Asked by: Layla Moran (Liberal Democrat - Oxford West and Abingdon)
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 22 June 2020 to Question 59351 on Energy, what proportion of the electricity used by his Department's buildings in (a) each of the last five years and (b) 2020 to date was produced by solar panels and wind turbines on those buildings.
Answered by Baroness Prentis of Banbury
The amounts of renewable energy generated by Defra Group including the Environment Agency, Kew Gardens and Forestry Commission over the last five years are included in the attached table.
We have used between 0.1% and 1.3% of renewable energy generated from our buildings over the last five years.
The amount of renewable electricity used each year varies, due to differing parts of the department using renewable and non-renewable electricity. The differing amounts these constitute vary each year depending on operational need.
Asked by: Layla Moran (Liberal Democrat - Oxford West and Abingdon)
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 2 March 2020 to Question 19056 on Aviation, what estimate he has made of the CO2 emissions generated by the accumulated air miles in each of the last five years; and what steps his Department is taking to offset those emissions.
Answered by Baroness Prentis of Banbury
Based on the miles that were flown as given in my answer to PQ 19056, Defra has emitted the following amounts of carbon dioxide (CO 2).
Year | Mileage | Tonnes of CO2 |
2015 | 1,523,505 | 302 |
2016 | 1,239,659 | 224 |
2017 | 1,892,968 | 307 |
2018 | 3,312,017 | 579 |
2019 | 3,329,349 | 540 |
2020 | 160,695 | 26 |
Since 2009-10 the department has reduced its CO2 emissions by 49% in 2019-20. Rather than offsetting our emissions, we have done this through investing in energy efficiency measures across our estate, reducing the amount of travel we do and changing the way we travel to lower CO2 emitting forms of transport, shrinking our estate and we have benefitted from the UK grid becoming greener. All of these measures have contributed to our fall in CO2 emissions.
Asked by: Layla Moran (Liberal Democrat - Oxford West and Abingdon)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much of the additional budget for flooding will be spent on flood alleviation in (a) Abingdon, (b) Oxford City and (c) Oxfordshire.
Answered by Rebecca Pow
The Government is currently investing £2.6 billion across the country to deliver more than 1,000 flood defence projects to better protect 300,000 homes by 2021. Since 2015, £24 million has been spent in Oxfordshire to reduce the risk of flooding. The Oxford Flood Alleviation Scheme is fully funded, and construction is due to begin after the replacement of the A423 Kennington Railway Bridge.
We are spending £5.62 million in Oxfordshire this year of which £2.3 million is on the Oxford Flood Alleviation Scheme which, when completed, will protect 1,200 homes. The rest of the money spent this year is towards other schemes, including looking at the early feasibility for schemes that could provide protection in the future if viable
In Abingdon, the previously proposed flood storage area to reduce flood risk is not being progressed due to the low number of properties that will have their flood risk reduced. Other options are currently being considered for the town.
Government funding is governed by the rules of the Partnership Funding Policy and the formula for allocating the Government’s contribution is weighted towards protecting people’s lives and homes.
The Environment Agency will continue to work with Oxfordshire County Council on solutions for flooding across the county.
Asked by: Layla Moran (Liberal Democrat - Oxford West and Abingdon)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to create direct elections to national park governing boards.
Answered by Rebecca Pow
National Park Authority members are selected by constituent local authorities or parish councils or are appointed by the Secretary of State following open competition.
The independent review of Designated Landscapes led by Julian Glover, published in 2019, proposed reforms to the governance of National Parks. The proposed reforms do not include direct elections to National Park Authorities. The Government is carefully considering the Glover proposals and will respond in due course.
Asked by: Layla Moran (Liberal Democrat - Oxford West and Abingdon)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many air miles were accumulated by (a) Ministers, (b) special advisers and (c) civil servants in his Department in (i) the last six months and (ii) each calendar year since 2015.
Answered by Baroness Prentis of Banbury
The Department has flown 1,203,364 miles in the last six months (based on the date flights were invoiced).
The table below shows the number of miles by calendar year since 2015 (based on the date the flights were invoiced).
