Asked by: David Lammy (Labour - Tottenham)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many officials in his Department have been seconded away from their normal duties to work on the UK's withdrawal from the EU; and what effect that secondment of staff has had on the effectiveness of his Department.
Answered by David Rutley
Over 80% of Defra’s agenda is affected by the UK’s departure from the EU and as a result many roles across the Defra group are now supporting exit related work, either directly or indirectly.
Departments continually review workforce plans and reprioritise and assess changing needs, which includes identification and cessation of non-priority work where appropriate. The Civil Service as a whole is working to ensure that exit implementation is carried out to a high standard without impacting public service delivery across the whole of Government.
Asked by: David Lammy (Labour - Tottenham)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the electromagnetic fields produced by smart meters are within the guidelines exposure levels set by his Department.
Answered by Baroness Coffey
Public Health England (PHE) has advised that the evidence suggests exposures to the radio waves produced by smart meters do not pose a risk to health.
The results of a recent PHE study confirm that exposure to radio waves from smart meters is well below the guidelines set by the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP). The study also concluded that exposure to the radio waves produced by smart meters is likely to be much lower than that from other everyday devices such as mobile phones and Wi-Fi equipment.
Further information on smart meters and PHE’s research is published on their website.
Asked by: David Lammy (Labour - Tottenham)
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 number of households that use less than the average amount of water whose bills will increase as a result of the installation of a smart meter.
Answered by Baroness Coffey
Defra has not made an estimate of the number of households that use less than the average amount of water whose bills will increase as a result of the installation of either a ‘standard’ or a ‘smart’ water meter.
However, based on previous experience, low water users are most likely to benefit from having a meter fitted as they pay for the water they use.
Asked by: David Lammy (Labour - Tottenham)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
What assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Environment Agency in preventing oil spills in the River Lea; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Baroness Coffey
I refer the hon. Member to the replies previously given on 6 March 2018, PQs 129872, 129873, 129874 and 129875. Whilst it is not possible to prevent all oil spills into the river, in this incident, the Environment Agency have traced the waste oil to a potential polluter, details of which cannot currently be released due to the ongoing investigation. In previous incidents where oil pollution was not traced to a particular source, the Environment Agency carried out pollution prevention visits at industrial premises which drain to the Pymmes Brook.
Asked by: David Lammy (Labour - Tottenham)
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 effect of the recent oil spillage in the River Lea on (a) the health and well-being of local residents and (b) local wildlife.
Answered by Baroness Coffey
The Environment Agency (EA) was first notified of the pollution at Tottenham Locks at 11:20 on Sunday 11 February 2018. Within 2 hours of receiving the first call the EA had deployed field teams to investigate and within 3 hours it had also notified the Canal and River Trust and the Swan Sanctuary. The decision to notify was based upon visual inspection of the river and the growing number of reports received relating to concerns for wildlife, primarily swans and ducks.
Public Health England has provided advice as follows:
Health effects are likely to be minimal given the open environment. Members of the public may report an unpleasant smell but again this does not necessarily indicate that there is any health effect associated with the smell: for many volatile chemicals, they can be detected by smell at levels below which they cause health effects. However, any members of the public who do report feeling unwell should seek health care/advice from their GP, NHS 111 or A&E.
Notices should be put up in the affected areas warning the public to avoid contact with the water especially dog walkers (whose dogs should be kept on the lead), anglers, canoeists or others performing water sports. The water should not be drunk, bathed in or used for washing or cooking.
The incident has had a significant, localised effect on water quality, impacted on the quality and use of the river and caused minor damage to nature conservation.
The EA, along with its contractors Adler and Allan, has been working to remove oil from the River Lea Navigation since 12 February 2018. The EA is also being assisted with clean-up efforts by the Canal and River Trust and volunteers at various locations between Stonebridge Locks and Old Ford Locks.
