Asked by: Greg Knight (Conservative - East Yorkshire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what guidance his Department issues to pet owners about feline coronavirus.
Answered by Robbie Moore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 16 November 2023 to the hon. Member for East Londonderry, PQ 1464.
Asked by: Greg Knight (Conservative - East Yorkshire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department has published advice for local authorities on the (a) control and (b) removal of giant hogweed on land near to public right of way where there may be a risk to public health.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
Giant hogweed is listed as a species of special concern under the Invasive Alien Species (Enforcement and Permitting) Order 2019, which makes an offence of planting or otherwise causing giant hogweed to grow in the wild. As giant hogweed is widespread in the UK, there is no legal requirement to report it, nor is it compulsory to remove it. Although there are currently no plans for a large-scale eradication of giant hogweed, we support local eradication projects where this is feasible as part of management measures for this species.
Defra, in collaboration with Natural England and Environment Agency, has published guidance on how to stop the spread and dispose of invasive non-native plants that can harm the environment in England.
The GB Non-Native Species Secretariat website is the primary site for publicly available information on individual invasive species such as giant hogweed and includes links to management guidance documents produced by a range of organisations. The Secretariat carries out many public awareness campaigns, publishes articles, and provides training in which giant hogweed frequently features due to its human health impact.
Asked by: Greg Knight (Conservative - East Yorkshire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to help reduce fly-tipping on private land in rural areas.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
We appreciate the difficulty and cost that fly-tipping poses to landowners. We are working with a wide range of interested parties through the National Fly-Tipping Prevention Group, such as the National Farmers Union, Environment Agency, Country Land and Business Association, National Police Chief's Council and local authorities, to promote and disseminate good practice, including how to prevent fly-tipping on private land.
As part of the Government’s commitment to unleash rural opportunity, we will fund a post within the new National Rural Crime Unit to explore how the police’s role in tacking fly-tipping can be optimised, with a focus on rural areas.
Across two rounds of our fly-tipping grant scheme, we have awarded nearly £1.2m to help more than 30 councils purchase equipment, such as CCTV, to tackle fly-tipping at known hot-spots, including in rural areas. We have recently launched another grant opportunity that could see a further £1m handed out in grants next year to help more councils tackle the issue.
Asked by: Greg Knight (Conservative - East Yorkshire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans she has to provide assistance to (a) local authorities and (b) people affected by coastal erosion to tackle issues related to coastal erosion in the next two years.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government is making a record investment of £5.2 billion in its flood and coastal erosion risk management capital programme, between 2021 to 2027. Currently, over £1 billion of the £5.2 billion capital investment programme for 2021-2027 is supporting projects in the programme will help better protect coastal communities from erosion or flooding.
In addition, the Government is investing £200 million between 2021 and 2027 in the Flood and Coastal Resilience Innovation programme to support local places including coastal communities. This includes the £36 million coastal transition accelerators programme which will support communities in areas at significant risk of coastal erosion to transition and adapt to a changing climate.
East Riding of Yorkshire and North Norfolk were identified as the areas to lead off the programme as they have proportionally the highest number of properties at risk from coastal erosion in England and are facing the greatest challenges from erosion and loss of coastline. Other coastal communities and risk management authorities will benefit from the learning that will be shared from this programme to inform future climate resilience and adaptation.
Asked by: Greg Knight (Conservative - East Yorkshire)
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 adequacy of reservoir capacity (a) in and (b) serving Yorkshire.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
I refer the Rt Hon Member to the answer given on 26 June 2023, PQ 190522.
Asked by: Greg Knight (Conservative - East Yorkshire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to help encourage the use of canals and rivers; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Our inland waterways are an important national heritage asset. Benefits of inland waterways include biodiversity, pleasant routes for active and sustainable travel, physical and mental health, water stewardship, recreational benefits, water-borne freight and renewable energy. The waterways networks host utilities including broadband cabling, as well as playing a key role in system-wide flood risk management, land drainage and water supply.
We published our Environmental Improvement Plan in January 2023 and will work across government to deliver against its commitments, including to “continue to work with navigation authorities as appropriate, recognising the value of access to blue space, particularly within inner city environments. For example, announcing future funding for the Canal and River Trust to support local access improvements and awareness.”
Asked by: Greg Knight (Conservative - East Yorkshire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the capacity of water reservoirs in Yorkshire to meet future demand; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Reservoir stocks and river flows in Yorkshire are declining, following recent warm and dry months. However, the current rate of decline is much better than 2022, with Yorkshire Water’s prospects submission indicating that temporary use bans are unlikely to be required this summer.
