Tag: Maria Eagle

  • Maria Eagle – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Maria Eagle – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Maria Eagle on 2014-03-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to his Answer of 24 March 2014, Official Report, column 33W, on flood control, what the reasons are for the disparity between the figures given in that Answer and those contained in the Red Book Table 2.1 Line 34 for 2014-15 and 2015-16.

    Dan Rogerson

    The figures that I provided in my answers of 24 March 2014, Official Report, column 33W, relate to increases in Government funding for flood defence in England announced in the Budget 2014. The figures in the Red Book Table 2.1 Line 34 for 2014-15 and 2015-16 include consequential funding for the devolved administrations. The presentation of these figures is consistent with the rest of the table and the standard way of presenting fiscal costs in Budgets.

  • Maria Eagle – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Maria Eagle – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Maria Eagle on 2014-04-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what the Government’s policy is on the European Commission’s proposed amendments to Article 4 of the Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive, relating to reducing consumption of lightweight, less frequently re-used plastic bags with a thickness below 50 microns.

    Michael Fallon

    The UK Government welcomes the flexibility the European Commission proposal offers. We will seek to limit the derogation to the single market as far as possible to what is necessary to allow measures to be taken on lightweight carrier bags.

  • Maria Eagle – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Maria Eagle – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Maria Eagle on 2014-04-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how soon the cage trapping and shooting of badgers was implemented alongside the freeshooting of badgers after the commencement of the pilot badger cull in Gloucestershire in 2013; and what authorisation from the Department was required.

    George Eustice

    Cage trapping was used from the outset in each of the pilot areas. Under the licence issued to each area, cage trapping and shooting and controlled shooting are both permitted control methods. No further authorisation from the Department was required.

    The Guidance issued to Natural England on issuing licenses to kill or take badgers for the purpose of preventing the spread of bovine TB under section 10(2)(a) of the Protection of Badgers Act 1992, and the Government’s policy document on Bovine TB and badger control in England, both state ‘in order to ensure humaneness, only two culling methods will be permitted (which can be used in combination, or as single control methods): i. cage-trapping followed by shooting; and ii. controlled shooting.’ Both of these documents were published on 14th December 2011.

  • Maria Eagle – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Maria Eagle – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Maria Eagle on 2014-06-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the Government expects to implement all the measures contained in Schedule 3 of the Flood and Water Management Act regarding sustainable urban drainage systems in this Parliament.

    Dan Rogerson

    The Government remains committed to implementing sustainable drainage systems at the earliest available opportunity, but not in a way that affects development. A statement, which will set out our plans in greater detail, will be made in the summer. It has become clear that, as previously hoped for, we will not be commencing Schedule 3 of the Flood and Water Management Act in October 2014.

  • Maria Eagle – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Maria Eagle – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Maria Eagle on 2014-04-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much income the Environment Agency expects to raise from fracking firms to pay for the regulation of the industry; and if he will make a statement.

    Dan Rogerson

    The Environment Agency does not separately record the income it expects to raise from fracking firms. However, it does hold estimates of the charges it expects to raise from environmental permits and licences for the onshore oil and gas industry as a whole.

    Over the next year, with the current charging scheme, the Environment Agency estimates income of between £300,000 and £350,000. This includes fees from permit applications and annual subsistence, for mining waste, groundwater, radioactive substances and water resources permits. It does not include any site surrender fees as no sites are expected to surrender their permits over the next year. As the onshore shale gas part of the industry grows over time, we would expect the income from permitting charges to change.

  • Maria Eagle – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Maria Eagle – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Maria Eagle on 2014-04-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many projects were taken forward from Phase 1 of his Department’s Biodegradable Plastic Carrier Bags Solutions through Innovation research call feasibility studies which concluded on 31 March 2014 in (a) Lot 1 and (b) Lot 2.

    Dan Rogerson

    Defra has funded and taken forward two feasibility study projects in Lot 1 and two feasibility study projects in Lot 2 of this research call.

  • Maria Eagle – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Maria Eagle – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Maria Eagle on 2014-04-30.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make it his policy to publish in full all monitoring data collected on the second year of the pilot badger culls in Gloucestershire and Somerset.

    George Eustice

    The outcome of the monitoring of the second year of the pilot culls will be published after culling has concluded and the analysis is completed.

  • Maria Eagle – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Maria Eagle – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Maria Eagle on 2014-06-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether (a) the Prime Minister or (b) officials in his Office have ever advised the National Farmers’ Union not to communicate with journalists during the commencement phase of the pilot badger culls in Somerset and Gloucestershire in 2013.

    George Eustice

    Meetings were held with the National Farmers Union in the six months prior to the start of the pilot culls in 2013.

    There was no media blackout during the pilots. Defra and the National Farmers Union continued to make spokespeople available to talk to the media throughout the period in which culling was taking place.

    However, both the National Farmers Union and Defra were always clear that operational information that could compromise the effectiveness of the cull or the safety of those involved would not be disclosed during the operation.

  • Maria Eagle – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Maria Eagle – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Maria Eagle on 2014-04-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many staff at the Environment Agency are working on the regulation of fracking in England and Wales; and what reductions in the budget of the Environment Agency have affected people working on that regulation.

    Dan Rogerson

    The Environment Agency has set up a team of ten national officers working full time to develop the regulatory regime for oil and gas activities. This work covers conventional and unconventional oil and gas activities.

    This team is supported by additional technical resource from elsewhere in the organisation. The workload fluctuates and these specialists are not solely dedicated to regulating and permitting unconventional activities. It is therefore not possible to give an exact answer, but the Agency estimates that approximately 40 further members of staff are currently involved in this work across England.

    UK Government policy is to ensure the shale industry is able to develop in a safe, sustainable and environmentally responsible way within a well-regulated environment. Regulating the industry will remain a priority for the Environment Agency. Funding for setting up the regulatory regime comes from Defra grant-in-aid. Work to regulate individual sites is financed through the charges the Environment Agency raises for environmental permits and licences, supported where necessary by the grant-in-aid.

  • Maria Eagle – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Maria Eagle – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Maria Eagle on 2014-04-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the total number of projects was involved in Lot 1, Phase 1, of his Department’s Biodegradable Plastic Carrier Bags Solutions through Innovation research call; and how many of those projects met each of the five functions and characteristics outlined in the research call.

    Dan Rogerson

    Defra received six bids for Lot 1, Phase 1 of this research call.

    Two bids met the requirements outlined in the research call and are being funded by Defra.