Asked by: Philip Davies (Conservative - Shipley)
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 9 September 2019 to Question 281681, how much his Department has spent on schemes to encourage his staff to cycle to work since 2015; and how much his Department has spent on (a) installing bicycle racks and (b) bonus schemes for bicycle use in that time period.
Answered by George Eustice
Since 2015, Defra has not incurred spend on schemes to promote cycle to work, installation of bicycle racks or bonus schemes for bicycle use.
However, we will shortly embark on a small works project to provide 30 cycle racks at Foss House in York, due for completion in September 2019, at a cost of £2,660.48
Defra promotes cycling to work and the associated environmental and wellbeing benefits. All Defra employees have access to the Government Cycle 2 Work scheme and have had opportunities to attend Bike Dr events and roadshows at over 60 Defra locations across the UK. Defra has seen an increase in take up of the scheme by 25% since 2015. Both the scheme and events are provided at no cost to Defra.
Defra does not have any bonus schemes for bicycle use.
Asked by: Philip Davies (Conservative - Shipley)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much his Department has spent on schemes to encourage staff of his Department to cycle to work since 2015; and how much his Department has spent on (a) installing bicycle racks and (b) bonus schemes for bicycle use in that time period.
Answered by George Eustice
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
Asked by: Philip Davies (Conservative - Shipley)
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 his Department's consultation on cleaner domestic burning of solid fuels and wood in England, if he will place in the Library copies of reports and datasets on the gluing agents used in the manufacture of smokeless briquettes and the toxic pollutants these gluing agents release when burnt on open domestic fires being considered in that consultation; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Thérèse Coffey
I refer my Hon Friend to the reply previously given on 8 April 2019 to PQ 238630.
Our assessments of emissions of pollutants from domestic combustion sources use a range of data but are based on established international reporting. The range of fuels and appliances used in the UK is large and emissions from each combination vary greatly depending on how the appliance is operated.
Any publicly available resources we have used to inform our analysis of the proposals in the consultation will be made available with the Government response.
Asked by: Philip Davies (Conservative - Shipley)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when he plans to publish the results of the consultation on cleaner domestic burning of solid fuels and wood in England; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Thérèse Coffey
I refer my Hon Friend to the reply previously given on 8 April 2019 to PQ 238630.
Our assessments of emissions of pollutants from domestic combustion sources use a range of data but are based on established international reporting. The range of fuels and appliances used in the UK is large and emissions from each combination vary greatly depending on how the appliance is operated.
Any publicly available resources we have used to inform our analysis of the proposals in the consultation will be made available with the Government response.
Asked by: Philip Davies (Conservative - Shipley)
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 consultation on cleaner domestic burning of solid fuels and wood in England, if he will deposit in the Library copies of all reports and datasets his Department is aware of on non PM2.5 toxic pollutants released when burning (a) smokeless briquettes, (b) wet wood, (c) dried wood and (d) house coal on open domestic fires; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Thérèse Coffey
Any publicly available resources we have used to inform our analysis of the proposals in the consultation will be made available with the Government response.
Various respondents to the consultation on cleaner domestic burning of solid fuels and wood sent in their own price analyses of fuels. These note that there are price differentials associated with volumes purchased, and seasonality as well as between differing locations across England. Research has been undertaken based on these responses along with further analysis of advertised retail prices to assess the effect of the proposals in the consultation.
Asked by: Philip Davies (Conservative - Shipley)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what analysis his Department has conducted on the effect on solid fuel prices of house coal being banned; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Thérèse Coffey
Any publicly available resources we have used to inform our analysis of the proposals in the consultation will be made available with the Government response.
Various respondents to the consultation on cleaner domestic burning of solid fuels and wood sent in their own price analyses of fuels. These note that there are price differentials associated with volumes purchased, and seasonality as well as between differing locations across England. Research has been undertaken based on these responses along with further analysis of advertised retail prices to assess the effect of the proposals in the consultation.
Asked by: Philip Davies (Conservative - Shipley)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what comparative assessment his Department has made of the (a) level of and (b) type of toxins released as a result of domestic barbecues as part of his Department's consultation on cleaner domestic burning of solid fuels and wood in England; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Thérèse Coffey
The consultation on cleaner domestic burning of solid fuels and wood relates to indoor burning only, and does not refer to barbecues. We have therefore not completed a comparative assessment of the level of and type of toxins released as a result of domestic barbecues.
Asked by: Philip Davies (Conservative - Shipley)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what comparative assessment his Department has made of the (a) level of and (b) type of toxins released as a result of the domestic burning of (i) smokeless briquettes, (ii) wet wood, (iii) dried wood and (iv) house coal as part of his Department's consultation on cleaner domestic burning of solid fuels and wood in England; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Thérèse Coffey
I refer the Hon. Member to the reply previously given to the Rt Hon. Member for Birkenhead, Frank Field, on 16 May 2019 to PQ 252836.
Asked by: Philip Davies (Conservative - Shipley)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has plans to compensate circus owners who will no longer be able to use wild animals in their circuses under the Wild Animals in Circuses (No 2) Bill.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We have no plans to compensate circus owners who will no longer be able to use wild animals in travelling circuses.
Asked by: Philip Davies (Conservative - Shipley)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of an inspector appointed under the Wild Animals in Circuses (No 2) Bill; and from which budget that cost will be met.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Currently only two circuses still use wild animal acts in Great Britain. Given any breach of the ban proposed in the Wild Animals in Circuses (No.2) Bill would involve a circus performing or exhibiting a wild animal in public, we do not believe many, if any, circuses will seek to contravene the ban. Therefore our estimate is that any cost to Defra of enforcing the ban will be negligible.