The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Stephenson on 2014-06-26.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many cases of lungworm in dogs have been identified in each of the last five years.
George Eustice
The data requested is not collected or held by Defra.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Greatrex on 2014-06-26.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate he has made of his Department’s consumption in kWh of (a) gas and (b) electricity in each month since June 2010; and what the cost of such consumption has been in each such month.
Dan Rogerson
The cost and consumption of electricity and gas purchased by Core Defra, for the period June 2010 to May 2014, is set out in the tables. This data is taken from monthly energy invoices for this period.
Core Defra has rationalised its estate during the period covered by this report and has consolidated into fewer buildings. This is reflected in the downward trend in cost and consumption.
All energy covered by this report was procured through Crown Commercial Services (CCS) Energy Frameworks.
Notes:
The data provided in this report may not be consistent with data published elsewhere because it includes consumption and costs which are normally allocated to third party occupants of Defra’s Buildings.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Maria Eagle on 2014-06-26.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much resource his Department plans to provide as matched funding for badger vacination to tackle bovine TB in (a) 2014-15 and (b) 2015-16.
George Eustice
In April 2013, as part of the Government’s Strategy for achieving Officially Bovine Tuberculosis Free Status for England, the Secretary of State announced new support for privately led vaccination initiatives in the Edge Area. Building on ongoing work with stakeholders, including a key workshop held on 24 June, a new scheme will be launched shortly and will offer financial and other support, such as training and advice. Announcements about the future of the existing Badger Vaccination Fund, which has been available since 2012 and has offered more limited support, will also be made in due course. The total funds offered will be dependent on demand.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Crausby on 2014-06-26.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what progress he has made on provision for the kennelling and seizure of suspected dangerous dogs; and what changes he expects to make to the regulations on dangerous dogs.
George Eustice
On 6 February 2013 the Government announced, as part of its package of measures to tackle irresponsible ownership of dogs, that it would provide powers for the police to allow suspected prohibited type dogs to be kept with the owners in cases where they considered that the dog was not a threat to public safety. The Government is in the process of making changes to the relevant regulations to enable this power to be available to the police.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Greg Mulholland on 2014-06-26.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the Answer to the hon. Member for Brighton, Pavilion of 25 November 2013, Official Report, column 20W, on bovine tuberculosis, whether his Department has since commissioned any research about the safety, humaneness and effectiveness of gassing badgers.
George Eustice
In August 2013, we commissioned new research into alternative methods of culling badgers.
The first step involved reviewing and updating the ‘Review of effectiveness, environmental impact, humaneness and feasibility of lethal methods for badger control’ published in 2005. The review was completed in September 2013.
Following research carried out as a result of Lord Zuckerman’s review in the 1980s, we would not support the use of hydrogen cyanide gas due to humaneness concerns. However, we are considering potential humane alternatives.
In October and November 2013 we carried out initial trials of nitrogen-filled foam to analyse its dispersal in an artificial sett-like environment. These trials did not involve the use of active setts or tests on live animals.
Further research is now planned into the use of carbon monoxide as a potential sett-based means of humane culling.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Maria Eagle on 2014-06-26.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department (a) has funded or (b) plans to fund badger vaccination against bovine TB in this calendar year.
George Eustice
In April 2013, as part of the Government’s Strategy for achieving Officially Bovine Tuberculosis Free Status for England, the Secretary of State announced new support for privately led vaccination initiatives in the Edge Area. Building on ongoing work with stakeholders, including a key workshop held on 24 June, a new scheme will be launched shortly and will offer financial and other support, such as training and advice. Announcements about the future of the existing Badger Vaccination Fund, which has been available since 2012 and has offered more limited support, will also be made in due course. The total funds offered will be dependent on demand.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Robertson on 2014-06-26.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many marine dredging applications have been dealt with by the Marine Management Organisation using the online marine licensing system since 2009.
