Show Search Form

Search Results

registered interest	true false
date	exactly: or between: and
answering body
answering dept id
answering dept short name
answering dept sort name
hansard heading
house id
legislature	pref label
question text
tabling member constituency
tabling member printed
uin
answer	is ministerial correction true false date of answer exactly: or between: and answer text answering member constituency answering member printed grouped question UIN question first answered answering member label
tabling member	label

Search

458481

registered interest
date	08/03/2016
answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept id	13
answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
hansard heading	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Disclosure of Information
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will extend her Department's OpenDefra initiative to the Rural Payments Agency and Land Registry.
tabling member constituency	Stockton North
tabling member printed	Alex Cunningham
uin	30216
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/03/2016 answer text <p>The OpenDefra initiative extends to the whole of Defra including the Rural Payments Agency. The initiative does not extend to the Land Registry.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>The Rural Land Register, the Land Management System that has replaced it, or other systems maintained by the Rural Payments Agency (RPA), do not look to establish land ownership. The RPA is required to maintain information on land use, in England because land use, and the entitlement to use it, is one of the determining factors in relation to eligibility to claim funds that RPA validates.</p><p> </p><p>We are currently reviewing, the Data Protection Act, confidentiality of information held and intellectual property rights to determine whether information on land use can be released under the open data initiative.</p> answering member constituency Camborne and Redruth answering member printed George Eustice grouped question UIN 30217 question first answered 10/03/2016 15:06:01 answering member 3934 label Biography information for George Eustice
tabling member	4122 label Biography information for Alex Cunningham

458482

registered interest
date	08/03/2016
answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept id	13
answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
hansard heading	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Disclosure of Information
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make maps of UK land ownership available as open data as part of her Department's OpenDefra initiative.
tabling member constituency	Stockton North
tabling member printed	Alex Cunningham
uin	30217
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/03/2016 answer text <p>The OpenDefra initiative extends to the whole of Defra including the Rural Payments Agency. The initiative does not extend to the Land Registry.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>The Rural Land Register, the Land Management System that has replaced it, or other systems maintained by the Rural Payments Agency (RPA), do not look to establish land ownership. The RPA is required to maintain information on land use, in England because land use, and the entitlement to use it, is one of the determining factors in relation to eligibility to claim funds that RPA validates.</p><p> </p><p>We are currently reviewing, the Data Protection Act, confidentiality of information held and intellectual property rights to determine whether information on land use can be released under the open data initiative.</p> answering member constituency Camborne and Redruth answering member printed George Eustice grouped question UIN 30216 question first answered 10/03/2016 15:06:01 answering member 3934 label Biography information for George Eustice
tabling member	4122 label Biography information for Alex Cunningham

458079

registered interest
date	07/03/2016
answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept id	13
answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
hansard heading	Food: Waste
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will bring forward proposals to require supermarkets to donate unsold food to charities.
tabling member constituency	Leeds North West
tabling member printed	Greg Mulholland
uin	29941
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/03/2016 answer text <p>The Government welcomes the redistribution of good quality surplus food to charities that can make sure it goes to people rather than going to waste.</p><p>Based on our experience, a simple law would not fix the barriers to redistribution. We need to look at the bigger picture. The retail sector is responsible for 210,000 tonnes of the total 4.1m tonnes of food waste in the food and drink supply chain, so we need the whole chain to work together.</p><p>Instead, we favour a voluntary approach. Signatories to the voluntary Courtauld Commitment with industry have reported a 74% increase between 2012 and end 2014, and we expect it to increase further.</p><p>We expect the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) to launch a new agreement, Courtauld 2025, later this month. The new agreement will take a whole food supply chain approach, and will build on the progress we have already made.</p> answering member constituency Penrith and The Border answering member printed Rory Stewart question first answered 10/03/2016 11:18:23 answering member 4137 label Biography information for Rory Stewart
tabling member	1540 label Biography information for Greg Mulholland

