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793172

registered interest
date	21/11/2017
answering body	Department for Transport
answering dept id	27
answering dept short name	Transport
answering dept sort name	Transport
hansard heading	A1 (M): Speed Limits
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, for what reasons there is a 40 mph temporary speed limit on the A1M north and south of the junction with the A14; and if he will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	East Yorkshire
tabling member printed	Sir Greg Knight
uin	114957
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/11/2017 answer text <p>This work is part of a £1.5 billion investment to upgrade the A14 in Cambridgeshire and widen the A1 to three lanes between Brampton and Alconbury.</p><p> </p><p>The narrow lanes are in place to allow for preparatory works to be carried out close to the existing carriageway and allow for traffic to be put into contraflow safely as required.</p><p> </p><p>The speed restriction is necessary to create a safe working environment for construction teams and protect road users as they travel through the works. There is also a requirement to aid recovery operations in this area, which requires the 40mph speed limit to do so safely for everyone.</p> answering member constituency Hereford and South Herefordshire answering member printed Jesse Norman question first answered 27/11/2017 11:56:05 answering member 3991 label Biography information for Jesse Norman
tabling member	1200 label Biography information for Sir Greg Knight

790056

registered interest
date	15/11/2017
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	Giant Hogweed
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 to prevalence of giant hogweed in the UK.
tabling member constituency	East Yorkshire
tabling member printed	Sir Greg Knight
uin	113270
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/11/2017 answer text <p>Giant hogweed (<em>Heracleum mantegazzianum</em>) is an invasive non-native species with established populations in the UK. It is an offence under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 to plant or otherwise cause giant hogweed to grow in the wild.</p><p> </p><p>Giant hogweed was added as a species of Union concern under the EU Invasive Alien Species Regulation in August 2017. Species of Union concern cannot be imported, kept, bred, transported, sold, used or exchanged, allowed to reproduce, grown or cultivated, or released into the environment. Under the Regulation, Member States are required to set out measures to manage species of Union concern that are widespread in their territory within 18 months of listing. The government will be consulting on management plans for giant hogweed and other species of Union concern that are widespread in the UK.</p><p> </p><p>Community protection notices made under the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 are also being used by local authorities and the Police to tackle the impact to their communities of invasive non-native species including giant hogweed. The Home Office guidance on using community protection notices to tackle invasive non-native plants can be found at:</p><p><a href="http://www.nonnativespecies.org/downloadDocument.cfm?id=1176" target="_blank">www.nonnativespecies.org//downloadDocument.cfm?id=1176</a>.</p><p> </p><p>Local Action Groups, with support from Government, are actively involved in reducing and eradicating giant hogweed. A new EU co-funded project, totalling €1.1 million, will develop a regional approach to tackling invasive non-native species, supporting Local Action Groups in a co-ordinated approach.</p> answering member constituency Suffolk Coastal answering member printed Dr Thérèse Coffey grouped question UIN 113271 question first answered 22/11/2017 12:32:15 answering member 4098 label Biography information for Dr Thérèse Coffey
tabling member	1200 label Biography information for Sir Greg Knight

790057

registered interest
date	15/11/2017
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	Ragwort Control Act 2003
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 he has made of the effectiveness of the Ragwort Control Act 2003 in limiting the spread of ragwort; how many successful prosecutions have been brought under that act; and if he will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	East Yorkshire
tabling member printed	Sir Greg Knight
uin	113217
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/11/2017 answer text <p>The effectiveness of the Act is assessed annually by recording details of complaints and enforcement cases. Research undertaken for Defra in 2014 concluded that ragwort is not becoming more widespread.</p><p> </p><p>The Weeds Act 1959 gives us the power to arrange for the clearance of the plant and to recover the cost from the land occupier. Natural England (the delegated authority for investigating complaints about injurious weeds) engages with inspectors from the Rural Payments Agency to investigate formal complaints raised to them, and enforce weed clearance where the landowner has not taken adequate action to control ragwort.</p><p> </p><p>Enforcement is a last resort and where possible we encourage communications between landowners and complainants to try and resolve the issue. In the vast majority of cases, this approach is successful. All complaints so far have been resolved without requiring prosecution, either voluntarily by the landowner or after an enforcement order has been made.</p> answering member constituency Suffolk Coastal answering member printed Dr Thérèse Coffey question first answered 22/11/2017 11:51:18 answering member 4098 label Biography information for Dr Thérèse Coffey
tabling member	1200 label Biography information for Sir Greg Knight

