Asked by: Robbie Moore (Conservative - Keighley and Ilkley)
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 estimate of the cost to his Department of the Manchester Clean Air Zone scheme.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Details of Greater Manchester authorities’ expenditure is available in reports to the GMCA available here.
The Government has recently approved an investment-led non-charging Clean Air Plan proposed by Greater Manchester authorities. There are no ongoing costs to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs from the earlier Clean Air Zone scheme and no further funding has been provided. Greater Manchester authorities are also exploring with the police whether the existing ANPR camera infrastructure may be used for law enforcement activity, and the potential reuse opportunities for signage infrastructure.
Asked by: Robbie Moore (Conservative - Keighley and Ilkley)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate his Department has made of the ongoing costs to his Department of the Manchester Clean Air Zone scheme.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Details of Greater Manchester authorities’ expenditure is available in reports to the GMCA available here.
The Government has recently approved an investment-led non-charging Clean Air Plan proposed by Greater Manchester authorities. There are no ongoing costs to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs from the earlier Clean Air Zone scheme and no further funding has been provided. Greater Manchester authorities are also exploring with the police whether the existing ANPR camera infrastructure may be used for law enforcement activity, and the potential reuse opportunities for signage infrastructure.
Asked by: Robbie Moore (Conservative - Keighley and Ilkley)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how he allocated funding previously allocated to the Air Quality Funding Scheme for 2024.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Local Air Quality Grant was withdrawn by the previous Air Quality Minister – the hon. Member for Keighley and Ilkley.
The funding was allocated to be spent during the 23/24 financial year so was not at the disposal of the new Air Quality Minister for the current financial year.
Asked by: Robbie Moore (Conservative - Keighley and Ilkley)
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 open the Air Quality Funding Scheme for local authorities in 2025.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Local Air Quality Grant is not opening for the 24/25 financial year. Any future funding schemes will be subject to The Government spending review processes.
Asked by: Robbie Moore (Conservative - Keighley and Ilkley)
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 solar farms on underlying soil quality.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
A wide range of public assessments have been made on the uses of land alongside and underneath solar panels, such as livestock grazing and other approaches to species-rich grassland creation.
When considering development proposals that affect agricultural land and soils, the Government encourages developers and local planning authorities to refer to relevant Government policies and guidance that aim to protect all soils by managing them in a sustainable way.
Asked by: Robbie Moore (Conservative - Keighley and Ilkley)
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 plans to reform waste exemptions under the Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2016.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra is developing reforms to the waste exemptions regime which will ensure activities carried out under waste exemptions are indeed low risk and small scale and which will prevent exemptions from being used to hide illegal activity.
Asked by: Robbie Moore (Conservative - Keighley and Ilkley)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when his Department first knew about the 7 day delay to changes in the IPAFFS IT system, following the outbreak of foot and mouth disease in Germany.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
We do not recognise the assertation that there was a delay in controls being implemented. The department acted quickly to stop consignments that presented a risk.
Following the confirmation of outbreak, we immediately instructed Port Health Authorities (PHAs) across Great Britain to suspend susceptible FMD imports that posed a risk to UK biosecurity. Additionally, we immediately informed border authorities, including Dover Port Health Authority and businesses, with the first communications issued at 17:42 and 21:00 on 10 January, and implemented measures to suspend commercial and personal imports of commodities from susceptible animals.
Asked by: Robbie Moore (Conservative - Keighley and Ilkley)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of farm size on farm productivity.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
We collect detailed information on the financial position and physical and economic performance of farm businesses in England through the Farm Business Survey (FBS). The Farming Productivity Dashboard provides key statistics on farm performance and productivity in England (Productivity Dashboard).
Asked by: Robbie Moore (Conservative - Keighley and Ilkley)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many meetings he had with the (a) National Farmers' Union, (b) Country Land and Business Association, (c) Countryside Alliance and (d) Central Association for Agricultural Valuers before 30 October 2024.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
We are listening to the sector to ensure their views are heard. We regularly meet with a range of farming stakeholders, including the National Farmers Union (NFU), the Country Land and Business Association (CLA), and the Tenant Farmers Association (TFA), and will continue to meet with stakeholders.
As part of this effort, the Secretary of State Steve Reed and Farming Minister Daniel Zeichner have met with NFU President Tom Bradshaw repeatedly to clarify changes in the Budget. Officials have also met with NFU, TFA and CLA representatives and recently attended the Eggs and Poultry Industry Conference as part of ongoing engagement with the sector.
The Secretary of State spoke at the CLA’s annual conference last month to hear from farmers directly. Unfortunately the Conservative Party did not decide to send a representative.
Minister Zeichner also recently attended and spoke at Northern Farming Conference, the Eggs and Poultry Industry Conference, the Agricultural Industries Confederation Conference, The Tenant Farmers Association Executive Committee and the Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution’s parliamentary reception.
We will continue to listen to farmers’ concerns to ensure their views are heard.
Asked by: Robbie Moore (Conservative - Keighley and Ilkley)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what meetings he has had with the (a) National Farmers Union, (b) Country Land and Business Association, (c) Countryside Alliance and (d) Central Association for Agricultural Valuers since 30 October 2024.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
We are listening to the sector to ensure their views are heard. We regularly meet with a range of farming stakeholders, including the National Farmers Union (NFU), the Country Land and Business Association (CLA), and the Tenant Farmers Association (TFA), and will continue to meet with stakeholders.
As part of this effort, the Secretary of State Steve Reed and Farming Minister Daniel Zeichner have met with NFU President Tom Bradshaw repeatedly to clarify changes in the Budget. Officials have also met with NFU, TFA and CLA representatives and recently attended the Eggs and Poultry Industry Conference as part of ongoing engagement with the sector.
The Secretary of State spoke at the CLA’s annual conference last month to hear from farmers directly. Unfortunately the Conservative Party did not decide to send a representative.
Minister Zeichner also recently attended and spoke at Northern Farming Conference, the Eggs and Poultry Industry Conference, the Agricultural Industries Confederation Conference, The Tenant Farmers Association Executive Committee and the Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution’s parliamentary reception.
We will continue to listen to farmers’ concerns to ensure their views are heard.