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46519

registered interest
date	02/04/2014
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
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 staff at the Environment Agency are working on the regulation of fracking in England and Wales; and what reductions in the budget of the Environment Agency have affected people working on that regulation.
tabling member constituency	Garston and Halewood
tabling member printed	Maria Eagle
uin	194988
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/04/2014 answer text <p> </p><p>The Environment Agency has set up a team of ten national officers working full time to develop the regulatory regime for oil and gas activities. This work covers conventional and unconventional oil and gas activities.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>This team is supported by additional technical resource from elsewhere in the organisation. The workload fluctuates and these specialists are not solely dedicated to regulating and permitting unconventional activities. It is therefore not possible to give an exact answer, but the Agency estimates that approximately 40 further members of staff are currently involved in this work across England.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>UK Government policy is to ensure the shale industry is able to develop in a safe, sustainable and environmentally responsible way within a well-regulated environment. Regulating the industry will remain a priority for the Environment Agency. Funding for setting up the regulatory regime comes from Defra grant-in-aid. Work to regulate individual sites is financed through the charges the Environment Agency raises for environmental permits and licences, supported where necessary by the grant-in-aid.</p> answering member constituency North Cornwall answering member printed Dan Rogerson question first answered 11/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 1504 label Biography information for Dan Rogerson
tabling member	483 label Biography information for Maria Eagle

46520

registered interest
date	02/04/2014
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
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 of the Environment Agency's budget he proposes will be spent on its role as the regulator for fracking in England and Wales in (a) 2014-15, (b) 2015-16 and (c) 2016-17.
tabling member constituency	Garston and Halewood
tabling member printed	Maria Eagle
uin	194989
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/04/2014 answer text <p> </p><p>The Environment Agency does not record separately the regulatory costs of hydraulic fracturing in England. For 2014-15 the Environment Agency has allocated £2.6 million to its work on regulating onshore oil and gas. This is 0.39% of the Environment Agency's total revenue budget.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Budgets for 2015 -16 and 2016-17 have not yet been confirmed.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency North Cornwall answering member printed Dan Rogerson question first answered 08/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 1504 label Biography information for Dan Rogerson
tabling member	483 label Biography information for Maria Eagle

46521

registered interest
date	02/04/2014
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
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 expertise the Environment Agency has on (a) onshore oil and gas exploration, (b) fracking, (c) the disposal of waste products including fugitive emissions resulting from onshore oil and gas exploration and (d) safety management of oil and gas drilling including well casing.
tabling member constituency	Garston and Halewood
tabling member printed	Maria Eagle
uin	194990
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/04/2014 answer text <p> </p><p>The Environment Agency has been regulating the existing onshore oil and gas industry for many years and has extensive experience and expertise in this area.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The Environment Agency has been developing its approach to the regulation of the unconventional oil and gas sector for more than two years. It uses its extensive knowledge of regulating the existing onshore oil and gas industry, and environmental regulation more generally, to regulate this emerging industry. The Agency has undertaken a full assessment of the risks and learnt from experience in other countries.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The Environment Agency regulates the management of waste, including fugitive emissions, under the Mining Waste Directive. Operators must develop and submit a Waste Management Plan with their permit application. They must set out how they will minimise waste and dispose of it safely. Environment Agency staff have extensive experience of regulating waste management activities at other sites, including the active management of landfill gas.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The Health and Safety Executive regulates the health and safety risks to people from oil and gas drilling.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency North Cornwall answering member printed Dan Rogerson question first answered 08/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 1504 label Biography information for Dan Rogerson
tabling member	483 label Biography information for Maria Eagle

46523

registered interest
date	02/04/2014
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
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, which chemicals are authorised for use in the fracking process in the UK; what assessment he has made of the potential risk posed to humans and the natural environment from those chemicals before their authorisation; and if he will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	Garston and Halewood
tabling member printed	Maria Eagle
uin	194996
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/04/2014 answer text <p> </p><p>The Environment Agency will require full disclosure of chemicals used in hydraulic fracturing.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Operators will not be able to use chemicals for well stimulation unless the Agency considers them acceptable for use. The Environment Agency will assess the hazards presented by fracking fluid additives on a case-by-case basis.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Allowing the use of a chemical at one site does not automatically mean the Agency will allow it to be used elsewhere. This is because the environmental risks may be different, for example, due to local geological conditions.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency North Cornwall answering member printed Dan Rogerson question first answered 22/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 1504 label Biography information for Dan Rogerson
tabling member	483 label Biography information for Maria Eagle

