Asked by: Baroness Parminter (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government on what date they took the decision to grant an emergency application from the National Farmers’ Union to use neonicotinoid seed treatments in the autumn of 2015; when this decision was announced; and, if there was a gap between the date of decision and date of announcement, what was the reason for the delay.
Answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble
The decision was taken on 21 July and was communicated to the applicant on 22 July. Details of pesticide authorisations issued are placed on the Health and Safety Executive website. These authorisations were issued to the National Farmers’ Union on 24 July and were placed on the website on the same day.
Asked by: Baroness Parminter (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of recent field trials of rape seed treated with neonicotinoids and the impact of neonicotinoids on bumblebee populations.
Answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble
The Commission has begun a review of the science relating to neonicotinoids and bees. This will include effects on bees from seed treatment and granule uses of the restricted neonicotinoids on any crop. The Government will contribute fully to this review and will base its view on future regulation of neonicotinoids on all the available scientific evidence. We are aware that there have been a number of new studies since 2013. Initial results from a large field trial being carried out by the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology to look at honey bees, bumble bees and solitary bees are expected later this year.
The UK Expert Committee on Pesticides has the task of advising Ministers on issues relating to the authorisation of pesticides. It considered recent research on neonicotinoids and pollinators, including the recent report by Rundlöf et al, at its May 2015 meeting. The detailed record of the meeting states that the Committee “agreed that this was a complex and evolving issue that required careful judgement, based on a weight of evidence approach”. The Committee agreed to come back to the issue regularly at future meetings.
Asked by: Baroness Parminter (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Gardiner of Kimble on 6 July (HL719), what disposal policies each Department applies to freehold property identified as a prospective asset sale that is of significant nature conservation value.
Answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble
Core Defra holds a very limited number of sites with significant conservation value. None of these sites are under consideration for disposal. However, all assets are disposed in accordance with the policies set out in ‘Managing Public Money’.
Asked by: Baroness Parminter (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Gardiner of Kimble on 6 July (HL719), what assessment they have made of the biodiversity and potential nature conservation value of freehold property identified as a prospective asset sale by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, its Executive Agencies and Non-Departmental Public Bodies.
Answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble
All sites that have been identified as surplus and appear on the list in question have undergone rigorous consultation prior to being declared surplus.
Where appropriate in-house conservation and biodiversity specialists are consulted before assets are formally declared surplus. This allows for any conservation or biodiversity value or potential to be identified and managed. This can include land being disposed with appropriate easements in place to protect the biodiversity of the asset.
Asked by: Baroness Parminter (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Gardiner of Kimble on 22 June (HL330), what assets are currently owned by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and its non-departmental public bodies; and what prospective asset sales are under review by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
Answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble
A summary of Defra’s assets and their Net Book Value as at 31 March 2015 will be published in the Department’s Annual Report and Accounts (ARA) in due course. Defra’s ARAs are available on the gov.uk website.
The table below shows a list of freehold property owned by the Department as at June 2015 which has been identified as a prospective asset sale, together with a summary of the status of the sale. Freehold property is the only category of asset likely to generate any significant sales. The list includes assets owned by Core Defra, its Executive Agencies and Non-Departmental Public Bodies.
Property Name | Post Town | Comments |
GARSTANG VIC | Preston | Site under review as part of 2015-2020 property plan. Potential disposal 2016/17. |
WORCESTER WHITTINGTON ROAD | Worcester | Site under offer with completion anticipated in January 2016. |
TAUNTON QUANTOCK HOUSE | Taunton | Site under offer with completion expected in July 2015. |
BURY ST EDMUNDS | Bury St Edmunds | Site under offer with completion expected in September 2015. |
ITCHEN ABBAS VIC | Winchester | Site being vacated. Anticipated disposal 2016/17. |
ELY ARTHUR RICKWOOD FARM | Ely | Site under offer. Completion expected by March 2016. |
STRATFORD LUDDINGTON VIC | Stratford Upon Avon | Site vacated and marketing underway. Completion expected by March 2016. |
REACH LODE PITS | Upware | Surplus land - currently being marketed. |
SPORTSMANS PIT | Swaffham Bulbeck | Surplus land - currently being marketed. |
FENCED ACRE CLAY PIT | Mepal | Surplus land - currently being marketed. |
RELIEF CHANNEL | Norfolk | Surplus land - being prepared for market. |
HUNDRED FOOT RIVER | Earith | Surplus land - currently being marketed. |
HUNDRED FOOT WASHES | Sutton | Surplus land - currently being marketed. |
HAVEN RIVER: FORMER MUSSEL WASHING PLANT | Boston | Surplus - currently being marketed. |
LAVENDON MILL | Olney | Surplus weir – currently being marketed. |
RIVER ANT (LUDHAM BRIDGE) | Great Yarmouth | Surplus land - not on the market yet. Plan to dispose in 2017/18. |
STEEPING RIVER & WAINFLEET | Saints, Lincs | Surplus land - under offer. |
RIVER GLAVEN CLEY NEXT THE SEA | Holt | Surplus land - under offer. |
THE SHANTY | Gloucester | Surplus part of Flood Alleviation Scheme - not on the market -planned for 2017/18. |
BECKINGHAM MARSHES | Nottingham | Surplus part of Flood Alleviation Scheme - under offer. |
OLD RIVER DRAIN | Scunthorpe | Surplus part of Flood Alleviation Scheme - currently being marketed. |
HULL PLOT 38, WATTON NATURE RESERVE | Driffield | Surplus nature reserve – currently being marketed. |
2 GREAT CULVERT P.S. HOUSE | Hull | Surplus house - being prepared for market. |
1 TICKTON P.S. HOUSE | Beverley | Surplus house - being prepared for market. |
2 TICKTON P.S. HOUSE | Beverley | Surplus house - being prepared for market. |
1 INGS LANE, RICCALL | York | Surplus house - being prepared for market. |
KILLINGTON R. LUNE BROADRAINE | Sedbergh | Surplus fishing rights - under offer. |
SLAIDBURN WITCHER WELL DUNSOP | Clitheroe | Surplus fish hatchery - being prepared for market. |
46 BANKS ROAD, CROSSENS | Southport | Surplus house - currently being marketed. |
FERRING RIFE, HIGHDOWN WAY | Worthing | Surplus land - plan to market in 2016/17. |
FERRING RIFE, LANGBURY LANE | Worthing | Surplus land - plan to market in 2016/17. |
FERRING RIFE, OVAL WAYE | Worthing | Surplus land - plan to market in 2016/17. |
LIME KILN COTTAGE | Rye | Surplus nature reserve - negotiations underway. |
Asked by: Baroness Parminter (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government where the £83 million savings in the budget of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs are to be found, further to the recent announcement by the Chancellor of the Exchequer.
Answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble
Defra is planning to remain within its budgetary control totals for 2015-16 and is currently developing options to deliver the £83 million savings announced by the Chancellor of the Exchequer. These options include tight control of budgets to drive underspends in-year; further efficiency savings; and asset sales. The options are being considered across the Core Department and Defra’s executive agencies and Non-Departmental Public Bodies.