Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when the eligibility criteria for the Property Flood Resilience repair grant scheme changed from 25 affected properties to 50; and whether his Department made an assessment of the potential impact of changing the eligibility criteria on the number of properties that would no longer be eligible before making the change.

Answered by Robbie Moore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The activation of the schemes in 2019 and 2020 was based on a qualifying criteria of 25 homes per local authority (including District level).

Feedback from local authorities following those schemes suggested that some reported that they missed out on financial support under the 2019/20 activations of the FRF because they did not meet the 25 flooded homes threshold, but they would have qualified if all flooded properties (both domestic and commercial) were considered eligible, which disadvantage small rural district authorities due to property density in those areas.

As a result, the FRF was revised in 2021 and published on 28 October, recognising these issues. Eligibility was to be based on flooded properties, both domestic and commercial, across LLFA geographies.

The 50 flooded property threshold at LLFA area was introduced as part of the FRF and PFR Grant activation in respect of Storm Babet in October 2023, and has resulted in properties in many districts that would have been excluded under the previous threshold being able to participate.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the impact of maintaining the maximum flood resilience repair grant at £5000 on (a) levels of take up and (b) the type of property covered.

Answered by Robbie Moore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

When activated, the Defra PFR Repair Grant Scheme provides for up to £5000 as a contribution towards making a property more flood resilient. It is intended as a one-off payment to assist households and business to put place in measures that will provide greater resilience to future floods. It is not intended as compensation for flooding. Property owners can choose to add to the available grant to implement further PFR measures in their property.

There is a reasonable expectation that property owners will take steps, including having suitable insurance, which may now include an additional up to £10,000 for resilient repairs under the Build Back Better scheme.

The level of grant is kept under review and for the recent activations of the scheme we have increased the amount that can be claimed as part of the £5,000 grant to enable PFR surveys to be undertaken.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what is the annual funding for (a) coastal and marine restoration projects and (b) regenerative ocean activities; and if he will publish a breakdown of how this funding is spent.

Answered by Robbie Moore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Defra funded two coastal and marine restoration projects under its flagship R&D Marine Natural Capital and Ecosystem Assessment Programme, at a cost of £2.1m in FY23/24. These projects are looking at the natural capital approaches to support local and strategic planning for marine recovery (£1.1m) and regional restoration plans for estuaries and coasts (£1m).

Defra and the Environment Agency are supporting blue carbon restoration efforts through various initiatives, for example by investing £750,000 over two years to facilitate domestic blue carbon habitat restoration. As part of this, the Environmental Agency’s Restoring Meadow, Marsh and Reef (ReMeMaRe) initiative aims to reverse centuries of decline of our estuarine and coastal habitats by restoring seagrass meadows, saltmarsh and native oyster reef. The Environment Agency and partners are working on options for additional work to support saltmarsh restoration through the Water Environment Improvement Fund.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 15 April 2024 to Question 20753 on Flood Control, how many schemes that went through an appraisal process have been deferred (a) in total and (b) to a date beyond the end of the current programme of works in March 2027; and when he plans to publish more information on those schemes.

Answered by Robbie Moore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

I refer the Honourable member to the Answer of 15 April 2024 to Question 20753, which set out that delivery is the Government’s key priority, and we are working with the Environment Agency to review the programme in light of the impacts of inflation and the pandemic. More information will be available in due course.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much his Department spent in the last 12 months on (a) in-work and (b) other training on (i) coastal restoration, (ii) the protection of coastal and marine ecosystems, (iii) monitoring, (iv) enforcement and (v) sustainable recreation; how much he plans to spend on each of those areas in the next 12 months; and whether his Department employs apprentices.

Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The requested information on training spend is not held centrally and to obtain it would incur disproportionate costs.

Core Defra Marine and Fisheries staff and employees of Defra’s marine Arm’s Length Bodies undertake a range of training and learning and development (L&D) opportunities covering a wide range of topics including coastal restoration and the protection of marine ecosystems, monitoring, enforcement, and sustainable recreation. Training is delivered through a range of means, including for example on the job learning, attending courses, peer to peer learning, conferences or talks, membership of professional bodies/learned societies, reviewing literature and mentoring. There is no mechanism through which we can give a specific amount that will be spent on those areas in the next 12 months. Every civil servant is supported to undertake L&D and expected to undertake the training necessary to their role. Detailed records are not kept at a corporate level on specific training.

The department does employ apprentices. As at March 2024 Defra Group currently has 880 active apprentices.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, pursuant to the Answer of 21 March 2024 to Question 18572: Marine Protected Areas, whether she received advice from the (a) Offshore Petroleum Regulator for Environment and Decommissioning and (b) Joint Nature Conservancy Council that any of the first 27 licences from the 33rd Offshore Oil and Gas Licensing Round would result in adverse impacts on marine protected areas.