Thames Water Utilities Limited, which owns the surface water sewer and outfall from which the oil entered the Pymmes Brook at Tottenham Marshes, has also contracted Adler and Allan to flush through the drainage system and tanker off any residual oil still present at the outfall and within the infrastructure.
Once the works have been completed at the outfall there should be no further oil from this particular incident. The EA expects that the effects of the pollution on the watercourse will be cleared by 9 March, dependant on factors such as weather conditions for moving specialised equipment.
The EA records, assesses and responds to pollution incidents that are reported to it. Where there are repeated oil pollution incidents in a particular location, the EA works with partners to investigate and take the required steps to advise businesses and householders on the actions they need to take to stop the pollution and prevent recurrence. If enforcement action is required the EA can serve enforcement notices to require actions to be taken, and for the most serious incidents it can prosecute offenders.
In November 2017 EA and the Canal and River Trust (CRT) agreed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to ensure effective co-operation between them in dealing with pollution incidents, including oil spills, in or affecting CRT’s waterway network. The EA will continue to lead on the more serious category 1 and category 2 pollution incidents affecting CRT waterways, while CRT will lead on the less serious category 3 and 4 incidents. The CRT and EA will work together on incident response, cost recovery, and on local contacts and working together arrangements.
In a typical recent year (2016) the EA recorded 310 water pollution incidents in canals and inland waterways, of which 25 were categorised as serious. Typically around 25% of water pollution incidents reported to the EA involve oil as a pollutant.
The EA and CRT have the capacity to deal with incidents on a risk basis. New approaches, such as the MoU, enable them to be even more effective by pooling resources. Where a large oil spill affects a waterbody the EA can call in extra resources such as specialist contractors to carry out clean-up work. Where the polluter is identified the EA can recover the costs of the clean up under section 161 of the Water Resources Act.
Asked by: David Lammy (Labour - Tottenham)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, by what date the oil spillage on the River Lea will be cleared; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Baroness Coffey
The Environment Agency (EA) was first notified of the pollution at Tottenham Locks at 11:20 on Sunday 11 February 2018. Within 2 hours of receiving the first call the EA had deployed field teams to investigate and within 3 hours it had also notified the Canal and River Trust and the Swan Sanctuary. The decision to notify was based upon visual inspection of the river and the growing number of reports received relating to concerns for wildlife, primarily swans and ducks.
Public Health England has provided advice as follows:
Health effects are likely to be minimal given the open environment. Members of the public may report an unpleasant smell but again this does not necessarily indicate that there is any health effect associated with the smell: for many volatile chemicals, they can be detected by smell at levels below which they cause health effects. However, any members of the public who do report feeling unwell should seek health care/advice from their GP, NHS 111 or A&E.
Notices should be put up in the affected areas warning the public to avoid contact with the water especially dog walkers (whose dogs should be kept on the lead), anglers, canoeists or others performing water sports. The water should not be drunk, bathed in or used for washing or cooking.
The incident has had a significant, localised effect on water quality, impacted on the quality and use of the river and caused minor damage to nature conservation.
The EA, along with its contractors Adler and Allan, has been working to remove oil from the River Lea Navigation since 12 February 2018. The EA is also being assisted with clean-up efforts by the Canal and River Trust and volunteers at various locations between Stonebridge Locks and Old Ford Locks.
Thames Water Utilities Limited, which owns the surface water sewer and outfall from which the oil entered the Pymmes Brook at Tottenham Marshes, has also contracted Adler and Allan to flush through the drainage system and tanker off any residual oil still present at the outfall and within the infrastructure.
Once the works have been completed at the outfall there should be no further oil from this particular incident. The EA expects that the effects of the pollution on the watercourse will be cleared by 9 March, dependant on factors such as weather conditions for moving specialised equipment.
The EA records, assesses and responds to pollution incidents that are reported to it. Where there are repeated oil pollution incidents in a particular location, the EA works with partners to investigate and take the required steps to advise businesses and householders on the actions they need to take to stop the pollution and prevent recurrence. If enforcement action is required the EA can serve enforcement notices to require actions to be taken, and for the most serious incidents it can prosecute offenders.
