Asked by: Layla Moran (Liberal Democrat - Oxford West and Abingdon)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many air miles were accumulated by (a) Ministers, (b) special advisers and (c) civil servants in his Department in (i) the last six months and (ii) each calendar year since 2015.
Answered by Victoria Prentis - Attorney General
The Department has flown 1,203,364 miles in the last six months (based on the date flights were invoiced).
The table below shows the number of miles by calendar year since 2015 (based on the date the flights were invoiced).
Year | Mileage |
2015 | 1,523,505 |
2016 | 1,239,659 |
2017 | 1,892,968 |
2018 | 3,312,017 |
2019 | 3,329,349 |
2020 (to date) | 160,695 |
Asked by: Layla Moran (Liberal Democrat - Oxford West and Abingdon)
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 ensure that support for the deployment of offshore wind generation capacity to meet net zero emissions targets does not harm international marine species and habitats.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
We fully support the growth of offshore wind and recognise the essential role it plays in meeting the net zero target. Defra has a significant interest in offshore wind development in terms of its potential to contribute to meeting the Government’s climate change commitments, and we also have a critical role in ensuring the protection of our marine environment, particularly across our network of designated Marine Protected Areas.
We are working with other Government bodies, the Crown Estate, industry and wider stakeholders to mitigate against, and prepare for, any environmental impacts of growth in the offshore wind sector. This programme of measures will enable the responsible and sustainable growth of offshore wind.
Asked by: Layla Moran (Liberal Democrat - Oxford West and Abingdon)
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 incentivise sustainable agricultural practices through the Environmental Land Management scheme.
Answered by Robert Goodwill
The Environmental Land Management Scheme (ELMS) will be underpinned by the principle of payment of public money for public goods such as: clean air; clean and plentiful water; thriving plants and wildlife; reduced risk of harm from environmental hazards such as flooding and drought; enhanced beauty, heritage and engagement for the natural environment and mitigating and adapting to climate change. As the detail of the ELMS is developed, Defra will be exploring with stakeholders where sustainable farming practices can contribute to the delivery of these public goods.
Asked by: Layla Moran (Liberal Democrat - Oxford West and Abingdon)
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 had recent discussions with the Department for Transport on the environmentally-friendly expansion of rural public transport; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Thérèse Coffey
Last December Defra and the Department for Transport (DfT) held a joint roundtable on rural bus services with a wide range of key stakeholders, exploring the issues and potential solutions for providing effective bus services in rural communities.
The new Community Rail Development Strategy, published in November 2018, looks for ways to make it easier for the rail industry and local community rail partnerships to improve services and stations on local branch lines. Defra worked with DfT on the draft strategy and the consultation process on the strategy prior to its launch.
The Government published its Future of Mobility: Urban Strategy in March and will be setting out thinking on the future of rural mobility in due course, to explore how the benefits of transport innovation can be enjoyed by everyone, wherever they live.
The Government’s ambitions for the Oxford Cambridge Arc recognise that it is an area of significant strength and opportunity. We recognise that a high-quality environment is key to achieving the ambition of a more productive and connected Arc and aim to meet our economic and housing ambitions while delivering on the Government’s 25 Year Environment Plan. Defra is working closely with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government and DfT to create sustainable places for people and wildlife, to preserve the environment for future generations. Within the Arc, we are encouraging the constituent local authorities to be looking to develop local potential transport systems that provide convenient, clean, effective, accessible, inclusive, safe and active travel, with less congestion and better air quality.
Oxford City Council has received £2,334,480, through the Clean Bus Technology Fund, run by Defra and DfT’s Joint Air Quality Unit. This will retrofit 115 buses across Oxford and Oxfordshire to Euro VI standard.
Asked by: Layla Moran (Liberal Democrat - Oxford West and Abingdon)
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 has taken to help the agricultural sector create new jobs in environmental land management.
Answered by Robert Goodwill
Through our proposed reforms and the policies set out in the Agriculture Bill we will increase demand and therefore employment opportunities for those who have these skills by financially supporting farmers who undertake environmental works. We regularly discuss these reforms with farmers and the educational and advisory services that serve farming; including the Food and Drink Sector Council who are specifically looking at the workforce, skills and jobs we want to see in the future.
Asked by: Layla Moran (Liberal Democrat - Oxford West and Abingdon)
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 ensure that its Environmental Land Management scheme is developed as part of the Government's overall strategy to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.
