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1183251

registered interest
date	06/03/2020
answering body	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept id	16
answering dept short name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
hansard heading	West Africa: Security
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with representatives from the Economic Community of West African States on the security situation in those countries.
tabling member constituency	Carmarthen East and Dinefwr
tabling member printed	Jonathan Edwards
uin	26140
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/03/2020 answer text <p>The UK welcomes the recent statement by the UN and Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) of their commitment to work together towards peace, security and stability across West Africa and the Sahel. The UK regularly engages with ECOWAS and its member states on tackling terrorism and the underlying causes of conflict in the region. We will continue to identify opportunities for co-ordination and partnership, in particular as ECOWAS assumes responsibility within the framework of the African Standby Force High Readiness element from July.</p> answering member constituency Rochford and Southend East answering member printed James Duddridge question first answered 11/03/2020 16:22:56 answering member 1559 label Biography information for Sir James Duddridge
tabling member	3943 label Biography information for Jonathan Edwards

1183252

registered interest
date	06/03/2020
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Mathematics: Primary Education
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of using the grid multiplication method in maths teaching at key stage 2; and whether he plans to publish revised guidance to encourage that method in the curriculum.
tabling member constituency	North Devon
tabling member printed	Selaine Saxby
uin	26180
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/03/2020 answer text <p>The mathematics national curriculum was reformed in 2014. It was developed by the Department with advice from subject experts, to ensure that it provided the knowledge to progress in education and employment.</p><p>The national curriculum requires pupils in state-maintained schools to be taught a formal written method of multiplication and ‘Mathematics Appendix 1’ provides a set of examples for this.</p><p>There are no current plans to published revised guidance on this matter.</p> answering member constituency Bognor Regis and Littlehampton answering member printed Nick Gibb question first answered 17/03/2020 15:16:10 answering member 111 label Biography information for Nick Gibb previous answer version 12690 answering member constituency Bognor Regis and Littlehampton answering member printed Nick Gibb answering member 111 label Biography information for Nick Gibb
tabling member	4863 label Biography information for Selaine Saxby

1183253

registered interest
date	06/03/2020
answering body	Department for International Development
answering dept id	20
answering dept short name	International Development
answering dept sort name	International Development
hansard heading	Refugees: Education
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps he is taking to improve access to education for refugees in other countries; and if he will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	Harrow West
tabling member printed	Gareth Thomas
uin	26126
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/03/2020 answer text <p>DFID is a world leader in global education and the pursuit of Sustainable Development Goal 4. In particular, the UK prioritises education in conflict and crises for the world’s most vulnerable children, supporting quality education as well as the protection of children.</p><p>We are the largest donor to Education Cannot Wait, the global fund for education in emergencies, which the UK helped found. Our unprecedented £85 million contribution announced by the Prime Minister last year will support 600,000 children living in conflict areas and areas of protracted crises. We also run major country-level programmes supporting refugee education in countries including Bangladesh, Uganda, Lebanon, and Jordan.</p> answering member constituency Aldridge-Brownhills answering member printed Wendy Morton question first answered 12/03/2020 15:52:16 answering member 4358 label Biography information for Wendy Morton
tabling member	177 label Biography information for Gareth Thomas

1183254

registered interest
date	06/03/2020
answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept id	13
answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
hansard heading	Pesticides
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to end the use of synthetic pesticides.
tabling member constituency	Leeds North West
tabling member printed	Alex Sobel
uin	26165
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/03/2020 answer text <p>The sale and use of pesticides are strictly regulated and are only permitted where a rigorous scientific risk assessment determines that the proposed use will not harm people or pose unacceptable risks to the environment.</p><p>The Government is clear that it is right to minimise the use of pesticides, and to make the greatest possible use of alternative pest and disease control methods in support of sustainable farming and land management. To this end, as set out in the 25 Year Environment Plan, the Government is developing its approach to pesticides, putting Integrated Pest Management at its heart. This will enable us to continue to reduce the impacts of pesticide use and will be set out in our forthcoming National Action Plan for Pesticides.</p> answering member constituency Banbury answering member printed Victoria Prentis question first answered 12/03/2020 16:40:37 answering member 4401 label Biography information for Victoria Prentis
tabling member	4658 label Biography information for Alex Sobel

