First elected: 7th May 2015
Left House: 3rd May 2017 (Defeated)
Speeches made during Parliamentary debates are recorded in Hansard. For ease of browsing we have grouped debates into individual, departmental and legislative categories.
These initiatives were driven by Richard Arkless, and are more likely to reflect personal policy preferences.
MPs who are act as Ministers or Shadow Ministers are generally restricted from performing Commons initiatives other than Urgent Questions.
Richard Arkless has not been granted any Urgent Questions
Richard Arkless has not been granted any Adjournment Debates
Richard Arkless has not introduced any legislation before Parliament
Richard Arkless has not co-sponsored any Bills in the current parliamentary sitting
The Commission has given no formal consideration to a move to digital voting in the House. Its responsibility in this matter is limited to any financial or staffing implications of any change to the present system, were a change to be agreed by the House.
In January 2015 the Speaker’s Commission on Digital Democracy recommended that the House should move to record votes using Members’ security passes but retain the tradition of walking through division lobbies. The House has not yet been invited to respond to this recommendation. House officials have undertaken some preparatory studies in the event of the House deciding to endorse this proposal. Members wishing to pursue the issue can seek a debate via the Backbench Business Committee or raise it with the Procedure Committee. It would also be open to Ministers to bring forward proposals.
Accurate recording of divisions and timely publication of division lists are critical business activities of the House of Commons. The House Service has therefore been investigating means of electronic recording of divisions since October 2014, with a view to improving the timely publication of division lists, making division data more accessible to the public and easier to analyse, and improving accuracy. A trial was held in the House in March 2015 in which seven divisions were recorded in part by division clerks on tablet devices. Full implementation of tablet recording of divisions is expected to take place early in 2016. In the meantime, any divisions held under the new English votes for English laws procedure will be recorded on tablet devices, because the tablets can generate the results required under the ‘double-majority’ system. Electronic recording of votes by division clerks will not in itself alter the requirement for Members to vote by walking through the lobbies.
I have asked my officials to seek an update from Scottish Power on what steps they are taking in this matter.
It is a long-standing practice that we do not comment in public on the security of Parliament. However, I can assure the hon. Member that arrangements are kept under continual review and those working on the Estate are advised of any changes. If he has particular concerns the Parliamentary Security Director and the Serjeant at Arms would be happy to meet with him.
All departments are equipping themselves with the resources they need to get the best deal for the UK. We are not in a position to give a final total for particular groups of staff as recruitment is ongoing and we will not be giving a running commentary on negotiations.
The current public procurement rules will continue to apply until the UK has left the EU following the successful conclusion of exit negotiations. The future options for our procurement policies are being considered carefully.
Information on the community projects in the Dumfries and Galloway constituency that have benefited from monies allocated by the Big Lottery Fund in Scotland in the last five years is available on the Big Lottery Fund websitehttps://www.biglotteryfund.org.uk/about-big/big-lottery-fund-in-your-constituency.
The Consumer Ombudsman is run by Ombudsman Services, a not for profit private sector company. Chartered Trading Standards Institute, who act on behalf of my rt. hon Friend the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, have audited and approved Ombudsman Services as being compliant with the Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) Regulations.
The Government is committed to an ADR landscape that works for all those who wish to use it. I meet regularly with consumer representatives and enforcement bodies to discuss a range of issues, including ADR.
A number of detailed responses to a call for evidence in June were received that related to the ADR regime. The Department is considering these responses carefully and a response will be published in due course.
The Renewable Heat Incentive reforms will be implemented on the date the updated regulations for the scheme come into force. It is intended these changes will be implemented in spring 2017; the specific date is not known as yet, as it is subject to Parliamentary processes.
The Government response[1] to the consultation ‘The Renewable Heat Incentive: A reformed and refocused scheme’ was published on 14 December 2016 and outlines changes to reform the domestic renewable heat incentive scheme. It is intended that these changes will be implemented in spring 2017.
The management of radioactive waste is a devolved matter.
The management of radioactive waste is a devolved matter.
The Met Office delivers a range of safety critical services to the whole of the United Kingdom through the Public Weather Service, including mountain forecasts. The Public Weather Service is overseen by the Public Weather Service Customer Group, which includes an independent chair and representatives from all of the devolved administrations.
There is an open market for the supply of petroleum products, including jet kerosene and heating oil, in the UK which provides the best long term guarantee of competitive prices. The Government does not control prices but we do monitor the UK national average cost of jet kerosene and heating oil.
