Asked by: Robert Goodwill (Conservative - Scarborough and Whitby)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans his Department has to introduce a Crown Commercial Services framework for zero emission vehicles.
Answered by Jesse Norman
The Department for Transport works closely with Crown Commercial Services, which have multiple procurement frameworks to help public bodies buy goods and services, including on electric vehicles and charging infrastructure. The frameworks are used by government fleets, local authorities and the wider public sector to support the transition to zero emission vehicles and help meet our net zero goals.
Asked by: Robert Goodwill (Conservative - Scarborough and Whitby)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will make an estimate of the cost of (a) extending free school meals to all children with a parent or guardian who is in receipt of Universal Credit and (b) making free school meals universal.
Answered by Kelly Tolhurst
The department does not have plans to assess the cost of changing the current eligibility conditions for free school meals (FSM).
The department continues to monitor the rising cost of living whilst working with other government departments on support surrounding this issue. The department will continue to keep FSM eligibility under review to ensure that these meals are supporting those who most need them. In setting a threshold, the government believes that the current level, which enables children to benefit from FSM while remaining affordable and deliverable for schools, is the right one.
The latest published statistics show that around 1.9 million pupils are claiming FSM. This equates to 22.5% of all pupils, up from 20.8% in 2021. Together with a further 1.25 million infants supported through the Universal Infant Free School Meal policy, 37.5% of pupils are now provided with FSM.
Asked by: Robert Goodwill (Conservative - Scarborough and Whitby)
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 not support industrial fishing for sandeel in English waters, on a similar basis to the policy of the Scottish Government, as part of the upcoming publication of the Joint Fisheries Statement.
Answered by Victoria Prentis - Attorney General
We are concerned about the impacts on the marine ecosystem by the removal of forage fish by industrial fishing. Following a recent call for evidence, Defra is presently working with others, including the Devolved Administrations, to develop a management strategy for industrial fishing in UK waters. We will consult on the introduction of any new measures in English waters.
Asked by: Robert Goodwill (Conservative - Scarborough and Whitby)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of deploying small and advanced modular reactors on existing nuclear sites.
Answered by Greg Hands - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Government recognises that there are areas across the UK with experience hosting nuclear developments and appreciates the potential benefits that these locations could offer to new nuclear projects.
The Government is developing a siting strategy, and a new National Policy Statement for nuclear electricity generation infrastructure deployable after 2025. The Government will consult on the strategy in due course.
The Government remains open to considering development proposals for projects at sites which stakeholders consider suitable, including existing nuclear sites. Any future project would be subject to planning and development consents.
Asked by: Robert Goodwill (Conservative - Scarborough and Whitby)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment his Department has made of the proportion of (a) large nuclear reactors and (b) small and advanced modular reactors that the UK requires.
Answered by Greg Hands - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Nuclear power generated in the UK plays a critical role in the UK energy system. Hinkley Point C is under construction and, when operational, will supply 3.2GW of secure, low carbon electricity for around 60 years, providing enough power for around 6 million homes. The Government aims to bring at least one large-scale nuclear project to the point of Final Investment Decision(FID) by the end of this Parliament, subject to value for money and all relevant approvals.
Small and Advanced Modular Reactors (SMRs/AMRs) could play a significant role alongside large nuclear as a low-carbon energy source to support a secure, affordable decarbonised energy system. In order to support this, the Government has announced up to £120 million for a new Future Nuclear Enabling Fund (FNEF) to provide targeted support to address barriers to entry. The Government will publish a roadmap for new nuclear deployment, including large scale and advanced nuclear technologies, in 2022.
Asked by: Robert Goodwill (Conservative - Scarborough and Whitby)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many High-Temperature Gas Reactors his Department plans to construct in the UK.
Answered by Greg Hands - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Department’s Advanced Nuclear Fund includes funding for an Advanced Modular Reactor (AMR) Research, Development & Demonstration (RD&D) Programme to enable a High Temperature Gas Reactor (HTGR) demonstration by the early 2030s to understand the potential of the technology and its contribution to achieving the UK’s Net Zero target.
The Government has published a stakeholder engagement note which sets out a proposed three phase approach for the programme. This approach will develop the evidence base to inform future policy.
Asked by: Robert Goodwill (Conservative - Scarborough and Whitby)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of extending temporary permitted development rights for pop-up campsites to summer 2022.
Answered by Stuart Andrew - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
To provide greater flexibility during coronavirus restrictions, a permitted development right was introduced to provide additional days for the temporary use of land, including camping.
