Tag: Barry Gardiner

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Barry Gardiner on 2014-04-03.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will publish the findings of his Department’s root and branch review of the environmental information required from businesses; and when he plans to publish plans for implementing changes to those requirements.

Dan Rogerson

Initial findings of Defra’s root and branch review of the environmental information required from businesses were published on the Smarter Guidance and Data website last November. Findings for marine and carbon information obligations followed in February. These findings can be found at guidanceanddata.defra.gov.uk. I have placed copies in the library of the House.

An implementation plan outlining reform measures for environmental information required from businesses is due to be published on 9 April. This implementation plan will be available on www.gov.uk. Remaining measures featuring farming-related information obligations are due to be published in June.

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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Barry Gardiner on 2014-04-08.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, which air quality monitoring stations went off-line in each year since 2010-11; and on what dates they were off-line.

Dan Rogerson

Defra operates an extensive monitoring network of nearly 300 sites in order to assess air quality in the UK and report to the EU for compliance. Many of these sites have multiple instruments measuring different pollutants.

The Automatic and Urban Network has 130 sites that provide information on five key pollutants on an hourly basis. Information from this network is updated hourly on the UK Air website to provide the most recent data to the public.

An extensive Programme of maintenance, auditing and site inspections is required to maintain the networks operation. EU directives state that instruments must be operational for a minimum period of time for data to be reported and these requirements are met in our annual compliance reporting.

It is therefore not possible to provide information on the specific times when instruments were not operational during the last four years, but I refer the hon. Member for Brent North to the UK’s annual compliance report for statistics regarding data capture at each site, at:

http://uk-air.defra.gov.uk/library/annualreport/index

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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Barry Gardiner on 2014-04-03.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when he plans to publish a report on the implementation of the Department’s anaerobic digestion strategy and action plan for 2013-14.

Dan Rogerson

We intend to publish a further report on implementation of the Anaerobic Digestion Strategy and Action Plan later this year.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Barry Gardiner on 2014-04-08.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, on what date the Government plans to send and publish its reply to the European Commission letter of formal notice of persistent air pollution problems sent on 20 February 2014.

Dan Rogerson

The deadline for a response to the European Commission is 21 April. Correspondence between the Commission and Member States in infringement proceedings is confidential. We do not, therefore, intend to publish the UK’s response.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Barry Gardiner on 2014-04-03.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when his Department will (a) complete and (b) publish its review of the Chalara Management Plan; and if he will make a statement.

Dan Rogerson

The Government will publish an updated management approach to Chalara alongside updated management approaches to other established tree pests and diseases, and those that pose an imminent threat, in a single Tree Health Management Plan. This Plan will set out the action that the Government and others are taking to protect our tree population from pests and diseases. It will be published alongside the wider Plant Biosecurity Strategy later this spring.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Barry Gardiner on 2014-04-08.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when the Government will publish a second consultation on local air quality management.

Dan Rogerson

We expect to publish a second consultation on regulatory and guidance changes to the Local Air Quality Management system (in England) towards the end of this year. As stated in our Summary of Responses published last December, we intend to explore all alternatives put forward by respondents, drawing on core conclusions from the review and working in partnership with key stakeholders. This will ensure that a robust and sustainable package is put forward as part of the next consultation.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Barry Gardiner on 2014-04-03.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when the Government’s report into the condition of all flood defence assets following the winter floods will be published; and if he will make a statement.

Dan Rogerson

The Government’s report into the condition of flood defence assets will be published when the results of the national assessment have been analysed by the Environment Agency. This is currently expected to be May.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Barry Gardiner on 2014-04-08.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when the Government response to the Environmental Audit Committee’s Eleventh Report, on Plastic Bags, HC 861 will be completed and sent to the Committee.

Dan Rogerson

The Government is considering the Committee’s recommendations and will respond as soon as details have been finalised.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Barry Gardiner on 2014-04-03.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the Met Office report, Too Hot, Too Cold, Too Wet, Too Dry: Drivers and impacts of seasonal weather in the UK; and if he will make a statement.

Dan Rogerson

Both of these reports make a valuable contribution to our understanding of the impacts of climate change. We are considering them with keen interest and will take full account of them when we publish the UK’s next Climate Change Risk Assessment, which in turn will inform the next National Adaptation Programme report.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Barry Gardiner on 2014-04-08.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, by what date each of the 40 air quality zones with exceedances of nitrogen dioxide limit values in 2010 will achieve compliance with 2010 nitrogen dioxide limit values.

Dan Rogerson

Meeting EU standards for nitrogen dioxide remains a challenge for many large urban areas in the UK and across Europe. In 2011 Defra submitted estimates of the year each part of the UK would meet these standards to the European Commission. The assumptions behind our projections are regularly reviewed to reflect new understanding and we expect to have new projections available later this year.