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1727284

	registered interest
	date	04/09/2024
	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 Companies
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether it is his policy that water companies in breach of their operating licence are able to continue to operate with no material sanction.
	tabling member constituency	Witney
	tabling member printed	Charlie Maynard
	uin	4320
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/09/2024 answer text <p>Ofwat, as the independent economic regulator, carries out its work in the manner it considers best meets its duties, including its duty to secure that water companies properly carry out their functions.</p><p> </p><p>Where companies have failed to meet statutory or licence obligations, Ofwat is responsible for enforcing. Ofwat have the power to take action through an enforcement order or financial penalty (up to 10% of a company’s relevant annual turnover).</p><p> </p><p>The ultimate enforcement tool is an application for special administration. The Secretary of State, or Ofwat with the consent of the Secretary of State can apply to the High Court for a special administration order. The High Court can only make a special administration order in certain circumstances, including where it is satisfied that:</p><ul><li>There has been or is likely to be a contravention of a principal duty (i.e. The general duties under sections 37 and 94 of the Water Industry Act 1991) or</li><li>an enforcement order where, in either case, it is serious enough to make it inappropriate for the company to continue to hold its appointment or licence; or</li><li>the company is or is likely to be unable to pay its debts.</li></ul> answering member constituency Kingston upon Hull West and Haltemprice answering member printed Emma Hardy grouped question UIN 4333 question first answered 13/09/2024 10:47:58 answering member 4645 label Biography information for Emma Hardy
	tabling member	5325

1727285

	registered interest
	date	04/09/2024
	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	Thames Water
	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 he will take steps with Ofwat to place Thames Water in special administration.
	tabling member constituency	Witney
	tabling member printed	Charlie Maynard
	uin	4321
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/09/2024 answer text <p>The Government and Ofwat – the financial regulator for the water sector – are carefully monitoring the situation, and Ofwat continues to engage with Thames Water.</p><p> </p><p>The company remains stable, and it would be inappropriate to comment in detail on hypotheticals – however it is important to provide reassurance that the Government is prepared for all scenarios across all our regulated industries – as any government should be.</p> answering member constituency Kingston upon Hull West and Haltemprice answering member printed Emma Hardy grouped question UIN 4332 question first answered 13/09/2024 10:50:01 answering member 4645 label Biography information for Emma Hardy
	tabling member	5325

1723762

	registered interest
	date	26/07/2024
	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	Thames Water: Insolvency
	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 he will appoint a special administrator for Thames Water; and if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of the decision by Moody's to downgrade Thames Water's credit rating to junk status on its licence obligations.
	tabling member constituency	Witney
	tabling member printed	Charlie Maynard
	uin	2024
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/08/2024 answer text <p>The company remains stable and we are closely monitoring the situation.</p><p> </p><p>It would be irresponsible to comment on hypotheticals.</p> answering member constituency Kingston upon Hull West and Haltemprice answering member printed Emma Hardy question first answered 05/08/2024 15:41:25 answering member 4645 label Biography information for Emma Hardy
	tabling member	5325

1674618

	registered interest
	date	01/12/2023
	answering body	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
	answering dept id	208
	answering dept short name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
	answering dept sort name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
	hansard heading	Gaza: Israel
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what recent discussions he has had with his Israeli counterparts on reports on the presence of a tunnel beneath Al-Shifa Hospital.
	tabling member constituency	Witney
	tabling member printed	Robert Courts
	uin	4863
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/12/2023 answer text <p>The UK cannot comment on specific reports. However, it is clear that Hamas has put Palestinians at grave risk by embedding themselves in the civilian population and using civilians as human shields. The Foreign Secretary visited Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories on 23 November, where he met President Isaac Herzog, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Foreign Minister Eli Cohen and other senior Israeli interlocutors to discuss the conflict. We are also clear that, in pursuing its legitimate right to self-defence against Hamas, Israel's military actions in Gaza must be carried out in accordance with International Humanitarian Law and Israel must take all possible measures to protect civilians.</p> answering member constituency Macclesfield answering member printed David Rutley question first answered 06/12/2023 14:52:15 answering member 4033 label Biography information for David Rutley
	tabling member	4589 label Biography information for Robert Courts

1661367

	registered interest
	date	18/09/2023
	answering body	Department for Transport
	answering dept id	27
	answering dept short name	Transport
	answering dept sort name	Transport
	hansard heading	Aviation: Nature Conservation
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the Habitats Directive on airfield planning applications.
	tabling member constituency	Witney
	tabling member printed	Robert Courts
	uin	200084
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/10/2023 answer text <p><strong> </strong></p><p>The Government is supportive of airport growth where it can be delivered within its environmental obligations.</p><p> </p><p>Every development proposal should be judged by the relevant planning authority, taking careful account of all relevant considerations, including environmental impacts and proposed mitigations.</p><p> </p><p>Airport planning applications need to take into account the European Commission Habitats Directive where they could lead to significant impacts on areas of nature conservation, which could include a Habitat Regulations Assessment of the implications of the plans for that site.</p> answering member constituency Hereford and South Herefordshire answering member printed Jesse Norman question first answered 16/10/2023 16:35:12 answering member 3991 label Biography information for Jesse Norman
	tabling member	4589 label Biography information for Robert Courts