George Eustice
The online marine licensing system came into force on 6 April 2011 following the formation of the Marine Management Organisation (MMO) in 2010. To date the MMO have dealt with the following numbers of marine aggregate and non-aggregate dredging applications:
Aggregate dredging
|
2009/10 |
2010/11 |
2011/12 |
2012/13 |
2013/14
|
|
0 |
1 x 15 year dredging permission |
0 |
25 x short term marine licences; |
14 x 15 year marine licences; |
|
7 x 15 year marine licences |
1 x aggregate trial dredging |
|||
|
0 |
1 |
0 |
32 |
15 |
Non-aggregate dredging
There was a transitional period from 6 April 2011 to 5 April 2014 for non-aggregate dredging. This activity mainly included navigational dredging which become licensable from 6 April 2014.
Disposal dredged material at sea
(figures below represent MMO licensing up to April 2014)
|
2009/10 |
2010/11 |
2011/12 |
2012/13 |
2013/14
|
|
0 |
0 |
39 |
42 |
38 |
“
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Austin Mitchell on 2014-06-26.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many inshore fisheries and conservation authorities in England have bylaws to prohibit the setting of intertidal nets; and how many land-based officers in each authority police and enforce those bylaws.
George Eustice
Most Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authorities (IFCAs) in England have byelaws which affect net fishing activities in the intertidal zone. These byelaws vary between IFCAs, with each Authority prescribing certain net specifications, geographic areas, time restrictions and other limitations. Details of each IFCA’s byelaws can be found on their respective websites.
The IFCAs with byelaws relating to intertidal nets are:
· Cornwall IFCA
· Devon and Severn IFCA
· Eastern IFCA
· Kent and Essex IFCA
· North Eastern IFCA
· North West IFCA
· Northumberland IFCA
· Southern IFCA
· Sussex IFCA
Isles of Scilly IFCA is the only Authority not to have any byelaws relating to intertidal nets, as this is not a fishing activity that takes place in the Isles of Scilly.
Most IFCAs have enforcement officers based both on land and at sea. These officers enforce all byelaws, not specifically those concerning intertidal nets. The latest figures held by Defra are:
Cornwall IFCA: 12 officers
Devon and Severn IFCA: 8 officers
Eastern IFCA: 10 officers, 3 land based
Kent and Essex IFCA: 2 land based officers, 6 sea based officers
North Eastern IFCA: 6 officers, 2 dedicated land based
North West IFCA: 8 mostly land based officers
Northumberland IFCA: 8 officers and 1 part time
Southern IFCA: 10 officers
Sussex IFCA: 4 officers
The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Robertson on 2014-06-26.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate his Department has made of the average length of time taken by the Marine Management Organisation to approve a marine dredging application using the outline marine licensing system since 2009.
George Eustice
The online marine licensing system came into force on 6 April 2011 following the formation of the Marine Management Organisation (MMO) in 2010. From the start of the licensing system the estimated average time taken by the MMO to approve marine dredging applications are as follows:
Aggregate dredging
Average length of time to licence a 15 year aggregate application is estimated at 300 hours (200 hours during application and 100 hours of pre-application advice)
Non-aggregate dredging
|
Description of activity |
Average MMO hours per case |
|
Simple navigational dredging |
3.5 |
|
Routine navigational dredging |
9 |
|
Routine capital dredging |
7.4 |
|
Complex navigational dredging |
13.35 |
|
Complex capital dredging |
11.88 |
The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Robertson on 2014-06-26.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate his Department has made of the number of marine dredging applications that will be dealt with by the Marine Management Organisation using the online marine licensing system in 2014-15.
George Eustice
Since the beginning of 2014-15 the Marine Management Organisation (MMO) has dealt with five 15 year marine licences for aggregate dredging.
For non-aggregate dredging Defra’s Impact Assessment on exemptions and navigational dredging predicted 872 applications ranging from simple, routine and complex applications for 2014-15 (Ref: IA No DEFRA 1118 – The Marine Licensing (Exempted Activities) (Amendment) Order 2013). The actual annual number of applications being received so far is currently running at between 10-20% of the forecast.