458080

registered interest
date	07/03/2016
answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept id	13
answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
hansard heading	Pollution Control
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to her Department's Single departmental plan: 2015 to 2020, published in February 2016, what changes are expected in exposure to (a) nitrogen dioxide and (b) PM2.5 by 2017.
tabling member constituency	Bristol East
tabling member printed	Kerry McCarthy
uin	29919
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/03/2016 answer text <p>In December last year Defra published new plans setting out how the UK Government intends to improve air quality and meet the requirements of the ambient air quality Directive for nitrogen dioxide (NO2) in the shortest possible time. Our ambition, as set out in the plans, is for the UK to have some of the very best air quality in the world. Improving air quality in our towns and cities will reduce exposure for a large number of people and have a positive impact in reducing adverse health effects.</p><p> </p><p>For all UK zones we assess compliance annually for a range of pollutants covered by European air quality directives, including PM2.5 and nitrogen dioxide. All limit values, other than those for NO2, are currently met. The results are published in the annual <em>Air Pollution in the UK </em>compliance reports, which are made available on the UK-Air website: <a href="http://uk-air.defra.gov.uk/library/annualreport/" target="_blank">http://uk-air.defra.gov.uk/library/annualreport/</a></p> answering member constituency Penrith and The Border answering member printed Rory Stewart question first answered 10/03/2016 10:37:36 answering member 4137 label Biography information for Rory Stewart
tabling member	1491 label Biography information for Kerry McCarthy

458081

registered interest
date	07/03/2016
answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept id	13
answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
hansard heading	Nature Conservation
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what proportion of protected sites on land in England are in (a) favourable and (b) unfavourable but recovering condition; and what progress is being made on restoring sites in unfavourable condition.
tabling member constituency	Bristol East
tabling member printed	Kerry McCarthy
uin	29920
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/03/2016 answer text <p>Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs) are the country's very best wildlife and geological sites. There are over 4,000 SSSIs in England covering around 8% of the country's land area. Information on the proportion of SSSI land in England that is in (a) favourable and (b) unfavourable but recovering condition is available through Gov.UK: <a href="http://www.gov.uk/guidance/protected-areas-sites-of-special-scientific-interest" target="_blank">www.gov.uk/guidance/protected-areas-sites-of-special-scientific-interest</a></p><p> </p><p>During the current financial year the proportion of land in favourable condition has increased from 37.6% to 38.5% (as at 8 March) with a further 57% in unfavourable but recovering condition. This is due to successful conservation management by farmers, foresters and other land managers with support principally through agri-environment schemes.</p> answering member constituency Penrith and The Border answering member printed Rory Stewart question first answered 10/03/2016 10:41:45 answering member 4137 label Biography information for Rory Stewart
tabling member	1491 label Biography information for Kerry McCarthy

458082

registered interest
date	07/03/2016
answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept id	13
answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
hansard heading	Agriculture: Apprentices
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many apprenticeship starts in the food and farming sector her Department estimates there will be in each of the next five academic years.
tabling member constituency	Bristol East
tabling member printed	Kerry McCarthy
uin	29921
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/03/2016 answer text <p>We aim to treble the number of apprenticeships started annually in food and farming from about 6,000 now to 18,000 by 2020. Defra will work closely with the Apprenticeship Delivery Board and the National Apprenticeship Service to support employers in the sector to engage successfully with apprenticeships. The introduction of the apprenticeship levy in 2017 is expected to provide an opportunity for growth in apprenticeships.</p> answering member constituency Camborne and Redruth answering member printed George Eustice question first answered 10/03/2016 13:13:14 answering member 3934 label Biography information for George Eustice
tabling member	1491 label Biography information for Kerry McCarthy