Answered by Thérèse Coffey
The Environmental Land Management Scheme (ELMS) will be designed to significantly contribute to the goals of the 25 Year Environment Plan and other initiatives such as net zero carbon emissions by 2050. The ELMS team will work with farmers, land managers, environmental bodies, non-governmental organisations and other stakeholders to test and trial new and innovative approaches to deliver environmental outcomes, including the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture and the removal of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
Asked by: Layla Moran (Liberal Democrat - Oxford West and Abingdon)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans the Government has to amend the regulation of the export of live animals for slaughter and the labelling of consignments as for fattening, in the event that the UK leaves the EU (a) with a deal and (b) without a deal.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Our manifesto made it clear that we would take early steps to control the export of live farm animals for slaughter once we leave the European Union (EU). Last year we launched a Call for Evidence on controlling live exports for slaughter and improving the welfare of all animals during transport. We passed this evidence to the Farm Animal Welfare Committee (FAWC), who recently submitted their advice to Defra and the Devolved Administrations including in relation to live exports. We are considering FAWC’s recommendations and expect to come forward with proposals for public consultation to improve animal welfare in transport in due course. We intend to strengthen welfare in transport regulation whether we leave the EU with a deal or without a deal.
As we move towards a new relationship with Europe and the rest of the world, we have a unique opportunity to shape future animal welfare policy in the UK to ensure the highest standards in every area.
Asked by: Layla Moran (Liberal Democrat - Oxford West and Abingdon)
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 3 April 2019 to Question 237159 on Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Secondment, how many staff have been seconded to his Department from the Environment Agency (a) since June 2016, (b) in the last 12 months and (c) in the last month.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The information provided is taken as at 30 April 2019.
Year | Number of Secondments from EA | Of which are still working in the department* |
a) June 2016 – All secondments from EA to Defra from June 2016 to April 2019. | 74 | 12 |
b) Last 12 Months – Those whose secondments started between May 2018 and April 2019. These are included in the number above. | 7 | Less than 5 |
c) April 2019 – Those whose secondments started in April 2019. These are included in both figures above. | 0 | 0 |
*These are the number of staff whose secondments have not yet come to an end, and are therefore still working in Defra. Those whose secondments have come to an end will have returned to the Environment Agency.
Secondments usually last for two years, however we would expect there to be some variation in length dependant on business needs.
We have chosen to withhold the information relating to the number of staff still in the department whose secondments started in the last 12 months in line with GDPR regulations, as it relates to less than 5 members of staff and therefore there is a risk they may be identified.
Asked by: Layla Moran (Liberal Democrat - Oxford West and Abingdon)
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 25 April to Question 245965 on Recycling: Schools, if he will make an estimate of the number of schools which have to pay for their own recycling collections.
Answered by Thérèse Coffey
Defra does not hold information on the number of schools that are charged for the collection and/or disposal of their recycling, therefore we are unable to make an estimate of this number.
The Resources and Waste Strategy highlights our plans to review the Controlled Waste (England and Wales) Regulations 2012, which set out charging arrangements for different categories of waste. However, Defra has no plans at present to make an assessment of the environmental effects of charging schools for their recycling collection.
Defra are committed to increasing both the quality and quantity of recycling materials from schools, businesses and other not for profit organisations. Our consultation ‘Consistency in Household and Business Recycling Collections in England’, which closes on 13 May, seeks views on how we can do this.
Asked by: Layla Moran (Liberal Democrat - Oxford West and Abingdon)
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 25 April 2019 to Question 245965 on Recycling: Schools, if he will make an assessment of the environmental effects of charging schools for recycling collections.
Answered by Thérèse Coffey
Defra does not hold information on the number of schools that are charged for the collection and/or disposal of their recycling, therefore we are unable to make an estimate of this number.
The Resources and Waste Strategy highlights our plans to review the Controlled Waste (England and Wales) Regulations 2012, which set out charging arrangements for different categories of waste. However, Defra has no plans at present to make an assessment of the environmental effects of charging schools for their recycling collection.
Defra are committed to increasing both the quality and quantity of recycling materials from schools, businesses and other not for profit organisations. Our consultation ‘Consistency in Household and Business Recycling Collections in England’, which closes on 13 May, seeks views on how we can do this.