<\/p>
We recognise there are concerns about the potential risks posed by helium balloons. In 2013, jointly with the Welsh Government, we commissioned an independent study to identify and assess the impacts and risks to livestock and the environment associated with sky lanterns and helium balloons.<\/p>
<\/p>
<\/p>
<\/p>
Evidence from the report concluded that risk to the environment from helium balloons is small or highly localised.<\/p>
<\/p>
<\/p>
<\/p>
The report is available at:<\/p>
<\/p>
http://randd.defra.gov.uk/Default.aspx?Menu=Menu&Module=More&Location=None&Completed=2&ProjectID=18402<\/a><\/p> <\/p> <\/p> <\/p> Any future action Government may take will need to be proportionate to the problem and backed by reliable evidence.<\/p> <\/p> <\/p> <\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1504", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Dan Rogerson"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "North Cornwall"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Dan Rogerson"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2014-06-17", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2014-06-17T09:29:17.6022512Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "13"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Environment, Food and Rural Affairs"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Environment, Food and Rural Affairs"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2014-06-12", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Helium Balloons"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent steps he has taken to reduce risks to the environment posed by the release of helium balloons.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1431", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Annette Brooke"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Mid Dorset and North Poole"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Annette Brooke"}
], "uin" : "200367"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/61696", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/61696/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " <\/p> There were many proposals competing for the limited space within the Fourth Session programme and the proposed forestry measures could not be accommodated.<\/p> <\/p> <\/p> <\/p> The Government stands by its commitment to establish a new public body to hold the Public Forest Estate in trust for the nation, as set out in its Forestry and Woodlands Policy Statement of January 2013, as soon as Parliamentary time allows.<\/p> <\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1504", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Dan Rogerson"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "North Cornwall"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Dan Rogerson"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2014-06-17", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2014-06-17T09:33:44.6194254Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "13"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Environment, Food and Rural Affairs"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Environment, Food and Rural Affairs"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2014-06-12", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Forests"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the Answer of 10 April 2014, Official Report, column 394W, on forests, for what reasons the Government did not announce in the Queen's Speech legislative proposals to protect the public forest estate.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1491", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Kerry McCarthy"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Bristol East"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Kerry McCarthy"}
], "uin" : "200611"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/61450", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/61450/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " <\/p> The assessment of the impact the scope of the Flood Re Scheme will have was done at a UK level. There was no specific assessment for individual constituencies or regions.<\/p> <\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1504", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Dan Rogerson"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "North Cornwall"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Dan Rogerson"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2014-06-17", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2014-06-17T11:03:41.5247104Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "13"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Environment, Food and Rural Affairs"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Environment, Food and Rural Affairs"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2014-06-11", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Floods: South East"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate he has made of how many properties at risk of flooding in (a) Windsor constituency and (b) the Thames Valley that will not be covered by the new Flood Re scheme.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1586", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Adam Afriyie"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Windsor"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Adam Afriyie"}
], "uin" : "200307"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/61462", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/61462/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " <\/p> The Government announced the decision to fund South West Water to enable it to cut bills by £50 per year for all household customers in the Budget 2011. Households in the South West have received the reduction since April 2013. The understanding has always been that this reduction would continue for the duration of both the current spending review and the next.<\/p> <\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1504", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Dan Rogerson"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "North Cornwall"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Dan Rogerson"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2014-06-16", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2014-06-16T15:04:18.1064279Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "13"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Environment, Food and Rural Affairs"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Environment, Food and Rural Affairs"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2014-06-11", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Water Charges: South West"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether agreement has been reached to extend to 2020 the reduction to household water bills for South West Water customers.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1564", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Angela Smith"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Penistone and Stocksbridge"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Angela Smith"}
], "uin" : "200276"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/60922", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/60922/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " <\/p> Core Defra follows Cabinet Office advice in meeting its obligations under the Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED), which is part of the Equality Act 2010, when considering bids for commercial contracts or grants.<\/p> <\/p> <\/p> <\/p> As part of our evaluation criteria we ask each bidder to provide evidence of their equality and diversity policy or an equivalent document which demonstrates their organisation's commitment to equality and diversity and which is compliant with the relevant legislation.<\/p> <\/p> <\/p> <\/p> We ask each bidder to describe the steps they have taken to:<\/p> <\/p> <\/p> <\/p> · monitor equality and diversity performance;<\/p> <\/p> <\/p> <\/p> · implement training programmes for raising awareness;<\/p> <\/p> <\/p> <\/p> · ensure staff and sub-contractors working on the contract comply appropriately with the relevant legislation;<\/p> <\/p> <\/p> <\/p> · address cases of discrimination and other breaches and set out measures for preventing recurrences; and<\/p> <\/p> <\/p> <\/p> · give the Department full confidence in their organisation's approach to equality and diversity.<\/p> <\/p> <\/p> <\/p> A score is allocated to the bidder's response to these questions which forms part of the overall technical evaluation of the bid.<\/p> <\/p> <\/p> <\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1504", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Dan Rogerson"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "North Cornwall"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Dan Rogerson"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2014-06-16", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2014-06-16T14:53:32.300692Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "13"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Environment, Food and Rural Affairs"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Environment, Food and Rural Affairs"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2014-06-10", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Equal Opportunities"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what consideration his Department gives to the diversity policies and records of businesses or other organisations when considering their bid for commercial contracts or grants.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1521", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Mrs Sharon Hodgson"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Washington and Sunderland West"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Mrs Sharon Hodgson"}
], "uin" : "199948"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/60992", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/60992/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " <\/p> Surveillance and monitoring has been carried out by the Forestry Commission and the Food and Environment Research Agency to provide intelligence on the rate of spread for Chalara. The surveillance in all four administrations is helping to determine the extent of the disease. This work will continue on new infected sites and, in consultation with stakeholders, the Government will consider what future surveillance work is needed.<\/p> <\/p> <\/p> <\/p> Further information on the management approach to Chalara and other established tree pests and pathogens in England can be found in the Tree Health Management Plan, which was published in April 2014.<\/p> <\/p> <\/p> <\/p>