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1661367

	registered interest
	date	18/09/2023
	answering body	Department for Transport
	answering dept id	27
	answering dept short name	Transport
	answering dept sort name	Transport
	hansard heading	Aviation: Nature Conservation
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the Habitats Directive on airfield planning applications.
	tabling member constituency	Witney
	tabling member printed	Robert Courts
	uin	200084
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/10/2023 answer text <p><strong> </strong></p><p>The Government is supportive of airport growth where it can be delivered within its environmental obligations.</p><p> </p><p>Every development proposal should be judged by the relevant planning authority, taking careful account of all relevant considerations, including environmental impacts and proposed mitigations.</p><p> </p><p>Airport planning applications need to take into account the European Commission Habitats Directive where they could lead to significant impacts on areas of nature conservation, which could include a Habitat Regulations Assessment of the implications of the plans for that site.</p> answering member constituency Hereford and South Herefordshire answering member printed Jesse Norman question first answered 16/10/2023 16:35:12 answering member 3991 label Biography information for Jesse Norman
	tabling member	4589 label Biography information for Robert Courts

1524320

	registered interest
	date	19/10/2022
	answering body	Department of Health and Social Care
	answering dept id	17
	answering dept short name	Health and Social Care
	answering dept sort name	Health and Social Care
	hansard heading	Independent Investigation into East Kent Maternity Services
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will make an assessment of the implications for her policies of the report of the Independent Investigation into East Kent Maternity Services, published on 19 October 2022; and if she will make a statement.
	tabling member constituency	Witney
	tabling member printed	Robert Courts
	uin	67158
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/11/2022 answer text <p>A written statement to the House of Commons and the House of Lords was made on 19 October 2022 regarding the publication of the report of the independent investigation into maternity and neonatal services in East Kent Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Dr Caroline Johnson MP, also made an oral statement to the House on 20 October 2022.</p><p>The Department has established an independent working group, chaired by the Royal College of Midwifery and the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, which will help guide the maternity transformation programme to take forward the next steps from the reports into maternity services at East Kent and Shrewsbury and Telford.</p><p>Together with the NHS, the Department will consider actions from both reports to form a coherent national delivery plan for maternity services.</p> answering member constituency Lewes answering member printed Maria Caulfield question first answered 03/11/2022 15:20:01 answering member 4492 label Biography information for Maria Caulfield previous answer version 26794 answering member constituency Sleaford and North Hykeham answering member printed Dr Caroline Johnson answering member 4592
	tabling member	4589 label Biography information for Robert Courts

1645061

	registered interest
	date	15/06/2023
	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	Animal and Plant Health Agency
	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 assessment she made of the adequacy of Animal Plant and Health Agency veterinary resources; and if she will make a statement.
	tabling member constituency	Witney
	tabling member printed	Robert Courts
	uin	189875
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/06/2023 answer text <p>APHA has approximately 430 veterinary posts and at the end of May 2023, 60 of these were vacant. Recruitment is underway and locum vets are being used while vacancies are being filled. Because of the nature of APHA work, veterinary resource needs can change rapidly. This was seen during last winter and the large avian influenza outbreak that required a prioritising resource allocation and the temporary expansion of the Agency’s workforce.</p><p> </p><p>APHA has contracts in place to enable it to bring in more veterinary resource from private veterinary practices at times of peak demand and this was heavily used during the outbreak.</p><p> </p><p>APHA also was also able to draw on veterinary resource from core Defra. There are other potential changes to APHA’s responsibilities which will require more veterinary resource. These changes are individually impact assessed to identify resource requirements. One such example is the new Border Operating Model where APHA is likely to need significant extra veterinary resource to check imported live animals. Defra provides APHA with additional funding to expand veterinary resource where needed.</p> answering member constituency Sherwood answering member printed Mark Spencer question first answered 23/06/2023 10:12:58 answering member 4055 label Biography information for Sir Mark Spencer
	tabling member	4589 label Biography information for Robert Courts

