Asked by: Nicholas Brown (Independent - Newcastle upon Tyne East)
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 in relation to the public forest estate; and what assessment she has made of the implications for that policy of the recommendations of the 2012 Independent Panel on Forestry.
Answered by Dan Rogerson
The Government’s policy on the future of the public forest estate is set out in its Forestry and Woodlands Policy Statement of January 2013. The Government is committed to maintaining the public forest estate in public ownership and to establishing a new operationally-independent public body to manage the estate for the long-term benefit of people, nature and the economy.
The Forestry and Woodlands Policy Statement was firmly based on the Independent Panel on Forestry’s recommendations, including those in relation to the public forest estate.
Asked by: Nicholas Brown (Independent - Newcastle upon Tyne East)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, which organisations collect subscriptions through the employers' payroll service in his Department and its agencies.
Answered by Dan Rogerson
This response covers Core Defra, Animal Health Veterinary Laboratories Agency (AHVLA), the Centre for Environment Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (CEFAS), the Food and Environment Research Agency (FERA), the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) and the Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD).
Defra and its agencies allow the following organisations to collect subscriptions through its payroll services:
AXA Sun Life (FERA only)
Benenden Healthcare Society
Birmingham Hosp Saturday Fund (AHVLA and RPA only)
Charitable Giving
Charity for Civil Servants
Civil Service Benevolent Fund
Civil Service Club
Civil Service Pension Scheme (inc stakeholder)
Civil Service Retirement Fellowship
Civil Service Sports Council
Commercial Union Life Assurance
Customs & Excise Sports Club (core Defra only)
Customs Fund Insurance (core Defra only)
Cyclescheme (FERA only)
Defra Lottery
Department of Environment Recreational Association (core Defra only)
Dimensions Fitness
Fideliti
First Division Association
Forester Health Plan Scheme
General, Municipal & Boilermakers (AHVLA only)
Give As You Earn (RPA and CEFAS only)
Halfords
HAS Crown Plan & Individual (RPA only)
Hospital Savings Association
Land Registry Sports & Social (VMD only)
Leeds Hospital Fund (AHVLA only)
Medicash Health Scheme (CEFAS and RPA only)
Minerva Sports & Social (VMD only)
Prospect
Public and Commercial Services Union
Simply Health (core Defra and FERA only)
Sodexo (FERA only)
Sovereign Health Care (core Defra and FERA only)
SSA Lottery (CEFAS only)
Sun Life Assurance Company
Welsh Hospitals (AHVLA only)
Welsh Office Sports & Social Association (core Defra only)
Asked by: Nicholas Brown (Independent - Newcastle upon Tyne East)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the effects of plastic bags on marine environments.
Answered by Dan Rogerson
Defra has funded a number of studies to investigate the potential for the absorption of contaminants by organisms that consume plastics. These studies are published in scientific literature. Defra is also currently conducting an analysis of the costs and benefits of the carrier bag charge, including on the marine environment.
In addition, the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas) has been monitoring seabed litter since 1992 through fisheries stock assessments and marine litter surveys.
Asked by: Nicholas Brown (Independent - Newcastle upon Tyne East)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when he expects to be able to announce his proposals for a single use plastic bag charge.
Answered by Dan Rogerson
Last September the Government announced plans to introduce a charge on single use plastic bags with effect from October 2015. We are developing our proposals and in doing so are considering the recent report of the Environmental Audit Committee, together with the response to our Call for Evidence. We will announce our response as soon as possible.