contributions to the debate on: Electric Dog Collars
Written Question
Monday 12th March 2018
Asked by:
Gavin Robinson (Democratic Unionist Party - Belfast East)
Question
to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made the effect of the UK leaving the REACH chemical framework on UK businesses and the supply chain after the UK has left the EU.
Answered by Baroness Coffey
We want to secure the best possible outcome for UK industry in upcoming negotiations – a partnership underpinned by high standards, a practical approach to regulation and the greatest possible access to European markets. We will continue to engage with UK industry to shape our negotiating position.
Ministers have a specific responsibility, which Parliament has endorsed, to be careful not to release information that would undermine our negotiating position.