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1258704

registered interest
date	07/12/2020
answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
answering dept id	29
answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
hansard heading	Work Capability Assessment: Coronavirus
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the feasibility of restarting face-to-face work capability assessments; and what plans her Department has to expedite the backlog of cases waiting for assessment.
tabling member constituency	Newcastle-under-Lyme
tabling member printed	Aaron Bell
uin	126162
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/12/2020 answer text <p>The health and safety of our claimants and staff is our key priority. We suspended all face-to-face assessments for sickness and disability benefits in March. This temporary suspension, brought in to protect people from unnecessary risk of coronavirus at the outset of the pandemic, remains in place, and is being kept under review in line with the latest public health guidance. Any re-introduction of face-to-face assessments would involve additional Covid-related safety measures, and guidance for claimants and assessment providers to ensure compliance with the relevant public health guidance.</p><p> </p><p>Throughout the pandemic our immediate focus has been on supporting people impacted by COVID-19 by putting claims into payment as quickly as possible, as well as paying any additional benefit where claimants may be entitled to a higher award. We continue to complete paper based assessments where possible and have introduced telephone assessments.</p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 14/12/2020 18:11:54 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
tabling member	4837 label Biography information for Aaron Bell

1247280

registered interest
date	30/10/2020
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	Odour Pollution: Complaints
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 odour complaints the Environment Agency received about each of the sites it regulates in each month since January 2019.
tabling member constituency	Newcastle-under-Lyme
tabling member printed	Aaron Bell
uin	109738
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/11/2020 answer text <p>The Environment Agency receives reports of odour from members of the public via the National Pollution Reporting Hotline. The numbers in the table below represent all reports received since January 2019 from members of the public across England, rather than those that have been assessed by a local Environment Agency officer and confirmed to be correctly attributed to a site that the Environment Agency regulates. The Environment Agency does not collate figures centrally for that number.</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p>Year</p></td><td><p><strong>Jan</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Feb</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Mar</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Apr</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>May</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Jun</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Jul</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Aug</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Sep</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Oct</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Nov</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Dec</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Year Totals</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>2019</strong></p></td><td><p>883</p></td><td><p>1,311</p></td><td><p>755</p></td><td><p>1,122</p></td><td><p>1,223</p></td><td><p>1,265</p></td><td><p>2,267</p></td><td><p>2,219</p></td><td><p>1,571</p></td><td><p>1,034</p></td><td><p>1,093</p></td><td><p>1,867</p></td><td><p>16,610</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>2020</strong></p></td><td><p>4,160</p></td><td><p>2,181</p></td><td><p>1,474</p></td><td><p>1,468</p></td><td><p>1,212</p></td><td><p>1,755</p></td><td><p>1,673</p></td><td><p>1,854</p></td><td><p>2,223</p></td><td><p>992</p></td><td><p>NA</p></td><td><p>NA</p></td><td><p>18,992</p></td></tr></tbody></table> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow question first answered 09/11/2020 16:39:17 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
tabling member	4837 label Biography information for Aaron Bell

1247281

registered interest
date	30/10/2020
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	Hydrogen Sulphide: Newcastle-under-Lyme
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 his Department has made of trends in the level of hydrogen sulphide in the air in Newcastle-under-Lyme.
tabling member constituency	Newcastle-under-Lyme
tabling member printed	Aaron Bell
uin	109739
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/11/2020 answer text <p>Defra's national monitoring network does not monitor hydrogen sulphide levels.</p><p>The Environment Agency (EA) monitors specific sites within the Newcastle-under-Lyme area. In particular, on the Walley's Quarry Landfill site, the EA carried out an ambient air monitoring study between January 2019 and June 2019. The EA deployed a Mobile Monitoring Facility (MMF) to the north of Walleys landfill site between 15 January 2019 and 12 February 2019. Comparison of the hydrogen sulphide data with the World Health Organization’s (WHO) guidelines showed that concentrations were below health limits but exceeded odour limits for 6% of this monitoring period. The MMF was then relocated approximately 60 metres to the east between 28 February 2019 and 25 June 2019. Comparison of the hydrogen sulphide data with the WHO guidelines showed that concentrations were below health limits but exceeded odour limits for 1% of the monitoring period.</p><p>The EA will be continuing with its regular odour assessments and site inspections and will take appropriate action as part of its regulation of the Walley's Quarry Landfill site, should it identify any areas where the Operator is not compliant with their permit conditions.</p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow question first answered 09/11/2020 17:37:06 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
tabling member	4837 label Biography information for Aaron Bell

