Asked by: Caroline Lucas (Green Party - Brighton, Pavilion)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the statement by the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention entitled Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza A (H5N1) Virus Infection Reported in a Person in the US, published on 1 April 2024, what assessment he has made of the level of risk posed by H5N1; and whether he has had discussions with the (a) Secretary of State for Health and Social Care and (b) Deputy Prime Minister and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster on the potential implications for the UK Biological Security Strategy of that statement.
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
We are in close contact with counterparts in the United States on the incidents of influenza of avian origin in cattle in the USA. We know that the strain of virus involved has not been detected in the UK.
We are working closely with the Department of Health and Social Care, UK Health Security Agency, Food Standards Agency and Cabinet Office officials and with international partners on risk assessments to consider the routes of incursion, animal to animal spread and animal to human spill-over and to review our well-tested surveillance mechanisms and preparedness activities in light of this emerging situation.
Asked by: Emma Hardy (Labour - Kingston upon Hull West and Hessle)
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 24 April 2024 to Question 22631 on Flood Control, when the meeting with the Association of Directors of Environment, Economy, Planning and Transport’s Flood and Water Group took place, and if he will publish the letter that Group wrote to his Department after the meeting.
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 on 30 January 2023.
Following the meeting ADEPT officials shared a short note setting out their views on the NIC’s nine recommendations which the government considered in developing the response to the study.
It is not the Department’s policy to publish exchanges between officials.
Asked by: Steve Reed (Labour (Co-op) - Croydon North)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an estimate of the cost to the public purse of cash losses incurred by his Department arising from (a) theft, (b) fraud, (c) arson, (d) sabotage and (e) gross carelessness in the last 12 months.
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Estimates and actual losses for 2023-24 are currently in the process of being finalised and will be published in our Annual Report and Accounts. Losses from theft and fraud are expected to be in the region of losses incurred in previous years. The figures for 2021-22 and 2022-23 may be found in the following reports: Annual Report and Accounts 2021-22 and Annual Report and Accounts 2022-23. The level of detected fraud across Defra in 2021-22 may also be found in the cross-Government Fraud Landscape Report. We are unable to provide any estimates regarding arson, sabotage and gross carelessness as our losses data is aggregated and it is not possible to easily report this level of detail.
Asked by: Fabian Hamilton (Labour - Leeds North East)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department is participating in the fourth session of negotiations on a global plastics treaty in Ottawa that began on 23 April 2024.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Department participated in the fourth session of negotiations on a global plastics treaty in Ottawa. Officials from Defra attended the fourth session of negotiations to develop a global plastics pollution treaty, and I attended the high-level segment hosted by Canada ahead of the start of formal negotiations. The UK’s negotiating mandate covers the relevant policy from across Government departments and we continue to strongly support the active and meaningful participation of stakeholders, including UK businesses, at all stages of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) process. As a founding member of the High Ambition Coalition to End Plastic Pollution, the UK remains committed to securing an ambitious treaty by the end of 2024 that includes measures to address plastic pollution across the full lifecycle of plastic. We continue to work closely with other member states and stakeholders at, and beyond, the fourth session of the INC to advance negotiations and pave the way for a historic agreement.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to encourage agencies involved in water management to produce joint plans.
Answered by Robbie Moore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
In January 2023, the Government published its Environmental Improvement Plan. This included a commitment for more joined up management of the water system. The current water and floods policy and legal framework has been developed incrementally over time, resulting in over 15 national plans and strategic documents. Whilst each plan has its own purpose, we want to make the whole framework more outcome-focussed and fully integrated with other environmental plans and government delivery plans. We reiterated this commitment in our landmark Plan for Water published in April 2023.
Asked by: Toby Perkins (Labour - Chesterfield)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many hectares of plantations on ancient woodland sites have had licences granted for clearfell and replanting with non-native trees in the last five years.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Forestry Commission is the regulator for the legal felling of trees in England under the provisions in the Forestry Act. Most felling licences issued require felled trees or areas of woodland to be replaced by replanting or allowed to regenerate. The exception to this is a thinning licence, where sufficient woodland cover is retained so as not to require restocking.