1567568

	registered interest
	date	17/01/2023
	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: Subsidies
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much funding was released from the Basic Payment Scheme following the reduction of direct payments to farmers in England in the (a) 2021-22 and (b) 2022-23 financial year.
	tabling member constituency	Witney
	tabling member printed	Robert Courts
	uin	125434
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/01/2023 answer text <p>Applying reductions to Direct Payments frees up money to be spent on financial assistance under our other schemes for farmers and land managers. As set out in our Future Farming and Countryside Programme annual report, published in October 2022, we spent £1.654 billion on Direct Payments in financial year 2021 to 2022. That was part of a total spend of £2.294 billion on existing farming schemes and our new financial assistance schemes, as set out in that report.</p><p>Information about spend on Direct Payments and financial assistance under our other schemes for financial year 2022 to 2023 will be included in an annual report to be published later this year.</p> answering member constituency Sherwood answering member printed Mark Spencer question first answered 24/01/2023 15:01:05 answering member 4055 label Biography information for Sir Mark Spencer
	tabling member	4589 label Biography information for Robert Courts

890466

	registered interest
	date	24/04/2018
	answering body	Department for Transport
	answering dept id	27
	answering dept short name	Transport
	answering dept sort name	Transport
	hansard heading	Aviation: Safety
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment he has made of the effect on the safety of general aviation of the use of controlled airspace.
	tabling member constituency	Witney
	tabling member printed	Robert Courts
	uin	137636
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/05/2018 answer text <p>Aviation safety is the overarching duty of the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). The CAA is the UK’s independent aviation regulator and acts as the national supervisory authority responsible for the planning and regulation of national airspace. It sets the process for change in UK airspace, and makes decisions on proposals made by sponsors to change the notified UK airspace design.</p><p> </p><p>The Government has appointed Byron Davies as its first ever General Aviation Champion, in order to identify a network of strategically important airfields and to help the future development of the general aviation sector.</p> answering member constituency Hereford and South Herefordshire answering member printed Jesse Norman question first answered 01/05/2018 11:28:40 answering member 3991 label Biography information for Jesse Norman
	tabling member	4589 label Biography information for Robert Courts

670711

	registered interest
	date	10/01/2017
	answering body	Department for Communities and Local Government
	answering dept id	7
	answering dept short name	Communities and Local Government
	answering dept sort name	Communities and Local Government
	hansard heading	Non-domestic Rates
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what recent discussions he has had with local authorities on 100 per cent business rate retention.
	tabling member constituency	Witney
	tabling member printed	Robert Courts
	uin	59371
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/01/2017 answer text <p>By the end of the Parliament, local government will retain 100% of taxes raised locally, giving councils control of an additional £12.5 billion of business rates to spend on local services. To ensure the reforms are fiscally neutral, some existing grants will be phased out and responsibilities will be devolved to local authorities. This move towards self-sufficiency and away from dependence on central government is something councils have long campaigned for. We have worked in close collaboration with local government in how to implement this commitment, including through the Business Rates Retention Steering Group, which is jointly chaired by the Local Government Association and the Department for Communities and Local Government.</p><p>Last week, we introduced the Local Government Finance Bill that will establish the legislative framework for the reformed system. All relevant documents can be found here: <a href="http://services.parliament.uk/bills/2016-17/localgovernmentfinance.html" target="_blank">http://services.parliament.uk/bills/2016-17/localgovernmentfinance.html</a>. We will continue to work closely with local government during the passage of the legislation, to shape the detail of the reforms.</p> answering member constituency Nuneaton answering member printed Mr Marcus Jones question first answered 18/01/2017 17:40:02 answering member 4024 label Biography information for Mr Marcus Jones previous answer version 29859 answering member constituency Nuneaton answering member printed Mr Marcus Jones answering member 4024 label Biography information for Mr Marcus Jones
	tabling member	4589 label Biography information for Robert Courts

