Asked by: Ayoub Khan (Independent - Birmingham Perry Barr)
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 potential impact of trends in the level of farming funding on the Government's ability to reach it's (a) nature recovery and (b) net zero targets.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The level of farming funding in future financial years will be confirmed as part of the Government’s spending review.
We know farmers require stability in order for the Government to reach its nature recovery and net zero targets. We have already started to deliver on our commitment to restore stability by continuing the rollout of the Sustainable Farming Incentive, and will go further by optimising our schemes and grants, ensuring they produce the right outcomes for all farmers including small, grassland, upland and tenanted farms, while delivering food security and nature recovery in a just and equitable way.
Asked by: Ayoub Khan (Independent - Birmingham Perry Barr)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to ensure a (a) secure and (b) affordable water supply for households.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government is committed to a twin track approach to improving water supply resilience. This involves action to reduce water company leaks and improve water efficiency, alongside investing in new supply infrastructure, including new reservoirs and water transfers.
Water companies have statutory duties to provide secure water supplies, efficiently and economically. Most water companies are currently finalising their statutory Water Resources Management Plans, which set out how they will provide secure water supplies sustainably for at least twenty-five years into the future. A summary of the draft plans is available: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/a-review-of-englands-draft-regional-and-water-resources-management-plans
Officials are currently considering a range of options for improving the affordability of water bills, focusing on improving the fairness and effectiveness of affordability support across England and Wales. Additionally, all water companies have measures in place for people who struggle to pay for their water and wastewater service and should ensure that their customers know what support schemes are available and how to use them if they need help.
Asked by: Ayoub Khan (Independent - Birmingham Perry Barr)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of bringing Thames Water into special administration.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government and Ofwat – the financial regulator for the water sector – are carefully monitoring the situation, and Ofwat continues to engage with Thames Water.
The company remains stable, and it would be inappropriate to comment in detail on hypotheticals – however it is important to provide reassurance that the Government is prepared for all scenarios across all our regulated industries – as any government should be.
Asked by: Ayoub Khan (Independent - Birmingham Perry Barr)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what criteria his Department uses to assess whether a water company should lose its licence.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Ofwat, as the independent economic regulator, carries out its work in the manner it considers best meets its duties, including its duty to secure that water companies properly carry out their functions.
Where companies have failed to meet statutory or licence obligations, Ofwat is responsible for enforcing. Ofwat have the power to take action through an enforcement order or financial penalty (up to 10% of a company’s relevant annual turnover).
The ultimate enforcement tool is an application for special administration. The Secretary of State, or Ofwat with the consent of the Secretary of State can apply to the High Court for a special administration order. The High Court can only make a special administration order in certain circumstances, including where it is satisfied that:
Asked by: Ayoub Khan (Independent - Birmingham Perry Barr)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to help restore peatlands.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government recognises the importance of England’s peatlands. Currently, peatland restoration is funded via the Nature for Climate Peatland Grant Scheme. After 2026, peatland restoration will be primarily funded through Environmental Land Management schemes, such as the Landscape Recovery Scheme and Countryside Stewardship Scheme.
Asked by: Ayoub Khan (Independent - Birmingham Perry Barr)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the environmental impact of grouse moor management.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
There are no current plans to undertake an assessment.
Asked by: Ayoub Khan (Independent - Birmingham Perry Barr)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he plans to make cuts to the agricultural budget.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
As is typical, the farming budget beyond this year will be part of the Government’s spending review.
This Government recognises that food security is national security. We said we would provide stability for farmers and we are delivering on this commitment and have confirmed that the first Sustainable Farming Incentive agreements of the 2024 offer are now live. We will confirm plans for rollout of schemes and our wider approach when possible.
Asked by: Ayoub Khan (Independent - Birmingham Perry Barr)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to tackle the decline of UK seabirds.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Ensuring nature’s recovery is a top priority for this Government. This is why the Government has announced a rapid review of the Environmental Improvement Plan (EIP) to deliver on our legally binding environment targets, including reversing the decline in species abundance and reducing the risk of national extinction.
Earlier this year, Natural England published the English Seabird Conservation and Recovery Pathway (ESCaRP), which assesses the vulnerability of seabird species in light of the pressures they are facing and sets out actions that could help to bring about seabird recovery. Defra plans to seek stakeholders’ views on the recommended actions this winter.
The Oslo-Paris Commission (OSPAR), the regional seas convention for the North East Atlantic, has published a Regional Action Plan (RAP) for Marine Birds on 6 September. UK experts were involved in developing the RAP which aims to reduce and eliminate the main pressures and activities impacting marine birds in the North-East Atlantic.
Asked by: Ayoub Khan (Independent - Birmingham Perry Barr)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if she will review the Right to Buy policy for social housing.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Government believe it is right that those social tenants who have lived in their homes for many years retain the right to purchase their property at a reasonable discount. As such, we will not be ending the Right to Buy scheme.
We are, however, committed to better protecting our existing stock of social rented homes and are currently reviewing the increased right to buy discounts introduced in 2012. We will bring forward secondary legislation to implement changes in the autumn.
We also intend to review Right to Buy more widely, including looking at eligibility criteria and protections for newly-built social housing. A consultation of these wider changes will be brought forward in the autumn.
Asked by: Ayoub Khan (Independent - Birmingham Perry Barr)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will take steps to consolidate the number of national pay bargaining units in the civil service.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
Pay arrangements for civil servants below the Senior Civil Service are delegated to departments. Under the framework of delegation, each department and agency has the power to determine its own terms and conditions of employment and is therefore a separate bargaining unit. Each department and agency is therefore responsible for consultation (or for certain matters, negotiation) with trade unions subject to the annual Civil Service Pay Remit Guidance. This has been the case since 1996. Departments each have their own local pay bargaining units to engage with trade unions.