When considering a felling licence application the Forestry Commission will judge the proposals against the UK Forestry Standard, the government’s approach to sustainable forestry. This is available on GOV.UK at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-uk-forestry-standard. This standard encompasses the impacts on biodiversity and recognises the importance of priority habitats and species. This is why a felling licence also includes advice and guidance on additional issues a landowner needs to take into account.
The restocking conditions in a felling licence are put in place to help meet the aims of the management of the site through good silvicultural practice. While the Forestry Commission does advise on a suitable species mix there are no provisions in the Forestry Act to mandate the source of trees and whether they are native or non-native.
The guide to Managing England’s woodlands in a climate emergency, advises to manage ancient woodlands in a manner which conserves important biodiversity and heritage features. Greater diversification of species and origin of stands is advised, with a focus on southerly provenances of native species. Due to the unknown nature of acceleration of climate change, management intervention may need to be more frequent in order to preserve these rare habitats effectively. This is available on GOV.UK at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/managing-englands-woodlands-in-a-climate-emergency.
Asked by: Toby Perkins (Labour - Chesterfield)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to bring the majority of Plantation on Ancient Woodland Sites into restoration by 2030.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Keepers of Time policy, updated in 2021, sets out our principles and objectives to protect and improve ancient and native woodland and trees for future generations. Restoring ancient woodlands that are ecologically degraded is a high priority for the Government. This includes restoring plantations on ancient woodland sites by gradually transforming stands from non-native planted species to native species.
We provide support and incentives through Countryside Stewardship and the HS2 Woodland Fund to restore plantations on ancient woodland sites (PAWS). We are currently considering how best to support and incentivise PAWS restoration in future environmental land management schemes while making sure they continue to provide owners with income. We support Forestry England to manage ancient woodland sites across the nation’s forests to improve their ecological value and ultimately restore all plantations on ancient woodland sites to resilient native woodland.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate he has made of the potential cost to the public purse of Operation Timber.
Answered by Robbie Moore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Fundamentally the company is responsible for raising capital, be it equity or debt – not the regulator or the Government. There are a variety of avenues to explore, which it is vital the company must do, while continuing to fulfil its statutory obligations of providing water and wastewater services to customers.
The Government and Ofwat will always act to protect consumers as a priority and any intervention that would put pressure on the public purse would be considered very seriously and as a last resort.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department has undertaken consultations with (a) stakeholders and (b) investors in relation to Operation Timber in the last 12 months.
Answered by Robbie Moore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Fundamentally water companies are commercial entities, and it would be inappropriate to comment further on the specific situation of any individual company.
The Government and Ofwat – the financial regulator for the water sector – are carefully monitoring the situation, and Ofwat continues to engage with Thames Water to support it in improving its financial resilience within the context of its licence and broader statutory obligations.
Asked by: Julian Knight (Independent - Solihull)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to support local authorities in collecting food waste to send to to anaerobic digestion facilities.
Answered by Robbie Moore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government has brought forward up to £295 million in capital funding to roll out weekly food waste collections across England. This will cover the reasonable new burdens costs of additional bins and vehicles. Initial grants have now been issued to local authorities for their transitional capital funding allocation for the 2023/24 financial year (FY). Transitional resource costs will be paid from FY 2024/25. Ongoing resource costs will be paid to all local authorities from 1 April 2026.
We have committed to work with sector specialists the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) to develop guidance and good practice on communications and scope additional areas of support for local authorities and other affected stakeholders. WRAP has recently published standard specifications developed with industry to support local authorities in the procurement of vehicles and containers.
Local authority disposal of food waste is also being supported through the construction of new anaerobic digestion (AD) plants facilitated by the Government’s Green Gas Support Scheme, which provides a tariff supporting the price of biomethane injected into the gas grid at AD sites.