Asked by: Peter Bone (Independent - Wellingborough)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the hon. Member for City of Chester, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, how much the Electoral Commission levied in penalties on (a) leave and (b) remain campaign organisations that participated in the 2016 EU referendum.
Answered by Christian Matheson
The Commission is responsible for regulating political finance in the UK. This includes making assessments of evidence of possible offences and, where there is evidence that an offence may have been committed, conducting investigations and imposing penalties.
In relation to the EU Referendum, The Commission conducted 34 investigations relating to leave campaigners and imposed fines on 19, totalling £149,450 after appeal outcomes. It conducted 19 investigations relating to remain campaigners and imposed fines on 15, totalling £67,600.
Asked by: Peter Bone (Independent - Wellingborough)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the hon. Member for City of Chester, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, how many court cases the Electoral Commission was involved in relating to (a) leave and (b) remain campaign organisations in the 2016 EU referendum; and how much expenditure the Commission incurred in each case.
Answered by Christian Matheson
The Electoral Commission was directly involved in eight court cases in which registered campaigners for the leave outcome in the 2016 EU referendum were also involved. In all instances the cases were initiated by others, and in all but one the decisions of the Commission were upheld or substantially upheld by the court, or the case was settled or discontinued. In those cases where the Commission’s decision was upheld or substantially upheld by the court, the Commission has recovered costs.
The Electoral Commission was involved in no court cases relating to registered campaigners for the remain outcome.
It is not currently possible to provide a breakdown of the Commission’s expenditure by case; some of the costs are still in the process of being identified as payable, and some of the costs still need to be taken account of, owing to the recent conclusion of some cases.
Asked by: Peter Bone (Independent - Wellingborough)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will introduce the Resuscitation Council UK’s guidance on the level of personal protection equipment required during resuscitation as the standard throughout the NHS.
Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The United Kingdom’s Personal Protective Equipment guidance continues to recommend the highest level of protection for health and social care teams treating COVID-19 patients. It is crucial that everyone that needs it has access to the right protective equipment.
Asked by: Peter Bone (Independent - Wellingborough)
Question to the Leader of the House:
To ask the Leader of the House, if he will take steps to ensure that (a) emails and (b) letters to ministers from hon. Members are answered (i) promptly and (ii) substantially.
Answered by Jacob Rees-Mogg
It is important that Ministers respond to correspondence from Hon and Rt Hon members in a timely way, in accordance with their own departmental deadlines.
There have been strains on certain departments owing to the current circumstances and the desire to prioritise COVID-related correspondence. Though this is understandable, departments should of course also endeavour to respond to enquiries in a timely manner. I would be happy to take up any particular concerns the hon. Member has with the relevant government department to ensure he receives a response.
Asked by: Peter Bone (Independent - Wellingborough)
Question to the Wales Office:
What arrangements are in place with the Welsh Government to co-ordinate the response to the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Simon Hart - Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury (Chief Whip)
We are working hand in hand with the Welsh Government, including through COBR Ministerial Committee and its sub-committees, to ensure Wales’s voice is heard loud and clear as part of the UK-wide response to the covid-19 outbreak.
I also have regular discussions with the First Minister and his Ministerial team to ensure our response is well co-ordinated.
Asked by: Peter Bone (Independent - Wellingborough)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what regulations his Department has introduced in relation to the micro-chipping of horses; and what penalties can be levied on people that do not comply with those regulations.
Answered by Victoria Prentis - Attorney General
The rules relating to the microchipping of horses in England, including details of the penalties that can be applied in the event of non-compliance, are contained in The Equine Identification (England) Regulations 2018 (2018 No.761) http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2018/761/made.
From 1 October this year, it will be mandatory in England, for owners to microchip horses, ponies and donkeys. Further information is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/news/compulsory-microchipping-to-improve-horse-welfare.
Asked by: Peter Bone (Independent - Wellingborough)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what his Department’s requirements are for Disposing of a dead horse on privately owned land where that horse had not been micro-chipped and its owner could not be traced.
Answered by Victoria Prentis - Attorney General
Dead horses should be disposed of at approved rendering or incineration facilities. Where the owner of a dead horse cannot be traced and it is on private land, responsibility for disposal lies with the land owner. In rare cases where there is no landowner, for example, on common land, the Local Authority has responsibility and Defra has at times been able to help with practical measures.
Asked by: Peter Bone (Independent - Wellingborough)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if will he bring forward legislative proposals to strengthen the protection of horses from cruel treatment.
Answered by Victoria Prentis - Attorney General
The Government takes animal welfare very seriously and have committed to introducing tougher sentences for animal cruelty. We are supporting the recently introduced Private Member’s Bill – the Animal Welfare (Sentencing) Bill - which seeks to increase the maximum custodial penalty for animal cruelty, including cruelty against horses, from six months’ imprisonment to five years’ imprisonment. In addition, such offenders can already be banned from owning or keeping animals for as long as the court sees fit. Local authorities have powers under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 to investigate concerns about the ill-treatment or neglect of animals, and any person or organisation, such as the RSPCA, can take forward a private prosecution under the 2006 Act.
Asked by: Peter Bone (Independent - Wellingborough)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 28 February 2019 to Question 225461 on Aviation Licensing, how many initial issues for each category of licence were made to people aged (a) 16 to 30, (b) 30 to 45 and (c) over 45.
Answered by Jesse Norman
The Civil Aviation Authority records that it issued the following initial pilot licenses by age group.
Licence Type | 16-30 | 31-45 | over 45 | Total |
Private | 859 | 598 | 561 | 2018 |
Commercial | 578 | 234 | 35 | 847 |
Air Transport | 388 | 444 | 74 | 906 |
Asked by: Peter Bone (Independent - Wellingborough)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many European Aviation Safety Agency Category B maintenance licences were issued by the Civil Aviation Authority in 2018.
Answered by Jesse Norman
Category | Description | Initial issues |
B1.1 | Aeroplanes Turbine | 306 |
B1.2 | Aeroplanes Piston | 14 |
B1.3 | Helicopters Turbine | 45 |
B1.4 | Helicopters Piston | 5 |
B2 | Avionics | 129 |
B3 | Piston-engine non-pressurised aeroplanes of 2 000 kg Maximum Take-off Mass (MTOM) and below | 140 |
Total |
| 639 |
|
|
|
An individual can be issued with a licence in multiple categories. The figures therefore represent the number of licences issued and not the number of individual licence holders.