1247283

registered interest
date	30/10/2020
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	Landfill: Newcastle-under-Lyme
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 effect on air quality levels in Newcastle-under-Lyme of the environmental permit variation application to increase the annual waste inputs from 250,000 tonnes to 400,000 tonnes at the Walleys Quarry landfill site.
tabling member constituency	Newcastle-under-Lyme
tabling member printed	Aaron Bell
uin	109740
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/11/2020 answer text <p>The Environment Agency (EA) conducted an emissions to air assessment of the new application and is satisfied that air quality levels will not be impacted and there will be no additional emissions from landfill gas or risk of additional odour.</p><p>The operator's Odour Management Plan complies with EA guidance and reflects the industry best practice. The EA is satisfied it will minimise the risk of odour pollution, and that they have sufficient controls within the permit conditions to enable further measures to be implemented if required. The benefit of the variation is that the Operator could complete the landfill sooner (by 2024 not 2026) accelerating the progressive capping of the site.</p><p>The operator's gas management plan complies with the relevant landfill directive and permit conditions and the EA does not consider emissions from the installation will cause significant pollution to the environment or harm to human health. The increase in annual tonnages at the site would not change the amount of gas produced but would bring forward the peak gas production rate. The site is already permitted to operate a gas utilisation plant which has the capacity to combust the maximum volume of gas which will be produced.</p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow question first answered 09/11/2020 17:37:50 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
tabling member	4837 label Biography information for Aaron Bell

1247285

registered interest
date	30/10/2020
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	Landfill: Odour Pollution
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 fitness for purpose of odour regulations as they relate to landfill sites.
tabling member constituency	Newcastle-under-Lyme
tabling member printed	Aaron Bell
uin	109741
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/11/2020 answer text <p>No recent assessments have been made of odour regulations. The government considers that current provisions under the Environmental Permitting and Statutory Nuisance regimes provide adequate protection.</p><p> </p><p>Landfill sites in England must be operated in accordance with an environmental permit, regulated by the Environment Agency. Where issues could be a statutory nuisance under Section 79(1)(d) of the Environmental Protection Act 1990, local councils are responsible for investigating these complaints.</p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow question first answered 09/11/2020 16:42:17 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
tabling member	4837 label Biography information for Aaron Bell

1247286

registered interest
date	30/10/2020
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	Landfill: Odour Pollution
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 support his Department provides to local authorities to (a) monitor and (b) tackle issues relating to (i) air quality and (ii) odour caused by landfill emissions.
tabling member constituency	Newcastle-under-Lyme
tabling member printed	Aaron Bell
uin	109742
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/11/2020 answer text <p>Landfill sites are regulated under Environmental Permitting Regulations by the Environment Agency (EA). The EA operates a national network of air quality monitoring sites on behalf of Defra. These are designed to provide a representative sample of air quality across the UK, and will not be specific to individual regulated sites. In addition to its statutory air quality activities, the EA can use air quality monitoring equipment in some circumstances to monitor for certain trace gases that form odorous compounds. This is carried out using the EA’s mobile monitoring facilities.</p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow question first answered 09/11/2020 17:40:24 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
tabling member	4837 label Biography information for Aaron Bell

