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1702147

	registered interest
	date	18/04/2024
	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	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Fraud
	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 has taken to reduce the costs of fraud in his Department in the last three financial years.
	tabling member constituency	Leicester South
	tabling member printed	Jonathan Ashworth
	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	uin	22571
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/05/2024 answer text <p>The Government is determined to uncover fraud in the public sector and is proud of its record. As part of this, the Government established the Public Sector Fraud Authority (PSFA). In 22/23 the PSFA set a target of delivering £180m of savings to the taxpayer. In fact, the PSFA far surpassed this within the first 12 months by preventing and recovering £311 million.</p><p> </p><p>As it enters its second year, the PSFA has a target of achieving £185 million of savings for the taxpayer. The Government has also announced an additional £34 million to deploy cutting edge tools and Artificial Intelligence tools to help combat fraud across the public sector, saving £100 million for the public purse. This is in addition to existing partnerships between PSFA and the tech sector.</p><p> </p><p>Defra's headline response to countering fraud is set out in the Governance Statement of the Annual Report and Accounts. The Annual Report and Accounts for Defra for the past three years may be accessed here:</p><p> </p><p><a href="https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fassets.publishing.service.gov.uk%2Fmedia%2F61a604d4e90e070441bcf801%2Fdefra-year-end-accounts-2020-2021.pdf&amp;data=05%7C02%7Ccorporatepqs%40defra.gov.uk%7C0b72e9bfb1ac409d674008dc643a0ba0%7C770a245002274c6290c74e38537f1102%7C0%7C0%7C638495447675813239%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=nRH7wZaPnUSZoCAOuuRfC4J9iBUIEJlhE39vCGv0noc%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">Defra Annual Report and Accounts 2020-21 (publishing.service.gov.uk)</a></p><p> </p><p><a href="https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fassets.publishing.service.gov.uk%2Fmedia%2F635a7f1e8fa8f5653f83f4f0%2Fdefra-annual-report-2021-2022.pdf&amp;data=05%7C02%7Ccorporatepqs%40defra.gov.uk%7C0b72e9bfb1ac409d674008dc643a0ba0%7C770a245002274c6290c74e38537f1102%7C0%7C0%7C638495447675824944%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=abUKBzLyva8eBsqNoa7LhJrVtZR1IxuzCJRLRd2MHt8%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">Defra Annual Report and Accounts 2021-22 (publishing.service.gov.uk)</a></p><p> </p><p><a href="https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fassets.publishing.service.gov.uk%2Fmedia%2F653a9479e6c9680014aa9be8%2Fannual-report-and-accounts-2022-23.pdf&amp;data=05%7C02%7Ccorporatepqs%40defra.gov.uk%7C0b72e9bfb1ac409d674008dc643a0ba0%7C770a245002274c6290c74e38537f1102%7C0%7C0%7C638495447675831576%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=YkHVyZ%2FaD50a%2BqgeyTMM0KGwgwIxwqtHIu5pIKWG2Fo%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">Defra Annual Report and Accounts 2022-23 (publishing.service.gov.uk)</a></p><p> </p> answering member constituency Sherwood answering member printed Sir Mark Spencer question first answered 01/05/2024 09:34:23 answering member 4055 label Biography information for Sir Mark Spencer
	tabling member	4244 label Biography information for Jonathan Ashworth

1713200

	registered interest
	date	23/04/2024
	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	Avian Influenza: 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, with reference to the statement by the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention entitled Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza A (H5N1) Virus Infection Reported in a Person in the US, published on 1 April 2024, what assessment he has made of the level of risk posed by H5N1; and whether he has had discussions with the (a) Secretary of State for Health and Social Care and (b) Deputy Prime Minister and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster on the potential implications for the UK Biological Security Strategy of that statement.
	tabling member constituency	Brighton, Pavilion
	tabling member printed	Caroline Lucas
	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	uin	23177
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/05/2024 answer text <p>We are in close contact with counterparts in the United States on the incidents of influenza of avian origin in cattle in the USA. We know that the strain of virus involved has not been detected in the UK.</p><p> </p><p>We are working closely with the Department of Health and Social Care, UK Health Security Agency, Food Standards Agency and Cabinet Office officials and with international partners on risk assessments to consider the routes of incursion, animal to animal spread and animal to human spill-over and to review our well-tested surveillance mechanisms and preparedness activities in light of this emerging situation.</p> answering member constituency Sherwood answering member printed Sir Mark Spencer question first answered 01/05/2024 08:58:16 answering member 4055 label Biography information for Sir Mark Spencer
	tabling member	3930 label Biography information for Caroline Lucas