458083

registered interest
date	07/03/2016
answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept id	13
answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
hansard heading	Water: Pollution Control
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to her Department's Single departmental plan: 2015 to 2020, published in February 2016, what targets she has set for the number of kilometres of fresh water to be enhanced in each year to 2020; and how her Department plans to achieve those targets.
tabling member constituency	Bristol East
tabling member printed	Kerry McCarthy
uin	29922
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/03/2016 answer text <p>River Basin Management Plans provide the framework for protecting and improving the water environment. Updated Plans covering the period 2016 to 2021 were published by the Environment Agency (EA) on 18 February. They complement Defra’s 25 Year Environment Plan by promoting integrated catchment management of water and local decision-making, as well as contributing to flood resilience.</p><p> </p><p>The Plans for England confirm over £3 billion investment in the water environment by 2021 leading to improvements in at least 680 water bodies by 2021, including an overall target to enhance at least 8,000km of fresh waters by 2021. The EA is currently working with Defra to profile the delivery of this target over the six years that the River Basin Management Plan covers, and are also working with partners to explore opportunities to deliver more.</p><p> </p><p>The EA coordinates action by water companies, farmers, local groups, businesses and councils to achieve the targets set out in the Plans. These actions include reducing pollution from sewage treatment works, managing water abstraction, opening up rivers to salmon and other fish species, and improvements to the physical habitat.</p> answering member constituency Penrith and The Border answering member printed Rory Stewart question first answered 10/03/2016 10:55:21 answering member 4137 label Biography information for Rory Stewart
tabling member	1491 label Biography information for Kerry McCarthy

458210

registered interest
date	07/03/2016
answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept id	13
answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
hansard heading	Agriculture: Subsidies
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the reasons are for late payments being made under the Basic Payment Scheme by the Rural Payments Agency; and how many farmers have received late payments to date.
tabling member constituency	Mid Sussex
tabling member printed	Sir Nicholas Soames
uin	30136
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/03/2016 answer text <p>The payment window for the 2015 Basic Payment Scheme runs from 1 December 2015 to 30 June 2016. While in recent years, the RPA has been able to make a higher proportion of payments earlier in the payment window, the new CAP is very complex and has created new administrative burdens for the RPA.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>As of 2 March 2016 some 71,700 claimants, representing over 82% of all eligible claims, have received their payments, bringing the total paid to date for the 2015 scheme to £1.13 billion.</p> answering member constituency Camborne and Redruth answering member printed George Eustice question first answered 10/03/2016 13:27:22 answering member 3934 label Biography information for George Eustice
tabling member	116 label Biography information for Lord Soames of Fletching

458212

registered interest
date	07/03/2016
answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept id	13
answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
hansard heading	Floods
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the (a) effectiveness of Flood Re and (b) whether her Department's long-term strategy fund for flood defences has been distributed fairly.
tabling member constituency	Brigg and Goole
tabling member printed	Andrew Percy
uin	30062
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/03/2016 answer text <p>Flood Re began its operational testing phase in July 2015. The Flood Re Board expect to be ready to accept policies from April 2016, once it is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority. Once operational, Flood Re will be accountable directly to Parliament and be reviewed at least every five years.</p><p> </p><p>The allocation of Government Grant in Aid for projects in the long term capital programme uses Defra’s Partnership Funding approach which ensures a fair allocation for projects throughout the country. Funding is potentially available for any project where the benefits of the scheme are greater than the cost and are allocated based on outcomes (economic damages avoided and number of households protected), rather than a percentage of the costs. This approach secures value for money for the taxpayer, ensures that a fair share is available for all projects over time and that flood management is not limited to what central Government alone can afford.</p> answering member constituency Penrith and The Border answering member printed Rory Stewart question first answered 10/03/2016 11:54:51 answering member 4137 label Biography information for Rory Stewart
tabling member	3939 label Biography information for Andrew Percy

458215

registered interest
date	07/03/2016
answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept id	13
answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
hansard heading	Floods: Building Regulations
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will discuss with the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government the possibility of changing building regulations in flood-prone areas to enable buildings to be constructed in such a way as to mitigate some of the effects of flooding.
tabling member constituency	Brigg and Goole
tabling member printed	Andrew Percy
uin	30059
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/03/2016 answer text <p>The current building regulations already enable the incorporation of flood resilience measures into building work. Under building regulations Approved Document C (site preparation and resistance to contaminants and moisture) the use of flood resilience measures, such as adequate sub-soil drainage, sewer non-return valves, anti-flooding devices and water resistant construction material is encouraged. We continue to promote better resilience and remain very open to hearing of any innovations in this field.</p> answering member constituency Penrith and The Border answering member printed Rory Stewart question first answered 10/03/2016 12:06:35 answering member 4137 label Biography information for Rory Stewart
tabling member	3939 label Biography information for Andrew Percy