46526

registered interest
date	02/04/2014
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
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 approval will be given for fracking sites on flood plains; and if he will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	Garston and Halewood
tabling member printed	Maria Eagle
uin	194994
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/04/2014 answer text <p> </p><p>For surface installations required for borehole construction and hydraulic fracturing, the Environment Agency is a statutory adviser in the planning process. Where appropriate, it will require flood risk assessments. It may object to developments if flood risk is unacceptable or require conditions on how the site is constructed and operated to mitigate flood risk, through flood consents.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency North Cornwall answering member printed Dan Rogerson grouped question UIN 194993 question first answered 08/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 1504 label Biography information for Dan Rogerson
tabling member	483 label Biography information for Maria Eagle

46528

registered interest
date	02/04/2014
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
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 he has made of the potential risks fracking pose to livestock; and if he will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	Garston and Halewood
tabling member printed	Maria Eagle
uin	194995
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/04/2014 answer text <p> </p><p>Our regulatory framework is robust and provides stringent environmental safeguards which will protect both humans and animals.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency North Cornwall answering member printed Dan Rogerson question first answered 08/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 1504 label Biography information for Dan Rogerson
tabling member	483 label Biography information for Maria Eagle

46529

registered interest
date	02/04/2014
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
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 inspectors the Environment Agency employs to carry out checks on fracking sites in England and Wales.
tabling member constituency	Garston and Halewood
tabling member printed	Maria Eagle
uin	194991
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/04/2014 answer text <p> </p><p>The Environment Agency has nine inspectors and two team leaders who have particular knowledge in onshore oil and gas production facilities in England. These inspectors form part of an Onshore Oil and Gas Sector Group. As and when hydraulic fracturing or other unconventional oil and gas extraction facilities become operational, the regulation of these sites will fall to this group. The membership of the group reflects the geographical distribution of the oil and gas extraction industry. If the industry expands, the size of the sector group will expand to reflect this.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Sites in Wales are regulated by Natural Resources Wales.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency North Cornwall answering member printed Dan Rogerson question first answered 08/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 1504 label Biography information for Dan Rogerson
tabling member	483 label Biography information for Maria Eagle

46530

registered interest
date	02/04/2014
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
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 notice the Environment Agency is required to give to companies ahead of inspections of fracking sites in England and Wales.
tabling member constituency	Garston and Halewood
tabling member printed	Maria Eagle
uin	194992
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/04/2014 answer text <p> </p><p>The Environment Agency does not need to give companies operating hydraulic fracturing sites in England any notice of inspections and can make unannounced visits.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Sites in Wales are regulated by Natural Resources Wales.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency North Cornwall answering member printed Dan Rogerson question first answered 08/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 1504 label Biography information for Dan Rogerson
tabling member	483 label Biography information for Maria Eagle

46531

registered interest
date	02/04/2014
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
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 (a) his Department and (b) the Environment Agency has made on the potential for flood risk at UK fracking sites; and if he will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	Garston and Halewood
tabling member printed	Maria Eagle
uin	194993
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/04/2014 answer text <p> </p><p>For surface installations required for borehole construction and hydraulic fracturing, the Environment Agency is a statutory adviser in the planning process. Where appropriate, it will require flood risk assessments. It may object to developments if flood risk is unacceptable or require conditions on how the site is constructed and operated to mitigate flood risk, through flood consents.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency North Cornwall answering member printed Dan Rogerson grouped question UIN 194994 question first answered 08/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 1504 label Biography information for Dan Rogerson
tabling member	483 label Biography information for Maria Eagle

46532

registered interest
date	02/04/2014
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
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 he has made of the potential effect on the marine environment of the exemption of biodegradable plastic bags and paper bags from his single-use plastic bag charging policy.
tabling member constituency	Garston and Halewood
tabling member printed	Maria Eagle
uin	194976
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/04/2014 answer text <p> </p><p>Plastic, mainly plastic bags and bottles, is estimated to account for more than 70% of the total number of marine debris in European seas. The charge will focus on plastic bags as this is a targeted, proportionate approach to the problem of carrier bag distribution and littering.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Paper bags make up less than 0.1% of carrier bags distributed in the UK by the seven major supermarket retailers. Overall, paper bags make up a very small proportion of total carrier bag numbers, the vast majority of which are single-use plastic bags.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Plastic carrier bags take the longest to degrade in the natural environment, therefore decomposition in the marine environment will be one of the considerations when setting a standard for a biodegradable plastic bag exempt from the charge.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency North Cornwall answering member printed Dan Rogerson question first answered 09/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 1504 label Biography information for Dan Rogerson
tabling member	483 label Biography information for Maria Eagle