To match an exact phrase, use quotation marks around the search term. eg. "Parliamentary Estate". Use "OR" or "AND" as link words to form more complex queries.


Keep yourself up-to-date with the latest developments by exploring our subscription options to receive notifications direct to your inbox

Written Question
Insurance: Flood Control
Tuesday 1st March 2022

Asked by: Stephen Kinnock (Labour - Aberavon)

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment has he made of the potential merits of requiring insurers to request individual property information where a property's flood risk is mitigated by resilience measures.

Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

In July 2021, Government committed to make changes to the Flood Re scheme, that provides affordable insurance to households at high risk of flooding. These will improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the scheme and increase the uptake of property flood resilience measures helping communities across the UK to become more resilient to the changing climate. Government laid draft regulations in Parliament on 27 January implementing these changes including allowing insurers to help flooded households to build back better, up to a value of £10,000 above the cost of like-for-like reinstatement. This will make their homes more resilient to future flooding using products such as air brick covers, flood doors and water-resistant kitchens and plasterboard. Government expects the regulations to come into force on 1 April, subject to the will of Parliament.

The Government also announced it will publish a roadmap at the end of 2022 that will identify the actions required across industry and Government to successfully grow and underpin the nascent PFR market.

The Government is also committed to allow Flood Re, the scheme administrator, to offer discounted premiums for households that have PFR installed and recognises the role it can play in driving behaviour change in the insurance market.

The Government plans to give Flood Re the powers to provide discounted premiums when the Government has published the PFR roadmap, and a mechanism is in place to determine eligibility effectively. The Government remains fully committed to implementing this change. We will work closely with Flood Re, the PFR roundtable and the insurance industry as part of the development of the roadmap to determine how best to achieve this.


Written Question
Insurance: Flood Control
Tuesday 1st March 2022

Asked by: Stephen Kinnock (Labour - Aberavon)

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment has he made of the potential merits of requiring the insurance industry to lower premiums where flood risk is mitigated by resilience measures.

Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

In July 2021, Government committed to make changes to the Flood Re scheme, that provides affordable insurance to households at high risk of flooding. These will improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the scheme and increase the uptake of property flood resilience measures helping communities across the UK to become more resilient to the changing climate. Government laid draft regulations in Parliament on 27 January implementing these changes including allowing insurers to help flooded households to build back better, up to a value of £10,000 above the cost of like-for-like reinstatement. This will make their homes more resilient to future flooding using products such as air brick covers, flood doors and water-resistant kitchens and plasterboard. Government expects the regulations to come into force on 1 April, subject to the will of Parliament.

The Government also announced it will publish a roadmap at the end of 2022 that will identify the actions required across industry and Government to successfully grow and underpin the nascent PFR market.

The Government is also committed to allow Flood Re, the scheme administrator, to offer discounted premiums for households that have PFR installed and recognises the role it can play in driving behaviour change in the insurance market.

The Government plans to give Flood Re the powers to provide discounted premiums when the Government has published the PFR roadmap, and a mechanism is in place to determine eligibility effectively. The Government remains fully committed to implementing this change. We will work closely with Flood Re, the PFR roundtable and the insurance industry as part of the development of the roadmap to determine how best to achieve this.


Written Question
Insurance: Flood Control
Tuesday 1st March 2022

Asked by: Stephen Kinnock (Labour - Aberavon)

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department has taken to ensure the insurance industry recognises flood resilience measures in its premiums.

Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

In July 2021, Government committed to make changes to the Flood Re scheme, that provides affordable insurance to households at high risk of flooding. These will improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the scheme and increase the uptake of property flood resilience measures helping communities across the UK to become more resilient to the changing climate. Government laid draft regulations in Parliament on 27 January implementing these changes including allowing insurers to help flooded households to build back better, up to a value of £10,000 above the cost of like-for-like reinstatement. This will make their homes more resilient to future flooding using products such as air brick covers, flood doors and water-resistant kitchens and plasterboard. Government expects the regulations to come into force on 1 April, subject to the will of Parliament.

The Government also announced it will publish a roadmap at the end of 2022 that will identify the actions required across industry and Government to successfully grow and underpin the nascent PFR market.

The Government is also committed to allow Flood Re, the scheme administrator, to offer discounted premiums for households that have PFR installed and recognises the role it can play in driving behaviour change in the insurance market.

The Government plans to give Flood Re the powers to provide discounted premiums when the Government has published the PFR roadmap, and a mechanism is in place to determine eligibility effectively. The Government remains fully committed to implementing this change. We will work closely with Flood Re, the PFR roundtable and the insurance industry as part of the development of the roadmap to determine how best to achieve this.


Written Question
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Energy Supply
Tuesday 1st March 2022

Asked by: Stephen Kinnock (Labour - Aberavon)

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what critical infrastructure his Department is responsible for that is reliant on private wire networks for power supply.

Answered by Victoria Prentis - Attorney General

We cannot provide this information for reasons of national security.


Written Question
Community Plant Variety Office
Monday 27th November 2017

Asked by: Stephen Kinnock (Labour - Aberavon)

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the Government plans to seek observer status of the Community Plant Variety Office after the UK has left the EU.

Answered by George Eustice

Leaving the EU presents a major opportunity for UK agriculture. We are working towards achieving the best possible deal for the UK agricultural industry and we want to ensure a deep and lasting agreement with the European Union. For plant variety rights and testing, as with all other areas, future arrangements are subject to negotiation with the EU. We are aware that Article 39 of the Community Plant Variety Rights Regulation offers the possibility of observer status in CPVO’s Administrative Council, which is currently available to accession states and organisations representing the plant breeding industry. The Administrative Council’s main role concerns finance, budgets and management.


Written Question
European Chemicals Agency
Friday 17th November 2017

Asked by: Stephen Kinnock (Labour - Aberavon)

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the Government plans to seek the UK's continued participation with the European Chemicals Agency, as set out under Article 106 of EU Regulation 1907/2006, after the UK leaves the EU.

Answered by Thérèse Coffey

The Withdrawal Bill will convert current EU law into domestic law wherever practical, giving consumers and businesses as much certainty as possible. This includes laws relating to chemicals. The UK is strongly committed to the effective and safe management of chemicals. That will not change when we leave the EU.

While it would not be appropriate to pre-judge the outcome of the negotiations we will discuss with the EU and Member States how best to continue cooperation in chemicals regulation in the best interests of both the UK and the EU.


Written Question
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Iron and Steel
Friday 4th November 2016

Asked by: Stephen Kinnock (Labour - Aberavon)

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent estimate she has made of the level of procurement of British steel by her Department in the last 12 months.

Answered by George Eustice

The information is not centrally held in the form requested. Over the last year Government has acted to level the playing field for UK steel producers in light of the complex global challenges faced by the UK steel sector. Last December Government issued guidance to central government departments on how to ensure that they take full account of the value provided by UK steel producers when conducting their procurement activities. This guidance is also being extended to the wider public sector.


Written Question
Animal Welfare: Convictions
Monday 17th October 2016

Asked by: Stephen Kinnock (Labour - Aberavon)

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she plans to introduce an animal abuse register to record the names of people who have been found guilty of crimes against animals.

Answered by George Eustice

Convictions for offences under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 are recorded on the Police National Computer and are not held on a public register. The Government would be concerned about the level of access to a public register, and Data Protection Act requirements would also apply. However, police forces are exploring how access to information relating to people banned from keeping animals might be improved for local authorities and other bodies with an enforcement role.