Asked by: Andrea Jenkyns (Conservative - Morley and Outwood)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of launching a review of horse welfare standards in the UK.
Answered by Victoria Prentis - Attorney General
The Government shares the public's high regard for animal welfare, and we are committed to enhancing our status as a world leader in the protection of animals. The Action Plan for Animal Welfare is an ambitious plan which sets out an overview of the Government's main priorities on animal welfare and conservation. In the action plan, we have committed to ensuring that the equine sector addresses key welfare issues such as racehorse fatality levels.
Under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 (the 2006 Act) it is an offence to cause unnecessary suffering to an animal. Anyone who is cruel to an animal faces being sent to prison for up to 5 years, or receiving an unlimited fine, or both. The 2006 Act is backed up by the Code of Practice for the Welfare of Horses, Ponies, Donkeys and Their Hybrids which provides owners with information on how to meet the welfare needs of their equines. The Code makes clear that owners are responsible for meeting the horse's need for safe and suitable shelter and pasture, whether this is through a livery yard, rented land or land that they own. The Code can be found here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/700200/horses-welfare-codes-of-practice-april2018.pdf
The Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018 were developed to help improve welfare standards across a range of activities involving animals that are licensed by local authorities. Under these regulations, hiring out horses in the course of a business for riding or instruction in riding and selling animals as pets in the course of a business are both licensable activities. This includes riding schools, trekking, loan horses, pony parties, hunter hirelings, polo/polocrosse instruction, pony hire, pony and donkey rides.
The Animal Welfare Committee is an expert committee that advises the Department on the welfare of animals. This includes farmed, companion and wild animals kept by people. Please see further details here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/groups/animal-welfare-committee-awc
Defra considers that current legislation and guidance provides the right safeguards and powers in respect of protecting horse welfare. We will continue to engage with key stakeholders to see if more can be done to spread best practice among horse owners, as well as increased partnership working with the equine welfare sector in order to tackle equine welfare issues.
Asked by: Andrea Jenkyns (Conservative - Morley and Outwood)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of establishing an independent body to oversee horse welfare in the UK.
Answered by Victoria Prentis - Attorney General
The Government shares the public's high regard for animal welfare, and we are committed to enhancing our status as a world leader in the protection of animals. The Action Plan for Animal Welfare is an ambitious plan which sets out an overview of the Government's main priorities on animal welfare and conservation. In the action plan, we have committed to ensuring that the equine sector addresses key welfare issues such as racehorse fatality levels.
Under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 (the 2006 Act) it is an offence to cause unnecessary suffering to an animal. Anyone who is cruel to an animal faces being sent to prison for up to 5 years, or receiving an unlimited fine, or both. The 2006 Act is backed up by the Code of Practice for the Welfare of Horses, Ponies, Donkeys and Their Hybrids which provides owners with information on how to meet the welfare needs of their equines. The Code makes clear that owners are responsible for meeting the horse's need for safe and suitable shelter and pasture, whether this is through a livery yard, rented land or land that they own. The Code can be found here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/700200/horses-welfare-codes-of-practice-april2018.pdf
The Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018 were developed to help improve welfare standards across a range of activities involving animals that are licensed by local authorities. Under these regulations, hiring out horses in the course of a business for riding or instruction in riding and selling animals as pets in the course of a business are both licensable activities. This includes riding schools, trekking, loan horses, pony parties, hunter hirelings, polo/polocrosse instruction, pony hire, pony and donkey rides.
The Animal Welfare Committee is an expert committee that advises the Department on the welfare of animals. This includes farmed, companion and wild animals kept by people. Please see further details here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/groups/animal-welfare-committee-awc
Defra considers that current legislation and guidance provides the right safeguards and powers in respect of protecting horse welfare. We will continue to engage with key stakeholders to see if more can be done to spread best practice among horse owners, as well as increased partnership working with the equine welfare sector in order to tackle equine welfare issues.
Asked by: Afzal Khan (Labour - Manchester, Gorton)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate she has made of the number of special visas issued to foreign polo team players that have been utilised by low-skilled migrant workers.
Answered by Kevin Foster
All entry requirements for sportspeople are agreed with the recognised Sport’s Governing Body for each sport and are subject to regular review. The criterion for polo was recently approved in November 2019 and is published on the SGB’s website. Home Office statistical data does not break down visas issued by particular sport.
Asked by: Afzal Khan (Labour - Manchester, Gorton)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the merits of granting special visas to foreign polo team players.
Answered by Kevin Foster
The Immigration Rules governing professional sportspeople and coaches ensure that UK sports can access top end talent whilst at the same time protecting opportunities for resident players.