1183255

registered interest
date	06/03/2020
answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept id	13
answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
hansard heading	Bees
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate he has made of the bee population in each year since 2010.
tabling member constituency	Leeds North West
tabling member printed	Alex Sobel
uin	26166
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/03/2020 answer text <p>Each year, the Government publishes an indicator of trends in populations of wild bees and other pollinators in the UK, measuring changes in the distribution of almost 400 pollinating insect species since 1980, including 137 species of bees. The indicator shows an overall long term decline since 1980. However, from 2013 onwards, there is evidence of an overall increase in the distribution of bee species, although other insect pollinators have continued to decline.</p><p>The National Bee Unit at Defra also maintains a registration system for honey bees and beekeeping in the UK on its ‘BeeBase’ website. Registration is voluntary so it is difficult to provide exact figures on honey bee populations, but it suggests that activity in the beekeeping sector and consequently honey bee numbers are increasing. Colonies recorded on BeeBase increased from 108,649 in 2009 to 212,054 in 2019.</p><p>Since 2014 we have been working with a range of partners to implement a National Pollinator Strategy to address declines in wild pollinators and concerns about bee health. This has included establishing a UK-wide pollinator monitoring and research partnership in collaboration with research institutes and volunteer organisations to gather further data on the status of UK pollinators.</p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow question first answered 12/03/2020 14:08:14 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
tabling member	4658 label Biography information for Alex Sobel

1183256

registered interest
date	06/03/2020
answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept id	13
answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
hansard heading	Bees: Yorkshire and the Humber
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to (a) protect and (b) increase the bee population in Yorkshire and the Humber.
tabling member constituency	Leeds North West
tabling member printed	Alex Sobel
uin	26167
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/03/2020 answer text <p>This is a devolved matter, and the information provided relates to England only. Across the country, the Government is investing in protecting, restoring and recovering wildlife-rich habitats and species, including bees and other insects.</p><p> </p><p>This includes securing 75% of our network of Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs) by area in favourable condition by 2042. These sites provide legal protection for our most important wildlife and natural features in England. There are over 4000 SSSIs in England, covering a little over 7% of the country’s land area. Yorkshire and the Humber is home to 371 of these sites, covering an area of 187,144 hectares (<a href="https://designatedsites.naturalengland.org.uk/ReportConditionSummary.aspx?regionName=YORKSHIRE+%26+HUMBERSIDE&amp;ReportTitle=YORKSHIRE+%26+HUMBERSIDE" target="_blank">https://designatedsites.naturalengland.org.uk/ReportConditionSummary.aspx?regionName=YORKSHIRE+%26+HUMBERSIDE&amp;ReportTitle=YORKSHIRE+%26+HUMBERSIDE</a>).</p><p> </p><p>The Government provides substantial public funding for increasing biodiversity, spending £2.9 billion on agri-environment schemes in England through our seven-year Rural Development Programme. Countryside Stewardship’s ‘wildlife offers’ provide for sources of nectar and pollen for insect pollinators and are now open for applications for agreements starting in 2021. Schemes are tailored to the specific biodiversity interests in Yorkshire and the Humber through local targeting statements (<a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/countryside-stewardship-statements-of-priorities" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/countryside-stewardship-statements-of-priorities</a>).</p><p> </p><p>We support species recovery through agri-environment schemes and partnership projects. Natural England is working with conservation organisations and landowners on the Back from the Brink programme, a £7.7 million partnership funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund and others to put over 100 priority species on the road to recovery. Two Back from the Brink projects operating partly in Yorkshire and the Humber, ‘Colour in the Margins’ led by Plantlife, and ‘Ancients of the Future’ led by Buglife, are creating and ensuring the resilience of rich habitats which support bees and other insects.</p><p> </p><p>We have also supported Buglife’s ‘B-Lines’ project, which has produced maps of potential pollinator-friendly habitat across Yorkshire and the Humber and other regions. Our annual Bees’ Needs Champions Awards have recognised councils and community groups from across Yorkshire and the Humber for their exemplary work for pollinators.</p><p>Our 25 Year Environment Plan marked a step-change in ambition for the natural environment and we are determined to build on these successes.</p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow question first answered 12/03/2020 14:04:03 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
tabling member	4658 label Biography information for Alex Sobel

