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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

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

1181228

registered interest
date	27/02/2020
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	Angling
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 publish the outcome of the survey conducted in 2016 by his Department and the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science on the effect on the economy of recreational angling.
tabling member constituency	North Cornwall
tabling member printed	Scott Mann
uin	22008
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/03/2020 answer text <p>The Sea Angling Diary survey (<a href="http://www.seaangling.org/" target="_blank">www.seaangling.org</a>) is carried out annually, it is analysed by Cefas (<a href="http://www.cefas.co.uk/" target="_blank">www.cefas.co.uk</a>), and combined with information from the National Water Sports Participation Survey. It is used to understand the level of participation, catches and economic impact of sea anglers resident in the UK. The findings for 2016 and 2017 have just been finalised and will be published in Spring this year.</p> answering member constituency Banbury answering member printed Victoria Prentis question first answered 03/03/2020 16:23:39 answering member 4401 label Biography information for Victoria Prentis
tabling member	4496 label Biography information for Scott Mann

1181266

registered interest
date	27/02/2020
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	Forests: Commodities
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 introducing a legal target to end deforestation by (a) 2025 and (b) 2020 within supply chains for commodities included in the 2015 Amsterdam declaration on deforestation; and if he will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	Cynon Valley
tabling member printed	Beth Winter
uin	22058
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/03/2020 answer text <p>Defra has examined the possibility of setting a target aimed at ending deforestation in the UK’s commodity supply chains. Setting a target in law, whether it is aimed at ending imported deforestation in 2020 or in 2025, requires reliable metrics and an established baseline, as well as a robust understanding of any potential perverse incentives that it could create to ensure that impacts are not simply displaced, for example on to other ecosystems. We are working to develop an evidence base to inform the development of a potential future global footprint target.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow question first answered 03/03/2020 15:52:44 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
tabling member	4809 label Biography information for Beth Winter

1181307

registered interest
date	27/02/2020
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	Tree Planting
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 recent assessment he has made of the Government's progress in increasing tree coverage in the UK.
tabling member constituency	Hornsey and Wood Green
tabling member printed	Catherine West
uin	22017
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/03/2020 answer text <p>The Forestry Commission produces statistics on new planting of woodland by area in the UK. These are Official Statistics produced to meet the standards of the Code of Practice for Statistics.</p><p> </p><p>Woodland area statistics can be found on the Forest Research website together with background information at: www.forestresearch.gov.uk/tools-and-resources/statistics/forestry-statistics.</p><p> </p><p>The area of new planting (woodland creation) for the UK in each of the last five years, taken from the published statistics, which are reported in hectares, is shown below. The total area of woodland in the UK was 3,187 thousand hectares in 2019, covering 13.1% of the land area.</p><p> </p><p>New planting of woodland (thousands of hectares)</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p><strong>Year </strong> <strong>(ending 31 March)</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>New planting</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2014-15</p></td><td><p>10.30</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2015-16</p></td><td><p>5.65</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2016-17</p></td><td><p>6.51</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2017-18</p></td><td><p>9.09</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2018-19</p></td><td><p>13.40</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p>Source: Forestry Commission, Forestry England, Scottish Forestry, Forestry and Land Scotland, Natural Resources Wales, Forest Service grant schemes.</p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow question first answered 03/03/2020 15:56:01 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
tabling member	4523 label Biography information for Catherine West

1181308

registered interest
date	27/02/2020
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	Carbon Capture and Storage
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 steps his Department is taking to ensure that carbon sinks in the UK are not destroyed.
tabling member constituency	Hornsey and Wood Green
tabling member printed	Catherine West
uin	22018
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/03/2020 answer text <p>To reach net zero we must protect and enhance the capacity of our natural environment to capture carbon. Our manifesto committed to invest in nature-based solutions to climate change through a Nature for Climate Fund, to increase tree planting, peatland restoration and nature recovery.</p><p> </p><p>The UK’s trees and woodlands currently capture 4% of our annual greenhouse gas emissions. We must protect the trees we already have, and plant more so that they can capture more carbon. That is why we committed to increase tree planting across the UK to 30,000 hectares of trees per year by 2025. Forestry regulations also ensure that when trees are felled, for example for timber, they should be replanted and the land restocked.</p><p> </p><p>Our peatlands are a natural carbon sink, but they have been drained and degraded, releasing emissions. We have therefore allocated £10 million to restore approximately 6,500 hectares of degraded peatland, reducing emissions, and will fund further restoration in this Parliament.</p><p> </p><p>Coastal wetland habitats such as saltmarsh and seagrass provide carbon sinks. In the UK, these habitats are protected in some Marine Protected Areas and we are looking at whether their protection could be expanded further. There are also wider measures under the 25 Year Environment Plan to secure clean, healthy, productive and biologically diverse seas.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow question first answered 03/03/2020 16:01:54 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
tabling member	4523 label Biography information for Catherine West