Planning is essential to ensure that we meet Yorkshire’s future demands and current legislation ensures the water industry deals with climate change challenges, population growth and protecting the environment. Companies must plan for new supplies, and work hard to achieve the ambitious water saving objectives our Government has set, ensuring a twin track approach to water supply and demand.
Yorkshire Water is expected to optimise its system of river, groundwater and reservoirs sources to meet demands. The likely demands and supplies are being modelled by the company and are set out in the statutory plans water companies are required to, and are currently, producing. Reservoirs are managed for that purpose with the company making assessment of capacity and supplies. These plans include customers’ views and look 25 years minimum into the future, setting out the investment needed to meet future demands. They are assessed by my department, including the Environment Agency, Natural England and regulators such as the Drinking Water Inspectorate and Ofwat. The Environment Agency has recently provided comment on all water company draft Water Management Plans, including Yorkshire Water’s.
Defra recently published its Plan for Water which set out the importance of ensuring a clean and plentiful water supply. The National Framework for Water Resources, published in March 2020, outlined England’s future water needs across sectors and by region up to 2050, including public water supplies; direct abstraction for agriculture, electricity production and industry; and the water needs of the environment. The Framework proposes the scale of action needed to ensure resilient water supplies are available to meet the needs of future users; and introduces a greater level of ambition for restoring, protecting and improving the environment which sources of all our supplies.
Asked by: Greg Knight (Conservative - East Yorkshire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when she expects the official designation of parts of the East Riding of Yorkshire as an area of outstanding natural beauty to be made; if she will set out a timeframe for achieving that status; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
Natural England, the statutory advisor to Government on landscape, is progressing the multi-year landmark designation programme announced in the summer 2021 which includes the consideration of two new AONBs, in the Yorkshire Wolds within North and East Yorkshire, the Cheshire Sandstone Ridge, and extensions to the Surrey Hills and Chilterns Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB). The consideration of the four designation are for the first time in decades being project managed concurrently and the full programme is expected to be completed by 2025.
Asked by: Greg Knight (Conservative - East Yorkshire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what additional steps her Department plans to take to reduce the risk of flooding in East Yorkshire.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
In March 2020, the Government announced a record £5.2 billion investment over six years in flood and coastal erosion schemes to better protect communities across England. An additional funding of £200 million over six years will help over 25 local areas to take forward wider innovative actions that improve their resilience to flooding and coastal erosion. £8 million of the £200 million Flood and Coastal Innovation Programme has been allocated to the four adaptive pathways support work in the Thames and Humber estuaries, the Severn Valley, and Yorkshire to trial and develop ways of planning ahead and making wise investment choices for the decades to come in face of the long-term uncertainties brought by climate change.
The Environment Agency is progressing a wide range of studies, in partnership with other flood risk management authorities and stakeholders, to identify options to further reduce flood risk in the East Yorkshire area, both now and into the future. The outputs will afford a better understanding of the needs, risks and opportunities and shape flood risk management in East Yorkshire and the wider area for decades.
These include the Humber 2100+ study, which is developing an integrated approach to flood risk across the Humber Estuary. Large parts of East Yorkshire, particularly along the north bank of the Humber Estuary, are at risk of tidal flooding – a risk which will only increase with climate change. The Environment Agency and 11 local authorities (including East Riding of Yorkshire Council) are working together and with others to develop the long-term strategic approach for managing tidal flood risk, so safeguarding the future of the Humber area in the face of sea level rise and climate change. Other studies include strategic reviews of flood risk in the upper and middle catchments of the river Hull and in the middle catchment of the river Humber. The Environment Agency is also reviewing its flood models for the River Hull.
Specific to the East Yorkshire parliamentary constituency, much of the land here is predominantly low-lying farmland, drained over hundreds of years and heavily reliant on embankments, land drainage and pumping to manage flood risk. The Environment Agency is working closely with the Rt Hon Member, the Rt Hon Member for Beverley and Holderness, Internal Drainage Boards, landowners and farmers to shape our approach to reducing flood risk.
Asked by: Greg Knight (Conservative - East Yorkshire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of food labelling requirements for honey; and if she will make a statement
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government is confident that the labelling requirements for honey are adequate. All honey on sale in England must comply with the labelling requirements set out in the Honey (England) Regulations 2015 and the general food information to consumers labelling rules.
Although the Government has no immediate plans to change the rules on honey labelling, we keep all laws under review as part of our commitment to carry out post implementation reviews. We will consider the need for further labelling measures as part of the next review of the honey regulations which is due by 2025.