Asked by: Simon Kirby (Conservative - Brighton, Kemptown)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how often her Department reviews its processes regarding the logging of emails, letters and other correspondence received; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by Dan Rogerson
Core Defra keeps processes under continuous review to improve the services we provide.
Asked by: Simon Kirby (Conservative - Brighton, Kemptown)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many private finance initiative projects her Department contracted for in each year from 1997 to 2010.
Answered by Dan Rogerson
The Department entered into one private finance initiative (PFI) project in February 2001.
Asked by: Simon Kirby (Conservative - Brighton, Kemptown)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the total private finance initiative liabilities of her Department are for the next 20 years; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by Dan Rogerson
Core Defra has one private finance initiative (PFI) project for which Defra has future liabilities. The details of this can be found on the attached spreadsheet.
Core Defra has also sponsored a number of local authority projects through the PFI credit system. These are not liabilities of the Department. Details of these can be found at the following link. This currently provides data as at 31 March 2013 but will be updated shortly with data as at 31 March 2014.
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/private-finance-initiative-projects-2013-summary-data
Asked by: Simon Kirby (Conservative - Brighton, Kemptown)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to reduce energy costs in her Department; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by Dan Rogerson
Core Defra procures energy from the Crown Commercial Services Energy Frameworks. These pan-government contracts enable Defra to benefit from economies of scale and risk-managed procurement from the energy markets, so keeping costs down. Energy costs are also minimised through measures to reduce and improve the control of energy use in its buildings.
The biggest contributor to reduced energy costs has been the rationalisation of Defra’s estate. Since 2012/13 the Department has reduced its London estate from four to two properties, making more efficient use of space and reducing energy consumption as part of the overall strategy.
Core Defra has also reduced energy costs by investing in voltage optimisation, more efficient heating systems, LED lighting and better insulation. Smart metering also enables Core Defra to monitor and target excessive consumption and ensure building systems are operating to optimum efficiency.
Asked by: Simon Kirby (Conservative - Brighton, Kemptown)
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 introduce new guidelines to protect the welfare of dogs in cars; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by George Eustice
The Government already makes available up-to-date advice to owners when travelling with their dogs in cars. The advice is available on the GOV.UK website: https://www.gov.uk/animal-welfare-in-severe-weather.
Asked by: Simon Kirby (Conservative - Brighton, Kemptown)
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 review her departmental estate in order to reduce costs; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by Dan Rogerson
Defra has rationalised its estate significantly since 2010 realising baseline property cost savings of £51 million per annum up to June 2014.
Defra has a property review and estates rationalisation programme to identify and deliver new opportunities to increase efficiency and reduce property costs.