The average cost for wholesale kerosene in September 2016 was 26 pence per litre, 1p more expensive than the corresponding month in 2015, and down 22p since its 2014 peak (Jan 2014).
The average cost for retail kerosene in September 2016 was 37 pence per litre, 1p more expensive than the corresponding month in 2015, and down 22p since its 2014 peak (Jan 2014).
The value of the pound sterling has been decreasing against the dollar which means crude oil, which is traded in dollars, becomes more expensive for UK refiners to import. Analysis suggests that on average, at a national level, crude price changes are fully passed through into kerosene prices within a month.
In addition, the price of kerosene is influenced by a range of factors, including refinery capacity, stock levels, distribution costs, retail margins and seasonal factors The supply of kerosene in more remote areas is influenced by increased logistical costs.
I encourage households that use kerosene to heat their homes to join an oil buying group and to shop around for the best deal.
For younger workers, the priority is to secure work and gain valuable experience – something that is reflected in the existing age structure of the National Minimum Wage.
On 14th April my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister announced an increase in the 16-17 year old National Minimum Wage rate by 3.4% (13p) to £4.00 per hour. This is the fastest and largest increase since 2008.
The Government published an impact assessment alongside the Government Response to the FIT Review consultation on 17 December, available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/486084/IA_-_FITs_consultation_response_with_Annexes_-_FINAL_SIGNED.pdf
This impact assessment set out the impact of deployment caps and tariff changes to different technologies. For the hydro sector, new tariffs are designed to provide a target rate of return of 9.2% for efficient and well-sited installations and could support around 880 installations between 2016-19.
The Government is committed to ensuring that the UK seizes the opportunity to be a world leader in 5G. At the 2016 Autumn Statement, the Government announced £1bn of new funding to boost the UK’s digital infrastructure, including significant funding for a new programme of fibre and 5G trials. We will be publishing further details on this programme at Budget, alongside a new 5G strategy.
Ofcom is responsible for the health of the UK mobile market, in line with its statutory duties. We expect Ofcom to consider arguments for and against spectrum caps in its forthcoming consultation on rules for the auction.
The Government has noted MNOs' representations on the issue of spectrum distribution and network capacity.
As noted in the initial conclusions of Ofcom's digital communications review published in February 2016, this spectrum "is best suited to providing additional capacity than increasing coverage" (para 3.49, p.30). Improving mobile coverage remains a key priority for Government and as a result of a licence obligation on O2 98% of UK premises should have indoor 4G coverage by end-2017.
Universal Service Providers responsible for delivering the broadband Universal Service Obligation (USO) will be designated by Ofcom following changes to primary and secondary legislation. No decision has been taken yet on funding the USO’s delivery .
Public investment in improving broadband is nearly £1.7 billion, including £790 million of UK government funding, to bring superfast broadband to areas of the UK where it would not otherwise be available. Superfast broadband is now available to 90 per cent of UK premises and this will reach 95 per cent by December 2017.
The Government has also implemented a basic broadband scheme to enable all premises to gain access to speeds of at least 2Mbps. This allows residents to gain access to every government service available online.
Furthermore, in November 2015 the Prime Minister announced the Government’s intention to introduce a new broadband Universal Service Obligation (USO) with the aim to provide a safety net for those homes and business in the hardest to reach parts of the UK without access to superfast broadband.
Government recognises the importance of sport and physical activity to disabled people who take part at both grassroots and the elite level. Our new sport strategy, 'Sporting Future: A New Strategy for an Active Nation', published in December 2015, emphasises the importance of getting people active, particularly those groups currently under-represented, including disabled people.
Sport England is investing over £170 million in England to get more disabled people playing both Paralympic and non-Paralympic sports; and it will shortly publish its own strategy for England, following a wide public consultation, setting out how it intends to deliver against the government's sport strategy, including how it will promote grassroots sport and physical activity for all.
Elite disability sport is funded by UK Sport whose role it is to ensure that the resources available to support Paralympic athletes are targeted to maximise medal success.
The government is encouraging the industry to be proactive in increasing diversity on and off screen - including in the representation of disabled people. I have hosted a number of roundtables that have addressed this issue, including a conference in January, which raised the wider issue of lack of representation of disabled people in the creative industries.
