Asked by: Liz Twist (Labour - Blaydon)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the impact of food price inflation on levels of demand for emergency parcels from food banks.
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Tackling inflation is this Government’s number one priority. We continue to support households through our £94 billion package, worth £3,300 on average per household this year and last. We are also providing £100 million of support for charities and community organisations in England targeted at supporting critical frontline services.
Asked by: Liz Twist (Labour - Blaydon)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she has made a recent assessment of the potential merits of introducing a single social tariff for water.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
As the Secretary of State stated during the House of Lords inquiry into the work of Ofwat, Defra is minded not to introduce a single social tariff scheme due to the complexities involved with a national scheme, as well as due to legislative timetables, which would mean we would not be able to introduce a single social tariff to align with the start of the next price review – 1 April 2025.
However, I am very mindful that consumers are concerned about their bills. My officials continue to explore options to improve existing social tariff arrangements, focussing on improving consistency and fairness across existing regional social tariff schemes - a sensible and pragmatic approach given time constraints.
Asked by: Liz Twist (Labour - Blaydon)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make an assessment for the implications of her policies of Dogs Trust’s recommendation to introduce a requirement to visually check animals entering the country at ports to ensure that the pet animal is (a) the same as the animal listed on the pet passport, (b) the age stated, (c) not heavily pregnant and (d) not suffering from poor welfare conditions.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
We do not intend to make such an assessment. We already operate one of the most rigorous and robust pet travel checking regimes in Europe. All non-commercial dogs, cats and ferrets entering Great Britain on approved routes (every route other than Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland and the Crown Dependencies) under the Pet Travel rules undergo 100% documentary and identity checks by authorised pet checkers.
Asked by: Liz Twist (Labour - Blaydon)
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 potential impact of the reduction in the Environment Agency's funding in the last 10 years on the control of sewage output into the natural environment.
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra and its agencies received an additional £4.3 billion in the last Spending Review much of which is invested, through the Environment Agency, in protecting our environment. This included new funding for the Environment Agency to undertake 500 additional water company inspections over the spending review period. This is in addition to their routine regulation of water companies, funded through annual subsistence charges. We are also introducing new legal requirements to increase the monitoring of sewage discharges.
Asked by: Liz Twist (Labour - Blaydon)
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 level of stakeholder support for the introduction of the single social tariff scheme proposed by the CCW independent affordability review; and if he will bring forward legislative proposals to implement that scheme.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Initial stakeholder reaction to a single social tariff scheme has been positive. However, further analysis is needed to understand the implications, costs and benefits of a possible new scheme. Legislation will be required to implement any such scheme.
Asked by: Liz Twist (Labour - Blaydon)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make (a) an assessment of the role of the Landlord TAP scheme in helping water companies to identify financially vulnerable tenants before they fall into debt and (b) the Landlord TAP scheme mandatory in England, in line with existing arrangements in Wales.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave her on 24 November 2021, PQ UIN 75976.
Asked by: Liz Twist (Labour - Blaydon)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will ensure that the data sharing powers conferred under the Digital Economy Act 2017 are being fully utilised to help ensure that water companies (a) identify and (b) support financially vulnerable households.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Eight water companies have established data sharing agreements with the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). The water sector and DWP are working together to roll out agreements with the remaining companies.
Initial feedback from water companies who have secured data sharing agreements has been positive. The data shares have enabled water companies to identify financially vulnerable customers who may benefit from specially discounted and capped water tariffs, and where appropriate, to proactively add eligible customers to these tariffs.
Asked by: Liz Twist (Labour - Blaydon)
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 implications for his policies of the recommendation of the CCW independent affordability review to implement a single social tariff scheme; and if he will bring forward legislative proposals to implement that scheme.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra has established a Development Group, consisting of representatives from the Consumer Council for Water (CCW), Ofwat, water companies and charities to explore the review’s recommendations of a single social tariff scheme.
Asked by: Liz Twist (Labour - Blaydon)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the role of the Landlord TAP scheme in helping water companies to identify financially vulnerable tenants before they fall into debt; and if he will make that scheme mandatory in England.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Consumer Council for Water's (CCW) Affordability Review suggested that Defra should make the Landlord and Tenant Address Portal compulsory in England to raise the visibility of residents who may need help.
Since the publication of CCW's report, Defra has had initial discussions with CCW and Landlord Tap Ltd on this recommendation and look forward to further engagement. Data sharing agreements enabled under the Digital Economy Act 2017 and the pilots that have evolved out of the CCW's report, should also help identify vulnerable tenants. We will work with CCW and industry on how water companies can better identify and support their customers.
Asked by: Liz Twist (Labour - Blaydon)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of expanding the Water Direct scheme; and if he will ensure that that scheme enables customers to pay water bills through deductions from universal credit regardless of whether they are in debt with water chargers.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Water Direct is not intended as a budgeting tool or an alternative method of paying bills for those receiving benefit.
All water companies offer WaterSure and social tariffs to help reduce bills for households who struggle to pay their bills in full. Water companies also offer a range of financial support measures to assist households to better manage their budgets including payment holidays, bill matching, benefit entitlement checks and money/debt advice referral arrangements.