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  • Anne-Marie Trevelyan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Anne-Marie Trevelyan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Anne-Marie Trevelyan on 2016-04-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate she has made of the costs of administering the English Rural Development Programme in each of the (a) last and (b) next five years.

    George Eustice

    The Common Agricultural Policy is a devolved policy and Defra is responsible for its delivery in England. Decisions relating to the implementation of the CAP are integrated into numerous policy areas within the department and the delivery of the CAP is carried out primarily by the Rural Payments Agency, Natural England, and the Forestry Commission, alongside other business. This arrangement allows the various objectives of the CAP to be delivered effectively. However, this integrated approach to delivery also makes it difficult to calculate the total annual cost of the CAP in isolation. This is something that was identified by the National Audit Office in its recent report ‘Early Development of the CAP Delivery Programme’, and Defra is currently considering how to respond to this recommendation.

  • Grahame Morris – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Grahame Morris – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Grahame Morris on 2016-04-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to reduce litter on UK beaches.

    George Eustice

    The UK Marine Strategy Part Three, published in December last year, sets out the actions we are taking to improve the marine environment. It covers measures that contribute to reducing sources of marine litter, including sources of beach litter, and to remove what has already reached our beaches. Actions related specifically to UK beaches include Defra-funded beach cleaning schemes on priority beaches.

    In addition, Defra and the Department for Communities and Local Government are working in partnership to develop a National Litter Strategy. This will promote concerted, coordinated and effective actions to reduce litter and littering on land, which in turn should lead to a reduction in the amount of litter reaching the marine environment, including our beaches.

  • Tim Farron – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Tim Farron – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tim Farron on 2016-04-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to her Department’s news story, £700 million boost for flood defences brings £150 million more for Yorkshire and Cumbria, published on 17 March 2016, how much funding the Government plans to allocate to flood defences in (a) Westmorland and Lonsdale constituency and (b) Kendal in each of the next five years.

    Rory Stewart

    In the Budget, the Government recently announced that it will invest up to £24 million in flood defences in the Kendal area in the Westmorland and Lonsdale constituency, subject to the Environment Agency concluding a review of its need. This is in addition to other schemes within the Westmorland and Lonsdale constituency, such as £450,000 being spent on the Arnside embankment.

    The Environment Agency will shortly publish their initial assessments.

  • Anne-Marie Trevelyan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Anne-Marie Trevelyan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Anne-Marie Trevelyan on 2016-04-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate she has made of the costs of administering the Common Agricultural Policy in each of the (a) last and (b) next five years.

    George Eustice

    The Common Agricultural Policy is a devolved policy and Defra is responsible for its delivery in England. Decisions relating to the implementation of the CAP are integrated into numerous policy areas within the department and the delivery of the CAP is carried out primarily by the Rural Payments Agency, Natural England, and the Forestry Commission, alongside other business. This arrangement allows the various objectives of the CAP to be delivered effectively. However, this integrated approach to delivery also makes it difficult to calculate the total annual cost of the CAP in isolation. This is something that was identified by the National Audit Office in its recent report ‘Early Development of the CAP Delivery Programme’, and Defra is currently considering how to respond to this recommendation.

  • David Mackintosh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    David Mackintosh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Mackintosh on 2016-04-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department has put in place further flood prevention measures in response to the recent flooding in Northamptonshire.

    Rory Stewart

    As the Lead Local Flood Authority, Northamptonshire County Council will be carrying out 17 formal flood investigations, with support from the Environment Agency. These flood reports will recommend actions to reduce the risk of future flooding. The Environment Agency will review their programme of works, in line with the recent flooding incident, and will investigate if any Capital work can be brought forward to reduce flood risk.

  • Kevin Hollinrake – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Kevin Hollinrake – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kevin Hollinrake on 2016-04-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential effect of the UK leaving the EU on farmers in receipt of payments from the Common Agricultural Policy.

    Rory Stewart

    At the February European Council, the Government negotiated a new settlement, giving the United Kingdom a special status in a reformed European Union. The Government’s position is that the UK will be stronger, safer and better off remaining in a reformed EU.

  • David Lammy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    David Lammy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Lammy on 2016-04-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps the Environment Agency is taking to respond to the oil spill on the River Lea near Tottenham Lock.

    Rory Stewart

    The Environment Agency attended the site on the morning of 5 April and worked with Thames Water Utilities (TWU) Ltd to trace the source, identifying it as a ruptured diesel oil tank.

    The Environment Agency is working alongside contractors and the Canal and River Trust (CRT) to clear up the oil. Absorbent booms are in place to contain the spread of the oil. Any residual patches of oil not trapped by the booms are being mopped up by absorbent pads. The Environment Agency attended the site on 11 April and will continue to oversee the clean-up operation.

    The Environment Agency is continuing investigations with a view to possible enforcement action.

  • Alex Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Alex Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alex Cunningham on 2016-04-08.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, when he plans to publish the responses to his Department’s National Flood Resilience Review.

    Mr Oliver Letwin

    The report of the National Flooding Resilience Review is due to be published in the summer of 2016.

  • Kerry McCarthy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Kerry McCarthy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kerry McCarthy on 2016-04-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many businesses in (a) Cumbria, (b) Lancashire and (c) Yorkshire have accessed the Environment Agency’s Climate Ready Support Service in each year since it was set up.

    Rory Stewart

    The Environment Agency does not have figures for the number of businesses accessing the Climate Ready Support Service. The Service has, however, enabled hundreds of organisations across England to understand their climate risk and take action to reduce it through a wide range of different initiatives. For example, the Climate Ready Business Resilience Health Check tool has been accessed online by 8000 businesses.

  • Alex Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Alex Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alex Cunningham on 2016-04-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 17 March 2016 to Question 31014, what steps her Department is taking to (a) improve water quality and (b) ensure that all water bodies achieve good status as soon as possible.

    Rory Stewart

    The Department has not been issued with any fines relating to any aspect of its implementation of the Water Framework Directive.

    The exemptions referred to in my reply to PQ 31014 are:

    • Article 4(4) provides for extensions of the deadline to 2021 or 2027 for reasons of disproportionate cost or technical feasibility;

    • Article 4(5) provides for setting of less stringent objectives where it would be disproportionately expensive or technically infeasible to achieve good status due to natural conditions or the effects of essential human activity;

    • Article 4(6) allows for temporary deterioration due to natural causes such as extreme floods or prolonged drought; and

    • Article 4(7) allows for deterioration from high status to good status and failure to achieve good status to allow for new sustainable development activities.

    The application of each of the exemptions is subject to conditions set out in the above provision.

    River Basin Management Plans (RBMPs) provide the framework for protecting and improving the water environment. Updated plans covering the period 2016 to 2021 were published by the Environment Agency (EA) on 18 February.

    The Plans for England confirm over £3 billion investment in the water environment by 2021, leading to improvements in at least 680 water bodies by 2021, including an overall target to enhance at least 8,000km of fresh waters by 2021. The EA is currently working with Defra to profile the delivery of this target over the six years that the RBMP covers, and is also working with partners to explore opportunities to deliver more.

    The EA coordinates action by water companies, farmers, local groups, businesses and councils to achieve the targets set out in the Plans. These actions include reducing pollution from sewage treatment works, managing water abstraction, opening up rivers to salmon and other fish species, and improving the physical habitat.