Asked by: John McNally (Scottish National Party - Falkirk)
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 an assessment of the impact of banning imported forage maize seed treated with bird repellent and fungicide on (a) the UK’s ability to grow forage maize and (b) the alternative energy anaerobic digestion industry.
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
From 1 January 2024, treated seeds can only be used if they are treated with Plant Protection Products authorised in GB. After we left the EU, transitional arrangements were put in place so that seeds treated with products authorised for use in the EU but not GB could continue to be imported, marketed and used. These arrangements come to an end on 31 December 2023. Industry has had the opportunity over the last 3 years to apply for the relevant GB authorisations, HSE has highlighted the actions that they need to take.
Asked by: John McNally (Scottish National Party - Falkirk)
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 an assessment of the potential merits of alternatives to stopping the importation of treated forage maize seed at the end of this year.
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
From 1 January 2024, treated seeds can only be used if they are treated with Plant Protection Products authorised in GB. After we left the EU, transitional arrangements were put in place so that seeds treated with products authorised for use in the EU but not GB could continue to be imported, marketed and used. These arrangements come to an end on 31 December 2023. Industry has had the opportunity over the last 3 years to apply for the relevant GB authorisations, HSE has highlighted the actions that they need to take.
Asked by: John McNally (Scottish National Party - Falkirk)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether her Department has made a recent estimate of the potential impact of the ending of freedom of movement with the EU on business costs; and if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of negotiating with the EU to allow frontier worker permits to be applied to more than one EU country at a time.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Department for Business and Trade does not hold this data. In December 2020, the UK and the EU agreed a Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA), which allows short-term business visitors to travel to the EU. This department is not responsible for frontiers workers permits.
Asked by: John McNally (Scottish National Party - Falkirk)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for the Home Department on the potential impact of international student visa restrictions on the higher education sector.
Answered by Gillian Keegan - Secretary of State for Education
The department works closely with the Home Office on a range of issues, including on matters relating to international student visas. The government keeps all immigration policies under constant review to ensure they best serve the country and reflect the public’s priorities.
International students make a significant economic and cultural contribution to the UK’s higher education sector, and I am proud to have met our International Education Strategy ambition to attract at least 600,000 international students for the second consecutive year.
Asked by: John McNally (Scottish National Party - Falkirk)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department has made an assessment with Cabinet colleagues of the potential impact of (a) illegal scrap metal operators on the metals recycling sector and (b) waste crime on (i) the waste and recycling sector and (ii) UK economy.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Waste regulation is a devolved matter. Following our consultation on reform of the waste exemptions regime in England and Wales we plan to remove the T9 exemption for the recovery of scrap metal and the U16 exemption for using vehicle parts dismantled from end-of life vehicles. These operations will now require an environmental permit.
My Department has made no assessment of the potential impact of waste crime on the waste and recycling sector or the UK economy. Research for the Environmental Services Association (Counting the Cost of UK Waste Crime, 2021) estimated that waste crime costs the economy in England £924 million in 2018/19.
The Government has provided an additional £10 million per year for the Environment Agency to tackle waste crime. This additional funding has been invested into three key areas of waste crime – tackling illegal waste sites, illegal dumping and illegal exports.
Asked by: John McNally (Scottish National Party - Falkirk)
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 increase funding to the Environmental Agency to help tackle illegal operators in the (a) metals recycling and (b) waste and recycling sector.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Waste regulation is a devolved matter. Following our consultation on reform of the waste exemptions regime in England and Wales we plan to remove the T9 exemption for the recovery of scrap metal and the U16 exemption for using vehicle parts dismantled from end-of life vehicles. These operations will now require an environmental permit.
My Department has made no assessment of the potential impact of waste crime on the waste and recycling sector or the UK economy. Research for the Environmental Services Association (Counting the Cost of UK Waste Crime, 2021) estimated that waste crime costs the economy in England £924 million in 2018/19.
The Government has provided an additional £10 million per year for the Environment Agency to tackle waste crime. This additional funding has been invested into three key areas of waste crime – tackling illegal waste sites, illegal dumping and illegal exports.
Asked by: John McNally (Scottish National Party - Falkirk)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the Government has made an assessment of the potential merits of implementing household kerb-side collection of batteries to help (a) protect workers in the waste and recycling sector (b) reduce the number of fires caused by incorrectly disposed of lithium-ion batteries.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra has not made any such assessment yet, but plans to consult on potential reforms to the batteries regulations to help address these issues by the end of the year.
Asked by: John McNally (Scottish National Party - Falkirk)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to help prevent the incorrect disposal of lithium-ion batteries.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra plans to consult on potential reforms to the batteries regulations to help address this issue by the end of the year.
Asked by: John McNally (Scottish National Party - Falkirk)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment she has made of the impact of the Misuse of Drug Act 1971 on the criminal justice system.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
No recent assessment has been made. Assessments are made on a case by case basis as individual drugs or drug harms are identified.
Drug Legislation forms part of our wider approach to preventing drug misuse alongside prevention and education, supporting treatment and recovery, and tackling the supply of illicit drugs.
Asked by: John McNally (Scottish National Party - Falkirk)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of implementing income tax relief in cases where a portion of a taxpayer's income is used to subsidise the (a) costs of living and (b) course fees of another person who is in college or university education.
Answered by Victoria Atkins - Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
The Government has provided a significant package of support to help households and individuals with the cost of living, taken together this is worth over £94 billion over 2022-2023 and 2023-2024.
There are a wide range of factors to take into consideration when introducing a tax relief. These include, but are not limited to: how effective the relief would be at achieving the policy intent, how targeted support would be, whether it adds complexity to the tax system and the cost.
Such an income tax relief would be regressive, as it would be of greatest benefit to those paying higher rates of tax while low-earning individuals with income below the Personal Allowance or the higher rate threshold would benefit less or not at all.
The Government does keep all aspects of the tax system under review.