Asked by: David Morris (Conservative - Morecambe and Lunesdale)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if his Department will make an assessment of the effect of riparian ownership laws on the number and extent of cases of flooding; and whether there are plans to transfer ownership of culverts with the potential to cause flooding to (a) the Environment Agency or (b) local authorities.
Answered by Thérèse Coffey
The government has no plans to undertake an assessment of the effect of riparian ownership laws on the number and extent of cases of flooding. There is a common law duty on owners of land to keep watercourses clear of anything that could cause an obstruction, either on their own land or downstream if it is washed away. Land owners have the same responsibilities for the upkeep of a culverted watercourse as if it were an open watercourse.
There are no plans to transfer ownership of culverts to the Environment Agency or local authorities. The Environment Agency, Lead Local Flood Authorities and Internal Drainage Boards have powers to require landowners to maintain the flow of their watercourses.
Asked by: David Morris (Conservative - Morecambe and Lunesdale)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether Morecambe and Lunesdale will be eligible for funding from the additional £76 million announced for flood defence schemes in the Autumn Budget; what the (a) qualifiying criteria and (b) process for application for that funding will be; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Thérèse Coffey
£36 million will be invested in schemes using the same criteria as for other projects in our current record level six-year capital improvement programme to better protect 300,000 homes by 2021. This funding is focused on maximising the economic benefits of Government’s investment and the number of homes better protected.
The remaining £40 million will be particularly focused on deprived communities at a high risk of flooding. We will announce the criteria for this funding in due course.
Regional flood and coastal committees will liaise with the Environment Agency locally to clarify their flood and coastal defence improvement needs, and ensure these are well understood when funding becomes available.
Asked by: David Morris (Conservative - Morecambe and Lunesdale)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department plans to widen the markets of the water companies to enable home competition in areas where one sole provider has a monopoly.
Answered by Thérèse Coffey
The Government continues to support competition where the evidence demonstrates that customers will benefit. Ofwat’s recent analysis of the costs and benefits of extending competition to household customers is an important part of the evidence basis. Other evidence, including learning lessons from opening up retail competition for business water customers, will be important, before reaching a decision on extending competition to households.
Asked by: David Morris (Conservative - Morecambe and Lunesdale)
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 place in the Library a copy of applications made for funding of flood defences in the Lancaster City district area made by Lancashire County Council between April and July 2016.
Answered by Thérèse Coffey
Between April and July 2016, Lancashire County Council has been successful in securing government Flood Defence Grant-in-Aid for the ‘Lancaster Phase 4 – Mill Race Surface Water Study’. This study will enable Lancashire County Council to identify the most appropriate and feasible options to address surface water flooding within Lancaster City Centre.
A copy of the initial application will be placed in the Library in due course.
Asked by: David Morris (Conservative - Morecambe and Lunesdale)
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 place in the Library successful applications made by the Environment Agency in (a) April 2016 to July 2016 and (b) August 2016 to November 2016 relating to the Lancaster City council area.
Answered by Thérèse Coffey
Between April and July 2016, the Environment Agency secured Local Levy funding for the Lancaster Phase 3 scoping study. The study will enable the Environment Agency to identify options to deliver a flood defence scheme in the future. This scheme is expected to better protect at least 100 properties in the Lancaster City Council area.
A copy of the initial application will be placed in the Library in due course.
Asked by: David Morris (Conservative - Morecambe and Lunesdale)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much funding has been allocated to Lancashire for flood defences since December 2015.
Answered by Thérèse Coffey
In Lancashire, a total of £91.9 million has been allocated to flood and coastal risk management schemes in the Government’s six year capital investment programme between 2016 and 2021.
Asked by: David Morris (Conservative - Morecambe and Lunesdale)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department received applications for flood defence funding from (a) Lancaster City Council, (b) Lancashire County Council and (c) the Environment Agency relating to the council district area of Lancaster City Council (i) between December 2015 and March 2016, (ii) between April 2016 and July 2016, (iii) between August 2016 and November 2016 and (iv) in December 2016.
Answered by Thérèse Coffey
The table below summarises the number of applications the department has received from Lancaster City Council, Lancashire County Council and the Environment Agency in partnership with Lancaster City Council since December 2015.
Applicant Timescale | (a) Lancaster City Council | (b) Lancashire County Council | (c) Environment Agency (in partnership with Lancaster City Council) |
(i) December 2015 – March 2016 | No application | No application | No application |
(ii) April 2016 – July 2016 | No application | 4 applications | 1 application |
(iii) August 2016 – November 2016 | No application | No application | 1 application |
(iv)December 2016 | No application | No application | No application |
Asked by: David Morris (Conservative - Morecambe and Lunesdale)
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 assess the potential merits of giving protected name status to Morecambe Bay shrimps.
Answered by George Eustice
We recognise the benefits of protecting our traditional and geographical food products and continue to work with producers to encourage protected food name (PFN) applications. Each application is assessed on its own merits and eligibility under the scheme. We would encourage producers to make applications for PFNs in order to promote high quality products such as Morecambe Bay shrimps.
The Protected Food Name (PFN) scheme enables producers to add value to their product and helps consumers to identify foods with a clear regional provenance.
Asked by: David Morris (Conservative - Morecambe and Lunesdale)
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 representations to the Competition and Markets Authority on investigating the price of milk at major supermarkets.
Answered by George Eustice
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) as the UK'’s competition authority can carry out investigations where there is evidence of abuse of a dominant position or market abuse. Whilst the Government does not generally intervene in what businesses charge consumers for their goods and services we do recognise concerns about transparency and trust in the dairy supply chain. A number of supermarkets have pledged to pay a premium over and above the current market price. This is welcome and gives some respite to farmers. Some retailers have also taken steps to increase the number of dairy products they source from the UK and improve country of origin labelling on cheese.
The Groceries Code which has been in operation since 2010 and the Adjudicator which came into force in 2013 have had a positive impact on the relationship between retailers and suppliers in the dairy chain. The Code was a specific remedy recommended by the Competition Commission following an extensive investigation into the UK grocery market. A review of the Adjudicator is due this year and will include a Call for Evidence on the case for extending the Groceries Code Adjudicator’s remit in the UK groceries supply chain and, as part of this, we will look at how this can further help the farming industry.
Asked by: David Morris (Conservative - Morecambe and Lunesdale)
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 representations to gluten-free food producers on reducing the cost to consumers of gluten-free products; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by George Eustice
It is not the Government's role to set retail food prices. We work to promote transparency and open global markets internationally, as well as a competitive domestic market to help producers and retailers offer the best prices to consumers. Year on year food prices have continued to fall with an annual rate of inflation of -2.6 per cent in the year to July 2016, according to official figures released on 18 August.