We believe that everyone should have access to arts and culture - having a disability should not be a barrier to enjoying Britain’s awe-inspiring cultural treasures. That is why we are working with venues and organisations representing disabled people to identify barriers to access, while at the same time seeing how we can share examples of best practice and what more cultural venues need to do to be accessible to people with disabilities. Our recently published Culture White Paper makes a specific commitment to work with the cultural sector to improve physical access to venues.
We support the work of Attitude is Everything, which works with audiences, artists, and the music industry to improve deaf and disabled people’s access to live events. My ministerial colleague Ed Vaizey also held a roundtable meeting with Justin Tomlinson, Minister for Disabled People to look at access to cultural venues and events for disabled people. Additionally, provisions in the Equality Act 2010 require providers of services to the public (for example music venues), to make a ‘reasonable adjustment’ so that disabled people are not placed at a “substantial disadvantage” to non-disabled people.
The Government’s Universal Service Commitment will allow universal access to speeds of at least 2 Megabits per second through the option of satellite broadband connections by the end of 2015.
In addition, an £8 million Market Test Pilot fund is piloting a number of technologies and funding models, including satellite solutions. The results of these pilots will help inform future policy to extend superfast broadband coverage beyond 95%. Avanti, a broadband provider using satellite technology, is currently operational in Dumfries and Galloway and providing superfast coverage.
The Government’s Universal Service Commitment will allow universal access to speeds of at least 2 Megabits per secondto any household in the UK,through the option of satellite broadband connections by the end of 2015.
The government’s changes to tax credits will have no effect on the number of children accessing free school meals (FSM) in England. All households receiving out-of-work benefits continue to be entitled to FSM, while changes to Child Tax Credit will have no impact. The number of children growing up in workless households has decreased by 480,000 since 2010, a record low. This has led to the number of households claiming FSM decreasing and we expect this to continue as the economy continues to improve.
The Government takes the illegal movement of dogs and puppies seriously and it is committed to working with the Devolved Administrations, delivery bodies, enforcement agencies and non-government organisations to tackle this issue.
Whilst there have been no recent Ministerial meetings on the illegal movement of dogs, Defra’s Chief Veterinary Officer has recently discussed the issue with his Scottish, Welsh and Northern Ireland counterparts. Additionally, there have been discussions on this issue between other Defra officials and officials within the Devolved Administrations.
Defra has not carried out an assessment of the impact of transferring Trading Standards search powers to local port authorities in Scotland as this is a devolved matter. However, we will continue to work closely with the Scottish Government and other interested parties to ensure that there is a full exchange of ideas and information on combating the illegal importation of puppies.
We support the farming industry by reducing red tape, funding research to foster innovation, extending the tax averaging period for self-employed farmers and working to open up new export markets.
To provide some relief to hard-pressed farmers we secured a £26.6m aid package for the UK from the European Commission – the third largest of all Member States. Dairy farmers across the UK are being paid a one-off, flat rate payment linked to milk production. The majority of payments were made by the RPA on 16 November 2015.
The Government is working with the food industry – including supermarkets, retailers, manufacturers and caterers – on even more consistent labelling and branding of British dairy products, improving transparency across the supply chain and allocating more space on shop shelves. This will make it easier for consumers and food businesses to know when they are buying British dairy products.
A number of supermarkets have pledged to pay a premium over and above the current market price and we should welcome that. It won’t solve the problem but it will give some respite to farmers.
The area felled in any one year on the public forest estate in England is not recorded separately, but the total area that has been felled and which is in the process of being either restocked, or being converted to another land use, such as open habitats for landscape or conservation reasons, is recorded. This is given in the table below, along with the area restocked each year and the expenditure on restocking operations.
Year ending 31 March | Total felled area 1 (thousand hectares) | Restocked area 2 (thousand hectares) | Expenditure associated with restocking 3 (£ ,000s) |
2001 | 7.9 | 2.1 | 5,181 |
2002 | 8.4 | 2.3 | 5,779 |
2003 | 7.9 | 2.3 | 5,979 |
2004 | 8.1 | 2.2 | 5,735 |
2005 | 8.1 | 1.9 | 5,635 |
2006 | 7.5 | 2.5 | 6,356 |
2007 | 8.2 | 1.9 | 6,562 |
2008 | 8.3 | 2.1 | 5,915 |
2009 | 8.7 | 1.8 | 5,924 |
2010 | 9.2 | 1.5 | 5,880 |
2011 | 8.1 | 2.5 | 7,340 |
2012 | 8.2 | 2.2 | 7,384 |
2013 | 8.6 | 2.2 | 6,448 |
2014 | 8.7 | 2.1 | 7,399 |
2015 | 8.6 | 2.3 | 7,884 |
1 ‘Felled area’ is the area of the public forest estate that is recorded as felled on the sub-compartment database, the Forestry Commission’s electronic record of current land use. Because there is generally a two to four year gap between felling and restocking, or the reclassification as another land use, the total area classified as ‘felled’ is significantly greater than that which is felled in any one year.
