Asked by: Holly Lynch (Labour - Halifax)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, for how many stocks the UK has quota/fishing rights within (a) UK waters and (b) EU waters; for how many of those stocks ICES provides scientific advice; and how many of those stocks had catch limits set in line with ICES scientific advice in December 2016.
Answered by George Eustice
There are about 120 stock quotas of interest to the UK and which are determined at the December Fisheries Council. All of these extend to both UK and European Union waters except for Clyde herring. Last year ICES provided advice on maximum sustainable yield rates in relation to 45 stocks on which these quotas are based for 2017. The Council of Ministers was able to agree exploitation rates in line with the Maximum Sustainable Yield reference points for 29 of them. ICES provides advice for at least two non-quota stocks of which Bass and Red Mullet are of interest to the UK. For the remaining non-quota stocks, such as most shellfish, ICES does not provide advice.
Asked by: Holly Lynch (Labour - Halifax)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many home insurance policies have been affected by the Flood Re scheme.
Answered by Thérèse Coffey
In its first year of operation Flood Re covered over 127,000 policies. Flood Re plans to publish figures on the last 6 months shortly.
Before the introduction of Flood Re, only 9% of householders who had made prior flood claims could get quotes from two or more insurers, with 0% being able to get quotes from five or more. By December 2016, 84% householders could get quotes from five or more insurers while 95% could get quotes from two or more. 80% householders with previous flood claims saw a reduction in the price of available quotes of more than 50% after the introduction of Flood Re.
Asked by: Holly Lynch (Labour - Halifax)
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 how many staff his Department will employ by the time the UK leaves the EU, and what change there has been in that estimate since the last estimate made before June 2016.
Answered by George Eustice
Over 80% of Defra’s agenda is affected by the UK’s departure from the European Union and as a result, many roles across the Defra group are now supporting EU exit-related work, either directly or indirectly. We continue to keep our resourcing plans under review, focusing both on recruitment and increasing the capability of new and existing staff.
Since June 2016, Defra has recruited over 550 additional staff to support our comprehensive programme of work to prepare for leaving the EU. The majority of these new staff are employed in the central department where they are working on a range of projects identified to enable a successful withdrawal from the EU.
Asked by: Holly Lynch (Labour - Halifax)
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 make it his Department's position at the December Fisheries Council that all fishing limits in 2018 should be set in line with scientific advice provided by ICES.
Answered by George Eustice
The Government supports setting fishing opportunities for 2018 in line with the maximum sustainable yield and based on the advice from ICES, wherever possible. However, we recognise the need for certain exceptions, such as the need for flexibility in mixed fisheries.
The setting of limits for individual fish stocks is determined by agreements at the December Agriculture and Fisheries Council. A list of stocks of relevance to the UK, and their agreed respective fishing limits, will be published in January.
Asked by: Holly Lynch (Labour - Halifax)
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 make it his Department’s position at the December Fisheries Council to set fishing limits for certain fish stocks above the scientific level advised by ICES; and whether his department will publish a list of those stocks and a justification for each stock level.
Answered by George Eustice
The Government supports setting fishing opportunities for 2018 in line with the maximum sustainable yield and based on the advice from ICES, wherever possible. However, we recognise the need for certain exceptions, such as the need for flexibility in mixed fisheries.
The setting of limits for individual fish stocks is determined by agreements at the December Agriculture and Fisheries Council. A list of stocks of relevance to the UK, and their agreed respective fishing limits, will be published in January.
Asked by: Holly Lynch (Labour - Halifax)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what progress has been made in (a) increasing the number and (b) improving the quality of sustainable drainage systems installed.
Answered by Thérèse Coffey
The Government strengthened planning policy in April 2015 to make sure that sustainable drainage systems are provided in all new major developments, unless the developer can demonstrate that they are clearly inappropriate. This is in addition to existing requirements that sustainable drainage systems should be given priority in new developments in flood risk areas. Planning policy supported by guidance contains the necessary levers for local planning authorities to secure high quality sustainable drainage systems.
The Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) is leading a review to assess the effectiveness of planning policy in delivering sustainable drainage systems in new developments in England. DCLG will publish the results of the review in due course.
Asked by: Holly Lynch (Labour - Halifax)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of the natural flood management funding schemes that have been implemented; and whether he plans to increase the budget for such schemes.
