Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what proportion of (a) current and (b) future planned incineration waste capacity is used in (a) Cambridgeshire and (b) Peterborough.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Local authorities consider their waste treatment capacity needs at local level via Waste Local Plans. The Government does not undertake assessments of the national proportion of waste management and treatment facilities at an individual authority level. Before the end of this year, however, we hope to publish an analysis of municipal residual waste treatment infrastructure capacity, including exports, against expected future residual waste arisings in England so we can understand what future capacity may be required following implementation of the packaging reforms. This will include assessment of currently operational and consented capacity at a national level and by planning region. This analysis will support decision making relating to planning for new residual waste treatment infrastructure.
The published Local Authority Collected Waste Management Statistics detail waste collected by local authorities and how this is managed and treated. These statistics are available here.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
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 14 October 2024 to Question 6809 on Flood Control: Huntingdon, what the responsibilities are of the Lead Local Flood Authority within the Floods Resilience Taskforce.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Taskforce will consider both near-term resilience and preparedness, and longer-term resilience and wider floods strategy, for all sources of flooding. Defra is working with Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government to engage Lead Local Flood Authorities between the Taskforce meetings.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
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 14 October 2024 to Question 6809 on Flood Control: Huntingdon, which settlements are covered by the 12 Flood Liaison Action Groups.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
There are 10 active and well-established flood action groups across the Huntingdon constituency. These are Alconbury, Alconbury Weston, Broughton, Buckden, Godmanchester, Houghton & Wyton, Kimbolton & Stonely, Offord (Cluny/D’Arcy), St Ives and Wistow.
All of these communities have flood plans in place and access to flood kit. In Alconbury and Alconbury Weston, the Environment Agency (EA) have also installed flood monitoring cameras which the local flood action group in the community can access and use for monitoring purposes during a flood event.
Following the recent flooding event, Brampton and Hemingford Grey have also sought support to set up local flood actions groups. The EA are now in the process of working with Cambridgeshire County Council (the Lead Local Flood Authority) to help support and develop these new flood groups.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
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 11 October 2024 to Question 6855 on Water Supply: East of England, what the planned timetable is for (a) approving and (b) constructing the proposed two new reservoirs in East Anglia.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Secretary of State has allowed Anglian Water to finalise its Water Resources Management Plan, which includes proposals for two reservoirs, the Fens Reservoir and Lincolnshire Reservoir. Both meet the Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project criteria and would need development consent, under the Planning Act 2008.
Anglian Water expects the Fens Reservoir to be in supply by 2036/37 and the Lincolnshire Reservoir to be in supply by 2039/40. Future consultations on the proposals are required before the applications for development consent are submitted. The applications are expected in 2026/27 for the Fens Reservoir, and in 2028/29 for the Lincolnshire Reservoir.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
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 potential merits of granting a further derogation for the use of (a) Cruiser and (b) other neonicotinoids on sugar-beet crops in 2025.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Pesticides are strictly regulated based on the risks and benefits of use. Decisions on Emergency Authorisation applications for use of neonicotinoids on sugar beet for 2025 will be taken in line with the legal requirements of Regulation 1107/2009 (Article 53) and with full consideration of the available evidence and advice.
This Government will change existing policies to ban the use of neonicotinoid pesticides that threaten bees and vital pollinators.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how the Floods Resilience Task Force will work with stakeholders in Huntingdon constituency.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government’s new Floods Resilience Taskforce marks a new approach to preparing for flooding and developing policy. It brings together a range of partners in national, regional and local Government, including the Environment Agency (EA), Devolved Administrations, selected Regional Mayors and Lead Local Flood Authorities.
Membership of the Taskforce from national, regional and local partners is flexed to meet the specific agenda and priorities but the Taskforce will also work with a wider range of flood risk partners as needed.
The EA also has ongoing engagement with the 12 Flood Liaison Action Groups which operate across the constituency, and it also conducts regular maintenance, inspections, conveyance, and public safety assessments along the River Great Ouse and its tributaries.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
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 adequacy of the asset condition of flood (a) defences and (b) infrastructure across Cambridgeshire’s middle-level.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Assets in the Middle Level are primarily managed by the Middle Level Commissioners with some managed by the Environment Agency (EA).
The 2021 EA’s “Future Fens – Flood Risk Management Project Baseline Report” underscores the importance of these assets across Cambridgeshire Fens.
The majority of EAs assets are at target condition, on the Low Bank there are 6 out of 66 assets below target condition and to be brought back to target condition.
The EA’s Middle Level barrier bank, recently underwent a £44.3m embankment raising project, ensuring it remains in target condition.
The Environment Agency’s Fens2100+ programme, with a £9.8m budget, aims to assess and develop a strategy for future asset management and investment needs.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
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 implications for his policies of water companies in the East of England imposing a moratorium on new mains water connections for non-domestic purposes.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
It is a water company’s duty to assess water available to meet demand and protect the environment. Water companies do this in their statutory water resources management plans every 5 years.
Approximately £6 billion is planned for spending across England between 2025 and 2030 to provide secure, sustainable water resources. In East Anglia this investment includes 2 new reservoirs and a network of pipelines to improve the supply and distribution of water across the region.