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 financial impact for relevant industries of delays by the Environment Agency in issuing permits; and what estimate he has made of the amount of UK investment lost to overseas markets as a result of those delays.

No assessment has been made of delays in processing permit applications at the Environment Agency or the potential effect of those delays. Each application for a permit is considered on its own merit and it is important that they are assessed thoroughly.