Asked by: Justin Madders (Labour - Ellesmere Port and Neston)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether any ministerial redundancy payments have been repaid to his Department since 2019.
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
Asked by: Baroness Hoey (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government why the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has taken over responsibility for bovine tuberculosis vaccination from the Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs in Northern Ireland.
Answered by Lord Douglas-Miller - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
In line with the Windsor Framework (Implementation) Regulations 2024 Statutory Guidance, the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has exercised direction and control over the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs only with respect to the limited areas set out in the statutory guidance published on GOV.UK (copy attached). For the avoidance of doubt, the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has clarified he has exercised his discretion not to exercise direction and control in relation to animal and plant disease.
Asked by: Baroness Hoey (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government which responsibilities have been taken over by the Secretary of State for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs from the Minister for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs in Northern Ireland since the Windsor Framework (Implementation) Regulations 2024 came into force on 12 April.
Answered by Lord Douglas-Miller - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
In line with the Windsor Framework (Implementation) Regulations 2024 Statutory Guidance, the Secretary of State for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has exercised direction and control over the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs only with respect to the limited areas set out in the statutory guidance published on GOV.UK. A copy of the guidance is attached to this answer.
Asked by: Lord Swire (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what obligations the Highways Agency is under to keep motorways free of detritus.
Answered by Lord Davies of Gower - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The responsibility for clearing highway litter and sweeping carriageways is governed by the Environmental Protection Act 1990 (EPA); National Highways is responsible for litter collection on motorways and some trunk roads. National Highways works to the ‘Code of Practice on Litter and Refuse 2006' issued under section 89(7) of the EPA. National Highways inspects and grades litter and detritus on the Strategic Road Network (SRN) in accordance with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs’ Code of Practice on Litter and Refuse. National Highways carries out litter picking almost every day and weekly inspections on its network, to ensure that clearance of the worst affected areas is prioritised. Wherever possible planned closures are used to undertake litter picks to minimise disruption to road users.
Asked by: Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Wood Green)
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 respond to Question 24274, tabled by the hon. Member for Hornsey and Wood Green.
Answered by Robbie Moore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
An answer to Question 24274 was published on 20 May 2024. I apologise for the delay in responding to the hon. Member.
Asked by: Caroline Nokes (Conservative - Romsey and Southampton North)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps their Department is taking to support the Disability Confident scheme; how many officials in their Department work directly on supporting that scheme; what assessment they have made of the effectiveness of that work in supporting the (a) recruitment and (b) retention of disabled people in their Department; and what further steps they are taking to support their Department’s recruitment and retention of disabled people.
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra has achieved Level 3 (Leader) of the Disability Confident scheme, this achievement is renewed every 3 years and we are currently working towards the renewal for 2024.
Although not working directly on the scheme, our Director General for Strategy leads as a senior Disability Champion, along with 2 Deputy Directors as Deputy Disability Champions, and they support and champion the requirements of the Disability Confident scheme within Defra.
These appointments are as recommended by the Disability Confident scheme provisions and additionally there is a Defra group Disability Board, chaired by the Executive Champion. This Board’s role is to ensure that actions and plans are in place and regularly reviewed to meet the provisions of the Disability Confident scheme and wider action to support employees with disabilities, impairments and long term medical conditions across the department.
Over the last 3 years disability representation across Defra group has increased from 14.3% to a representation rate of 17.2%. Within core Defra the current representation rate is 16.8% which is in line with the current disability target representation of the UK working age population.
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many and what proportion of (a) cars and (b) other vehicles used by his Department were made in Britain.
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government Car Service (GCS) provides vehicles to a number of Government departments. Due to logistical and operational reasons the type of vehicles deployed at each department can vary on a daily or weekly basis. The GCS fleet currently has 122 vehicles, 58 (48%) of which are vehicles made in Britain.
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what his Department's policy is on the procurement of (a) food and (b) drinks produced in Britain for use in its canteens and restaurants.
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government Property Agency (GPA) is responsible for the procurement of food and drink for canteens and restaurants in a number of government buildings across Britain, including Defra buildings.
Contractually, all suppliers appointed by GPA are required to comply with the Government Buying Standards, owned by Defra.
The relevant part of the standards is local and environmentally sustainable sourcing.
Wherever possible, food sourcing should prioritise locally produced food and food produced to higher environmental production standards. Contracting authorities and/or tier 1 suppliers should aim for at least 50% of food spend to be on locally produced food or food certified to higher environmental production standards. Progress towards this target must be reported annually.
This contractual provision will be monitored as part of the governance and report requirements of GPA's new contracts.
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what her Department's policy is on the procurement of (a) food and (b) drinks produced in Britain for use in its canteens and restaurants.
Answered by Damian Hinds - Minister of State (Education)
All catering contracts for department buildings are procured by the Government Property Agency (GPA).
Contractually, all suppliers appointed by GPA are required to comply with the Government Buying Standards, owned by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA).
The relevant part of the standards is local and environmentally sustainable sourcing. Wherever possible, food sourcing should prioritise locally produced food and food produced to higher environmental production standards. Contracting authorities and/or tier 1 suppliers should aim for at least 50% of food spend to be on locally produced food or food certified to higher environmental production standards. Progress towards this target must be reported annually.
This contractual provision will be monitored as part of the governance and report requirements of GPA's new contracts.
Asked by: Julie Elliott (Labour - Sunderland Central)
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 14 May to Question 24911 on Buildings, what was the (a) location and (b) operating body of each building.
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The locations of the four properties identified with RAAC are:
1. Starcross, Exeter
2. Worcester County Hall, Worcester
3. Polwhele, Truro
4. Itchen Abbas, Winchester.
All have been either declared safe, or partially or fully vacated to minimise risk while remediation is underway. The operating body for each property is Defra Group Property, who both work with landlords and manage a range of building occupiers across core Defra, our Executive Agencies and Arm’s Length Bodies.