Entry requirements are agreed with recognised governing bodies and are subject to regular review.
Asked by: Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Wood Green)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to support local competitive swimming clubs.
Answered by Tracey Crouch
Sport England is the body responsible for supporting and investing in grassroots and community sport.
Between 2017 and 2021 Sport England is investing £12.16 million in Swim England, the national governing body for the sport, to get more people swimming, to support local clubs and to help talented swimmers to develop.
This investment includes £4.6 million to support talented athletes on Swim England's swimming, synchronised swimming and water polo programmes.
Asked by: Lord Austin of Dudley (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many and which free school project applications have been withdrawn or cancelled in each year since 2011.
Answered by Edward Timpson
There are 345 open free schools, and 234 projects approved into pre-opening. 39 projects have either been withdrawn by proposer groups or cancelled by the Department before projects come into fruition.
The table below sets out the projects which were withdrawn or cancelled since 2011:
Cancelled or withdrawn projects | Year cancelled or withdrawn |
BBG Parents Alliance (Birkenshaw, Birstall and Gomersal) | 2011 |
The Rotherham central free school | 2012 |
Newham Free Academy | 2012 |
Harris/AESE Free School Tottenham | 2012 |
Rivendale free school | 2012 |
Chorley career and sixth form academy | 2012 |
The Priory Rural Skills and Equestrian Free School | 2012 |
Harris free school Tottenham | 2012 |
The Northern Lights Primary School | 2013 |
TLG Bradford | 2013 |
The Bristol primary school | 2013 |
Rainbow schools Nottingham | 2013 |
Warrington Montessori school | 2013 |
The Leeds retail and financial services academy | 2013 |
Barnfield fernwood free school | 2013 |
The Free School Leeds | 2013 |
Newark School of Enterprise (formerly Exemplar Newark Business Academy) | 2014 |
Phoenix free school of Oldham | 2014 |
Oasis community school Walthamstow | 2014 |
Marco Polo academy | 2014 |
The advance school Norbury | 2014 |
On track Chiltern | 2014 |
The Inspirar Bilingual academy | 2014 |
Hackney Wick Academy | 2015 |
Luton Girls' Academy | 2015 |
St Mary's CE Primary School | 2015 |
Khalsa Engineering Academy | 2015 |
Gateway Academy | 2015 |
Harris Primary Free School Nunhead | 2015 |
Harris Primary Free School Tottenham Hale | 2015 |
Crystal Palace Primary School | 2015 |
Elements Primary School | 2015 |
Powerlist Post 16 Leadership College | 2015 |
STEM Academy Croydon Gateway | 2015 |
Trinity High School | 2015 |
Harperbury Free School | 2016 |
Gladstone School | 2016 |
Bury St Edmunds: Middle Phase | 2016 |
The Ashworth Preparatory School | 2016 |
Asked by: Jess Phillips (Labour - Birmingham, Yardley)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what free school project applications have been withdrawn or cancelled since 2010; and what costs were incurred by the applicant on (a) property and planning, (b) technical advice and consultancy and (c) legal fees before withdrawal or cancellation.
Answered by Edward Timpson
There have been 39 schools cancelled or withdrawn since 2010.
The Department does not collect information about the costs incurred by applicants that have been withdrawn or cancelled.
Project Name | Project Status | School Phase | Local Authority |
Rivendale free school | Withdrawn | Primary | Hammersmith and Fulham |
The Rotherham central free school | Cancelled | Secondary | Rotherham |
Newham Free Academy | Cancelled | Secondary | Newham |
Chorley career and sixth form academy | Withdrawn | Secondary | Lancashire |
The Priory Rural Skills and Equestrian Free School | Withdrawn | Secondary | Lincolnshire |
The Northern Lights Primary School | Cancelled | Primary | Calderdale |
The Bristol primary school | Cancelled | Primary | Bristol City of |
Harris free school Tottenham | Withdrawn | All-Through | Haringey |
Barnfield fernwood free school | Withdrawn | Primary | Central Bedfordshire |
Rainbow schools Nottingham | Cancelled | Primary | Nottingham |
Newark School of Enterprise (formerly Exemplar Newark Business Academy) | Cancelled | Secondary | Nottinghamshire |
Warrington Montessori school | Cancelled | Primary | Cheshire West and Chester |
The Leeds retail and financial services academy | Cancelled | Secondary | Leeds |
The Free School Leeds | Withdrawn | Primary | Leeds |
Khalsa Engineering Academy | Withdrawn | Primary | Bradford |
TLG Bradford | Withdrawn | Secondary | Bradford |
Gateway Academy | Withdrawn | Secondary | Brent |
The advance school Norbury | Withdrawn | Primary | Croydon |
Harperbury Free School | Cancelled | Secondary | Hertfordshire |
