Asked by: Claire Young (Liberal Democrat - Thornbury and Yate)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the minimum income floor on self-employed workers that are unable to work for brief periods due to (a) health issues and (b) care responsibilities.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
No assessment has been made.
The level of the MIF is equivalent to what a person in employed work in similar circumstances to the customer could expect to earn at living or minimum wage for their age. The MIF is therefore tailored to a customer’s individual circumstances; where a person has limitations on the hours they can reasonably be expected to work, for example because they have a health condition or caring responsibilities, the level of their MIF can be reduced.
Short-term health conditions experienced by a customer, such as colds, flu, strains, and sprains, are regarded as part of the normal pattern of self-employment. Therefore, customers must plan for these periods as part of their ordinary business cycle.
Asked by: Claire Young (Liberal Democrat - Thornbury and Yate)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what additional support is available for self-employed workers in receipt of Universal Credit that experience a short-term fall in their earnings.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Customers who are new to gainful self-employment are eligible for a 12-month 'start-up period’, during which the Minimum Income Floor does not apply. This means that if a customer experiences a drop in their earnings, their Universal Credit award will increase. This gives customers the opportunity to adjust to the characteristics of the sector in which they work, such as seasonal or fluctuating earnings patterns.
Where a customer reports a loss from their self-employment, the value of the loss is considered when assessing earnings in future assessment periods. If the sum of any unused losses exceeds the amount of earnings in the subsequent monthly assessment period, the remaining value of the loss is carried forward to be offset against future earnings, until the loss is used up or the customer ceases self-employment. This may result in a customer receiving a higher Universal Credit award in the future.
Work Coaches can signpost customers in the start-up period to national and local support where available, such as business advice, mentoring or training. This may also include connecting self-employed customers with other government support including:
Local Growth Hubs in England, Business Wales and Find Business Support and Business Gateway in Scotland, which offer support, advice and guidance to new and existing businesses.
If a self-employed customer has earnings below £2,600 (or £3,600 if in a couple) in the six months prior to an application, they may be eligible for a budgeting advance to help finance intermittent/ unforeseen expenses or expenses. This ensures low-income families that have an emergency financial need and do not have access to adequate savings or affordable loans can access funding to meet the emergency.
Asked by: Claire Young (Liberal Democrat - Thornbury and Yate)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking with his international counterparts to help tackle extra-judicial imprisonment.
Answered by Anneliese Dodds - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK is committed to working with partners bilaterally, and at the UN, to end arbitrary detention, advocate for those who have been arbitrarily detained, and demand accountability. The UK is a vocal supporter of the Canadian initiative against the use of arbitrary detention in state-to-state relations. Minister Falconer recently met the US Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs to discuss this issue. Through the Rule of Law Expertise (ROLE UK) programme the FCDO is working in partnership with stakeholders across the legal, judicial and development sectors to promote and strengthen the rule of law around the world.
Asked by: Claire Young (Liberal Democrat - Thornbury and Yate)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department has had recent discussions with its international counterparts on (a) coordination and (b) information sharing in the context of the circulation of highly pathogenic avian influenza across international boundaries; and whether his Department plans to develop a platform for stakeholders to (i) share resources and (ii) coordinate efforts to help tackle the disease.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Wild waterbirds of the orders Anseriformes (for example, ducks, geese, and swans) and Charadriiformes (for example, gulls, terns, and waders) are considered the natural reservoir of avian influenza viruses. Their migratory patterns and interactions with kept birds form the backbone of most established avian influenza transmission networks worldwide enabling the virus to spread across international boundaries. This includes the UK despite robust controls preventing the movement of potentially infected poultry and poultry products from infected areas.
International collaboration and knowledge exchange on global dynamics of avian influenza are facilitated through discussions between the UK Chief Veterinary Officer and representatives from Defra and the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) avian influenza national and international reference laboratories, and their global counterparts through the World Organisation for Animal Health, the Quadripartite Organisations and allied projects. This includes working through the joint WOAH-FOA Scientific Network on animal influenza OFFLU. In addition, international collaboration is ongoing through specific research projects, such as KAPPA-FLU project which is focusing on understanding the connectivity and dynamics of avian influenza.
Information and guidance for bird keepers and members of the public are published and available via gov.uk/birdflu and the international research network FluGlobalNet platform founded by APHA which facilitates information and science exchange on animal influenzas.
