Asked by: Ivan Lewis (Independent - Bury South)
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 for flood defences has been allocated to each constituency in England and Wales since 2015.
Answered by Baroness Coffey
The Government is investing £2.6 billion between 2015 and 2021, delivering at least 1,500 new flood defence schemes and better protecting 300,000 homes. However, funding for defences is not allocated by constituency and there is no set quota.
Asked by: Ivan Lewis (Independent - Bury South)
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 extend Clean Air Zones to more cities.
Answered by Rory Stewart
The Air Quality Plan we published last December set out a comprehensive plan for reducing levels of nitrogen dioxide through a new programme of Clean Air Zones, alongside national action and continued investment in clean technologies.
We are working closely with the cities of Birmingham, Leeds, Nottingham, Derby and Southampton, where we are requiring Clean Air Zones to be introduced. Other local authorities can introduce Clean Air Zones should they wish to do so using their powers under the Transport Act 2000.
We will consult on a framework for Clean Air Zones later this year which will set out the important principles that need to be consistent from city to city. Setting out the principles in this way will support both those authorities required by Government to implement a Clean Air Zone and those who, after analysing their own situation, consider a Clean Air Zone to be an appropriate measure to bring in.
Asked by: Ivan Lewis (Independent - Bury South)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his officials consulted their counterparts in the Northern Ireland Executive in preparation for the EU Agriculture and Fisheries Council on 16 and 17 June 2014.
Answered by George Eustice
Defra's normal practice is to consult the Devolved Administrations in preparation for all Agriculture and Fisheries Council meetings. In this case the Northern Ireland Executive was consulted in advance on the briefing for all of the main agenda items.
The Northern Ireland Executive had the opportunity to see all of the briefing in advance, and their representative was present at the pre-Council briefing meetings.