1645060

	registered interest
	date	15/06/2023
	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	Livestock: Disease 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, whether her Department has undertaken planning exercises in the last 10 years to test the UK's preparedness for managing a farm animal disease outbreak.
	tabling member constituency	Witney
	tabling member printed	Robert Courts
	uin	189874
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/06/2023 answer text <p>There have been four UK-wide exercises involving Defra, the Scottish Government, the Welsh Government, the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, and the Animal and Plant Health Agency including their operational partners and stakeholder organisations:</p><ul><li>Exercise Holly (July 2021) tested government’s response to an outbreak of African swine fever.</li><li>Exercise Blackthorn (November 2017 to July 2018) tested the response to a major outbreak of foot and mouth disease (FMD).</li><li>Exercise Willow (2016) examined the UK’s capacity to respond to a large cross-border outbreak of FMD.</li><li>Exercise Walnut (2013) tested the response to an outbreak of classical swine fever.</li></ul><p>We have also completed numerous operational, field and laboratory-based exercises to test and refine contingency plans on a yearly cycle, and our response capability has been tested by real-world outbreaks such as the ongoing outbreak of avian influenza.</p> answering member constituency Sherwood answering member printed Mark Spencer question first answered 23/06/2023 15:47:25 answering member 4055 label Biography information for Sir Mark Spencer
	tabling member	4589 label Biography information for Robert Courts

1645061

	registered interest
	date	15/06/2023
	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	Animal and Plant Health Agency
	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 made of the adequacy of Animal Plant and Health Agency veterinary resources; and if she will make a statement.
	tabling member constituency	Witney
	tabling member printed	Robert Courts
	uin	189875
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/06/2023 answer text <p>APHA has approximately 430 veterinary posts and at the end of May 2023, 60 of these were vacant. Recruitment is underway and locum vets are being used while vacancies are being filled. Because of the nature of APHA work, veterinary resource needs can change rapidly. This was seen during last winter and the large avian influenza outbreak that required a prioritising resource allocation and the temporary expansion of the Agency’s workforce.</p><p> </p><p>APHA has contracts in place to enable it to bring in more veterinary resource from private veterinary practices at times of peak demand and this was heavily used during the outbreak.</p><p> </p><p>APHA also was also able to draw on veterinary resource from core Defra. There are other potential changes to APHA’s responsibilities which will require more veterinary resource. These changes are individually impact assessed to identify resource requirements. One such example is the new Border Operating Model where APHA is likely to need significant extra veterinary resource to check imported live animals. Defra provides APHA with additional funding to expand veterinary resource where needed.</p> answering member constituency Sherwood answering member printed Mark Spencer question first answered 23/06/2023 10:12:58 answering member 4055 label Biography information for Sir Mark Spencer
	tabling member	4589 label Biography information for Robert Courts

1645062

	registered interest
	date	15/06/2023
	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	Avian Influenza: Vaccination
	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 discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Business and Trade on developing an avian influenza vaccination trade strategy.
	tabling member constituency	Witney
	tabling member printed	Robert Courts
	uin	189876
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/06/2023 answer text <p>The Secretary of State has regular discussions with Cabinet colleagues on a wide range of issues, and Cabinet discussions are considered confidential.</p> answering member constituency Sherwood answering member printed Mark Spencer question first answered 23/06/2023 15:43:23 answering member 4055 label Biography information for Sir Mark Spencer
	tabling member	4589 label Biography information for Robert Courts

1645064

	registered interest
	date	15/06/2023
	answering body	Department for Business and Trade
	answering dept id	214
	answering dept short name	Business and Trade
	answering dept sort name	Business and Trade
	hansard heading	Exports: Notifiable Diseases
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether she has had recent discussions with the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on the potential impact of notifiable disease outbreaks on exports.
	tabling member constituency	Witney
	tabling member printed	Robert Courts
	uin	189877
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/06/2023 answer text <p>The Secretary of State for Business and Trade maintains regular dialogue with the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on a wide range of issues relating to agriculture and trade. The government will continue to prioritise trade facilitation in our FTAs to benefit UK exports.</p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Mid Worcestershire answering member printed Nigel Huddleston question first answered 23/06/2023 13:15:55 answering member 4407 label Biography information for Nigel Huddleston
	tabling member	4589 label Biography information for Robert Courts

1645071

	registered interest
	date	15/06/2023
	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	Animal and Plant Health Agency: Finance
	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 much funding she plans to allocate to the Animal and Plant Health Agency in each of the next five financial years.
	tabling member constituency	Witney
	tabling member printed	Robert Courts
	uin	189884
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/06/2023 answer text <p>The Animal and Plant Health Agency’s (APHA) Defra funding for financial year 2023-24 is £185.2 million RDEL (Resource Departmental Expenditure Limit) and £15.7 million CDEL (Capital Departmental Expenditure Limit). Indicative funding for 2024-25 has been set but is not yet confirmed and is expected to be agreed by January 2024. Future year funding beyond this is subject to the Government-wide spending review process which will determine the overall funding for Defra and APHA.</p> answering member constituency Sherwood answering member printed Mark Spencer question first answered 23/06/2023 10:05:22 answering member 4055 label Biography information for Sir Mark Spencer
	tabling member	4589 label Biography information for Robert Courts