Asked by: Imran Ahmad Khan (Independent - Wakefield)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to ensure the protection of endangered species which are native to Yorkshire.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government is committed to taking action to recover our threatened native species. A number of our most threatened species, many of which can be found in Yorkshire, are protected by law under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 and Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2017. Towards our goal to address the overall decline of species in England, we will be amending the Environment Bill to require an additional legally binding target for species for 2030, aiming to halt the decline of nature. We will publish a Green Paper later in 2021, setting out how our protections framework might deliver this better and our wider domestic ambitions.
Alongside our work at the national scale for the recovery of species and their habitats, such as through new schemes for environmental land management and the Nature Recovery Network, we have also taken positive steps for protecting and investing in species in Yorkshire. In May this year, the Dearne Valley Wetlands was recognised by its notification as a new Site of Special Scientific Interest, for its nationally important native birds. Additionally, as part of the £80m Green Recovery Challenge Fund the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust was awarded funding for the restoration of two nationally important species in the Humber Estuary: native oysters and dwarf seagrass. The Froglife Trust also received funding for a project that aims to stop the decline of the UK's common toads in Yorkshire and replenish populations.
Asked by: Imran Ahmad Khan (Independent - Wakefield)
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 properties in West Yorkshire that are at risk of flooding.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Environment Agency estimates there are 45,453 properties at risk of flooding across West Yorkshire.
Asked by: Imran Ahmad Khan (Independent - Wakefield)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions his Department has had with representatives of Wakefield Council on ash dieback in that local authority area.
Answered by Victoria Prentis - Attorney General
The Forestry Commission is engaged with Wakefield Council through their Arboricultural Officer in the planning team. The Officer attended a Tree Health event in January which was run by the Forestry Commission in partnership with Sheffield City Council, Sheffield & Rotherham Wildlife Trust and Amey. The event focused on a number of tree health issues including Ash Dieback, woodland resilience and future species choice.
On 12 March 2021 Defra announced the Local Authority Treescapes Fund to increase tree planting and natural regeneration in local communities. £2.7 million will be available this year (2021/22), building the pipeline of projects for community planting in future years. The fund is part of the Government’s Nature for Climate Fund. Local authorities can apply for funding to build back greener from the pandemic and will target landscapes that have been ecologically damaged or affected by tree diseases like ash dieback.
Asked by: Imran Ahmad Khan (Independent - Wakefield)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what engagement he has had with UK communities with an increased risk of flooding due to climate change in the runup to COP26.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Flood and coastal erosion risk management is a devolved matter and the information provided therefore relates to England only.
Ministers meet regularly with communities, honourable members of this house, and a range of organisations representing those at risk from flooding and coastal erosion.
Adapting to the current and predicted changes to our climate is vital. The UK is already leading the fight against climate change by delivering on our world-leading target of net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Whilst we continue to reduce our contribution to climate change, we are also taking robust action to improve the resilience of our people, economy and environment.
Last year, the government published a long-term Policy Statement which sets out our ambition to create a nation more resilient to future flood and coastal erosion risk. The Policy Statement includes five policies and over 40 supporting actions which will accelerate progress to better protect and better prepare the country against flooding and coastal erosion in the face of more frequent extreme weather as a result of climate change. For example, by the end of March 2021, we will have invested £2.6 billion to better protect more than 300,000 homes from flood and coastal erosion risk between 2015/16 and 2020/21.
From April 2021, the government will double the amount it invests in the flood and coastal defence programme in England to £5.2 billion over six years. This will provide around 2,000 new defence schemes to better protect a further 336,000 properties. In addition, up to £170 million will be spent to accelerate work on 22 shovel-ready flood defence schemes that will begin construction before the end of 2021/2022. We are also investing an additional £200 million in the Flood and Coastal Resilience Innovation Programme. This will help over 25 local areas over six years to take forward wider innovative actions that improve their resilience to flooding and coastal erosion.
Adaptation and Resilience is one of the priority action areas for COP26. This will build upon the ‘Call for Action’ which was launched at the United Nation’s Climate Action Summit (UNCAS) in September 2019. Hosting COP26 provides the UK with an unrivalled opportunity to capitalise on its reputation in science, innovation and climate leadership to drive forward change on a global stage.
Asked by: Imran Ahmad Khan (Independent - Wakefield)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what support his Department is providing to areas adversely affected by Storm Christoph and its aftermath in West Yorkshire.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government is closely monitoring the impact of Storm Christoph on affected communities and coordinating the cross-government response to flooding impacts.
Across West Yorkshire, Environment Agency flood defences have protected approximately 7100 properties from flooding. The EA's incident rooms have been open and operational teams have been out on the ground 24 hours a day. The EA also worked alongside Local Authorities and the emergency services as part of Strategic and Tactical Command Groups to manage the flood risk and keep people safe.
With localised flooding incidents, local authorities are expected to have well established contingency arrangements in place and to be able to respond and support their local communities from within existing budgets.
Following severe weather with significant impacts across multiple local authorities the Government is able to deploy the Flood Recovery Framework.
We will continue to monitor the situation and assess whether further support is needed in the event that flooding impacts increase.
Asked by: Imran Ahmad Khan (Independent - Wakefield)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions officials of his Department have had with representatives of local authorities in areas affected by Storm Christoph.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
In response to Storm Christoph, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) activated the National Flood Response Centre (NFRC). This centre brings together government departments and agencies to ensure that central Government has a clear picture of the latest situation and facilitates swift decision making.
