Asked by: Neil Coyle (Labour - Bermondsey and Old Southwark)
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 ensure that water companies prepare for cold weather; whether his Department plans to improve the provision of information to consumers on disruption to water supplies; and whether his Department is taking steps to compensate people who experienced disruption to their water supply.
Answered by Baroness Coffey
Companies have a statutory duty to provide clean and reliable water to customers under the Water Industry Act 1991 and water company licences, plus any special requirements to service vulnerable customers. They also have a statutory duty to plan to balance supply and demand over the long-term (25 years minimum). Companies should be planning to be resilient to all foreseeable risks, including severe weather and in response to climate change projections and population growth.
Water customers are entitled to guaranteed minimum standards of service. If a company fails to meet any of the guaranteed standards, customers are entitled to a payment under the Guaranteed Standards Scheme (GSS). Ofwat may also take enforcement action against the companies it regulates where these companies fail to comply with their statutory duties and licence obligations. Ofwat will work with the water companies to establish whether licence conditions have been breached and to what extent the GSS regulations require them to make compensation payments.
Ofwat is reviewing formally the performance of the companies during this period once the situation is restored to normal. This will be a thorough review and as well as identifying problems, Ofwat will identify excellent examples of practice and preparation shared across the sector. The review will include consideration of planning for such cold weather events and customer communications. The government will consider any recommendations from the review and act decisively to address any shortcomings exposed.
Ofwat will also consider as part of the review whether the companies have proactively provided fair and speedy compensation to customers. The government has made clear to water companies that it expects them to use their discretion to offer compensation to customers, recognising the impacts that they have experienced.
Asked by: Neil Coyle (Labour - Bermondsey and Old Southwark)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what progress his Department is making on developing its policy on imposing a ban on lion trophy imports.
Answered by Baroness Coffey
All imports of African lion hunting trophies currently require both a Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) export permit from the country of origin and an import permit issued by the relevant EU Member State. A permit will only be issued if the applicant can demonstrate that the import will not be detrimental to the conservation of the species.
Defra is looking carefully at hunting trophy imports of lions and other species to ensure that they do not impact on the sustainability of these species in the wild.
Asked by: Neil Coyle (Labour - Bermondsey and Old Southwark)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans she has to make the language requirements for non-EU national veterinary surgeons to practice the same as with those which apply to non-UK EU nationals .
Answered by George Eustice
The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons already has a statutory examination for non-EU registrants whose examinations are not automatically recognised by the College. Applicants must reach level 7 of the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) before applying to sit this exam. Government is currently reviewing the content of the EU Mutual Recognition Directive.
Asked by: Neil Coyle (Labour - Bermondsey and Old Southwark)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, for what reasons she is unable to give a specific date for publication of her Department's 25-year plan for the environment.
Answered by Baroness Coffey
The plan has not yet been written but it is a manifesto commitment to publish in the course of this parliament. We aim to publish a consultation on our ambitions for the 25 year environment plan in due course.
Asked by: Neil Coyle (Labour - Bermondsey and Old Southwark)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, for what reason her Department has not yet announced a date of publication for its 25-year plan for the environment.
Answered by Baroness Coffey
We aim to publish a green paper consulting on our ambitions for the 25 year environment plan in due course.
Asked by: Neil Coyle (Labour - Bermondsey and Old Southwark)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when she plans to publish the 25-year plan for food and farming.
Answered by George Eustice
Defra is committed to developing a 25 year food and farming plan, which will set out a new vision for UK food and farming outside of the EU. It will be published in due course.
Asked by: Neil Coyle (Labour - Bermondsey and Old Southwark)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when she plans to publish the 25-year plan for the environment.
Answered by Baroness Coffey
We will publish the green paper shortly, which will launch a major consultation to help shape the plan itself which we aim to publish within a year.
Asked by: Neil Coyle (Labour - Bermondsey and Old Southwark)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how her Department plans to monitor implementation of the guidance set out in the Code of Practice on the use of snares; and when her Department plans to review or revise that code.
Answered by Baroness Coffey
The Government welcomes the Code of Practice, which has been developed and is owned by game keeping and land management organisations. Defra will continue to work with those organisations to promote effective implementation of the Code.
There are no immediate plans to review implementation of the Code but we will keep this under review.
Asked by: Neil Coyle (Labour - Bermondsey and Old Southwark)
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 plans to take to maintain protection for coastal towns from the sea dumping of waste after the UK leaves the EU.
Answered by Baroness Coffey
The UK’s Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009 (MCAA) includes a marine licensing regime, under Part 4, for most marine activities. The Act regulates dumping of waste at sea including navigational dredging and disposal under the Waste Framework Directive.
The Prime Minister has announced a Repeal Bill to convert EU law into domestic British law, to provide certainty for consumers, workers and businesses by maintaining existing laws.
As domestic legislation the MCAA will continue to be in place when the UK has left the EU. There is no current intention to change the regulatory framework in respect of the dumping of waste in the marine environment.
In Scotland this is covered by the Marine (Scotland) Act 2010.
Asked by: Neil Coyle (Labour - Bermondsey and Old Southwark)
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 work with the Mayor of London to improve air quality in London.
Answered by Rory Stewart
The National Air Quality Plan for nitrogen dioxide, published in December last year, sets out a comprehensive approach for meeting the air quality challenges by implementing a new programme of Clean Air Zones, along with the Ultra-Low Emission Zone in London. The Plan combines targeted local and national measures, forming part of a wider approach that exploits new and clean technologies, such as electric and ultra-low emission vehicles.
The Government has committed over £2 billion since 2011 to increase the uptake of ultra-low emission vehicles, support green transport initiatives and support local authorities to take action.
The Mayor is responsible for air quality standards in London. The Mayor provides the framework and guidance which London boroughs use to review and improve air quality within their areas. The new Mayor recently set out his plans to improve air quality in London.