Asked by: Dan Poulter (Conservative - Central Suffolk and North Ipswich)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans he has to support landowners to maintain their own stretches of river along the River Deben in Suffolk to help reduce future flooding risk.
Answered by Robbie Moore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Riparian landowners, those whose land adjoins a watercourse, are required under common law to maintain the watercourse, including the removal of debris and blockages, which could cause an obstruction to the flow of water on their land, or downstream if washed away, as well as maintenance of the bed and banks, and any trees or shrubs growing on the banks.
The Environment Agency has published guidance on owning a watercourse on GOV.UK. By April 2024, new Environment Agency engagement guidance will be published to help risk management authorities, Environment Agency staff, and landowners have more effective conversations on this matter.
The Government’s Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk Management (FCERM) Policy Statement sets out what we expect from those responsible for all assets and watercourses – including risk management authorities, other public and community organisations, the private sector and riparian owners – to invest in ongoing maintenance and ensure timely repairs where necessary.
Asked by: Daisy Cooper (Liberal Democrat - St Albans)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has had discussions with (a) the Environment Agency and (b) local authorities on the effectiveness of mechanisms to enforce the responsibilities of riparian owners for the maintenance of river banks.
Answered by Robbie Moore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Ministers regularly meet with the Environment Agency and other stakeholders to discuss flood and water management matters.
Riparian landowners, those whose land adjoins a watercourse, are required under common law to maintain watercourses, including the removal of debris and blockages, which could cause an obstruction to the flow of water on their land, or downstream if washed away, as well as maintenance of the bed and banks, and any trees or shrubs growing on the banks. Where a stream or culvert becomes silted up, choked with weeds, or the flow of water has been obstructed causing flood risk to others, the Environment Agency and local authorities have statutory powers to require the relevant person to maintain the flow of the watercourse. The Environment Agency has published guidance on owning a watercourse on GOV.UK. By April 2024, new engagement guidance will be published to help Risk Management Authorities, Environment Agency staff, and landowners have more effective conversations on this matter.
The Government’s Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk Management (FCERM) Policy Statement sets out what we expect from those responsible for all assets and watercourses – including risk management authorities, other public and community organisations, the private sector and riparian owners – to invest in ongoing maintenance and ensure timely repairs where necessary.
Defra has commissioned an independent review of statutory powers and responsibilities associated with FCERM assets across all flood risks and coastal erosion. The review started work in 2021 and is expected to report this spring. This will review whether current mechanisms and legal powers are clear and effective and relevant expertise is shared; this includes the non-statutory powers and responsibilities of riparian landowners and asset owners. The review team is working closely with key stakeholders to ensure that it considers good practice and practitioner concerns, within the sector. Defra will consider its findings after publication.
Asked by: Grahame Morris (Labour - Easington)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of his Department's policy on the use of foodbank signposting slips at Jobcentres on vulnerable households.
Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
On 19 February we introduced a new food charity signposting slip to replace the one previously used.
This does not change DWP signposting policy but improves the signposting slip to comply with our obligations under GDPR.
Our Jobcentres continue to provide customers with guidance to find additional support, including signposting to emergency food support when appropriate.
The new slip does not include any personal data. It also now provides claimants with information on where they might access emergency food locally, and wider sources of support.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether he has had recent discussions with the Trussell Trust on the trends in the level of donations required to meet demand for food banks.
Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
DWP officials regularly engage with a wide range of stakeholders including the Trussell Trust. Foodbanks are independent, charitable organisations and the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) does not have any role in their operation.
The next release of the Households Below Average Income statistics, covering the year 2022/23, is due in March 2024. This will include updated national statistics on both food security and food bank use.
Asked by: Stephen Timms (Labour - East Ham)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what information was included in his Department’s foodbank signposting slips in February (a) 2023 and (b) 2024.
Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
On 19 February we introduced a new food charity signposting slip to replace the one previously used.
This does not change DWP signposting policy but improves the signposting slip to comply with our obligations under GDPR.
Our Jobcentres continue to provide customers with guidance to find additional support, including signposting to emergency food support when appropriate.
The new slip does not include any personal data. It also now provides claimants with information on where they might access emergency food locally, and wider sources of support.
Asked by: Stephen Timms (Labour - East Ham)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, for what reason his Department has changed the information provided on foodbank signposting slips.
Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
On 19 February we introduced a new food charity signposting slip to replace the one previously used.
This does not change DWP signposting policy but improves the signposting slip to comply with our obligations under GDPR.
Our Jobcentres continue to provide customers with guidance to find additional support, including signposting to emergency food support when appropriate.
The new slip does not include any personal data. It also now provides claimants with information on where they might access emergency food locally, and wider sources of support.
Asked by: Selaine Saxby (Conservative - North Devon)
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 number of kilometres of tree cover there are along the banks of (a) rivers and (b) tributaries in England.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra can provide both a rapid indicative estimate and a longer-term definitive estimate to the question.
It will take within the region of two to four weeks’ time to produce an indicative estimate, with estimates solely based upon earth observation techniques.
It may take up to one year’s time to achieve a definitive answer, as we await the completion of field work undertaken as part of the Natural Capital Ecosystem Assessment.
The main difference between the indicative estimate and a comprehensive estimate is the ability to include smaller tree size and tributary sizes:
Parochial estimates would be that possibly up to 30% of trees are less than 2.5m in height and 5% of tributaries are less than 0.5m in width.
Asked by: Claire Hanna (Social Democratic & Labour Party - Belfast South)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether he has had recent discussions with foodbank operators on jobcentre referral slips.
Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Officials meet regularly with both the Trussell Trust and the Independent Food Aid Network. The meetings cover a broad range of topics, including signposting slips.
Asked by: Tim Farron (Liberal Democrat - Westmorland and Lonsdale)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he is taking steps to prevent banks from providing (a) financial and (b) investment support to business which derive income from industrial livestock companies with low animal welfare practices.
Answered by Bim Afolami - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
The UK has a world-leading record on animal welfare, and the government has introduced a range of measures to ensure animals receive the care, respect, and protection they deserve. This includes providing grants to farmers towards capital equipment that improves animal welfare and banning the export of live animals for fattening and slaughter. The government has recently announced its intention to consult on proposals to strengthen animal welfare labelling in the food sector.
We are also protecting animals abroad by banning the import of hunting trophies from endangered animals and the advertisement of unacceptable low-welfare animal practices abroad.
The decisions about what products are offered and to whom remain commercial decisions for banks and building societies.
Asked by: Charlotte Nichols (Labour - Warrington North)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will hold discussions with food bank providers on the potential merits of publishing data on the number of people who used a foodbank on at least one occasion in every month of (a) 2022 and (b) 2023.
Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
This government takes the issue of food security very seriously and is committed to understanding and addressing food poverty which is why we published official estimates of foodbank use for the first time in March 2023.
The next release of the Households Below Average Income statistics, covering the year 2022/23, is due in March 2024. This will include updated national statistics on both food security and food bank use.