The NFRC ensured there was timely two-way flow of information between the national and local level. This was predominately through the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government, who was in regular contact with local authorities and Local Resilience Forums, ensuring that (a) decisions made at the national level were based on accurate information from the regional and local level, and (b) that the local response had sufficient resources to support the response and recovery.
The Environment Agency, an arm's length body under Defra, operates in local areas and was represented at the NFRC and on the Local Resilience Forums, alongside emergency services and other flood resilience partners.
Asked by: Imran Ahmad Khan (Independent - Wakefield)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to help minimise the risk of flooding in Wakefield constituency.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Environment Agency (EA) is working on a number of flood defence schemes to minimise the risk of flooding in the Wakefield constituency and on the River Calder.
On the River Calder, upstream of the Hon Member's constituency, the EA is completing a flood alleviation scheme this year at Mytholmroyd to better protect 216 homes as well as businesses. It is commencing construction on a scheme in Hebden Bridge to better protect 400 homes and businesses, and on a scheme in Brighouse in summer 2021 which includes natural flood risk management features.
In the Wakefield constituency, the EA is reviewing the standard of protection offered by existing flood defences at Horbury Bridge. It is also updating its flood modelling for the River Calder in Horbury Bridge and Reid Park Beck. This modelling will allow the EA to better assess opportunities for future flood defence investment.
At Reid Park Beck, Wakefield Council has undertaken work to ensure the local pumping stations operate as designed, and the EA is working with the Council to secure funding to investigate potential upgrades. Across its district, Wakefield Council is also progressing a programme of culvert surveys and investigations to identify flood risk issues and inform a future programme of works.
Downstream of Wakefield, the EA is investigating opportunities for flood alleviation interventions to better protect Castleford from flooding from the River Calder and River Aire.
The EA is maintaining its flood defences throughout the River Calder and is working to ensure that its defences and flood response capabilities are ready for the winter.
Asked by: Imran Ahmad Khan (Independent - Wakefield)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to prevent flooding from the River Calder.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Environment Agency (EA) is working on a number of flood defence schemes to minimise the risk of flooding in the Wakefield constituency and on the River Calder.
On the River Calder, upstream of the Hon Member's constituency, the EA is completing a flood alleviation scheme this year at Mytholmroyd to better protect 216 homes as well as businesses. It is commencing construction on a scheme in Hebden Bridge to better protect 400 homes and businesses, and on a scheme in Brighouse in summer 2021 which includes natural flood risk management features.
In the Wakefield constituency, the EA is reviewing the standard of protection offered by existing flood defences at Horbury Bridge. It is also updating its flood modelling for the River Calder in Horbury Bridge and Reid Park Beck. This modelling will allow the EA to better assess opportunities for future flood defence investment.
At Reid Park Beck, Wakefield Council has undertaken work to ensure the local pumping stations operate as designed, and the EA is working with the Council to secure funding to investigate potential upgrades. Across its district, Wakefield Council is also progressing a programme of culvert surveys and investigations to identify flood risk issues and inform a future programme of works.
Downstream of Wakefield, the EA is investigating opportunities for flood alleviation interventions to better protect Castleford from flooding from the River Calder and River Aire.
The EA is maintaining its flood defences throughout the River Calder and is working to ensure that its defences and flood response capabilities are ready for the winter.
Asked by: Imran Ahmad Khan (Independent - Wakefield)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to protect ancient woodlands in Wakefield constituency.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The irreplaceable nature of ancient woodlands as a habitat is recognised in our 25 Year Environment Plan.
We therefore strengthened the protection of ancient woodlands through the National Planning Policy Framework and guidance to planners. These outline that developments should be refused if they would lead to the deterioration of ancient woodland and veteran trees, unless there are exceptional reasons and suitable compensation measures.
This change reflects the importance of ancient woodlands to native biodiversity, our landscapes, and our communities.
Asked by: Imran Ahmad Khan (Independent - Wakefield)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to reduce pollution in the river Calder.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The River Calder comes under the Humber River Basin Management Plan (RBMP) which provides a framework for protecting and enhancing the water environment. The Environment Agency (EA) is currently updating the RBMP to make it more ambitious in addressing plastic pollution and managing water in a changing climate. The EA is considering responses to a recent consultation on these proposals and will produce draft plans for each catchment, setting out comprehensive measures to protect and enhance the water environment, meet the objectives of the Water Framework Directive (WFD) and support regulation of those sectors that may cause pollution. The Lower Calder’s (around Wakefield) WFD status is ‘moderate’.
To improve water quality, the EA is working on a range of partnership projects with local communities across the Calder catchment. One example is the £1.3 million ‘Calder Greening’ project near Mytholmroyd. Here the EA is working with Calderdale Council and Yorkshire Wildlife Trust to create a wetland area, improve river bank habitats, and is working with landowners to reduce sediment and treat invasive plant species. The EA also supports the River Calder Catchment Partnership, hosted by the Calder and Colne Rivers Trust to deliver strategic catchment plans for the river and wider environment.
To prevent pollution of the River Calder, the EA regulates a wide range of industrial and waste management sites. This includes Yorkshire Water Services Ltd and discharges to the River Calder from their sewage treatment sites. The EA provides 24 hour pollution incident response cover, including attendance at serious water pollution incidents.
The EA also works with Wakefield Council and Canal and Rivers Trust to provide advice and guidance to local businesses to improve water quality through the use of effective surface water management plans.