Asked by: Charlie Elphicke (Independent - Dover)
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 effectiveness of water infrastructure investment plans in tackling the problem of flooding; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Dan Rogerson
Ofwat is assessing water infrastructure investment plans for 2015-2020 under the 2014 water price review. All water and sewerage companies have a duty derived from recent legislation to place greater emphasis on flood risk planning.
The Water Industry Act 1991 has also been amended to make clear that sewerage undertakers can construct and use Sustainable Drainage Systems to fulfil their statutory duty to effectually drain an area where it is the most economical solution.
Asked by: Charlie Elphicke (Independent - Dover)
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 bring forward legislative proposals to ensure that veterinarians are present at all live animal exports from the UK to provide an export certificate and ensure relevant standards of animal care are being adhered to.
Answered by George Eustice
The Government has no plans to propose changes to the legislative basis for pre-export inspections beyond those measures which are currently in place. These measures were reviewed and, where necessary, modified in 2012. Details of these operational changes were set out in the Written Ministerial Statement made by the then Minister of State for Defra, Mr David Heath on 4 March 2013 (Hansard, Column 53 WS).
Asked by: Charlie Elphicke (Independent - Dover)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what veterinary and animal welfare qualifications and training are a criteria of becoming an inspector at the Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency.
Answered by George Eustice
Animal Health Veterinary Laboratories Agency (AHVLA) employs Veterinarians and Animal Health Officers who both are inspectors. Veterinarians employed by AHVLA must have a veterinary degree and be members of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (MRCVS). AHVLA supports these veterinarians to achieve the annual number of days continued development required to maintain their MRCVS.
Animal Health Officers are not qualified veterinarians and have no requirement for any veterinary qualifications. They are trained in a variety of aspects relevant to their function and that are essential to their duties, including animal welfare, animal health, enforcement and evidence gathering. Furthermore, and in order to fulfil this function, Animal Health Officers are appointed as Inspectors under the Animal Health Act 1981. A senior veterinarian in the organisation ensures that appointed Inspectors only use the powers to act as an Inspector when they are deemed competent to do so.
AHVLA has an annual programme of training for its veterinary staff and Animal Health Officers to ensure that they maintain and develop knowledge in their particular areas of expertise.