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1181712

registered interest
date	02/03/2020
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	Trade Agreements: Carbon Emissions
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 to ensure that trade negotiations contribute to reducing the carbon footprint of food production.
tabling member constituency	Putney
tabling member printed	Fleur Anderson
uin	23412
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/03/2020 answer text <p>We believe that environmental sustainability should be at the heart of global production and trade, and are committed to upholding our environmental standards and supporting global decarbonisation. We are exploring all options in future trade agreements to ensure that future trade is sustainable.</p><p> </p><p>We are clear that trade doesn’t have to come at the expense of the environment and nothing in our trade deals will prevent us delivering our commitment to net zero by 2050.</p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow question first answered 05/03/2020 12:36:20 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
tabling member	4788 label Biography information for Fleur Anderson

1181921

registered interest
date	02/03/2020
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	Air Pollution: Greater London
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 has been allocated from the public purse to the Mayor of London in each of the last 10 years to improve air quality.
tabling member constituency	Chipping Barnet
tabling member printed	Theresa Villiers
uin	23617
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/03/2020 answer text <p>The Mayor of London is responsible for air quality in the capital and has reserve powers under Part IV of the Environment Act (1995) to reflect this. Under the Environment Act the Mayor may direct the boroughs in the Greater London area concerning how they should assess and prioritise action in their areas.</p><p> </p><p>London received funding for air quality as part of the 2015 £5.7 billion Transport for London funding settlement and has also received further funding for specific projects totalling almost £147 million.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow question first answered 05/03/2020 13:27:43 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
tabling member	1500 label Biography information for Theresa Villiers

1181926

registered interest
date	02/03/2020
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	Coal: Heating
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, for what reason the Government proposes to ban the burning of coal when its emissions levels are similar to that of burning dry wood.
tabling member constituency	North West Durham
tabling member printed	Mr Richard Holden
uin	23621
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/03/2020 answer text <p>As outlined in our written ministerial statement of 24 February 2020 the purpose of our policy is to reduce people’s exposure to the most harmful pollutant to human health (PM2.5). While defined by its size, fine particulate matter in smoke from domestic combustion contains a wide range of chemical compounds, depending on what is being burnt. In developing this policy we have taken into account the clear advice of the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer, which has stated that emissions from coal combustion is a known carcinogen to humans. There is also strong evidence that burning coal can release elements and compounds into the indoor environment that are particularly harmful to human health. Based on this evidence, the World Health Organization has strongly recommended against the residential use of coal for heating.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow question first answered 05/03/2020 12:38:58 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
tabling member	4813 label Biography information for Mr Richard Holden

1181927

registered interest
date	02/03/2020
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	Coal: Heating
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 remove coal from the proposed regulation of the sales, distribution and marketing of house coal and wet wood.
tabling member constituency	North West Durham
tabling member printed	Mr Richard Holden
uin	23622
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/03/2020 answer text <p>The Government is committed to protecting human health, and the environment from the impacts of air pollutants. Based on the advice from the World Health Organization that emissions from coal combustion is a known human carcinogen, and that it should not be used for residential heating, we intend to continue including bituminous (house) coal in the proposed regulation of the sales, distribution and marketing of bituminous (house) coal and wet wood.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow question first answered 05/03/2020 12:42:14 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
tabling member	4813 label Biography information for Mr Richard Holden

1181929

registered interest
date	02/03/2020
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	Coal: Heating
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 estimate he has made of the average change in costs per household of a switch from house coal to smokeless fuel in (a) Northumberland, (b) County Durham, (c) Yorkshire, (d) Cornwall and (e) Hampshire.
tabling member constituency	North West Durham
tabling member printed	Mr Richard Holden
uin	23650
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/03/2020 answer text <p>Defra commissioned analysis of heat output from a range of fuels to determine fuel efficiency and costs to consumers. The costs of fuels were investigated across six regions in England (North East, North West, Midlands, South East including East of England, and South West) which showed that manufactured solid fuels were, in general, cheaper when heat output was taken into consideration on an open fire.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow question first answered 05/03/2020 12:41:09 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
tabling member	4813 label Biography information for Mr Richard Holden

1181930

registered interest
date	02/03/2020
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	Fuels: Heating
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 PM2.5 emissions in grams per tonne are for (a) household coal, (b) wet wood, (c) kiln dried or seasoned wood and (d) oil for household use.
tabling member constituency	North West Durham
tabling member printed	Mr Richard Holden
uin	23652
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/03/2020 answer text <p>The data is provided as grams per kilogram (rather than grams per tonne) due to the scale of the data, for example for PM<sub>2.5</sub> emissions from coal, 8.7g/kg would become 8700g/tonne)</p><p> </p><p>The PM<sub>2.5</sub> emissions in grams per kilogram of fuel used are:</p><p> </p><p>(a) Household coal: 8.7g/kg</p><p> </p><p>(b) Wet Wood: 28g/kg</p><p> </p><p>(c) Dry wood: 7.2g/kg</p><p>(d) Oil for households (referred to as 'burning oil’ in the National Atmospheric Emissions Inventory): 0.083g/kg</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow question first answered 05/03/2020 12:29:19 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
tabling member	4813 label Biography information for Mr Richard Holden

