Asked by: Greg Mulholland (Liberal Democrat - Leeds North West)
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 30 November 2016 to Question 54932, what the two locations are in Leeds City Region where flood defences have been returned to at least the same standard of protection that existed before the 2015 flooding.
Answered by Baroness Coffey
In interpreting this question, I have assumed the Hon. Member would like to know the two locations which have not yet been repaired to the level prior to the 2015 flooding.
The first location is a culvert in Keighley where work is well-advanced to clear a blockage. The work is expected to be completed by mid-December 2016 and the Environment Agency has a contingency plan to install a temporary sandbag defence should river conditions require it before the works are complete.
The second location is a leaking flood gate in York. The Environment Agency is to seal this gate permanently but the occupier of the land needs to first clear the site. The gate is expected to be sealed by mid-December 2016 but a temporary defence can be quickly installed across the gate if flooding is forecast in the meantime.
Asked by: Greg Mulholland (Liberal Democrat - Leeds North West)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she has identified any existing flood defences in Leeds City Region as being inadequate to deal with potential winter flooding.
Answered by Baroness Coffey
Following the 2015 flooding the Environment Agency inspected flood defences in all affected areas to identify locations where damage had been caused and remedial works were required.
In all but two locations in Leeds City Region, existing flood defences have been returned to at least the same standard of protection that existed before the 2015 flooding. Contingency plans are in place where it has not yet been possible to restore the standard of protection. These include increased monitoring and revised flood warnings.
Asked by: Greg Mulholland (Liberal Democrat - Leeds North West)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, which postcodes in Leeds City Region her Department has identified as being vulnerable to potential winter flooding.
Answered by Baroness Coffey
As the Leeds City Region is extensive, the best source for the extent of possible flood risk is the Environment Agency flood risk map on GOV.UK. Post codes are not preferred as often only a proportion of houses within a postcode will be at risk. The Environment Agency publishes national flood maps showing areas at risk of flooding from (i) rivers and the sea and (ii) surface water. A post code search showing flood risk information for specific locations is available on the GOV.UK website https://flood-warning-information.service.gov.uk/long-term-flood-risk.
The flood maps are based on the best information currently available and have been updated using information collected during the winter 2015/16 flooding.
Asked by: Greg Mulholland (Liberal Democrat - Leeds North West)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what progress her Department has made on developing a futures market for UK dairy farmers.
Answered by George Eustice
Analysis recently completed by Defra, working with HM Treasury and the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB), has identified that futures markets have a role to play in tackling price risks, improving price transparency and encouraging the development of longer-term contracts across the supply chain. We are now working closely with AHDB’s Volatility Forum to see how this work can be taken forward, although it would be for the financial exchanges to come up with a specific proposition. It is encouraging that some UK dairies are already offering their farmers opportunities to trade on futures markets
Asked by: Greg Mulholland (Liberal Democrat - Leeds North West)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment she has made of the effect of falling milk prices on the UK dairy sector.
Answered by George Eustice
Although government cannot control market volatility, our aim is to give farmers improved tools to manage it. We have extended the period over which they can average their tax from two to five years. We are exploring opportunities for a dairy futures market as well as for better branding and labelling in supermarkets in order to improve profitability. We are also exploring opportunities to help farming businesses become more resilient and ready to take advantage of the growing demand for British dairy products both at home and abroad.
According to the latest forecast of Farm Business Incomes for 2015-16, average incomes on dairy farms are expected to fall to £46,500. This reflects the impact of lower milk prices which started to fall in March 2014, and the reduced prices for cull cows and heifers. While the number of dairy farms in England and Wales has also fallen from around 13,500 in 2006 to 9,500 today, the number of dairy cows has remained almost unchanged, which suggests consolidation within the industry.
We have seen an increase in the UK farmgate milk price for the second month in a row to 21.34p per litre in August 2016. The long-term picture for our dairy industry remains positive.
Asked by: Greg Mulholland (Liberal Democrat - Leeds North West)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to support dairy farmers as a result of reduced milk prices.
Answered by George Eustice
Although government cannot control market volatility, our aim is to give farmers improved tools to manage it. We have extended the period over which they can average their tax from two to five years. We are exploring opportunities for a dairy futures market as well as for better branding and labelling in supermarkets in order to improve profitability. We are also exploring opportunities to help farming businesses become more resilient and ready to take advantage of the growing demand for British dairy products both at home and abroad.