1183257

registered interest
date	06/03/2020
answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept id	13
answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
hansard heading	Agriculture: Biodiversity
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to encourage biodiversity in agriculture.
tabling member constituency	Leeds North West
tabling member printed	Alex Sobel
uin	26168
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/03/2020 answer text <p>This is a devolved matter, and the information provided relates to England only. Across the country, the Government is investing in restoring wildlife-rich habitats and supporting species recovery, including within agricultural environments.</p><p>The Government provides substantial public funding for managing protected sites and restoring wildlife habitats, spending £2.9 billion on agri-environment schemes in England through our 7-year Rural Development Programme. Through our programme we encourage farmers and land managers to manage their land to protect and enhance the natural environment by improving biodiversity. For pollinators specifically, the Countryside Stewardship ‘wildlife offers’ provide payments for farmers and landowners to plant nectar and pollen-rich plants for insect pollinators and are now open for applications for agreements starting in 2021.</p><p>Looking to the future, our new Environmental Land Management (ELM) scheme will be the cornerstone of our agricultural policy. Founded on the principle of “public money for public goods”, ELM is intended to provide a powerful vehicle for achieving the goals of the 25 Year Environment Plan and commitment to net zero emissions, while supporting our rural economy.</p><p>Thriving plants and wildlife are public goods identified in the 25 Year Environment Plan and an important objective for ELM. ELM will provide funding for the management of habitats to support this objective.</p><p>The 25 Year Environment Plan also sets out the government’s plans to put Integrated Pest Management (IPM) at the heart of our approach. We are undertaking a review of the National Action Plan on the Sustainable Use of Pesticides which will focus on the development and introduction of IPM and of alternatives to pesticides.</p><p>We work to ensure and encourage specific action for pollinators through each of these and other initiatives, with our partners on the National Pollinator Strategy. The Strategy sets out how Government, conservation groups, farmers, beekeepers and researchers can work together to improve the status of pollinating insect species in England, on and beyond farmland.</p> answering member constituency Banbury answering member printed Victoria Prentis grouped question UIN 26169 question first answered 13/03/2020 11:23:49 answering member 4401 label Biography information for Victoria Prentis
tabling member	4658 label Biography information for Alex Sobel

