Asked by: Jonathan Reynolds (Labour (Co-op) - Stalybridge and Hyde)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the effect of the covid-19 outbreak on trends in unemployment in rural areas.
Answered by Rebecca Pow
Over the period of the Covid-19 pandemic the unemployment rate in rural areas increased from 2.7 per cent in the first quarter of 2020 to a peak of 3.6 per cent in the third quarter of 2020 but has since fallen to 3.0 per cent in the first quarter of 2021. In urban areas the unemployment rate increased from 4.3 per cent in the first quarter of 2020 to a peak of 5.7 per cent in the fourth quarter of 2020 but has fallen to 5.2 per cent in the first quarter of 2021.
In April 2020 the eligibility criteria for claiming Universal Credit or Jobseeker’s Allowance were changed following the Covid-19 pandemic. In predominantly rural areas the proportion of the working age population claiming Universal Credit or Jobseeker’s Allowance while seeking work had increased by May 2020 to 5.0 per cent from 2.2 per cent in February 2020. In comparison, the proportion in predominantly urban areas increased to 7.2 per cent from 3.4 per cent over the same period. By April 2021 in predominantly rural areas the proportion of the working age population claiming Universal Credit or Jobseeker’s Allowance while seeking work had decreased to 4.6 per cent while in predominantly urban areas it was 7.3 per cent.
Unemployment rate (as a proportion of people aged 16 and over who are economically active (in or seeking work)), England
| Quarter 1 2020 | Quarter 2 2020 | Quarter 3 2020 | Quarter 4 2020 | Quarter 1 2021 |
Rural areas | 2.7 | 3.3 | 3.6 | 3.0 | 3.0 |
Urban areas | 4.3 | 4.1 | 5.4 | 5.7 | 5.2 |
Proportion of the working age population (aged 16 to 64 years) claiming Universal Credit or Job Seeker’s Allowance whilst seeking work, England
| February 2020 | May 2020 | April 2021 |
Predominantly rural areas | 2.2 | 5.0 | 4.6 |
Predominantly urban areas | 3.4 | 7.2 | 7.3 |
Asked by: Jonathan Reynolds (Labour (Co-op) - Stalybridge and Hyde)
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 report, Preparing for a drier future, England’s water infrastructure needs, published by the National Infrastructure Commission in April 2018, and the recent hosepipe ban in the North West, what steps he is taking to ensure that water companies to reduce the volume of mains water lost to leaks.
Answered by Baroness Coffey
Total leakage has fallen by a third since 1994, following investment by water companies. However, there is still more to do.
The 25 year environment plan sets out the Government’s ambitions for reducing demand on water resources. This includes support for Ofwat’s target for water companies to reduce leakage by 15% by 2025.
The Government will respond to the National Infrastructure Commission’s report later this year.
Asked by: Jonathan Reynolds (Labour (Co-op) - Stalybridge and Hyde)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what her policy is on foregoing the running hour exemptions permitted by the Medium Combustion Plant Directive on the total annualised emissions of the energy sector; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by Rory Stewart
Transposition of the Medium Combustion Plant Directive, including the running hour exemption, will be subject to full public consultation in autumn this year, supported by an impact assessment which will include impact on emissions of targeted pollutants. As part of this process, we will also consult on proposals for controlling emissions from diesel engines to safeguard air quality as announced in March this year.
Asked by: Jonathan Reynolds (Labour (Co-op) - Stalybridge and Hyde)
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 ensure that environmental permitting rules for back-up electricity generating plants are up to date and continue to reflect requirements of (a) environmental legislation and (b) the electricity system operator.
Answered by Rory Stewart
Electricity generating plants with a rated thermal input equal to or greater than 20MW are already subject to environmental permitting rules.
We will consult later this year on options to reduce pollution from smaller plants, including extending environmental legislation to set binding emission limit values on relevant air pollutants from backup electricity generating plants such as diesel engines, with a view to having legislation in force no later than January 2019 and possibly sooner. These limits would be likely to apply to generators or groups of generators with a rated thermal input equal to or greater than 1 MW and less than 50 MW irrespective of their number of hours of operation during any given year.
Defra will work with the Department of Energy and Climate Change to ensure that impacts of environmental legislation on electricity supply are suitably managed.
Asked by: Jonathan Reynolds (Labour (Co-op) - Stalybridge and Hyde)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to support farmers to invest in new capital equipment.
Answered by George Eustice
Investment in the agriculture sector is an important driver to improving its productivity and growth. To support this, the Government has a range of tax and subsidy measures in place.
The Annual Investment Allowance is at its highest ever permanent level of £200,000, with effect from 1 January 2016. This is of particular benefit to firms investing heavily in plant and machinery, such as those in the agricultural sector. From April 2016, self-employed farmers will be able to average their profits for Income Tax purposes for two years or five years. This will enable farmers to spread volatile profits further and better plan their investments.
The Government also supports the agricultural sector through direct recognition of any actual depreciation in the capital gains tax computation at the point of sale. Agricultural land and buildings remain subject to a number of tax reliefs and exemptions including exemptions from business rates, agricultural property relief from inheritance tax and capital gains rollover relief on developed agricultural land.
The Government also supports investment in the agricultural sector through capital grants under the Rural Development Programme. This is primarily through the Countryside Productivity scheme, focusing on innovative investment that will lead to a step change in productivity.