On track Chiltern | Withdrawn | Secondary | Bedford |
Phoenix free school of Oldham | Cancelled | Secondary | Oldham |
Oasis community school Walthamstow | Cancelled | Secondary | Waltham Forest |
Marco Polo academy | Cancelled | Primary | Barnet |
Gladstone School | Cancelled | Secondary | Brent |
The inspirar bilingual academy | Withdrawn | Primary | Lincolnshire |
Harris Primary Free School Nunhead | Withdrawn | Primary | Southwark |
The Ashworth Preparatory School | Withdrawn | Primary | Northamptonshire |
Harris Primary Free School Tottenham Hale | Withdrawn | Primary | Haringey |
Crystal Palace Primary School | Withdrawn | Primary | Croydon |
Elements Primary School | Withdrawn | Primary | Barnsley |
Hackney Wick Academy | Cancelled | Secondary | Hackney |
Luton Girls' Academy | Cancelled | Secondary | Luton |
Powerlist Post 16 Leadership College | Withdrawn | 16-19 | City of London |
St Mary's CE Primary School | Cancelled | Primary | Hertfordshire |
STEM Academy Croydon Gateway | Withdrawn | 16-19 | Croydon |
Trinity High School | Withdrawn | Secondary | Merton |
BBG Parents Alliance (Birkenshaw, Birstall and Gomersal) | Cancelled | Secondary | Kirklees |
Harris/AESE Free School Tottenham | Cancelled | All-Through | Haringey |
Bury st Edmunds: Middle Phase | Cancelled | Secondary | Suffolk |
Asked by: Lord Moynihan (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government in which Olympic and Paralympic sports there has been a reduction in real terms in funding support from UK Sport since 2012.
Answered by Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth
UK Sport makes funding awards on a four year cycle in line with the Olympic and Paralympic calendars, and is currently supporting 46 Summer & Winter Olympic and Paralympic sports. These four year awards are reviewed each year through the Annual Investment Review process which measures sports against an agreed set of annual targets. The 18 sports which have seen a reduction in funding since 2012 are:
Archery
Badminton
Basketball
Goalball
Handball
Judo
Powerlifting
Swimming
Synchronised Swimming
Table Tennis
Visually Impaired Football
Volleyball (indoor, sitting and beach)
Water polo
Wheelchair fencing
Wheelchair basketball
Wrestling
Asked by: Jim Cunningham (Labour - Coventry South)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what free school project applications have been withdrawn or cancelled; and what each application had spent on (a) property and planning, (b) technical and consultant and (c) legal fees before withdrawal or cancellation.
Answered by Sam Gyimah
As of 16 December 2014, 21 projects have withdrawn or been cancelled. These are listed below.
Name of School |
Rotherham Central Free School |
The Priory Rural Skills and Equestrian Free School |
Chorley Career and Sixth Form |
Newham Free Academy |
Rivendale Free School |
Barnfield Fernwood Free School |
The Bristol Primary School |
Warrington Montessori School |
Rainbow Schools (Nottingham) |
Northern Lights |
The Leeds Retail and Financial Services Academy |
Harris Free School Tottenham |
The Free School Leeds |
TLG Bradford |
Newark School of Enterprise |
The Inspirar Bilingual Academy |
Marco Polo Academy |
Oasis Community School Walthamstow |
Phoenix Free School of Oldham |
On Track Chiltern |
The Advance School Norbury |
When a project is cancelled or withdrawn, the Department for Education seeks to make alternative use of any capital spend on sites or otherwise.
Any capital costs spent on these projects are declared in the Department’s annual accounts at:
www.gov.uk/government/collections/dfe-annual-reports
The March 2014 accounts will be published in the New Year.
Asked by: Jim Cunningham (Labour - Coventry South)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, which free school projects pre-approved to open in September 2014 have since been (a) cancelled or withdrawn and (b) delayed; and what the pre-opening expenditure was for each such project.
Answered by Edward Timpson
Since 2011, 174 new free schools have opened across the country and around a further 80 are on course to open in September 2014. While free school proposers will have a preferred date for opening their school, the Department for Education does not approve projects to open in any specific year.
The projects aiming to open in September 2014 or beyond that have been withdrawn are:
1. Inspirar Academy
2. Marco Polo Academy
3. Oasis Community School Walthamstow
4. On Track Chiltern
5. Phoenix Free School of Oldham
6. The Advance School
7. Transforming Lives for Good
No project was specifically approved to open in September 2014.
Once the costs are finalised, the Department publishes the pre-opening expenditure for each free school project on the Departmental website.