Asked by: Beth Winter (Labour - Cynon Valley)
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 3 April 2024 to Question 20109 on Rivers: Repairs and Maintenance, whether he has held recent discussions with his counterpart in the Welsh Government on riparian landowners responsibilities for watercourse management.
Answered by Robbie Moore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Ministers regularly meet with stakeholders to discuss the department’s policies, including flood and water management.
The government’s independent review of statutory powers and responsibilities associated with Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk Management assets included riparian landowners’ responsibilities. Whilst the review covered England only, since responsibility for flood risk management is a devolved matter, officials from the Welsh Government and National Resources Wales, and a member from the Wales Flood and Coastal Erosion Committee were members of the Project Board and Project Steering Group. The review has recently concluded, and we expect to publish its findings by the summer.
Asked by: Beth Winter (Labour - Cynon Valley)
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 3 April 2024 to Question 20109 on Rivers: Repairs and Maintenance, whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of climate change on future insurance costs for riparian landowners.
Answered by Robbie Moore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government has not made an assessment of the potential impacts of climate change on future insurance costs for riparian landowners. It is the responsibility of all riparian landowners to ensure that they have the appropriate insurance, to protect their property and any work they undertake as a riparian landowner.
Asked by: Beth Winter (Labour - Cynon Valley)
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 2 April 2024 to Question 20109 on Rivers: Repairs and Maintenance, whether he has made a recent assessment of the potential merits of reviewing the role of conveyancers in advising on the responsibilities of riparian ownership.
Answered by Robbie Moore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government commissioned Review of Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk Management Assets has just concluded, and we expect to publish its findings by the summer.
The role of conveyancers (used when purchasing property) was considered as part of the review. The Law Society has published a practice note for solicitors and professional conveyancers on flood risk, which includes mention of riparian ownership and further information they can use.
Whilst the review covered England only, since responsibility for flood risk management is a devolved matter, officials from the Welsh Government and National Resources Wales, and a member from the Wales Flood and Coastal Erosion Committee were members of the Project Board and Project Steering Group.
Asked by: Beth Winter (Labour - Cynon Valley)
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 3 April 2024 to Question 20109 on Rivers: Repairs and Maintenance, whether his Department has had discussions with the Welsh Government on the independent review of statutory powers and responsibilities associated with Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk Management.
Answered by Robbie Moore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government commissioned Review of Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk Management Assets has just concluded, and we expect to publish its findings by the summer.
The role of conveyancers (used when purchasing property) was considered as part of the review. The Law Society has published a practice note for solicitors and professional conveyancers on flood risk, which includes mention of riparian ownership and further information they can use.
Whilst the review covered England only, since responsibility for flood risk management is a devolved matter, officials from the Welsh Government and National Resources Wales, and a member from the Wales Flood and Coastal Erosion Committee were members of the Project Board and Project Steering Group.
Asked by: Beth Winter (Labour - Cynon Valley)
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 3 April 2024 to Question 20109 on Rivers: Repairs and Maintenance, when he expects the independent review of statutory powers and responsibilities associated with Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk Management assets across all flood risks and coastal erosion to be published.
Answered by Robbie Moore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government commissioned Review of Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk Management Assets has just concluded, and we expect to publish its findings by the summer.
The role of conveyancers (used when purchasing property) was considered as part of the review. The Law Society has published a practice note for solicitors and professional conveyancers on flood risk, which includes mention of riparian ownership and further information they can use.
Whilst the review covered England only, since responsibility for flood risk management is a devolved matter, officials from the Welsh Government and National Resources Wales, and a member from the Wales Flood and Coastal Erosion Committee were members of the Project Board and Project Steering Group.
Asked by: Beth Winter (Labour - Cynon Valley)
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 establishing an expert body for identifying XL Bully dogs.
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
We have produced a definition and guidance which have been published on gov.uk to help owners and enforcement officers understand whether a dog should be defined as an XL Bully. Dog Legislation Officers are responsible for identifying prohibited breed types for the purposes of Section 1 of the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 and enforcing the ban once it comes into force. We will be supporting the police to deliver additional training to Dog Legislation Officers to ensure they are able to enforce the ban effectively.
Asked by: Beth Winter (Labour - Cynon Valley)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make it her policy to bring forward legislative proposals for a ban on live exports before the end of the current Parliament.
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government recognises the long-standing public concern with livestock and horses being exported for slaughter and fattening. We are determined to deliver our manifesto commitment to end this trade and will be bringing forward a live exports ban as soon as Parliamentary time allows.
Asked by: Beth Winter (Labour - Cynon Valley)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of existing regulations to protect bee (a) nests and (b) hibernation sites.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
There is a wide range of legislative powers in place to protect pollinators. Current legislation includes provision to regulate the use of pesticides; provide protection for honey bee health; protect our best wildlife sites and most threatened species; provide incentives for habitat creation through our new environmental land management schemes and a legal requirement for public bodies to take account of biodiversity in carrying out their functions.
There has been no recent assessment of the adequacy of existing regulations to protect bee nests and hibernation sites, however there is limited evidence to suggest that bee nests or hibernation sites are being intentionally destroyed and therefore we would not look to protect them under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.
Given bees and other pollinators can be found in, and utilise a range of habitats, protecting such a generalist habitat from destruction or disturbance could have the unintended consequence of making it a criminal offence to tend gardens and maintain land for other purposes.
Pollinators are a priority for this government, and we are taking action alongside many partners to implement the National Pollinator Strategy’s provisions and deliver the National Pollinator Strategy Action Plan which was published in May 2022.
One of the five simple actions to protect pollinators in the National Pollinator Strategy urges all people to avoid disturbing or destroying nesting or hibernating insects, in places like grass margins, bare soil, hedgerows, trees, dead wood or walls.
Asked by: Beth Winter (Labour - Cynon Valley)
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 the Written Statement of 10 July 2023 on Future funding for the Canal and River Trust, HCWS924, whether her Department has made an assessment of the the ability of the Canal and River Trust to meet its objectives through her Department's funding between 2027 and 2037.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Following the 10 July announcement of the future Government grant funding settlement for the Canal and River Trust (C&RT) from 2027 to 2037, Defra officials will be engaging with the C&RT in the coming months to agree appropriate monitoring arrangements in relation to a range of Government policy objectives.
The very substantial £401 million of new grant funding for the C&RT between 2027 and 2037 will provide the C&RT with certainty about the level of Government grant funding for its future business planning over the next three years or so, and continue to support the C&RT to maintain its canal network.
Asked by: Beth Winter (Labour - Cynon Valley)
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 the oral statement by the Minister for Food, Farming and Fisheries on 25 May 2023, Official Report, column 494, when she plans to bring forward legislative proposals to ban the import of (a) dogs with cropped ears and (b) other mutilated dogs.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
We plan to take forward measures in the Animal Welfare (Kept Animals) Bill, including those relating to puppy smuggling, individually through other means during the remainder of this Parliament. That is why we would be supportive of legislating to ban the import of dogs with mutilations, such as cropped ears and docked tails, as a single-issue Bill when Parliamentary time allows.
In August 2021, we consulted on proposed changes to the commercial and non-commercial movements of pets into Great Britain.
We are carefully reviewing the feedback from our consultation and wider engagement with stakeholders, and a summary will be published in due course.