1181931

registered interest
date	02/03/2020
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	Solid Fuels: Heating
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 estimate his Department has made of the amount of carbon dioxide emissions in grams per tonne of (a) coal, (b) wet wood, (c) kiln dried or seasoned wood and (d) oil for household use burned at home.
tabling member constituency	North West Durham
tabling member printed	Mr Richard Holden
uin	23651
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/03/2020 answer text <p>The data is provided as grams per kilogram (rather than grams per tonne) due to the scale of the data. It should be noted that harvested wood for bioenergy is considered to be carbon neutral, with the carbon dioxide (CO<sub>2</sub>) absorbed as young trees grow compensating for that released by burning.</p><p> </p><p>The CO<sub>2</sub> emissions in grams per kilogram of fuel used are:</p><p> </p><p>(a) Household coal: 683g/kg</p><p> </p><p>(b) Wet Wood: 0g/kg</p><p> </p><p>(c) Dry wood: 0g/kg</p><p> </p><p>(d) Oil for households (referred to as 'burning oil’ in the National Atmospheric Emissions Inventory): 859g/kg</p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow question first answered 05/03/2020 12:37:46 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
tabling member	4813 label Biography information for Mr Richard Holden

1181946

registered interest
date	02/03/2020
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	Bovine Tuberculosis: 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, when his Department plans to roll out the use of the actiphage test for bovine TB in cattle.
tabling member constituency	Ceredigion
tabling member printed	Ben Lake
uin	23667
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/03/2020 answer text <p>The tuberculin skin test continues to be the foundation of our bovine TB eradication programme, supplemented by the interferon-gamma blood test to remove residual infection in affected herds.</p><p> </p><p>Actiphage is a non-validated test. Defra allows the use of non-validated tests in chronic and persistent TB breakdown herds in England under certain conditions. Private veterinarians are able to apply to APHA for permission to use these tests, provided they comply with the protocol published on the APHA Vet Gateway - <a href="http://apha.defra.gov.uk/vet-gateway/non-valid-tb-testing/index.htm" target="_blank">http://apha.defra.gov.uk/vet-gateway/non-valid-tb-testing/index.htm</a>.</p><p> </p><p>There is currently insufficient information on the diagnostic performance of the Actiphage test. In order for it to be validated, further studies with larger sample sizes taken from a range of cattle herds of different TB status would be required to assess its diagnostic accuracy.</p><p> </p><p>Validation of a new test to international (World Animal Health Organisation - OIE) standards would enable consideration to be given to its statutory use as part of the Government’s bTB testing programme.</p><p> </p><p>A factsheet on the Actiphage test is available on the TB hub website:</p><p><a href="https://tbhub.co.uk/resources/downloads/" target="_blank">https://tbhub.co.uk/resources/downloads/</a></p><p> </p> answering member constituency Banbury answering member printed Victoria Prentis question first answered 05/03/2020 14:28:42 answering member 4401 label Biography information for Victoria Prentis
tabling member	4630 label Biography information for Ben Lake

1181955

registered interest
date	02/03/2020
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	Flood Control: South Yorkshire
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 merits of using river and canal dredging to tackle the flooding in South Yorkshire.
tabling member constituency	Barnsley Central
tabling member printed	Dan Jarvis
uin	23628
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/03/2020 answer text <p>The Government’s flood risk management work focuses on where it delivers the greatest benefit to people and property. Dredging and other work to improve the river channel’s ability to carry increased flow (conveyance) often forms an important part of the Environment Agency’s (EA’s) maintenance regime. However the effectiveness of dredging in managing flood risk varies substantially for each stretch of river, depending on local conditions, and can actually make flooding worse if flows are quickened to towns and villages downstream. The EA assesses its value on a location-by-location basis, in consultation with local communities and organisations such as Internal Drainage Boards (IDBs) where appropriate.</p><p> </p><p>The merits of dredging to tackle flooding in South Yorkshire are limited. The surrounding land and bed of the lower reaches of the river Don are flat with a very low gradient, meaning water drains slowly, and they are at or below sea level, which further slows drainage. If riverbeds were dredged lower than sea level, they would simply fill with water and would not reduce flood levels.</p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow question first answered 05/03/2020 12:31:09 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
tabling member	4243 label Biography information for Dan Jarvis

1181511

registered interest
date	28/02/2020
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	Sites of Special Scientific Interest
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 effect of designating a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) on local landowners; and what support he provides to landowners affected by lower property values as a result of the designation of an SSSI.
tabling member constituency	St Ives
tabling member printed	Derek Thomas
uin	22422
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/03/2020 answer text <p>A Natural England commissioned report of March 2011 examined the impact that Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) status has on land values in England. The report concluded that impacts are variable, with valuers reporting positive, negligible and negative impacts depending on the context and land use of individual cases. A copy of the report has been placed in the Library.</p><p> </p><p>Notification of SSSIs falls to Natural England. It must notify all owners and occupiers where it considers an area to be of special interest. This will usually follow informal discussion with the owners and occupiers of the land, including discussion about management.</p><p> </p><p>Consensus between regulators, land managers, users and other stakeholders is generally required in order to deliver positive conservation outcomes for SSSIs. Agri-environment schemes like Countryside Stewardship provide the principal funding mechanism to help land managers meet the cost of positive management to restore SSSIs to, or maintain them in, favourable condition.</p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow question first answered 04/03/2020 12:15:35 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
tabling member	4532 label Biography information for Derek Thomas