Answered by Thérèse Coffey
The Defra funded demonstration pilots at Holnicote (Somerset), Pickering (North Yorkshire) and Upper Derwent (Derbyshire) that ran between 2009-2015, showed that natural flood management approaches can have a positive effect in catchments up to 100km2, through a measurable decrease in peak flood flow and height downstream. The pilots also showed that these approaches could be most effective when carefully incorporated alongside more traditional measures in catchments. This autumn, the Environment Agency (EA) is planning to publish an overview of the current evidence for natural flood management approaches in the form of a directory and a series of 65 case studies.
To build on this emerging evidence, this year, we have allocated £15 million to 58 natural flood management specific projects across England, which will help support communities that are at risk of flooding. The EA is managing the programme, and will monitor their impact. In addition, Defra Grant-in-Aid for Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk Management Capital projects are available for any project that meets the objectives of reducing flooding or erosion risk, based on the economic benefits and damages avoided. Payment rates are based on outcomes not methods used, an approach designed to avoid discriminating against any particular approach to reducing risk.
Asked by: Holly Lynch (Labour - Halifax)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what proportion of the UK allocation from the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund has been (a) allocated and (b) spent.
Answered by George Eustice
The Marine Management Organisation is the UK managing authority for the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF) and has a UK position to the 30 June 2017, as follows:
a) EMFF funds allocated - £57.5 million (27.3% of the budget)
b) EMFF funds spent - £15.5 million (7.3% of the budget)
This information is collected quarterly from the four UK Intermediate Bodies. The next return is due on 30 September 2017.
Asked by: Holly Lynch (Labour - Halifax)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, in how many cases his Department has made offers of financial support which were subsequently withdrawn because it was found to be in breach of EU state aid rules; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by George Eustice
There have been no instances where Defra has made offers of financial support which were subsequently withdrawn because it was found to be in breach of EU state aid rules in the last two years. Identifying possible cases of withdrawal from more than two years ago would entail disproportionate cost.
Asked by: Holly Lynch (Labour - Halifax)
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 policies 52, 53, 57 and 62 of the Calderdale flood action plan, published in October 2016, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the Environment Agency's models for effective management of moorland in Calderdale on peak river flows in (a) Hebden Bridge and (b) Sowerby Bridge.
Answered by Thérèse Coffey
The Environment Agency is currently modelling catchments in the Calder Valley to assess sites where natural flood management can be most effective and it is too early to comment on how these measures may affect peak river flows at Hebden Bridge and Sowerby Bridge.
Natural England leads on Policy Numbers 52 and 62. As part of the England-wide strategy to restore blanket bog across the uplands, Natural England is working with moorland managers and other stakeholders to agree long-term plans that address the wide range of interests and benefits that functional blanket bogs provide. Through this process and its review of consents on blanket bogs Natural England will be advocating the use of heather cutting as a preferred management tool. In the Calder Valley Natural England is working closely with the Environment Agency, Yorkshire Water and others to understand how and where such changes in management can be introduced to best effect.
Natural England has a duty under the Habitat Regulations to review any consents/permissions which were issued prior to designation as a European Site. Previously there was discretion as to whether the activities covered by the consents could be tackled through incentives and/or advice rather than formally affirming, modifying or revoking the consent. This discretionary aspect has been removed and under the 2012 amendment of the Habitats Regulations 2010 (Section 23) Natural England now has the legal duty to affirm, modify or revoke any consents issued on European sites, as soon as reasonably practicable.
As part of an England-wide strategy to restore blanket bog to Favourable Conservation Status, Natural England is currently reviewing all consents on blanket bog in line with the duty above (including those which permit burning) and working with landowners to put in place sustainable management and use of these sensitive areas. This will include completing the necessary programme of capital works such as grip-blocking to restore the natural hydrology of the bog and seeding/planting of peat-forming species such as cotton grasses and sphagnum mosses.
The Natural Flood Management Operational Group, a sub-group of the Calderdale Flood Partnership, leads on Policy numbers 53 and 57. The Calderdale Flood Partnership is chaired by Councillor Tim Swift, Leader of Calderdale Metropolitan Borough Council. The Environment Agency and the Calderdale Flood Partnership remain committed to taking a catchment wide approach to reducing flood risk in the Calder Valley.