2 ‘Restocked area’ is the area of the public forest estate that has previously been felled and which is recorded as having been restocked in the previous 12 months, including by natural regeneration and replanting.
3 Expenditure associated with restocking is all money spent on activities directly attributed to restocking after felling, including preparation of the site and maintenance during the initial establishment phase.
The area felled in any one year on the public forest estate in England is not recorded separately, but the total area that has been felled and which is in the process of being either restocked, or being converted to another land use, such as open habitats for landscape or conservation reasons, is recorded. This is given in the table below, along with the area restocked each year and the expenditure on restocking operations.
Year ending 31 March | Total felled area 1 (thousand hectares) | Restocked area 2 (thousand hectares) | Expenditure associated with restocking 3 (£ ,000s) |
2001 | 7.9 | 2.1 | 5,181 |
2002 | 8.4 | 2.3 | 5,779 |
2003 | 7.9 | 2.3 | 5,979 |
2004 | 8.1 | 2.2 | 5,735 |
2005 | 8.1 | 1.9 | 5,635 |
2006 | 7.5 | 2.5 | 6,356 |
2007 | 8.2 | 1.9 | 6,562 |
2008 | 8.3 | 2.1 | 5,915 |
2009 | 8.7 | 1.8 | 5,924 |
2010 | 9.2 | 1.5 | 5,880 |
2011 | 8.1 | 2.5 | 7,340 |
2012 | 8.2 | 2.2 | 7,384 |
2013 | 8.6 | 2.2 | 6,448 |
2014 | 8.7 | 2.1 | 7,399 |
2015 | 8.6 | 2.3 | 7,884 |
1 ‘Felled area’ is the area of the public forest estate that is recorded as felled on the sub-compartment database, the Forestry Commission’s electronic record of current land use. Because there is generally a two to four year gap between felling and restocking, or the reclassification as another land use, the total area classified as ‘felled’ is significantly greater than that which is felled in any one year.
2 ‘Restocked area’ is the area of the public forest estate that has previously been felled and which is recorded as having been restocked in the previous 12 months, including by natural regeneration and replanting.
3 Expenditure associated with restocking is all money spent on activities directly attributed to restocking after felling, including preparation of the site and maintenance during the initial establishment phase.
Under the Pet Animals Act 1951 local authorities can already apply conditions to individual pet shop licences. This includes, for example, restricting the species that can be sold. The power to apply conditions to an individual licence is in section 1(3) of the 1951 Act and is intended to help secure the welfare requirements set out in that section.
The United States does not accept imports of haggis containing sheep lungs. Former Secretary of State for Defra, Owen Paterson, lobbied US authorities during his visit in 2014 and the Government continues to encourage the US to adjust its ban on UK haggis. Scottish haggis producers are developing a US-specific recipe to allow them to access the market once the wider EU negotiations on lifting the Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy restrictions on EU lamb are concluded.
Dates for the Joint Ministerial Committee are agreed by consensus across the four governments. Dates of JMC(EN) meetings are not usually publicised in advance.
We are committed to working closely with the Scottish Government, Welsh Government and Northern Ireland Executive to ensure that we get the best possible deal for all parts of the United Kingdom. This is exactly why we have set up a Joint Ministerial Committee on EU Negotiations, which brings together the UK Government and devolved administrations to develop a UK-wide approach. All of the devolved administrations have outlined to the Government their priorities for our future relationship with the EU. We welcome all proposals and are committed to carefully considering the options put forward. But we have been clear that no part of the UK will get a veto.
The UK Government's White Paper sets out the basis for the Government's 12 negotiating objectives to build a global UK with a strong new partnership with the EU after our exit.
The third chapter of this White Paper sets out that as we leave the EU we strengthen the precious union between the four nations of the United Kingdom. To this end we are working to ensure we get the best possible deal for the whole of the UK.