1713519

	registered interest
	date	24/04/2024
	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	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Public Expenditure
	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 make an estimate of the cost to the public purse of cash losses incurred by his Department arising from (a) theft, (b) fraud, (c) arson, (d) sabotage and (e) gross carelessness in the last 12 months.
	tabling member constituency	Croydon North
	tabling member printed	Steve Reed
	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	uin	23501
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/04/2024 answer text <p>Estimates and actual losses for 2023-24 are currently in the process of being finalised and will be published in our Annual Report and Accounts. Losses from theft and fraud are expected to be in the region of losses incurred in previous years. The figures for 2021-22 and 2022-23 may be found in the following reports: <a href="https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/635a7f1e8fa8f5653f83f4f0/defra-annual-report-2021-2022.pdf" target="_blank">Annual Report and Accounts 2021-22</a> and <a href="https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/653a9479e6c9680014aa9be8/annual-report-and-accounts-2022-23.pdf" target="_blank">Annual Report and Accounts 2022-23</a>. The level of detected fraud across Defra in 2021-22 may also be found in the cross-Government <a href="https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/641c158b32a8e0000cfa9251/2974_Fraud_Landscape_Annual_Report_2022_.pdf" target="_blank">Fraud Landscape Report</a>. We are unable to provide any estimates regarding arson, sabotage and gross carelessness as our losses data is aggregated and it is not possible to easily report this level of detail.</p> answering member constituency Sherwood answering member printed Sir Mark Spencer question first answered 30/04/2024 08:44:19 answering member 4055 label Biography information for Sir Mark Spencer
	tabling member	4268 label Biography information for Steve Reed

1713588

	registered interest
	date	24/04/2024
	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
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 24 April 2024 to Question 22631 on Flood Control, when the meeting with the Association of Directors of Environment, Economy, Planning and Transport’s Flood and Water Group took place, and if he will publish the letter that Group wrote to his Department after the meeting.
	tabling member constituency	Kingston upon Hull West and Hessle
	tabling member printed	Emma Hardy
	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	uin	23553
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/04/2024 answer text <p>In considering the National Infrastructure Commission’s (NIC) study into surface water flooding, Defra officials met with the Association of Directors of Environment, Economy, Planning and Transport’s (ADEPT) Flood and Water Group on 30 January 2023.</p><p> </p><p>Following the meeting ADEPT officials shared a short note setting out their views on the NIC’s nine recommendations which the government considered in developing the response to the study.</p><p> </p><p>It is not the Department’s policy to publish exchanges between officials.</p> answering member constituency Keighley answering member printed Robbie Moore question first answered 30/04/2024 10:23:56 answering member 4861 label Biography information for Robbie Moore
	tabling member	4645 label Biography information for Emma Hardy

1713859

	registered interest
	date	25/04/2024
	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	Plastics: Treaties
	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 his Department is participating in the fourth session of negotiations on a global plastics treaty in Ottawa that began on 23 April 2024.
	tabling member constituency	Leeds North East
	tabling member printed	Fabian Hamilton
	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	uin	23677
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/04/2024 answer text <p>The Department participated in the fourth session of negotiations on a global plastics treaty in Ottawa. Officials from Defra attended the fourth session of negotiations to develop a global plastics pollution treaty, and I attended the high-level segment hosted by Canada ahead of the start of formal negotiations. The UK’s negotiating mandate covers the relevant policy from across Government departments and we continue to strongly support the active and meaningful participation of stakeholders, including UK businesses, at all stages of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) process. As a founding member of the High Ambition Coalition to End Plastic Pollution, the UK remains committed to securing an ambitious treaty by the end of 2024 that includes measures to address plastic pollution across the full lifecycle of plastic. We continue to work closely with other member states and stakeholders at, and beyond, the fourth session of the INC to advance negotiations and pave the way for a historic agreement.</p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow question first answered 30/04/2024 16:03:14 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
	tabling member	415 label Biography information for Fabian Hamilton

1696332

	registered interest
	date	14/03/2024
	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	Windsor Framework
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact on trade to Northern Ireland from Great Britain of repealing regulation 13 of the Windsor Framework Retail Movement Scheme Regulations 2023 and the powers of the EU in Article 14(5) of the EU regulation 2023/1231.
	tabling member printed	Lord Dodds of Duncairn
	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	uin	HL3278
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/04/2024 answer text <p>The Government has now laid the Windsor Framework (Implementation) Regulations 2024 before Parliament. These regulations will provide powers for the Government to fulfil the commitments in the Safeguarding the Union Command Paper on upholding Northern Ireland's place in the UK internal market.</p> answering member printed Lord Douglas-Miller question first answered 29/04/2024 12:33:48 answering member 5006 label Biography information for Lord Douglas-Miller
	tabling member	1388 label Biography information for Lord Dodds of Duncairn