This has now expired. However, the original right remains, allowing for the temporary use of land for up to 28 days per calendar year.
Asked by: Robert Goodwill (Conservative - Scarborough and Whitby)
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 he has made of the proportionality of the plant health regulatory regime for the import of seeds, plants and trees; and whether he has plans to revise that regulatory regime.
Answered by Victoria Prentis - Attorney General
High plant health and biosecurity standards keep harmful pests and diseases, like Xylella fastidiosa, out of the UK, benefiting both the horticultural trade and the environment in the long term. The UK has some of the highest plant health and biosecurity standards in the world, and we have been clear we will not compromise on these standards. They are integral to supporting and protecting the horticultural industry overall as well as sustaining our food supply and natural environment.
The UK Plant Health Risk Group is continuously reviewing risks to plant biosecurity and identifying actions needed to mitigate the most significant threats. These include keeping our regulatory regime up to date, carrying out focused surveillance and inspections, contingency planning, research, and awareness raising as well as identifying areas where intervention would not be helpful or justified.
Since plant health controls on high-priority plants and plant products imported from the EU to GB were introduced on 1 January 2021, 94 interceptions of harmful organisms have been made, which all had the potential to lead to a damaging outbreak in GB.
In addition, more than 300 other instances of non-compliance have been identified.
These cases demonstrate the importance of effective import controls to safeguard commercial plant production; protect food supply and avoid the serious impacts on our natural environment which pest/disease outbreaks can lead to.
We have recently consulted on a permanent system of import checks and frequencies which will deal with imports from EU Member States and other third countries consistently.
This system is based on technical assessments of risk and retains the default position of 100% inspections for imported plants and trees. However, it also considers cases where a lower percentage of checks can be adopted for certain categories of plants where there is an identifiable lower risk (examples could be annual plants, because they are short lived, or house plants, because they are kept indoors).
The consultation closed in early 2022 and we expect to update stakeholders on the outcome of this consultation in March.
Asked by: Robert Goodwill (Conservative - Scarborough and Whitby)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to ensure free movement of cultivated plant biodiversity.
Answered by Victoria Prentis - Attorney General
UK plant health controls take a risk-based approach informed by the evidence and balance ensuring robust biosecurity with the facilitation of trade. The threat from plant pests and diseases is significant and growing due to globalisation and climate change.
The increase in trade and travel has resulted in an escalation in the volume and diversity of plants and plant products entering the UK from sources across the world. These plant imports can act as hosts or vectors and are one of the primary ways in which new pests and diseases can be introduced.
High plant health and biosecurity standards keep harmful pests and diseases, like Xylella fastidiosa, out of the UK, benefiting both the horticultural trade and the environment in the long term. The UK has some of the highest plant health and biosecurity standards in the world, and we have been clear we will not compromise on these standards. They are integral to supporting and protecting the horticultural industry overall as well as sustaining our food supply and natural environment.
The UK Plant Health Risk Group is continuously reviewing risks to plant biosecurity and identifying actions needed to mitigate the most significant threats. These include keeping our regulatory regime up to date, carrying out focused surveillance and inspections, contingency planning, research, and awareness raising as well as identifying areas where intervention would not be helpful or justified.
Further, the UK is a member of both:
o the OECD Seed Schemes which provide harmonised standards for the international trade of seed of regulated plant species for agriculture, and
o the OECD Forest Seed and Plant Scheme which ensures Forest Reproductive Material (FRM) is produced, controlled and traded according to harmonised standards.
The EU has granted equivalence to the UK for agricultural seed (excluding production of vegetable seed), fruit and vegetable propagating material, and forest reproductive material (FRM), ensuring these commodities may be marketed in the EU.
The UK Plant Health Information Portal has published Defra guidance to importers and exporters of plant material to support trade facilitation.
Asked by: Robert Goodwill (Conservative - Scarborough and Whitby)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to establish a plant health agreement with the EU for the export of seeds, plants and trees.
Answered by Victoria Prentis - Attorney General
Defra is not looking to establish a specific plant health agreement with the EU
The Trade and Cooperation Agreement includes a sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) chapter which allows the UK and the EU to take a risk-based approach to our respective SPS border controls and provides a basis for cooperation on avoiding unnecessary barriers to trade.
A key part of this is the Trade Specialised Committee, which is tasked with regularly reviewing the Parties' SPS measures, including certification requirements and border clearance processes, and their application, in order to facilitate trade between the Parties.
We are open to discussions with the EU on additional steps to further reduce trade friction, but these cannot be on the basis of future alignment with EU rules. This would compromise UK sovereignty over our own laws.