790058

registered interest
date	15/11/2017
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	Japanese Knotweed
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 progress has been made in eliminating Japanese knotweed in the UK; and if he will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	East Yorkshire
tabling member printed	Sir Greg Knight
uin	113218
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/11/2017 answer text <p>Japanese knotweed was first introduced into the UK in the early 19th century and is now widespread here and throughout most of Europe. It is not considered feasible to eradicate Japanese knotweed entirely from the UK but, with persistence, isolated populations can be eradicated. It is an offence under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 to plant or otherwise cause Japanese knotweed to grow in the wild.</p><p> </p><p>Defra continues to fund a biocontrol programme through the release of a psyllid insect to tackle Japanese knotweed. If successful, the psyllid will not eradicate Japanese knotweed but should in time reduce its invasive capacity as well as the effort and cost of managing it. This year, around 120,000 psyllids will be released at 16 sites in England and Wales using new methods designed to improve the likelihood that the psyllid will establish in the wild.</p><p> </p><p>Local Action Groups, with support from government, are actively involved in reducing and eradicating Japanese knotweed. For example, the New Forest Non-Native Plants Project and the Medway Valley Countryside Partnership have controlled Japanese knotweed on 49 separate sites this year. A new EU co-funded project, totalling €1.1 million, will develop a regional approach to tackling invasive non-native species, supporting Local Action Groups in a co-ordinated approach.</p><p> </p><p>Natural England and the Environment Agency also undertake action nationally to remove Japanese knotweed where it is affecting protected sites, water quality or adds to the risk of flooding.</p><p> </p><p>Community protection notices made under the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 are also being used by local authorities and the Police to tackle the impact to their communities of invasive non-native species including Japanese knotweed. The Home Office guidance on using community protection notices to tackle invasive non-native plants can be found at:</p><p><a href="http://www.nonnativespecies.org/downloadDocument.cfm?id=1176" target="_blank">www.nonnativespecies.org//downloadDocument.cfm?id=1176</a></p> answering member constituency Suffolk Coastal answering member printed Dr Thérèse Coffey question first answered 22/11/2017 10:53:02 answering member 4098 label Biography information for Dr Thérèse Coffey
tabling member	1200 label Biography information for Sir Greg Knight

790061

registered interest
date	15/11/2017
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	Giant Hogweed
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 advice he has given to local authorities about the control or removal of giant hogweed on land near to public rights of ways or where its presence is likely to have a detrimental effect on the public's health.
tabling member constituency	East Yorkshire
tabling member printed	Sir Greg Knight
uin	113271
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/11/2017 answer text <p>Giant hogweed (<em>Heracleum mantegazzianum</em>) is an invasive non-native species with established populations in the UK. It is an offence under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 to plant or otherwise cause giant hogweed to grow in the wild.</p><p> </p><p>Giant hogweed was added as a species of Union concern under the EU Invasive Alien Species Regulation in August 2017. Species of Union concern cannot be imported, kept, bred, transported, sold, used or exchanged, allowed to reproduce, grown or cultivated, or released into the environment. Under the Regulation, Member States are required to set out measures to manage species of Union concern that are widespread in their territory within 18 months of listing. The government will be consulting on management plans for giant hogweed and other species of Union concern that are widespread in the UK.</p><p> </p><p>Community protection notices made under the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 are also being used by local authorities and the Police to tackle the impact to their communities of invasive non-native species including giant hogweed. The Home Office guidance on using community protection notices to tackle invasive non-native plants can be found at:</p><p><a href="http://www.nonnativespecies.org/downloadDocument.cfm?id=1176" target="_blank">www.nonnativespecies.org//downloadDocument.cfm?id=1176</a>.</p><p> </p><p>Local Action Groups, with support from Government, are actively involved in reducing and eradicating giant hogweed. A new EU co-funded project, totalling €1.1 million, will develop a regional approach to tackling invasive non-native species, supporting Local Action Groups in a co-ordinated approach.</p> answering member constituency Suffolk Coastal answering member printed Dr Thérèse Coffey grouped question UIN 113270 question first answered 22/11/2017 12:32:15 answering member 4098 label Biography information for Dr Thérèse Coffey
tabling member	1200 label Biography information for Sir Greg Knight

790176

registered interest
date	15/11/2017
answering body	Department for Transport
answering dept id	27
answering dept short name	Transport
answering dept sort name	Transport
hansard heading	Roads: Rural Areas
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to ensure rural areas, like East Yorkshire, have adequate road connections to the strategic road network which will encourage and not deter future economic growth in the region.
tabling member constituency	East Yorkshire
tabling member printed	Sir Greg Knight
uin	113272
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/11/2017 answer text <p>Local authorities are responsible for the local road network which provides connectivity to the strategic road network. The Government supports local authority investment in their network through the annual grants made available for highway improvement. Additional funding is made available on a competitive basis through the National Productivity Investment Fund, the Highways Maintenance Challenge Fund and the Large Local Major Schemes Fund. Local Enterprise Partnerships are also able to invest in the local highway network through the Local Growth Fund.</p><p> </p><p>The Government is committed to supporting rural connectivity in areas such as the East Riding of Yorkshire, which has received £16.7 million to help maintain it’s ‘A’ roads and £8.0m to improve two roundabouts on the A1079 from the Local Growth Fund. A further £3.0 million from the National Productivity Investment Fund was made available in October 2017 for a junction improvement on the A164.</p><p> </p><p>Before the end of 2017 the Department intends to consult on its plan to establish a Major Road Network (MRN) comprising the most strategically important ‘A’ roads, which deliver strategic connectivity between places. The MRN will receive dedicated funding from the National Roads Fund for schemes that relieve congestion, support economic growth and unlock housing.</p> answering member constituency Hereford and South Herefordshire answering member printed Jesse Norman question first answered 22/11/2017 12:01:25 answering member 3991 label Biography information for Jesse Norman
tabling member	1200 label Biography information for Sir Greg Knight