1645072

	registered interest
	date	15/06/2023
	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	Birds: Disease Control
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department plans to take steps to (a) review and (b) update the notifiable avian disease control strategy, published on 30 August 2018.
	tabling member constituency	Witney
	tabling member printed	Robert Courts
	uin	189885
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/06/2023 answer text <p>Current avian influenza disease control policy considers the latest scientific and ornithological evidence and veterinary advice, reflects our experience of responding to past outbreaks of exotic animal disease and is in line with international standards of best practice for disease control. Defra’s approach to avian influenza is set out in the <a href="https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.gov.uk%2Fgovernment%2Fpublications%2Fnotifiable-avian-disease-control-strategy-2015&amp;data=05%7C01%7CEDC.outbreak.comms%40defra.gov.uk%7C66d08106fb534d86977008db6e56be2c%7C770a245002274c6290c74e38537f1102%7C0%7C0%7C638225091055673566%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=B8v8nGXcZRImr36W5Oecl5q5UFJjuSzn38Gdmm5oTbE%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">Notifiable Avian Disease Control Strategy for Great Britain</a>, published in September 2019. This document is currently under review and is being updated to reflect the recent legislative and policy changes that have already been implemented and an updated version will be published on gov.uk prior to the 2023/2024 high risk season. The Notifiable Avian Disease Control Strategy for Great Britain is supported by the <a href="https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.gov.uk%2Fgovernment%2Fpublications%2Fmitigation-strategy-for-avian-influenza-in-wild-birds-in-england-and-wales&amp;data=05%7C01%7CEDC.outbreak.comms%40defra.gov.uk%7C66d08106fb534d86977008db6e56be2c%7C770a245002274c6290c74e38537f1102%7C0%7C0%7C638225091055673566%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=XeGc%2BnAP%2FT24UkTVHYQcz6SQGIA7qwBD2RlRBdjlLno%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">Mitigation Strategy for Avian Influenza in Wild Birds in England and Wales</a>, an updated version of which was published in March 2023.</p> answering member constituency Sherwood answering member printed Mark Spencer question first answered 23/06/2023 15:36:07 answering member 4055 label Biography information for Sir Mark Spencer
	tabling member	4589 label Biography information for Robert Courts

1628065

	registered interest
	date	16/05/2023
	answering body	Ministry of Defence
	answering dept id	11
	answering dept short name	Defence
	answering dept sort name	Defence
	hansard heading	Ukraine: Military Aid
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of providing basic training for Ukrainian pilots on the RAF pilot training programme.
	tabling member constituency	Witney
	tabling member printed	Robert Courts
	uin	185336
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/05/2023 answer text <p>Elementary flying training for Ukrainian pilots is being planned in a manner which will not impact core Sovereign UK pilot training.</p> answering member constituency Wells answering member printed James Heappey question first answered 24/05/2023 13:18:31 answering member 4528 label Biography information for James Heappey
	tabling member	4589 label Biography information for Robert Courts

683111

	registered interest
	date	01/02/2017
	answering body	Department for International Trade
	answering dept id	202
	answering dept short name	International Trade
	answering dept sort name	International Trade
	hansard heading	Small Businesses: Digital Technology
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what assessment he has made of the level of interest among small and medium-sized enterprises in the Great.gov.uk digital platform.
	tabling member constituency	Witney
	tabling member printed	Robert Courts
	uin	62768
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/02/2017 answer text <p>Great.gov.uk is designed to engage as many businesses as possible, especially small and medium-sized enterprises and to date we have had a highly positive response to our digital services with over 5000 business registered for accounts, including 1500 registrations for our “Find a Buyer” Service and over 360,000 visits to the site.</p> answering member constituency Chelsea and Fulham answering member printed Greg Hands question first answered 09/02/2017 17:38:01 answering member 1526 label Biography information for Greg Hands
	tabling member	4589 label Biography information for Robert Courts

1046887

	registered interest
	date	23/01/2019
	answering body	Department for Transport
	answering dept id	27
	answering dept short name	Transport
	answering dept sort name	Transport
	hansard heading	Railways
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what proportion of the disused national rail network remains in the ownership of Network Rail.
	tabling member constituency	Witney
	tabling member printed	Robert Courts
	uin	211842
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/01/2019 answer text <p>Highways England is now responsible for the vast majority of the historic railways estate. This includes legacy bridges, abutments, tunnels, cuttings, viaducts and similar properties associated with closed railway lines, and sales. Network Rail is still responsible for a small proportion of disused railway lines which have been retained due to their close proximity or connection to currently operational railway lines. Network Rail’s records however do not distinguish between disused and operational railway lines, and therefore it is not possible to precisely indicate how much disused network they own.</p> answering member constituency Harrogate and Knaresborough answering member printed Andrew Jones question first answered 30/01/2019 14:48:43 answering member 3996 label Biography information for Andrew Jones
	tabling member	4589 label Biography information for Robert Courts