1183258

registered interest
date	06/03/2020
answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept id	13
answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
hansard heading	Agriculture: Bees
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to encourage agriculture that supports bee populations.
tabling member constituency	Leeds North West
tabling member printed	Alex Sobel
uin	26169
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/03/2020 answer text <p>This is a devolved matter, and the information provided relates to England only. Across the country, the Government is investing in restoring wildlife-rich habitats and supporting species recovery, including within agricultural environments.</p><p>The Government provides substantial public funding for managing protected sites and restoring wildlife habitats, spending £2.9 billion on agri-environment schemes in England through our 7-year Rural Development Programme. Through our programme we encourage farmers and land managers to manage their land to protect and enhance the natural environment by improving biodiversity. For pollinators specifically, the Countryside Stewardship ‘wildlife offers’ provide payments for farmers and landowners to plant nectar and pollen-rich plants for insect pollinators and are now open for applications for agreements starting in 2021.</p><p>Looking to the future, our new Environmental Land Management (ELM) scheme will be the cornerstone of our agricultural policy. Founded on the principle of “public money for public goods”, ELM is intended to provide a powerful vehicle for achieving the goals of the 25 Year Environment Plan and commitment to net zero emissions, while supporting our rural economy.</p><p>Thriving plants and wildlife are public goods identified in the 25 Year Environment Plan and an important objective for ELM. ELM will provide funding for the management of habitats to support this objective.</p><p>The 25 Year Environment Plan also sets out the government’s plans to put Integrated Pest Management (IPM) at the heart of our approach. We are undertaking a review of the National Action Plan on the Sustainable Use of Pesticides which will focus on the development and introduction of IPM and of alternatives to pesticides.</p><p>We work to ensure and encourage specific action for pollinators through each of these and other initiatives, with our partners on the National Pollinator Strategy. The Strategy sets out how Government, conservation groups, farmers, beekeepers and researchers can work together to improve the status of pollinating insect species in England, on and beyond farmland.</p> answering member constituency Banbury answering member printed Victoria Prentis grouped question UIN 26168 question first answered 13/03/2020 11:23:49 answering member 4401 label Biography information for Victoria Prentis
tabling member	4658 label Biography information for Alex Sobel

1183259

registered interest
date	06/03/2020
answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept id	13
answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
hansard heading	Litter: Yorkshire and the Humber
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to reduce the amount of litter in cities in Yorkshire and the Humber.
tabling member constituency	Leeds North West
tabling member printed	Alex Sobel
uin	26170
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/03/2020 answer text <p>The Government is committed to encouraging local solutions for local problems. This is particularly relevant in dealing with litter and fly-tipping problems, which require a local approach, tailored to the characteristics of the area and the community in which the problems occur.</p><p> </p><p>The role of central Government, as set out in the Litter Strategy for England, is to enable and support this local action: providing a clear legal framework of rights, responsibilities and powers, setting national standards and, where possible, making sure that the costs of dealing with litter issues are passed to those responsible for causing the problem.</p><p> </p><p>The Government has increased the fixed penalties available for councils to enforce against littering offences to up to £150; extended powers to the whole of England to issue civil penalties to the keeper of a vehicle from which litter is thrown; and recently published improved guidance to councils and others on the use of these powers.</p><p> </p><p>This spring, we also will be publishing guidance to help local authorities and Business Improvement Districts plan the most effective bin provision for their local area, making it easier for people to do the right thing and dispose of their waste correctly. This will be supported by a £2 million capital grants scheme later in the year, to assist with the purchase of new ‘binfrastructure’.</p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow question first answered 13/03/2020 09:46:54 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
tabling member	4658 label Biography information for Alex Sobel

1183260

registered interest
date	06/03/2020
answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept id	13
answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
hansard heading	Air Pollution
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that the UK meets World Health Organisation 2030 targets for levels of fine particulate matter.
tabling member constituency	Leeds North West
tabling member printed	Alex Sobel
uin	26171
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/03/2020 answer text <p>Our Clean Air Strategy, published in January 2019, set out the comprehensive action required across all parts of Government to improve air quality and reduce public exposure to particulate matter pollution, alongside other pollutants. Our analysis, published in July 2019, concluded that while significant progress would be made towards the WHO guideline level for PM2.5 through the actions outlined in the Clean Air Strategy, additional action would be required in large urban areas such as London.</p><p> </p><p>The Environment Bill delivers key parts of the Clean Air Strategy, and establishes a duty to set a legally-binding target for PM2.5. We are committed to following an evidence-based process to set this target, seeking advice from a range of experts, in addition to giving consideration to the WHO’s air quality guidelines. We need to ensure that this target is based on realistic pathways, robust science and full economic analysis to ensure that it is both ambitious and achievable, focusing on how the greatest public health benefits can be achieved.</p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow question first answered 13/03/2020 09:55:21 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
tabling member	4658 label Biography information for Alex Sobel