Asked by: Mims Davies (Conservative - Mid Sussex)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to promote the participation of young people in the Sea Cadets organisation.
Answered by Lord Lancaster of Kimbolton
The Government and the Royal Navy recognise the positive impact Sea Cadets has on young people, helping them to build resilient futures for themselves and their communities. We support the charity with a Grant in Aid payment in the region of £10 million, providing almost half of the cost of delivering the Sea Cadets. We also second personnel to key positions, offering role models that inspire and guide cadets, as well as providing accommodation, equipment, and some training through related facilities on the Ministry of Defence estate. In addition we support the charity's commitment to deliver 10% of the Cadet Expansion Programme, opening 23 units by 2020 helping to make the Sea Cadets Experience accessible to all.
Asked by: Mims Davies (Conservative - Mid Sussex)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment her Department has made of the value of ancient woodland to the natural heritage of the UK.
Answered by Thérèse Coffey
The government recognises the importance of ancient woodlands as habitats with associated benefits for ecology and biodiversity.
The Government has not made any recent assessment of the value of ancient woodlands to the natural heritage of the UK.
Asked by: Mims Davies (Conservative - Mid Sussex)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the damage from non-native crayfish to fish populations in chalk streams.
Answered by Thérèse Coffey
The Environment Agency’s ecological monitoring programmes have demonstrated a broad range of impacts caused by non-native crayfish on various river types. Most harm is attributed to the North American signal crayfish, which is now widespread in England. Studies have shown that signal crayfish can affect river quality in a number of ways, such as by direct predation of fish, invertebrates and plants, damaging our native crayfish populations and leading to increased siltation from bankside burrowing. Research on Yorkshire limestone headwater streams also indicates serious impacts on native trout populations.
The Environment Agency has supported a number of research programmes seeking ways to manage crayfish and is looking to prevent the further spread of non-native crayfish, wherever possible, through good biosecurity.
In 2010 we launched the Check,Clean,Dry campaign which promotes good biosecurity by users of water bodies to reduce the risk of spreading non-native species.
Asked by: Mims Davies (Conservative - Mid Sussex)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the steps taken by organisations to support carers to increase agile working practices.
Answered by David Mowat
In 2016, the Department carried out an extensive call for evidence, including a roundtable event with employers, to inform the development of a new Carers Strategy. As part of this exercise, the Department reviewed many examples of employers which have implemented workplace policies to support employees with caring responsibilities, and the growing evidence base on the benefits to businesses and carers of flexible working arrangements.
Earlier this month, the Department for Work and Pensions published Fuller Working Lives: A Partnership Approach, which sets out a range of ongoing partnership work with employers to support working carers aged over 50 and to continue to grow the evidence base in this area.
Asked by: Mims Davies (Conservative - Mid Sussex)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what recent assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of its work to increase renewable energy (a) investment and (b) consumption in developing countries.
Answered by Lord Wharton of Yarm
All DFID projects are monitored for value for money and results through annual reviews, which are published on the development tracker section of the DFID website. In programming new activities, DFID works with its partners to identify and deliver priorities across the energy spectrum, from generation to transmission, distribution and end-consumption, covering on-grid as well as decentralised off-grid renewable energy.
Asked by: Mims Davies (Conservative - Mid Sussex)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent assessment he has made of the effect on the national economy of counterfeit coinage within general distribution.
Answered by David Gauke
Maintaining a coinage that is robust against the threat of counterfeiting is an important objective for HM Treasury as the issuing authority for UK coins. It is important to have a currency in which there is widespread confidence as well as protecting taxpayers and businesses from the cost of counterfeit coins.
HM Treasury and The Royal Mint work together to closely monitor the counterfeiting levels of UK coins.
On 28 March 2017, a new 12-sided £1 coin will be introduced to combat high levels of counterfeiting of the current £1 coin. Approximately one in thirty of the current £1 coins in circulation are counterfeits.
Asked by: Mims Davies (Conservative - Mid Sussex)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the duty to cooperate in the development of local plans.
Answered by Lord Barwell
Government is clear that local planning authorities must work together to plan for common strategic interests. However, we have heard concerns about the effectiveness of the duty to co-operate. The Local Plans Expert Group in particular raised the difficulties that some areas have in providing for the housing they need within their own boundaries. Through the Neighbourhood Planning Bill, we said that we want to see more collaboration by authorities to address issues that require solutions across geographical boundaries.
We continue to consider options to ensure authorities effectively collaborate on common strategic issues and will be publishing a Housing White Paper shortly.
Asked by: Mims Davies (Conservative - Mid Sussex)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions the Government has had with NHS England on ensuring that the mandate to NHS England for 2017-18 reflects the Government's plans to improve support for carers through its forthcoming Carers Strategy.
Answered by David Mowat
The Government’s mandate to NHS England for 2016-17 set a clear expectation that carers should routinely be identified by services and given access to information and advice about the support available.
The Government’s mandate to NHS England for 2017-18 is currently being developed in consultation with NHS England and Healthwatch England, and will be published in due course.
Discussions are ongoing between the Government and NHS England to develop a range of actions to further support carers through the forthcoming Carers Strategy.
Asked by: Mims Davies (Conservative - Mid Sussex)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what funding his Department has provided to councils in support of neighbourhood plans in the last financial year.
Answered by Lord Barwell
In the last financial year 2015/16 the Department paid £5.2 million to local planning authorities to support neighbourhood planning duties. Arrangements for supporting local planning authorities for 2017/18 will be published shortly.
Asked by: Mims Davies (Conservative - Mid Sussex)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of protection for ancient woodland in the National Planning Policy Framework.
Answered by Lord Barwell
The National Planning Policy Framework is clear that planning permission should be refused for development resulting in the loss or deterioration of irreplaceable habitats, including ancient woodland, unless the need for, and benefits of, the development in that location clearly outweigh the loss.