Asked by: Paul Monaghan (Scottish National Party - Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross)
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 remove barriers to a more resource-efficient economy; and if she will encourage the Environment Agency to reopen its online definition of waste tool to new submissions.
Answered by Thérèse Coffey
As part of our planning for the UK’s exit from the EU, we are considering the options for reshaping our waste and resources policy and regulatory framework to encourage the more sustainable use of resources. We are currently developing a 25 year environment plan and will consult stakeholders early this year on the priorities for resources, waste and recycling. Views on the key barriers to resource efficiency and ideas for addressing these will be welcome. In parallel, we are working to ensure alignment with other plans in development such as the Government’s new industrial strategy and our emissions reduction plan.
The Environment Agency’s online definition of waste tool is still available. It can be used for a self-assessment of whether a material is a waste or not. The Definition of Waste Panel is closed until further notice while the Environment Agency reviews its role and purpose.
Asked by: Paul Monaghan (Scottish National Party - Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what representations she has received from businesses on the decision of the Environment Agency to close its Definition of Waste Panel to new applications; and what assessment she has made of the effect of that closure on businesses.
Answered by Thérèse Coffey
Defra and the Environment Agency have received 12 representations from businesses and three from the trade press about the closure of the Definition of Waste Panel. A review of the points made by businesses shows that their main concerns relate to economic effects, business development and innovation.
Asked by: Paul Monaghan (Scottish National Party - Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross)
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 promote the use of more sustainable materials in topsoil and mulch products.
Answered by Thérèse Coffey
We are supporting the horticulture sector to work towards targets for the removal of peat use in horticulture by 2020 for the retail sector and 2030 for the commercial sector as set out in the Natural Environment White Paper published in 2011. Part of this work is focussed on working with the industry on the development of a tool for assessing responsibly sourced and manufactured growing media ingredients.
Asked by: Paul Monaghan (Scottish National Party - Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what the Government's future plans are for carbon capture and storage.
Answered by Jesse Norman
The Government is considering all options for carbon capture and storage in the UK and we intend to set out our approach in due course.
Asked by: Paul Monaghan (Scottish National Party - Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of future trends in the level of investment in the North Sea oil and gas sector.
Answered by Jesse Norman
The Office for Budget Responsibility recently published the November 2016 Economic and Fiscal Outlook which indicates a downward trend in planned capital expenditure in the oil and gas sector due to the low global oil price. Capital expenditure is expected to decrease from £10.1 billion in 2016 to £3.7 billion in 2021.
In the recent Autumn Statement my right hon. Friend the Chancellor recommitted to Driving Investment, Government’s long-term plan to ensure the oil and gas fiscal regime supports maximising economic recovery. To support this, over the past two years Government introduced measures worth £2.3bn to ensure the UK has one of the most competitive tax regimes for oil and gas in the world, safeguarding jobs and investment.
The Oil and Gas Authority has been established with a remit to maximise economic recovery of UK oil and gas reserves. The Oil and Gas Authority continues to engage with the global investment community to promote the UK Continental Shelf and attract new sources of capital. It has also been working with industry to maximise economic recovery of the UK Continental Shelf by encouraging collaboration, driving down costs and ensuring effective asset stewardship.
Asked by: Paul Monaghan (Scottish National Party - Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what information the Government holds on whether any UK nationals sit as judges in Israeli military courts.
Answered by Tobias Ellwood
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office does not hold any information on this issue.
Asked by: Paul Monaghan (Scottish National Party - Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what information his Department holds on the reported dash for cash policy relating to senior managers at the Royal Bank of Scotland.
Answered by Simon Kirby
The allegations relating to the actions of Royal Bank of Scotland’s Global Restructuring Group are being investigated by the Financial Conduct Authority. In November this year the FCA released the summary findings of the skilled person’s report it commissioned to investigate these allegations. The FCA is an independent, non-governmental body and the review is solely within its remit.
Asked by: Paul Monaghan (Scottish National Party - Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent steps he has taken to improve productivity.
Answered by Margot James
The Government has made significant progress on delivering the policy recommendations in the 2015 Productivity Plan. In addition to the £23 billion announced at Autumn Statement for the new National Productivity Investment Fund, the government’s forthcoming Industrial Strategy will focus on raising productivity to increase living standards for people across the UK.
Asked by: Paul Monaghan (Scottish National Party - Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions she has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the taxation levels of front-line police and fire services across the constituent parts of the UK.
Answered by Brandon Lewis
Both policing and the fire service are devolved in Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Council tax policy in Wales is a matter for the Welsh government. Council tax referendum principles for local authorities in England are set by the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government and are subject to the approval of the House of Commons. An announcement about principles for 2017/18 will, be made shortly.
Asked by: Paul Monaghan (Scottish National Party - Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what estimate his Department has made of the proportion of Palestinian child detainees from the West Bank who have been transferred and detained inside Israel in each month since April 2016.
Answered by Tobias Ellwood
Whilst we do not hold monthly figures, the treatment of Palestinian children in Israeli military detention remains a human rights priority for the UK and I raised this with the Israeli Ambassador to London on 10 November. We remain concerned by the continued transfer of Palestinian child and adult detainees to prisons inside Israel, in violation of the Fourth Geneva Convention.