Asked by: Lord Jopling (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether the Environment Agency approved proposals by the Yorkshire Dales Salmon Group to stock the River Ure with young salmon in 2012; if so, whether it still supports that initiative; and if not, on the basis of what evidence.
Answered by Lord Douglas-Miller - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Environment Agency (EA) gave a time limited approval to the development of a River Ure salmon stocking programme in 2012. Subsequently, the EA reviewed the international scientific evidence on the risks of salmon stocking and revised its guidance for stocking schemes. This revised guidance should be followed to minimise the risks associated with salmon stocking.
The EA is currently working with the Yorkshire Dales Salmon Group to improve its approach to support the continuation of the River Ure salmon stocking programme.
Asked by: Baroness Hoey (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government why the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has taken over responsibility for bovine tuberculosis vaccination from the Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs in Northern Ireland.
Answered by Lord Douglas-Miller - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
In line with the Windsor Framework (Implementation) Regulations 2024 Statutory Guidance, the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has exercised direction and control over the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs only with respect to the limited areas set out in the statutory guidance published on GOV.UK (copy attached). For the avoidance of doubt, the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has clarified he has exercised his discretion not to exercise direction and control in relation to animal and plant disease.
Asked by: Andrew Selous (Conservative - South West Bedfordshire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to SB6 of the Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier (Rhododendron Control), how many agreements have been reached to date; how many hectares are covered by those agreements; and how many hectares has rhododendron successfully been removed from.
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Rhododendron ponticum is one of the most damaging invasive plants in the UK; it prevents woodland regeneration and destroys the natural understorey which has consequent impacts on birds and invertebrates. Countryside Stewardship (CS) option SB6 supports the control of rhododendrons, reducing the negative effect this can have on a site.
There are 487 CS agreements containing SB6, which cover a total of 2,615 hectares. SB6 is a CS capital item and can only be claimed once the work has been completed, to date 1,462 hectares of Rhododendrons have been removed.
In addition to the existing SB6 capital item, we will be introducing a revenue item later this year to support continued control of rhododendron once initial control has been undertaken. Some further information can be found within Technical annex: The combined environmental land management offer - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).
Asked by: Lord Bishop of St Albans (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the environmental impact of pollution in Lake Windermere.
Answered by Lord Douglas-Miller - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
A thorough investigation by the Environment Agency (EA) into the pollution incident at Lake Windermere earlier this year remains ongoing, which involves examining further evidence from United Utilities (UU). If the EA determines a permit breach has taken place, it will not hesitate to take enforcement action up to and including a criminal prosecution.
Windermere is affected by pollution from a range of different sources, including sewage discharges from water company assets, private septic tanks/sewage works and road and agricultural run-off, as well as physical modifications. Climate change has also altered temperature, precipitation and weather patterns which can affect the lake's water quality, by altering nutrient cycles, water chemistry and aquatic habitats, and affect the amount of water resulting in droughts and floods.
The last Water Framework Directive full water body classification results in 2019 assessed that Lake Windermere achieved moderate ecologic status and is impacted by excessive nutrients, leading to algal growth and cyanobacterial blooms.
Recent data shows a 30% reduction in phosphorus – which can lead to algal blooms – entering the lake since 2020 and this reduction is predominantly due to EA-driven improvements to UU Wastewater Treatment Works.
Water quality modelling continues to quantify the different sources of pollution in Windermere and the impact that it is having in different parts of the lake. The EA is also working with the Love Windermere partnership to improve the overall health of the lake through behavioural and societal change.
Asked by: Lord Sikka (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether water companies are required to have full and complete maps of their sewage network infrastructure, and if so how this is enforced.
Answered by Lord Douglas-Miller - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Having a full and detailed map of sewerage assets is a vital part of understanding the network and identifying areas for improvements. Water companies are already required to map their assets under Section 199 of the Water Industry Act 1991. The section, and the requirement to map assets, is enforceable under powers laid out in Section 18 of the Act. Sewerage undertakers are not required to keep records of assets that were laid before 1 September 1989, but only if either:
1) the undertaker does not know of, or have reasonable grounds for suspecting, the existence of the drain, sewer or disposal main;
2) it is not reasonably practicable for the undertaker to discover the course of the drain, sewer or disposal main and it has not done so.
As part of the Environment Act 2021, a new duty has been created for sewerage undertakers in England to produce Drainage and Wastewater Management Plans (DWMPs). DWMPs set out how a sewerage undertaker intends to manage and improve their drainage and wastewater systems over the next 25 years. DWMPs will complement existing requirements to map the sewerage network, to facilitate a detailed understanding of the network and help ensure that drainage and wastewater services are better managed and properly supported, as well as delivering greater efficiencies for customers and supporting investment in nature-based solutions.
In addition, the Storm Overflows Discharge Reduction Plan sets out that the Government expects that water companies have maps of their sewer networks, to understand where properties with separate rainwater pipes are connected to their combined sewer network.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of St Albans (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the report by the University of Copenhagen Lifetime exposure to air pollution and academic achievement: A nationwide cohort study in Denmark, published in March, particularly the finding that high levels of air pollution may negatively impact children’s cognitive development; and whether in light of this they will consider reinstating funding for the Air Quality Grant Scheme.
Answered by Lord Douglas-Miller - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government keeps new studies on health impacts of air pollution under review and is advised by the Committee on Medical Effects of Air Pollutants (COMEAP).
The Minister used his discretion not to fund the Local Air Quality Grant Scheme for the 2023-2024 financial year. He has asked Defra officials to consider the future of the scheme and how it might be redesigned to better deliver positive outcomes for local air quality and public health and therefore enhanced value for money for taxpayers.
Asked by: Justin Madders (Labour - Ellesmere Port and Neston)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when he plans to respond to the correspondence of 19 February 2024 from the hon. Member for Ellesmere Port and Neston on the legal restrictions on XL Bully dogs.
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
A reply will be sent to the hon. Member soon. I apologise for the delay in responding to the hon. Member.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of St Albans (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have made an assessment of the impact that withdrawing funding for the Air Quality Grant Scheme will have on public health.
Answered by Lord Douglas-Miller - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
An impact assessment on public health was not carried out before withdrawing the Air Quality Grant Scheme for 2023-2024. The Minister used his discretion not to fund the Local Air Quality Grant Scheme for the 2023-2024 financial year. He has asked Defra officials to consider the future of the scheme and how it might be redesigned to better deliver positive outcomes for local air quality and public health and therefore enhanced value for money for taxpayers.
Asked by: Andrew Selous (Conservative - South West Bedfordshire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the SB6 Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier grant for rhododendron control.
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
We are committed to reviewing all actions in Countryside Stewardship and Sustainable Farming Incentive, on a phased basis over time. As part of the reviews, we will take into account comments from farmers and stakeholders and ensure guidance is appropriate.
Rhododendron ponticum is one of the most damaging invasive plants in the UK; it prevents woodland regeneration and destroys the natural understorey which has consequent impacts on birds and invertebrates. In addition to the existing SB6 capital item, we will be introducing a revenue item later this year to support continued control of rhododendron once initial control has been undertaken.
Asked by: Stella Creasy (Labour (Co-op) - Walthamstow)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 15 April 2024 to Question 20051 Import Controls: Fees and Charges, whether consignments from the EU (a) inspected at Sevington border control post and (b) subject to the Border Target Operating Model which do not pass through any border control post other than Sevington will be liable for charges levied by the Government other than the Common User Charge.
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Details of Animal and Plant Health Agency inspection fees can be found on Gov.uk. For Port Health Authorities (PHA) inspection fees, traders should contact the PHA in question; many PHAs list their charges on their websites.