Year | Mileage |
2015 | 1,523,505 |
2016 | 1,239,659 |
2017 | 1,892,968 |
2018 | 3,312,017 |
2019 | 3,329,349 |
2020 (to date) | 160,695 |
Asked by: Layla Moran (Liberal Democrat - Oxford West and Abingdon)
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 ensure that support for the deployment of offshore wind generation capacity to meet net zero emissions targets does not harm international marine species and habitats.
Answered by Rebecca Pow
We fully support the growth of offshore wind and recognise the essential role it plays in meeting the net zero target. Defra has a significant interest in offshore wind development in terms of its potential to contribute to meeting the Government’s climate change commitments, and we also have a critical role in ensuring the protection of our marine environment, particularly across our network of designated Marine Protected Areas.
We are working with other Government bodies, the Crown Estate, industry and wider stakeholders to mitigate against, and prepare for, any environmental impacts of growth in the offshore wind sector. This programme of measures will enable the responsible and sustainable growth of offshore wind.
Asked by: Layla Moran (Liberal Democrat - Oxford West and Abingdon)
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 incentivise sustainable agricultural practices through the Environmental Land Management scheme.
Answered by Robert Goodwill
The Environmental Land Management Scheme (ELMS) will be underpinned by the principle of payment of public money for public goods such as: clean air; clean and plentiful water; thriving plants and wildlife; reduced risk of harm from environmental hazards such as flooding and drought; enhanced beauty, heritage and engagement for the natural environment and mitigating and adapting to climate change. As the detail of the ELMS is developed, Defra will be exploring with stakeholders where sustainable farming practices can contribute to the delivery of these public goods.
Asked by: Layla Moran (Liberal Democrat - Oxford West and Abingdon)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department has had recent discussions with the Department for Transport on the environmentally-friendly expansion of rural public transport; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Baroness Coffey
Last December Defra and the Department for Transport (DfT) held a joint roundtable on rural bus services with a wide range of key stakeholders, exploring the issues and potential solutions for providing effective bus services in rural communities.
The new Community Rail Development Strategy, published in November 2018, looks for ways to make it easier for the rail industry and local community rail partnerships to improve services and stations on local branch lines. Defra worked with DfT on the draft strategy and the consultation process on the strategy prior to its launch.
The Government published its Future of Mobility: Urban Strategy in March and will be setting out thinking on the future of rural mobility in due course, to explore how the benefits of transport innovation can be enjoyed by everyone, wherever they live.
The Government’s ambitions for the Oxford Cambridge Arc recognise that it is an area of significant strength and opportunity. We recognise that a high-quality environment is key to achieving the ambition of a more productive and connected Arc and aim to meet our economic and housing ambitions while delivering on the Government’s 25 Year Environment Plan. Defra is working closely with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government and DfT to create sustainable places for people and wildlife, to preserve the environment for future generations. Within the Arc, we are encouraging the constituent local authorities to be looking to develop local potential transport systems that provide convenient, clean, effective, accessible, inclusive, safe and active travel, with less congestion and better air quality.
Oxford City Council has received £2,334,480, through the Clean Bus Technology Fund, run by Defra and DfT’s Joint Air Quality Unit. This will retrofit 115 buses across Oxford and Oxfordshire to Euro VI standard.
Asked by: Layla Moran (Liberal Democrat - Oxford West and Abingdon)
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 has taken to help the agricultural sector create new jobs in environmental land management.
Answered by Robert Goodwill
Through our proposed reforms and the policies set out in the Agriculture Bill we will increase demand and therefore employment opportunities for those who have these skills by financially supporting farmers who undertake environmental works. We regularly discuss these reforms with farmers and the educational and advisory services that serve farming; including the Food and Drink Sector Council who are specifically looking at the workforce, skills and jobs we want to see in the future.
Asked by: Layla Moran (Liberal Democrat - Oxford West and Abingdon)
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 that its Environmental Land Management scheme is developed as part of the Government's overall strategy to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.
Answered by Baroness Coffey
The Environmental Land Management Scheme (ELMS) will be designed to significantly contribute to the goals of the 25 Year Environment Plan and other initiatives such as net zero carbon emissions by 2050. The ELMS team will work with farmers, land managers, environmental bodies, non-governmental organisations and other stakeholders to test and trial new and innovative approaches to deliver environmental outcomes, including the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture and the removal of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.