Asked by: Susan Elan Jones (Labour - Clwyd South)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he has taken to support the retention of non-UK nationals who work as researchers in the agricultural and food security sector.
Answered by Lord Johnson of Marylebone
As my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister said, the UK must remain one of the best places in the world for science and innovation. We value the contribution of overseas researchers and will look to develop a future immigration system that works for all. The UK remains fully open to researchers from across the EU. We are also open to talent from the rest of the world with a visa system that provides a range of options for attracting top researchers from around the globe.
Asked by: Susan Elan Jones (Labour - Clwyd South)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what funding his Department currently provides to support research on food security.
Answered by Lord Johnson of Marylebone
The UK’s main public funders of food-related research are working together through the Global Food Security programme to meet the challenge of providing the world’s growing population with access to safe, affordable and nutritious food, all of the time and in ways the planet can sustain into the future.
Government policy on research funding is governed by the Haldane principle. The principle states that decisions on individual research proposals are best taken by researchers themselves and therefore competitive funding for science research is allocated by the UK Research Councils on the basis of the scientific quality of the proposals.
We are increasing research and development investment by £4.7 billion over the period 2017-18 to 2020-21. This equates to an extra £2 billion per year by 2020-21 and is an increase of around 20% to total government R&D spending, more than any increase in any parliament since 1979. This R&D investment funding is additional to the protection of science resource funding that was announced at the spending review in autumn 2015.
Asked by: Susan Elan Jones (Labour - Clwyd South)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if the Government will assess the potential merits of issuing a stay to prevent Asulam or Asulox spray being used to control bracken.
Answered by George Eustice
It can be important to control bracken in order to protect agricultural land and conservation areas and to tackle ticks, which can carry diseases including Lyme disease. Mechanical methods such as cutting and crushing can be effective in some circumstances. Where there is a need to avoid harming other plants or the terrain does not allow access to cutting equipment, a selective herbicide, such as asulam, may be the safest and most effective method of managing bracken.
Pesticides are only authorised if the risks to people and to the environment are considered acceptable. The use of asulam to control bracken is not routinely permitted. The case for a short-term, limited and controlled authorisation is considered each year on the basis of scientific advice from the UK Expert Committee on Pesticides. This year, asulam has been authorised for use from July to October 2017. Individual operators wishing apply asulam from the air are required to meet additional requirements under permitting arrangements administered by the Health and Safety Executive.
Asked by: Susan Elan Jones (Labour - Clwyd South)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many (a) full-time and (b) part-time staff in her Department have been seconded from (i) businesses and (ii) charities.
Answered by Matt Hancock
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Parliament is dissolved.
Asked by: Susan Elan Jones (Labour - Clwyd South)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what proportion of prisoners completed GCSE English courses in the last (a) year, (b) two years and (c) five years.
Answered by Sam Gyimah
Data is collected in respect of participation and achievement in Level 2 English courses (equivalent to GCSE standard). These can be found at:
These data refer to English courses funded by the Offender Learning and Skills Service (OLASS) in English prisons. Historically, data specific to the completion of GCSE English courses is not collected. In Wales responsibility for learning and skills in prisons is devolved to the Welsh Government and this specific data breakdown is not routinely held centrally, but is held locally at specific sites.
Asked by: Susan Elan Jones (Labour - Clwyd South)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many (a) full-time and (b) part-time staff in his Department have been seconded from (i) businesses and (ii) charities.
Answered by Marcus Jones - Treasurer of HM Household (Deputy Chief Whip, House of Commons)
The current number of individuals working for my Department on secondment from (i) businesses and (ii) charities split by full time and part time working patterns is detailed in the attached table.
Sector Type | Full Time | Part Time | Total |
(i) Businesses | 3 | 0 | 3 |
(ii) Charities | 1 | 0 | 1 |
Total | 4 | 0 | 4 |
Asked by: Susan Elan Jones (Labour - Clwyd South)
Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union :
To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what discussions his Department has had with the Office for Civil Society on the drafting of the White Paper, entitled The United Kingdom's exit from and new partnership with the European Union, Cm 9417, published in February 2017.
Answered by Robin Walker
The White Paper sets out the Government's approach to forging a new strategic partnership between the United Kingdom and the EU. The Department for Exiting the European Union coordinates policy work across Government and works closely with officials in departments on all of its work, including the White Paper.
Asked by: Susan Elan Jones (Labour - Clwyd South)
Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union :
To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what discussions his Department has had with (a) registered charities and (b) businesses the on drafting of the White Paper, The United Kingdom's exit from and new partnership with the European Union, Cm 9417, published in February 2017.
Answered by David Jones
The White Paper sets out the Government's approach to forging a new strategic partnership between the United Kingdom and the EU.
We have pursued a wide-ranging programme of engagement since the Department was created and we are speaking to a wide range of organisations.
This includes charitable organisations, in order to build a national consensus around our negotiating position, establish their priorities and understand their concerns.
Details of Ministerial Meetings will be published in the Department's Quarterly Transparency Returns, which will be made publicly available on GOV.UK.
Asked by: Susan Elan Jones (Labour - Clwyd South)
Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union :
To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, whether he plans to meet registered charities ahead of negotiations on the UK leaving the EU.
Answered by David Jones
We have pursued a wide-ranging programme of engagement since the Department was created and we are speaking to a wide range of organisations.
This includes charitable organisations, in order to build a national consensus around our negotiating position, establish their priorities and understand their concerns.
Details of Ministerial Meetings will be published in the Department's Quarterly Transparency Returns, which will be made publicly available on GOV.UK.
Asked by: Susan Elan Jones (Labour - Clwyd South)
Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union :
To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what discussions he has had with registered charities on the future of the charity sector in England and Wales after the UK leaves the EU.
Answered by David Jones
We have pursued a wide-ranging programme of engagement since the Department was created and we are speaking to a wide range of organisations.
This includes charitable organisations, in order to build a national consensus around our negotiating position, establish their priorities and understand their concerns.
Details of Ministerial Meetings will be published in the Department's Quarterly Transparency Returns, which will be made publicly available on GOV.UK