1242366

registered interest
date	12/10/2020
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	Fly-tipping
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 tackle the illegal dumping of waste.
tabling member constituency	Newcastle-under-Lyme
tabling member printed	Aaron Bell
uin	102197
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/10/2020 answer text <p>The illegal dumping of waste, including fly-tipping, is an unacceptable blight on local communities and the environment. The government is committed to cracking down on the waste and carelessness that destroys our natural environment and kills marine life. We are also committed to increasing the penalties for fly-tipping.</p><p> </p><p>Over the last five years we have strengthened and expanded the powers available to tackle the illegal dumping of waste. Local authorities have the power to issue fixed penalty notices of up to £400 to those caught fly-tipping or to householders who pass their waste to a fly-tipper. Vehicles of those suspected of committing a waste crime, including illegal dumping, can be searched and seized.</p><p> </p><p>Those accused of illegal dumping can be prosecuted and, on conviction, can face a fine, up to 12 months imprisonment, or both in a Magistrates Court; or a fine, up to 5 years imprisonment, or both, in a Crown Court. Local authorities carried out a total of 2,397 prosecutions for fly-tipping offences in England in 2018/19, an increase of 7% on 2017/18. The value of total fines increased by 29% to £1,090,000 compared to 2017/18.</p><p> </p><p>We have invested £60 million in the Environment Agency’s waste crime enforcement work since 2014. This year’s Budget committed the government to investing £7.2 million in the development of electronic waste tracking, as well as £0.5 million in 2020/21 to support innovative approaches to tackling fly-tipping.</p><p> </p><p>In the Resources and Waste Strategy we committed to reforming the regulation of waste carriers, tightening up the regulation of the waste exemptions regime and improving intelligence sharing and joint working between enforcement agencies. The Joint Unit for Waste Crime, led by the Environment Agency and including the National Crime Agency, HMRC, the Police and others, was established earlier this year and has already had a number of operational successes.</p><p> </p><p>The Environment Bill includes a number of measures to help tackle waste crime. It will enable Government to mandate the use of electronic waste tracking; simplify the process for enforcement authorities to enter premises under a warrant; introduce a new power to search for and seize evidence of waste crime; and reduce the cost and bureaucracy when the police seize vehicles involved in waste crime on behalf of the Environment Agency.</p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow question first answered 20/10/2020 16:50:18 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
tabling member	4837 label Biography information for Aaron Bell

1203854

registered interest
date	15/06/2020
answering body	Ministry of Defence
answering dept id	11
answering dept short name	Defence
answering dept sort name	Defence
hansard heading	Armed Forces: Coronavirus
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many members of the armed forces have been deployed in each (a) local authority area and (b) parliamentary constituency part of the Government's covid-19 response.
tabling member constituency	Newcastle-under-Lyme
tabling member printed	Aaron Bell
uin	59643
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/06/2020 answer text <p>The information is not held in the format requested. As of 15 June, our Armed Forces are deployed to support the work of 10 Joint Military Commands (JMCs) and three other teams across the UK, broken down as follows:</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p><strong>Region</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Total</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>JMC East</p></td><td><p>447</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>JMC London</p></td><td><p>500</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>JMC North East</p></td><td><p>414</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>JMC North West</p></td><td><p>145</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>JMC Northern Ireland</p></td><td><p>98</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>JMC Scotland</p></td><td><p>361</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>JMC South East</p></td><td><p>437</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>JMC South West</p></td><td><p>323</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>JMC Wales</p></td><td><p>467</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>JMC West Midlands</p></td><td><p>274</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Logistics Support Team</p></td><td><p>42</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Standing Joint Command Reserve</p></td><td><p>20</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Works Group (Engineers)</p></td><td><p>10</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>Total</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>3,538</strong></p></td></tr></tbody></table> answering member constituency Wells answering member printed James Heappey question first answered 22/06/2020 16:29:19 answering member 4528 label Biography information for James Heappey
tabling member	4837 label Biography information for Aaron Bell