Asked by: Caroline Dinenage (Conservative - Gosport)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make it his policy to ban bottom trawling and the use of other bottom towed fishing gear in all offshore marine protected areas on a whole-site basis, rather than on a feature-based approach.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
Each Marine Protected Area (MPA) protects specific features, whether that is a particular species or a variety of different habitats. We have recently consulted on five candidate Highly Protected Marine Areas (HPMAs). HPMAs would have the highest level of protection in English waters and would take a whole-site approach.
98 MPAs in English inshore waters already have byelaws in place to protect sensitive features from damaging fishing activities and the first four offshore byelaws have now been established. A Call for Evidence on byelaws in 13 more MPAs has recently closed. Byelaws are developed using an evidence-led process to determine what measures are required to protect sites. Site by site assessments are carried out to tailor management measures and to avoid unnecessary restrictions on fishing. Only fishing activities which could damage the protected features of an MPA require management, such as trawling on the seabed. We aim to have protection in place for all our offshore MPAs by 2024.
Asked by: Caroline Dinenage (Conservative - Gosport)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment she has made (a) podiatry vacancy rates in the NHS in Gosport constituency and (b) the impact these vacancies will have on patient treatment for diabetic foot complications.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
No specific assessment has been made as this information is not collected centrally.
Asked by: Caroline Dinenage (Conservative - Gosport)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make it his policy not to set catch limits for any stocks that are higher than those recommended by scientific advice in fisheries negotiations with the EU, Norway and North East Atlantic coastal states in the next year.
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The United Kingdom advocates an approach towards setting Total Allowable Catches (TACs) which is founded on the best available scientific advice and which will maintain or rebuild sustainable fish stocks and fisheries. In addition, for a number of target stocks a further key consideration when setting the TACs is their interaction with other stocks caught in the same mixed fishery.
Asked by: Caroline Dinenage (Conservative - Gosport)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, for what reason trees and shrubs outside the grounds of Haslar Immigration Removal Centre were removed; and whether he plans to take steps to replant those trees and shrubs.
Answered by Stuart Andrew - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The trees and shrubs outside the centre were removed due to a misunderstanding between the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) and the contractors assigned to carry out work to tidy up the area.
MoJ is currently considering quotes for the replacement of the plants and trees and this work will begin as soon as we have chosen a contractor.
Asked by: Caroline Dinenage (Conservative - Gosport)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when his Department plans to bring forward regulations to introduce the compulsory microchipping of owned cats.
Answered by Victoria Prentis - Attorney General
Our intention is to introduce a new, single set of microchipping regulations by the end of the year, which will incorporate changes to the Microchipping of Dogs (England) Regulations and add the new requirement for compulsory microchipping of cats.
This is a devolved matter and the information provided therefore relates to England only.
Asked by: Caroline Dinenage (Conservative - Gosport)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many and what proportion of community diagnostic centres in England offer mammography services.
Answered by Edward Argar - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
There are currently 90 community diagnostic centres (CDCs) operating in England, including supporting spoke sites. Of these, six CDCs or 7% of sites offer diagnostic mammography services.
Asked by: Caroline Dinenage (Conservative - Gosport)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to support the Overseas Territories during hurricane seasons.
Answered by Amanda Milling - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
My Department coordinated a cross-government hurricane exercise earlier this month as part of its review of plans to ensure the UK provides a rapid and effective response this year. In May, officials also hosted a pre-hurricane season conference. We continue to invest in capability and capacity building programmes across the Overseas Territories.
Asked by: Caroline Dinenage (Conservative - Gosport)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing a Smart Fund to help ensure creators and performers are remunerated for their work by using funds from sales of electronic devices which copy, store and share creative content.
Answered by Julia Lopez - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Government agrees that creators should be fairly remunerated. The Government is taking forward work to achieve this, including a programme considering the remuneration issues related to music streaming.
DCMS Ministers and officials have been engaging with the Design and Artists Copyright Society (DACS) on their proposals for a Smart Fund. It is encouraging to see proposals from the sector to support creators and fair remuneration. However introducing statutory levies of this nature can present significant challenges, including the risk that costs would be passed to consumers. This is of particular concern in the context of wider cost of living challenges. We encourage DACS to work with the tech industry to explore options for industry-led solutions.
Asked by: Caroline Dinenage (Conservative - Gosport)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will review whether the requirement in The Bathing Water Regulations 2013 that sampling must be carried out between 15 May and 30 September should be expanded to all year round bathing water sampling.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
My officials are currently undertaking a review of bathing water policy in England.
Asked by: Caroline Dinenage (Conservative - Gosport)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether non means tested monthly bereaved partner payments, paid to the bereaved relatives of the contaminated blood victims, will be paid for life.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
The Government is committed to continue the support to the infected blood community.