In November 2017 EA and the Canal and River Trust (CRT) agreed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to ensure effective co-operation between them in dealing with pollution incidents, including oil spills, in or affecting CRT’s waterway network. The EA will continue to lead on the more serious category 1 and category 2 pollution incidents affecting CRT waterways, while CRT will lead on the less serious category 3 and 4 incidents. The CRT and EA will work together on incident response, cost recovery, and on local contacts and working together arrangements.
In a typical recent year (2016) the EA recorded 310 water pollution incidents in canals and inland waterways, of which 25 were categorised as serious. Typically around 25% of water pollution incidents reported to the EA involve oil as a pollutant.
The EA and CRT have the capacity to deal with incidents on a risk basis. New approaches, such as the MoU, enable them to be even more effective by pooling resources. Where a large oil spill affects a waterbody the EA can call in extra resources such as specialist contractors to carry out clean-up work. Where the polluter is identified the EA can recover the costs of the clean up under section 161 of the Water Resources Act.
Asked by: David Lammy (Labour - Tottenham)
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 capacity of (a) the Environment Agency and (b) the Canal and River Trust to tackle oil spills and associated pollution on waterways.
Answered by Baroness Coffey
The Environment Agency (EA) was first notified of the pollution at Tottenham Locks at 11:20 on Sunday 11 February 2018. Within 2 hours of receiving the first call the EA had deployed field teams to investigate and within 3 hours it had also notified the Canal and River Trust and the Swan Sanctuary. The decision to notify was based upon visual inspection of the river and the growing number of reports received relating to concerns for wildlife, primarily swans and ducks.
Public Health England has provided advice as follows:
Health effects are likely to be minimal given the open environment. Members of the public may report an unpleasant smell but again this does not necessarily indicate that there is any health effect associated with the smell: for many volatile chemicals, they can be detected by smell at levels below which they cause health effects. However, any members of the public who do report feeling unwell should seek health care/advice from their GP, NHS 111 or A&E.
Notices should be put up in the affected areas warning the public to avoid contact with the water especially dog walkers (whose dogs should be kept on the lead), anglers, canoeists or others performing water sports. The water should not be drunk, bathed in or used for washing or cooking.
The incident has had a significant, localised effect on water quality, impacted on the quality and use of the river and caused minor damage to nature conservation.
The EA, along with its contractors Adler and Allan, has been working to remove oil from the River Lea Navigation since 12 February 2018. The EA is also being assisted with clean-up efforts by the Canal and River Trust and volunteers at various locations between Stonebridge Locks and Old Ford Locks.
Thames Water Utilities Limited, which owns the surface water sewer and outfall from which the oil entered the Pymmes Brook at Tottenham Marshes, has also contracted Adler and Allan to flush through the drainage system and tanker off any residual oil still present at the outfall and within the infrastructure.
Once the works have been completed at the outfall there should be no further oil from this particular incident. The EA expects that the effects of the pollution on the watercourse will be cleared by 9 March, dependant on factors such as weather conditions for moving specialised equipment.
The EA records, assesses and responds to pollution incidents that are reported to it. Where there are repeated oil pollution incidents in a particular location, the EA works with partners to investigate and take the required steps to advise businesses and householders on the actions they need to take to stop the pollution and prevent recurrence. If enforcement action is required the EA can serve enforcement notices to require actions to be taken, and for the most serious incidents it can prosecute offenders.
In November 2017 EA and the Canal and River Trust (CRT) agreed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to ensure effective co-operation between them in dealing with pollution incidents, including oil spills, in or affecting CRT’s waterway network. The EA will continue to lead on the more serious category 1 and category 2 pollution incidents affecting CRT waterways, while CRT will lead on the less serious category 3 and 4 incidents. The CRT and EA will work together on incident response, cost recovery, and on local contacts and working together arrangements.