The Scottish Government set out their position in their Brexit paper just before Christmas and it was formally presented to the Joint Ministerial Committee on EU negotiations in January. The Secretary of State has also met with Michael Russell, Scottish Government Minister on Scotland's Place in Europe, to discuss the report.
We continue to look closely at their proposals and the evidence underpinning their position - and there are a number of areas where we are in agreement - on ensuring access to the Single Market for goods and services, securing UK nationals' status in the EU, protecting workers rights, and ensuring that Scottish and other British universities should continue to have access to the best of European talent, and research collaboration. But our guiding principle must be to ensure that, as we leave the European Union, no new barriers to living and doing business within our own Union are created.
The White Paper also sets out that no decisions currently taken by the devolved administrations will be removed from them and we will use the opportunity of bringing decision making back to the UK to ensure that more decisions are devolved.
We will continue to engage all of the devolved administrations, including the Scottish Government and the Scottish Parliament, throughout the process. At the January plenary session of the Joint Ministerial Committee, ministers agreed to intensify their work ahead of the triggering of Article 50 and to continue at the same pace thereafter.
The paper will be discussed in detail at the Joint Ministerial Committee on EU Negotiations (JMC(EN)) taking place on Thursday 19 January.
JMC(EN) has been set up to discuss each government’s requirements for the future relationship with the EU as we seek to agree a UK approach to the negotiations, and is chaired by the Secretary of State for Exiting the EU.
Discussions on the proposals have also taken place on a bilateral basis with the Scottish Government following the publication of the paper, and in line with our objective to seek a deal that works for all parts of the UK.
The Government has clearly stated that the UK does not need to be part of the EU to have strong protections for workers' rights. At every step of these negotiations we will work to ensure the best possible outcome for the British people, seizing opportunities to make Britain a country that truly works not just for a privileged few, but for everybody.
The Prime Minister has been clear that free movement cannot continue as it has in the past and one of the opportunities of Brexit is that we will be able to control the number of people coming to Britain from the EU. The precise way in which the Government will control the movement of EU nationals, including volunteers, is yet to be determined. We will be considering all options available to us based on the best available evidence.
The Prime Minister has been clear that free movement cannot continue as it has in the past and one of the opportunities of Brexit is that we will be able to control the number of people coming to Britain from the EU. The precise way in which the Government will control the movement of EU nationals, including volunteers, is yet to be determined. We will be considering all options available to us based on the best available evidence.
The Department for International Development is working with the Department for Heath, who are leading the UK government’s response to Zika, and Public Health England and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. This includes supporting the World Health Organisation in galvanising an effective international response.
We are not only concerned exclusively by the spread of Zika in the Americas but are equally concerned by the possible spread to other parts of the world - in the Caribbean, Africa and Asia where countries have less capacity to cope with such a disease.
The UK is supporting and commissioning research to better understand the Zika virus, its epidemiology and impacts, with particular focus on the risk to developing countries, and research into interventions to address this virus. This includes:
DFID is in the process of allocating more resources to the WHO for disease control preparedness, including Zika and Yellow Fever, including £4 m for Africa, £1.3 m for the Caribbean and £4 m for the rest of the world. DH and DFID officials along with representatives from key agencies – European Commission Humanitarian Aid & Civil Protection (ECHO), Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO), Inst Pasteur, EU Research Brussels, Paul Allen Foundation, as well as Canada, Japan, France and Australia - participated in a WHO/Donor Teleconference on 20 April to further coordinate response to Zika.
The Secretary of State for International Development has had no discussions on the 1955 tax treaty between the UK and Malawi with the Chancellor of the Exchequer. Issues relating to tax treaties are a matter for Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs.
The E-Route numbering network is not part of the functions of the EU or the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE). The UK Government hasn’t ratified the E-Route Treaty and no decision has been taken on whether the UK will join the scheme in the future.
The Department’s agencies are taking action on HGV driver testing and licensing. This includes recruiting 78 new driving examiners, as well as 65 in training and 41 offered posts. Licence renewal times where there are not medical issues have reduced and changes are being made to the operation of parts of the medical renewals process. The Department is working with other parts of Government to encourage and enable more people to become lorry drivers, including via apprenticeships and action related to Jobcentre Plus.
I note that over 55,000 tests were conducted in 2014-15, the highest total since 2008-09. Further, the number of Large Goods Vehicle practical and theory tests of all types conducted during July to September 2015 was 34 per cent higher than in the same quarter of 2014.