We recognise that the recent period of wet weather has impacted UK agriculture. While the current market assessment is that this will impact the domestic production of certain foods, it is too early to predict the impact on overall consumer supply at this stage. However, the UK has a highly resilient food supply chain which allows us to use international trade to supplement any fluctuations in domestic food supply and maintain overall food security.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4055", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Sir Mark Spencer"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Sherwood"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Sir Mark Spencer"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2024-05-10", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2024-05-10T08:10:59.353Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "13"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Environment, Food and Rural Affairs"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Environment, Food and Rural Affairs"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2024-05-02", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Floods: Food"} , "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 assessment he has made of the impact of flooding on food production in the last four months.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4976", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Samantha Dixon"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "City of Chester"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Samantha Dixon"} ], "uin" : "902725"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1683211", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1683211/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
At least £381.5 million of the £871 million allocated in the 2021 Spending Review to be spent by Defra on digital investment has been spent as of 31 December 2023.<\/p>
Approximately £134 million of the £871 million was allocated to Arm\u2019s Length Bodies (ALBs) for their own IT expenditure and so is monitored through individual ALB finance processes rather than central Defra finance.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4055", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Sir Mark Spencer"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Sherwood"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Mark Spencer"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2024-02-06", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2024-02-06T10:20:34.107Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "13"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Environment, Food and Rural Affairs"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Environment, Food and Rural Affairs"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2024-01-17", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: ICT"} , "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 Fifty-first Report of the Committee of Public Accounts of Session 2022-23 on Tackling Defra\u2019s ageing digital services, HC 737, published on 10 May 2023, how much of the £871 million allocated in the 2021 Spending Review to be spent by his Department on digital investment over three years has been spent.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4976", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Samantha Dixon"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "City of Chester"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Samantha Dixon"} ], "uin" : "10353"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1683212", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1683212/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
The £366 million figure referred to in the National Audit Office report covered a specific set of activities within Defra's overall 2021 Spending Review digital investment. At least £149.3 million has been spent on these activities as of 31 December 2023, alongside other digital investment.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4055", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Sir Mark Spencer"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Sherwood"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Mark Spencer"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2024-02-23", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2024-02-23T12:16:42.713Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "13"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Environment, Food and Rural Affairs"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Environment, Food and Rural Affairs"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2024-01-17", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: ICT"} , "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 Fifty-first Report of the Committee of Public Accounts of Session 2022-23 on Tackling Defra\u2019s ageing digital services, HC 737, published on 10 May 2023, how much of the £366 million allocated to his Department to (a) address legacy IT issues and (b) bring systems up to the necessary standard has been spent.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4976", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Samantha Dixon"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "City of Chester"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Samantha Dixon"} ], "uin" : "10354"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1676173", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1676173/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
The Government is working closely with the Environment Agency and relevant authorities to ensure flood defences impacted by recent flooding are repaired as quickly as possible; around 14,000 asset inspections have been conducted following the recent storms with action taken wherever asset performance was compromised.<\/p>
<\/p>
This year and last, £200 million is being invested in maintaining flood risk assets, with the aim of achieving our current target of between 94-95% in target condition.<\/p>
<\/p>
In the City of Chester, in the current Flood and Coastal Risk Management capital programme, £20,000 of Flood Defence Grant-in-Aid funding has been allocated for projects in the constituency, which will better protect properties from flooding. There is also a proposed project in the Stretford and Urmston constituency (Longford Brook Flood Alleviation Scheme).<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4861", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Robbie Moore"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Keighley"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Robbie Moore"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2023-12-07", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "groupedQuestionUIN" : {"_value" : "900516"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2023-12-07T15:59:05.527Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "13"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Environment, Food and Rural Affairs"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Environment, Food and Rural Affairs"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2023-11-30", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Flood Control"} , "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 assessment he has made of the adequacy of flood defences.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4976", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Samantha Dixon"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "City of Chester"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Samantha Dixon"} ], "uin" : "900517"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1663398", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1663398/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
There is no requirement currently for water companies to sample and publish data on the quality of water entering their waste water treatment plants. However, they are required to sample treated effluents from their plants which are discharged to the environment. These samples are analysed and assessed for compliance against protective environmental permit requirements. This information is reported to the Environment Agency and published on GOV.UK.<\/p>
<\/p>
However, a new requirement in S. 82 of the Environment Act 2021 requires sewerage undertakers to continuously monitor the quality of the receiving water upstream and downstream of their assets. This will allow sewerage undertakers to assess the impact of discharges from their assets on the receiving watercourse. The requirement covers both storm overflows and the treatment works discharges and is being introduced in 2025.<\/p>
<\/p>