1180730

registered interest
date	26/02/2020
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	Food: Production
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 his timetable is for publishing a new geographical indications scheme for food producers.
tabling member constituency	Rutland and Melton
tabling member printed	Alicia Kearns
uin	21284
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/03/2020 answer text <p>The UK Government’s new geographical indications (GI) schemes will enter into force at the end of the transition period at 11pm on 31 December 2020. The schemes will welcome applications from applicants from then. They will provide automatic protection for all existing UK GIs (and any new UK GIs registered in the EU on or prior to 31 December 2020).</p><p> </p><p>The new domestic logos (and detailed guidance on usage requirements and best practice) will be made available to GI producers and retailers prior to the end of the transition period. Use of the EU logos will no longer be required on products from 1 January 2021. Producers will still be able to use the EU GI logos on products (both when on sale in the UK and the EU) should they wish to do so.</p><p> </p><p>Detailed guidance on the UK Government’s new GI schemes will be made available to GI producers and retailers prior to the end of the transition period. Until 31 December 2020, EU rules on GIs will continue to apply in the UK.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Banbury answering member printed Victoria Prentis question first answered 02/03/2020 11:36:22 answering member 4401 label Biography information for Victoria Prentis
tabling member	4805 label Biography information for Alicia Kearns

1180756

registered interest
date	26/02/2020
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	Fish Farming: Whitstable
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 the Marine Management Organisation plans to publish the navigational risk assessment that it conducted on 22 January 2020 in relation to oyster farm activity in the Whitstable area.
tabling member constituency	Canterbury
tabling member printed	Rosie Duffield
uin	21293
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/03/2020 answer text <p>The latest navigational risk assessment relating to oyster farm activity in the Whitstable area is currently being reviewed by the Marine Management Organisation (MMO). The MMO do not routinely publish these reports and will consider publication in this instance once this review has been completed, and any necessary action as result of the findings of the report has been appropriately considered.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Banbury answering member printed Victoria Prentis question first answered 02/03/2020 15:56:51 answering member 4401 label Biography information for Victoria Prentis
tabling member	4616 label Biography information for Rosie Duffield

1180762

registered interest
date	26/02/2020
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	Environment Agency: Staff
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 have been employed by the Environment Agency in each year since 2009.
tabling member constituency	Barnsley East
tabling member printed	Stephanie Peacock
uin	21298
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/03/2020 answer text <p>The below table shows the number of full-time equivalents (FTEs) in England only from 2009:</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p> </p></td><td colspan="2"><p>a) Directly</p></td><td colspan="2"><p>b) Contracted Basis</p></td><td><p> </p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>Year</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Perm Employees</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Fixed Term Contract Employees</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Employment Agency Staff</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Contractors</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Total</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>09/10</p></td><td><p>10,918</p></td><td><p>359</p></td><td><p>429</p></td><td><p>452</p></td><td><p>12,158</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>10/11</p></td><td><p>10,063</p></td><td><p>105</p></td><td><p>209</p></td><td><p>135</p></td><td><p>10,512</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>11/12</p></td><td><p>9,816</p></td><td><p>158</p></td><td><p>516</p></td><td><p>139</p></td><td><p>10,628</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>12/13</p></td><td><p>10,345</p></td><td><p>310</p></td><td><p>487</p></td><td><p>216</p></td><td><p>11,358</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>13/14</p></td><td><p>10,068</p></td><td><p>207</p></td><td><p>218</p></td><td><p>114</p></td><td><p>10,608</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>14/15</p></td><td><p>9,624</p></td><td><p>113</p></td><td><p>343</p></td><td><p>154</p></td><td><p>10,235</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>15/16</p></td><td><p>9,556</p></td><td><p>117</p></td><td><p>275</p></td><td><p>391</p></td><td><p>10,340</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>16/17</p></td><td><p>9,839</p></td><td><p>264</p></td><td><p>185</p></td><td><p>607</p></td><td><p>10,896</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>17/18</p></td><td><p>9,174</p></td><td><p>316</p></td><td><p>233</p></td><td><p>283</p></td><td><p>10,006</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>18/19</p></td><td><p>9,577</p></td><td><p>296</p></td><td><p>297</p></td><td><p>260</p></td><td><p>10,429</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>January 2020</p></td><td><p>9,918</p></td><td><p>359</p></td><td><p>219</p></td><td><p>256</p></td><td><p>10,752</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p>The changes in the number of staff who work at the Environment Agency represent the Spending Review settlements and income received from charge payers. The response uses England only figures as pre 2013 the Environment Agency was made up of England and Wales. Following 2013 it is England only. In addition, 896 Full Time Equivalents transferred to Defra Corporate Services under a Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) (TUPE) arrangement in November 2017.</p> answering member constituency Banbury answering member printed Victoria Prentis question first answered 02/03/2020 09:37:38 answering member 4401 label Biography information for Victoria Prentis
tabling member	4607 label Biography information for Stephanie Peacock