777799

registered interest
date	25/10/2017
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	Inland Waterways: Dredging
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 he has made of the effectiveness of the use of a small- scale cutter dredger brought from the Netherlands by the Environment Agency which operated on waterways in the UK in summer 2017; and what plans he has to use similar equipment on rivers and water courses elsewhere in the UK in future.
tabling member constituency	East Yorkshire
tabling member printed	Sir Greg Knight
uin	109637
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/11/2017 answer text <p>The suction dredger was used by the Black Sluice Internal Drainage Board (IDB) as part of a demonstration event on the South Forty Foot Drain in Lincolnshire. The watercourse is maintained by the Environment Agency but these works were completed by the IDB using a Public Sector Cooperation Agreement.</p><p>While it is too early to understand the long term effectiveness of the dredger and the technique, the Environment Agency is interested in the results, to see if it could be effective elsewhere. It will work with the IDB to review the results‎.</p> answering member constituency Suffolk Coastal answering member printed Dr Thérèse Coffey question first answered 01/11/2017 11:37:59 answering member 4098 label Biography information for Dr Thérèse Coffey
tabling member	1200 label Biography information for Sir Greg Knight

776875

registered interest
date	24/10/2017
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	Bats and Owls: Conservation
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 plans he has to encourage landowners to erect owl and bat boxes on their land; and if he will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	East Yorkshire
tabling member printed	Sir Greg Knight
uin	109264
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 31/10/2017 answer text <p>Established guidance exists on how to help our native bat species including the provision of bat boxes to provide bats with alternative resting places or to encourage bats into areas where there are few existing suitable roost sites. Further guidance can be accessed through the Bat Conservation Trust: <a href="http://www.bats.org.uk" target="_blank">www.bats.org.uk</a>.</p><p> </p><p>Wildlife boxes (for bats and certain bird species including barn owls) can also be funded through the Countryside Stewardship scheme on eligible land where it would be beneficial for the species.</p> answering member constituency Suffolk Coastal answering member printed Dr Thérèse Coffey question first answered 31/10/2017 15:34:05 answering member 4098 label Biography information for Dr Thérèse Coffey
tabling member	1200 label Biography information for Sir Greg Knight

776037

registered interest
date	23/10/2017
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	African Swine Fever: 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, what action he is taking to reduce the risk of the spread of African swine fever to pigs in the UK; and if he will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	East Yorkshire
tabling member printed	Sir Greg Knight
uin	109069
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 31/10/2017 answer text <p>Defra and the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) monitor outbreaks of diseases in the UK and across the world and regularly publish our risk assessments on gov.uk.</p><p> </p><p>Recent cases of African Swine Fever (ASF) in Eastern Europe, specifically domestic pigs in backyard holdings in Poland, suggest reduced biosecurity in the region, and caused the UK risk level to be raised in September to low from very low.</p><p> </p><p>EU safeguard measures restrict the movement of pigs and pig products out of ASF affected areas and we receive regular updates on the application of disease control measures in each Member State. The restriction zones cover a wide area.</p><p> </p><p>Within the UK, further precautions to reduce the risk of accidental introduction or spread of disease include a ban on the feeding of swill and catering waste to animals, and a standstill on movement after the introduction of new stock to a farm.</p><p> </p><p>The movement of vehicles and people, particularly farm workers, and personal imports of pork products from ASF affected areas present a potential risk. Defra, APHA and the pig industry are working together on a communications campaign for pig keepers to highlight the increased risk of ASF. This will focus on the importance of biosecurity and raise awareness of the disease risks associated with illegal feeding of kitchen waste or pork products to pigs.</p> answering member constituency Camborne and Redruth answering member printed George Eustice question first answered 31/10/2017 16:06:39 answering member 3934 label Biography information for George Eustice
tabling member	1200 label Biography information for Sir Greg Knight

776038

registered interest
date	23/10/2017
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Prisons: Mobile Phones
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the practicality of installing Faraday cages in or around Britain's prisons in order to block illegal mobile telephone usage by prisoners; and if he will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	East Yorkshire
tabling member printed	Sir Greg Knight
uin	109068
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 31/10/2017 answer text <p>The illicit use of mobile phones undermines the safety and security of prisons. We are taking urgent and decisive action as the number of mobile phones and SIM cards seized continues to be too high.</p><p>We have invested £2million into detection equipment, including hand-held detectors and portable detection devices. We are also working with mobile network operators to deliver ground-breaking technology, which will stop mobiles smuggled into prisons from working.</p><p>Faraday cages block all radio signals from entering and exiting the spaces around which they are placed, which would compromise radio contact between prison staff, as well as other critical infrastructure.</p> answering member constituency East Surrey answering member printed Mr Sam Gyimah question first answered 31/10/2017 13:10:25 answering member 3980 label Biography information for Mr Sam Gyimah
tabling member	1200 label Biography information for Sir Greg Knight