1700872

	registered interest
	date	15/04/2024
	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	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Termination of Employment
	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 left his Department in each year since 2015.
	tabling member constituency	Solihull
	tabling member printed	Julian Knight
	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	uin	21683
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/04/2024 answer text <p>We centrally hold some of the information requested.</p><p> </p><p>In as far as data is centrally held, I refer the hon. Member to the Civil Service statistics, for Defra, at:</p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/civil-service-statistics" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/civil-service-statistics</a></p><p><a href="https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/publicsectorpersonnel/datasets/civilservicestatistics" target="_blank">https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/publicsectorpersonnel/datasets/civilservicestatistics</a></p><p> </p><p>The Declaration on Government Reform (2021) stated: &quot;There is however more we must do to attract a broader range of people to the privilege of public service... It should be natural for people with careers and skills built in business to serve in government for a period, and for those in public service to spend time in organisations which are not dependent on public money... We will develop new entry routes from industry, academia, the third sector and the wider public sector, with flexibility to suit those who want to build a career in government and those who want a shorter tour of duty.&quot;</p> answering member constituency Sherwood answering member printed Sir Mark Spencer question first answered 29/04/2024 13:34:38 answering member 4055 label Biography information for Sir Mark Spencer
	tabling member	4410 label Biography information for Julian Knight

1701071

	registered interest
	date	15/04/2024
	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	Water Supply: Planning
	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 he is taking to encourage agencies involved in water management to produce joint plans.
	tabling member constituency	York Central
	tabling member printed	Rachael Maskell
	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	uin	21724
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/04/2024 answer text <p>In January 2023, the Government published its Environmental Improvement Plan. This included a commitment for more joined up management of the water system. The current water and floods policy and legal framework has been developed incrementally over time, resulting in over 15 national plans and strategic documents. Whilst each plan has its own purpose, we want to make the whole framework more outcome-focussed and fully integrated with other environmental plans and government delivery plans. We reiterated this commitment in our landmark Plan for Water published in April 2023.</p> answering member constituency Keighley answering member printed Robbie Moore question first answered 29/04/2024 09:33:32 answering member 4861 label Biography information for Robbie Moore
	tabling member	4471 label Biography information for Rachael Maskell

1701630

	registered interest
	date	16/04/2024
	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	Countryside Stewardship Scheme
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask His Majesty's Government when they will publish further information on the combined Sustainable Farming Incentive and Countryside Stewardship offer.
	tabling member printed	The Lord Bishop of St Albans
	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	uin	HL3861
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/04/2024 answer text <p>We plan to roll out the new combined Sustainable Farming Incentive and Countryside Stewardship offer during 2024, with applications opening from the summer. We will publish more information about this, and how farmers will be able to apply, ahead of applications opening. This will include setting out how farmers with existing Higher Level Stewardship, Countryside Stewardship and Sustainable Farming Incentive agreements will be able to access the new offer.</p> answering member printed Lord Douglas-Miller grouped question UIN HL3862 HL3863 HL3864 HL3865 question first answered 29/04/2024 14:18:17 answering member 5006 label Biography information for Lord Douglas-Miller
	tabling member	4308 label Biography information for The Lord Bishop of St Albans

1701631

	registered interest
	date	16/04/2024
	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	Countryside Stewardship Scheme
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask His Majesty's Government when farmers will be able to apply for the new combined Sustainable Farming Incentive and Countryside Stewardship offer.
	tabling member printed	The Lord Bishop of St Albans
	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	uin	HL3862
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/04/2024 answer text <p>We plan to roll out the new combined Sustainable Farming Incentive and Countryside Stewardship offer during 2024, with applications opening from the summer. We will publish more information about this, and how farmers will be able to apply, ahead of applications opening. This will include setting out how farmers with existing Higher Level Stewardship, Countryside Stewardship and Sustainable Farming Incentive agreements will be able to access the new offer.</p> answering member printed Lord Douglas-Miller grouped question UIN HL3861 HL3863 HL3864 HL3865 question first answered 29/04/2024 14:18:17 answering member 5006 label Biography information for Lord Douglas-Miller
	tabling member	4308 label Biography information for The Lord Bishop of St Albans