Asked by: Charles Walker (Conservative - Broxbourne)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing a maximum price for bass landed as allowable by catch which is linked to the price on the dock of pollock with that price calculated over the average price paid for pollock over the immediate three-month period; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by George Eustice
The Government believes that the setting of prices in the fishing sector is a commercial matter to be resolved by private negotiation which should take place within the parameters set by competition law. The market must determine prices. Sea bass catches are being restricted through ongoing fisheries measures agreed at EU level to address the currently reduced biomass and rebuild the stock. This is a Government priority to support both recreational and commercial interests in this important stock. Overall, EU levels of catch are successfully reducing.
For 2017, a small bass catch for fixed nets at 80% less than this year was agreed at EU level – representing an estimated 88% reduction of all UK netting bass catches from the 2011-13 baseline figure. Overall, in 2017, UK bass commercial catches are estimated to be reduced by 60% from the former baseline average.
Asked by: Charles Walker (Conservative - Broxbourne)
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 low levels of rainfall in the South of England in the last six months, what discussions she has had with (a) the Environment Agency and (b) water utility companies on drought preparedness and water resilience planning; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by Thérèse Coffey
Although overall rainfall for November 2016 was above average, prolonged dry weather from July to October has resulted in some rivers, groundwater and surface reservoirs at, or below, normal levels as we approach the end of the year. The Environment Agency is closely monitoring the water resources situation in England, together with water companies, and has been providing regular updates to the Department on the situation.
All water companies in England have a statutory requirement to prepare, maintain and revise drought plans and long-term water resources management plans, setting out how they will ensure a secure supply of water. Most companies will consult on revised drought plans next year and their water resources management plans early in 2018. Water companies are currently discussing expectations for their revised plans with the Environment Agency and the Department.
Asked by: Charles Walker (Conservative - Broxbourne)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much government funding is available for salmon and eel conservation in 2016-17; and how much such funding was available in 2009-10.
Answered by George Eustice
In 2009/10, £9.4 million of Government funding was issued to the Environment Agency covering its fisheries specific duties, such as maintaining, improving and developing fisheries for migratory fish species, for both England and Wales.
Since 2010, the Environment Agency has received Government funding to deliver its environmental objectives through an integrated approach which does not allow disaggregation. Salmon and eel conservation has benefited from work on delivering the Water Framework Directive, funding for the community-led Catchment Based Approach for delivering water improvements, pollution prevention work and from areas such as monitoring and planning. In addition to this broad Government funding, migratory fish species benefit from the Environment Agency’s charging activity work.
Asked by: Charles Walker (Conservative - Broxbourne)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will take steps to mark the centenary of the birth of Richard Walker by ensuring that Clarissa the carp appears on the front of the 2017-18 fishing licence; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by George Eustice
The images on the rod licence are currently produced under agreement with a specialist wildlife artist and have focused on fish in their natural environment. The exact image is determined the year before the licence goes on sale and the image for 2017/18 has already been determined. The design for 2018/19 will be determined during 2017. The Environment Agency is happy to consider the option of using Clarissa to mark the centenary of the birth of Richard Walker.
Asked by: Charles Walker (Conservative - Broxbourne)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much income has been received from anglers through the rod licence in each of the last five financial years; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by George Eustice
The income received from anglers through the rod licence for each of the last five years is provided in the table below:
Income (in million) | |
2015/16 | £21,083 |
2014/15 | £21,147 |
2013/14 | £21,590 |
2012/13 | £21,840 |
2011/12 | £23,742 |
Asked by: Charles Walker (Conservative - Broxbourne)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate her Department has made of the number of its senior civil servants who will potentially fall under the provisions of the fourth EU Money Laundering Directive, 2015/849; and what assessment she has made of which of her Department's agencies or other public bodies will potentially be classed as holding a prominent public function for the purposes of that directive.
Answered by George Eustice
The Government's view is that the Directive permits a risk-based approach to the identification of whether an individual is a politically exposed person and, when identified, the Directive enables the application of different degrees of enhanced measures to reflect the risks posed. The Government will be setting out this view in a consultation which will be published shortly.
The changes proposed under the Directive should not prevent any individual in this category from gaining or maintaining access to financial services. The Treasury regularly raises these issues with financial institutions and the regulator, and we encourage financial institutions to take a proportionate, risk-based approach when applying these measures.
Asked by: Charles Walker (Conservative - Broxbourne)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions she has had with water companies on using the proposed High Speed 2 corridor as a route for transferring water from the north of England to London; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by Rory Stewart
The Secretary of State has not had any recent discussions with water companies or made any specific assessment relating to water transfers along the High Speed 2 corridor. No such project was proposed during the last round of water company water resources management plans.
Defra and the Environment Agency are now working with all water companies to ensure that they consider the range of options for balancing future supply and demand in their next update to their plans to be published in 2019. This includes looking at bulk transfers between companies.
Asked by: Charles Walker (Conservative - Broxbourne)
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 potential merits of using the proposed High Speed 2 corridor as a route for transferring water from the north of England to London; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by Rory Stewart
The Secretary of State has not had any recent discussions with water companies or made any specific assessment relating to water transfers along the High Speed 2 corridor. No such project was proposed during the last round of water company water resources management plans.
Defra and the Environment Agency are now working with all water companies to ensure that they consider the range of options for balancing future supply and demand in their next update to their plans to be published in 2019. This includes looking at bulk transfers between companies.
Asked by: Charles Walker (Conservative - Broxbourne)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the proposals to site a new reservoir at Abingdon in order to deal with projected population increases in the south east of England are still under consideration.
Answered by Rory Stewart
Thames Water has identified in its water resources management plan that new reservoir storage, such as at the Abingdon site, is one of the options it is evaluating in order to maintain a secure water supply.
Asked by: Charles Walker (Conservative - Broxbourne)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will discuss with the Environment Agency (EA) the proposal by angling bodies of marking the centenary of the birth of the angler Richard Walker with a portrait of Clarissa the Carp on the 2018 EA fishing licence; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by George Eustice
Defra has discussed the marking of the centenary of the birth of the angler Richard Walker with a portrait of Clarissa the Carp on the 2018 rod fishing licence with the EA. The EA is happy to consider this option, along with other design proposals. They will be pleased to support celebrations of Richard Walker’s achievements, where they can. I have asked the EA to keep me updated.