In a typical recent year (2016) the EA recorded 310 water pollution incidents in canals and inland waterways, of which 25 were categorised as serious. Typically around 25% of water pollution incidents reported to the EA involve oil as a pollutant.
The EA and CRT have the capacity to deal with incidents on a risk basis. New approaches, such as the MoU, enable them to be even more effective by pooling resources. Where a large oil spill affects a waterbody the EA can call in extra resources such as specialist contractors to carry out clean-up work. Where the polluter is identified the EA can recover the costs of the clean up under section 161 of the Water Resources Act.
Asked by: David Lammy (Labour - Tottenham)
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 prevent oil spills in areas in which repeat incidents have occurred.
Answered by Baroness Coffey
The Environment Agency (EA) was first notified of the pollution at Tottenham Locks at 11:20 on Sunday 11 February 2018. Within 2 hours of receiving the first call the EA had deployed field teams to investigate and within 3 hours it had also notified the Canal and River Trust and the Swan Sanctuary. The decision to notify was based upon visual inspection of the river and the growing number of reports received relating to concerns for wildlife, primarily swans and ducks.
Public Health England has provided advice as follows:
Health effects are likely to be minimal given the open environment. Members of the public may report an unpleasant smell but again this does not necessarily indicate that there is any health effect associated with the smell: for many volatile chemicals, they can be detected by smell at levels below which they cause health effects. However, any members of the public who do report feeling unwell should seek health care/advice from their GP, NHS 111 or A&E.
Notices should be put up in the affected areas warning the public to avoid contact with the water especially dog walkers (whose dogs should be kept on the lead), anglers, canoeists or others performing water sports. The water should not be drunk, bathed in or used for washing or cooking.
The incident has had a significant, localised effect on water quality, impacted on the quality and use of the river and caused minor damage to nature conservation.
The EA, along with its contractors Adler and Allan, has been working to remove oil from the River Lea Navigation since 12 February 2018. The EA is also being assisted with clean-up efforts by the Canal and River Trust and volunteers at various locations between Stonebridge Locks and Old Ford Locks.
Thames Water Utilities Limited, which owns the surface water sewer and outfall from which the oil entered the Pymmes Brook at Tottenham Marshes, has also contracted Adler and Allan to flush through the drainage system and tanker off any residual oil still present at the outfall and within the infrastructure.
Once the works have been completed at the outfall there should be no further oil from this particular incident. The EA expects that the effects of the pollution on the watercourse will be cleared by 9 March, dependant on factors such as weather conditions for moving specialised equipment.
The EA records, assesses and responds to pollution incidents that are reported to it. Where there are repeated oil pollution incidents in a particular location, the EA works with partners to investigate and take the required steps to advise businesses and householders on the actions they need to take to stop the pollution and prevent recurrence. If enforcement action is required the EA can serve enforcement notices to require actions to be taken, and for the most serious incidents it can prosecute offenders.
In November 2017 EA and the Canal and River Trust (CRT) agreed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to ensure effective co-operation between them in dealing with pollution incidents, including oil spills, in or affecting CRT’s waterway network. The EA will continue to lead on the more serious category 1 and category 2 pollution incidents affecting CRT waterways, while CRT will lead on the less serious category 3 and 4 incidents. The CRT and EA will work together on incident response, cost recovery, and on local contacts and working together arrangements.
In a typical recent year (2016) the EA recorded 310 water pollution incidents in canals and inland waterways, of which 25 were categorised as serious. Typically around 25% of water pollution incidents reported to the EA involve oil as a pollutant.
The EA and CRT have the capacity to deal with incidents on a risk basis. New approaches, such as the MoU, enable them to be even more effective by pooling resources. Where a large oil spill affects a waterbody the EA can call in extra resources such as specialist contractors to carry out clean-up work. Where the polluter is identified the EA can recover the costs of the clean up under section 161 of the Water Resources Act.