Answered by Justin Tomlinson - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Offshore Petroleum Regulator for Environment and Decommissioning (OPRED) undertook a screening assessment under the Offshore Petroleum Activities (Conservation of Habitats) Regulations 2001. This assessment included consultation with appropriate nature conservation bodies, including Joint Nature Conservation Committee. OPRED also undertook a Marine Conservation Zone / Marine Protected Area assessment in accordance with the Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009.

OPRED’s assessments concluded that award of the first 27 licences would not result in adverse impacts on the relevant protected areas. The SoS received advice from OPRED on the outcome of these assessments throughout the 33^rd Round process. Assessment reports were published in July 2023: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/64be43579c2df00012940285/33rd_Round_HRA_Screening_Report.pdf; https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/64c77b5ff92186000d8667b6/33R_Round_MCZ_MPA_Assessment_Report.pdf.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of seismic airgun surveys on cetacean species in the East Faroe Shetland Channel Marine Protected Area.

Answered by Justin Tomlinson - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The UK has a comprehensive legal framework of environmental protection measures for offshore oil and gas activities. This covers the entire oil and gas life cycle, from the initial licence application to decommissioning activities. All exploration activities, including seismic surveys, which could impact the environment are subject to rigorous environmental assessment, and offshore activities are controlled through an environmental permitting process.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what (a) discussions and (b) correspondence his Department has had with (i) Lead Local Flood Authorities and (ii) the Local Government Association as part of his response of 13 March 2024 to the National Infrastructure Council report Reducing the risk of surface water flooding.

Answered by Robbie Moore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

In considering the National Infrastructure Commission’s (NIC) study into surface water flooding, Defra officials met with the Association of Directors of Environment, Economy, Planning and Transport’s (ADEPT) Flood and Water Group. This group is predominately made up of lead local flood authorities and the Local Government Association. At the meeting there was a discussion about the NIC’s study and nine recommendations, and the different views on them. The ADEPT Flood and Water Group also wrote to Defra after the meeting. Defra took these views into account when producing the Government response and accepting or partially accepting all of the NIC’s recommendations.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 16 January 2024 to Question 8811 on Land Drainage, what his expected timetable is for implementing Schedule 3 of the Flood and Water Management Act 2010; and what (a) correspondence and (b) discussions he has had with local authorities on preparing for the implementation.

Answered by Robbie Moore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Government remains firmly committed to delivering standardised sustainable drainage systems in new developments as stated in our Plan for Water (April 2023). A consultation will take place shortly and final implementation decisions will be made on scope, threshold and process.

Defra officials engage with local authority representatives on this issue on a regular basis. We would expect discussions to intensify during and following the upcoming public consultation.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the timelines in her Department's policy paper entitled, Carbon capture, usage and storage: a vision to establish a competitive market, published on 20 December 2024, on the deliverability of its target of capturing 20 to 30 million tonnes of carbon dioxide per year across the economy by 2030.

Answered by Andrew Bowie - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Government has set out an ambition to establish four CCUS clusters that will capture 20-30 Mtpa of carbon dioxide per year by 2030. In 2023, the Chancellor announced the availability of up to £20 billion for investment in the early development of CCUS. This unprecedented investment will help meet the government’s climate commitments.

The CCUS Vision stated that by the mid 2030s, the amount of CO₂ annually stored may need to increase to at least 50 megatonnes per annum (Mtpa). To achieve this, it is likely that the CCUS sector will need to increase the annual amount of CO₂ stored by at least 6 Mtpa each year from 2031.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether it is still her Department's aim for the UK to be capturing 20–30 million tonnes of carbon dioxide per year across the economy by 2030 of which 5 million tonnes would be delivered from Engineered GGRs.

Answered by Andrew Bowie - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

In October 2021, the government announced in the Net Zero Strategy its ambition to capture and store 20-30 MtCO2 per year by 2030, with 10Mt of this capacity to be delivered by Track-2 clusters.

The Net Zero Strategy outlines an ambition to deploy 5MtCO2/year of engineered removals by 2030. The UK Government remains committed to meeting these ambitions.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what her Department's timelines are for carbon capture, usage and storage (a) track-1 expansion and (b) track-2 cluster sequencing; whether those processes will run concurrently; and whether the track-2 timeline is contingent on the progress of track-1 processes.

Answered by Andrew Bowie - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

Government has progressed the CCUS cluster sequencing process, selecting the first 4 clusters to meet the 2030 ambition.

Projects submitted applications for HyNet expansion in March. These will be assessed, with shortlisted projects announced from Autumn 2024.

Following agreement of Heads of Terms with the Transport and Storage company in December 2023, Government is considering the best timing for launching an East Coast Cluster expansion process, beginning with assessment of store readiness.

The Track-2 December update set out Government’s proposed ‘anchor’ and ‘buildout’ approach. Government has continued engagement with Acorn and Viking, and will provide further guidance in due course.