To match an exact phrase, use quotation marks around the search term. eg. "Parliamentary Estate". Use "OR" or "AND" as link words to form more complex queries.


Keep yourself up-to-date with the latest developments by exploring our subscription options to receive notifications direct to your inbox

Written Question
Flood Control
Wednesday 6th December 2023

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 recent discussions he has had with the Minister for the Cabinet Office on strengthening national flooding preparedness.

Answered by Robbie Moore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Secretary of State has regular discussions with Cabinet colleagues on a wide range of issues, including future flood preparedness, and Cabinet discussions are considered confidential. Preparing for flooding in England remains a priority for Defra and the Environment Agency to protect communities.


Written Question
Barbecues: Environment Protection
Wednesday 7th June 2023

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, pursuant to the Answer of 30 June 2022 to Question 25935 on Barbecues: Environment Protection, when the research on the potential damage caused by (a) disposable barbecues and (b) portable stoves will be published.

Answered by Trudy Harrison

Research into the environmental impacts of single use barbecues, and other items, concluded in March. We are currently considering next steps which we aim to finalise soon.


Written Question
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Buildings
Tuesday 15th November 2022

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 the number of work stations available for people employed by his Department on departmental premises.

Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The estimated total number of workspace/desks is 19,800. This includes all sites including Weybridge, council offices (where we have some desks) and labs. This includes Defra or any of the arm’s length bodies (Environment Agency/Rural Payments Agency/Natural England/etc).


Written Question
Barbecues: Environment Protection
Thursday 30th June 2022

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 the Oral contribution of the Minister for Farming, Fisheries and Food, Official Report, column 360WH, when her Department plans to commence the research into the extent of damage caused to (a) peatlands and (b) other landscapes by disposable barbecues and portable stoves; what he plans that commissioned research to cover; and what his timeline is for publishing the finding of that research.

Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

We are commissioning research to examine the impact on the environment, including peatlands, of barbecues and other flammable items, including sky lanterns and portable stoves, in order to support potential regulation. We expect this research to be completed in due course, when we will be in a position to consider further action.


Speech in Westminster Hall - Wed 30 Mar 2022
Disposable Barbecues

Speech Link

View all Holly Lynch (Lab - Halifax) contributions to the debate on: Disposable Barbecues

Speech in Westminster Hall - Wed 30 Mar 2022
Disposable Barbecues

Speech Link

View all Holly Lynch (Lab - Halifax) contributions to the debate on: Disposable Barbecues

Written Question
Agriculture
Monday 13th September 2021

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 steps the Government is taking to support farmers and workers in the UK’s global agricultural supply chains to help (a) decarbonise production systems and (b) absorb the costs of more sustainable methods of farming.

Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The UK Government is committed to tackling deforestation and greening agricultural supply chains. We are supporting a broad package of measures to support the transition to sustainable global supply chains and to protect forests and other ecosystems.

We are working with developing country governments to identify how public policies and support to agriculture can be developed or reformed to leverage private investment into more sustainable agriculture; and to support farmers to shift from environmentally harmful practices to more sustainable ones. Together with the Just Rural Transition initiative launched in 2019, and in partnership with the World Bank, we are assisting interested developing countries to analyse their policy options for helping farmers to make this transition. Through the COP26 Sustainable Agriculture campaign, we are mobilising further support to help those countries to develop, test and pilot sustainable approaches. This includes re-orienting investment in research, development and innovation to help farmers access and scale up sustainable technologies and practices.

We are also supporting multilateral organisations to improve climate outcomes in their agricultural programming. This includes providing £150 million to the International Fund for Agricultural Development’s flagship ‘Adaptation for Smallholder Adaptation Programme’ and mainstreaming climate work into the Global Agriculture and Food Security Programme.

We are introducing world-leading due diligence legislation through the Environment Bill to tackle illegal deforestation in UK supply chains, and have convened the Forest, Agriculture and Commodity Trade (FACT) Dialogue as part of our COP 26 Presidency. Through the FACT dialogue we are working with other producer and consumer governments to develop a shared roadmap of actions to protect forests and other ecosystems while promoting sustainable development and trade.


Written Question
Export Health Certificates: Northern Ireland
Tuesday 23rd March 2021

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 steps have been taken to end the requirement for people with guide dogs to produce an animal health certificate when travelling to Northern Ireland.

Answered by Victoria Prentis - Attorney General

The health and documentary requirements for pet travel to the EU are set out under the EU Pet Travel Regulations. Under the Northern Ireland Protocol, EU rules also apply to the non-commercial movements of pets into Northern Ireland from Great Britain. There are no derogations for assistance dogs under the legal framework of the EU Pet Travel Regulations.

We will continue to press the European Commission in relation to securing Part 1 listed status, recognising that achieving this would alleviate some of the new requirements for pet owners and assistance dog users travelling to the EU and to Northern Ireland. We are clear that we meet all the animal health requirements for this, and we have one of the most rigorous pet checking regimes in Europe to protect our biosecurity.

The Government is engaging with the Northern Ireland Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) to explore means to streamline pet travel between Great Britain and Northern Ireland recognising the high standards of animal health that we share. The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster has also written to the European Vice-President seeking to ensure that an agreement can be made to address the barriers imposed on pet travel between Great Britain, Northern Ireland and Ireland.

We are proactively engaging with the assistance dog community and relevant stakeholders on the impacts on dog movements from Great Britain to the EU and to Northern Ireland. We will continue to work closely with assistance dog organisations to share the latest advice and guidance (in accessible formats) with their members on pet travel requirements.


Speech in Westminster Hall - Wed 18 Nov 2020
Moorland Burning

Speech Link

View all Holly Lynch (Lab - Halifax) contributions to the debate on: Moorland Burning

Written Question
Flood Control: Finance
Friday 23rd October 2020

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 potential merits making flood resilience grants available throughout the year.

Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Risk Management Authorities can develop local Property Flood Resilience (PFR) grant schemes and apply to Regional Flood and Coastal Committees for a contribution towards their cost through Local-Levy or Grant-in-Aid.

As set out in our Policy Statement, we want to encourage a faster transition to a market place for PFR, including advice, products and service delivery. We also want to ensure the right incentives and financial products are available to encourage property flood resilience installation. This winter, we will be publishing a Call for Evidence on PFR policy.

In addition, we are investing £200m in an innovative resilience programme to drive and test innovation at a local level to improve resilience to flooding and coastal erosion. This includes an action on PFR. We will be inviting expressions of interest later this year.