Asked by: Claire Young (Liberal Democrat - Thornbury and Yate)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the current research his Department is conducting on the impacts of gamebird releases includes looking at the impacts of mallard releases.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The current research my Department is conducting on the impacts of gamebird release does not include looking at impacts of mallard releases.
Asked by: Claire Young (Liberal Democrat - Thornbury and Yate)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what information his Department holds on how many (a) mallards and (b) other gamebirds of which species have been destroyed at rearing and release facilities due to (i) highly pathogenic avian influenza and (ii) which other notifiable diseases in each of the last five years.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Over the last five years highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) has been confirmed at seven premises (five in England, one in Scotland and one in Wales) where commercial gamebirds have been kept, out of a total of 411 premises were HPAI has been confirmed in poultry or other captive birds. Under avian influenza rules gamebird covers any pheasant, partridge, ptarmigan, grouse or moor game, black (or heath) game and ducks bred for shooting.
The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) holds records of how many poultry or other captive birds including kept gamebirds are culled for disease control purposes by Government. In addition, the outcome of veterinary investigations conducted by APHA at all sites where HPAI has been confirmed in kept birds including any cases in kept gamebirds are published on gov.uk in APHA’s outbreak epidemiology reports. These reports include information on the number and type of birds present at infected premises.
Asked by: Claire Young (Liberal Democrat - Thornbury and Yate)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many (a) mallard and (b) other gamebird rearing and release facilities have been found to be infected with (i) highly pathogenic avian influenza and (ii) which other notifiable diseases in each of the last five years.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Over the last five years highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) has been confirmed at seven premises (five in England, one in Scotland and one in Wales) where commercial gamebirds have been kept, out of a total of 411 premises were HPAI has been confirmed in poultry or other captive birds. Under avian influenza rules gamebird covers any pheasant, partridge, ptarmigan, grouse or moor game, black (or heath) game and ducks bred for shooting.
The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) holds records of how many poultry or other captive birds including kept gamebirds are culled for disease control purposes by Government. In addition, the outcome of veterinary investigations conducted by APHA at all sites where HPAI has been confirmed in kept birds including any cases in kept gamebirds are published on gov.uk in APHA’s outbreak epidemiology reports. These reports include information on the number and type of birds present at infected premises.
Asked by: Claire Young (Liberal Democrat - Thornbury and Yate)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what information his Department holds on how many (a) mallard and (b) other gamebird rear and release facilities where cases of (i) highly pathogenic avian influenza and (ii) other notifiable diseases had been detected (A) had already released gamebirds into the natural environment that season and (B) were open to wild birds (1) by being unroofed and (2) through pop holes being open in each of the last five years.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
My Department holds information on the release of Pheasants and Red-legged partridges on and within a 500m buffer of Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) and Special Protection Areas (SPAs) in England for the last four years for SACs and two years for SPAs.
In addition, the outcome of veterinary investigations conducted by the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) at all sites where highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) has been confirmed in poultry or other captive birds including any cases in kept gamebirds are published on gov.uk in APHA’s outbreak epidemiology reports. These reports include information on potential pathways to infection at the infected premises.
Once gamebirds have been released, they are classed as wild birds for avian influenza rules. Reports of mortality in release gamebirds are investigated through APHA’s wild bird surveillance programme. Details of findings of HPAI in wild birds are published on gov.uk and are available to view and interrogate via APHA’s interactive wild bird surveillance map and dashboard.
Asked by: Claire Young (Liberal Democrat - Thornbury and Yate)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of increasing river dredging to help reduce flooding on agricultural land.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Dredging and clearing channels is an important option for watercourse maintenance, where it is technically and cost effective, does not significantly increase flood risk for others and is environmentally acceptable.
For many locations, there are more effective ways to protect land and communities from floods as part of a catchment-based approach.
Asked by: Claire Young (Liberal Democrat - Thornbury and Yate)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking with Cabinet colleagues to strengthen communities in the aftermath of the recent riots.
Answered by Alex Norris - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Government has made £15 million available to the places most severely affected by disorder through the Community Recovery Fund to support the immediate recovery. Officials from my department have also carried out an extensive engagement process with these places to understand the underlying causes of the unrest.
The disorder that affected communities across the UK following the Southport tragedy this summer has made clear that a new approach to community cohesion is urgently needed. This is a priority for the Government and I have stood up a cross-government Communities & Recovery Steering Group to oversee this work.
We are listening to communities across the country to understand the challenges they face and this will inform how this government works to empower communities and build greater cohesion.