According to the latest forecast of Farm Business Incomes for 2015-16, average incomes on dairy farms are expected to fall to £46,500. This reflects the impact of lower milk prices which started to fall in March 2014, and the reduced prices for cull cows and heifers. While the number of dairy farms in England and Wales has also fallen from around 13,500 in 2006 to 9,500 today, the number of dairy cows has remained almost unchanged, which suggests consolidation within the industry.
We have seen an increase in the UK farmgate milk price for the second month in a row to 21.34p per litre in August 2016. The long-term picture for our dairy industry remains positive.
Asked by: Greg Mulholland (Liberal Democrat - Leeds North West)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the average hourly earnings were of her Department's (a) BME and (b) non-BME employees in (i) 2015 and (ii) 2016.
Answered by George Eustice
Defra employees are paid within salary bands according to their grades, they are not paid by the hour. The tables below set out a calculation of average hourly pay for all employees within the central department, by grade, and by BME, Non-BME, and Undeclared ethnic status (employees that have not declared their ethnicity).
2015 | BME | Non BME | Undeclared |
AA | * | * | £8.96 |
AO | £12.15 | £12.17 | £11.43 |
EO | £14.96 | £13.92 | £13.80 |
HEO | £17.29 | £16.79 | £15.98 |
SEO | £20.54 | £19.96 | £20.05 |
G7 | £27.43 | £27.33 | £26.30 |
G6 | * | £32.62 | £33.10 |
SCS | * | £39.77 | £46.42 |
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2016 | BME | Non BME | Undeclared |
AA | * | * | £9.84 |
AO | £12.06 | £12.17 | £12.16 |
EO | £14.89 | £14.41 | £13.99 |
HEO | £17.23 | £16.66 | £16.05 |
SEO | £20.47 | £20.51 | £20.42 |
G7 | £27.40 | £27.35 | £26.65 |
G6 | * | £33.04 | £32.84 |
SCS | * | £42.62 | £48.85 |
*Number of staff in this group are below publishable level
Good progress is being made on actions in the Government’s Talent Action Plan and Defra’s Diversity Strategy to ensure that Defra is able to recruit and retain employees from a diverse range of backgrounds, and to enable them to develop and progress on merit.
Asked by: Greg Mulholland (Liberal Democrat - Leeds North West)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate she has made of the number of councils in England that provide doorstep glass collection.
Answered by Rory Stewart
Estimates on the number of kerbside collections of glass in the dry recycling stream are collated by the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP). Data for 2014/15 shows that in England the number of authorities providing a kerbside collection for glass was 290 (89% of English authorities). This represented 19,768,943 (85%) of all households within England.
Asked by: Greg Mulholland (Liberal Democrat - Leeds North West)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to encourage households to donate unused food.
Answered by Rory Stewart
Through the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP), the Government continues to work with the grocery sector to reduce household food waste. The Love Food Hate Waste programme helps UK households to reduce food waste and save money through awareness raising and consumer advice. There has been a 15% (1.3 million tonnes) reduction in household food waste between 2007 and 2012.
WRAP launched Courtauld 2025 on 15 March, which builds on the progress we have already made. This new agreement includes a target to reduce food and drink waste arising in the UK by 20% by 2025 (calculated as a relative reduction per head of population).
For the average household, the price of avoidable food and drink waste is £470 per year. For the average household with children, the cost of avoidable food and drink waste is £700 per year.
The total amount of food thrown away by the average household is 260 kg per year. 160 kg of this is avoidable waste. For the average household with children, this figure rises to 390 kg per year, including 240 kg of avoidable food waste.
These are the latest available figures, applying to 2012. WRAP aims to publish updated figures for household food waste later this year.
Asked by: Greg Mulholland (Liberal Democrat - Leeds North West)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate she has made of the average value of unused food thrown away by households in the last 12 months.
Answered by Rory Stewart
Through the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP), the Government continues to work with the grocery sector to reduce household food waste. The Love Food Hate Waste programme helps UK households to reduce food waste and save money through awareness raising and consumer advice. There has been a 15% (1.3 million tonnes) reduction in household food waste between 2007 and 2012.
WRAP launched Courtauld 2025 on 15 March, which builds on the progress we have already made. This new agreement includes a target to reduce food and drink waste arising in the UK by 20% by 2025 (calculated as a relative reduction per head of population).
For the average household, the price of avoidable food and drink waste is £470 per year. For the average household with children, the cost of avoidable food and drink waste is £700 per year.
The total amount of food thrown away by the average household is 260 kg per year. 160 kg of this is avoidable waste. For the average household with children, this figure rises to 390 kg per year, including 240 kg of avoidable food waste.
These are the latest available figures, applying to 2012. WRAP aims to publish updated figures for household food waste later this year.