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Written Question
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Local Government Finance
Monday 1st November 2021

Asked by: Clive Betts (Labour - Sheffield South East)

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many funds are allocated to local authorities by his Department through a process of competitive bidding; and if he will publish the names of those funds.

Answered by Victoria Prentis - Attorney General

The Government believes that providing councils with the freedom to use funding in a way that responds to local needs and priorities is key to supporting financial sustainability and sound financial management.

The Government has a long-standing policy to provide grant funding to local government on a non-ringfenced basis as part of the commitment to greater localism. This policy provides greater funding flexibility to local authorities (LAs) and supports them to make spending decisions based on their local needs and priorities.

LAs also receive significant funding outside of biddable pots, through Section 31 grants and through unringfenced funding. The Local Government Finance settlement and the vast majority of local government’s Core Spending Power (£51.3 billion) is un-ringfenced, giving LAs flexibility over their spending decisions.

There are times when dedicated competitive biddable funding streams are the best way to make sure local government receives the support, they need to deliver the Government’s objectives, including specific funding initiatives, trials or pilots. In such circumstances, Ministers will look to maximise value for money by considering the timing, value and conditions attached to any funding.

Core Defra has run annual competitions for air quality grants, where eligible LAs are able to apply:

Financial Year (FY) 2021-22: A budget of £9 million has been allocated to English local authorities under Section 31 of the Local Government Act 2003. Applications for this competition are currently under evaluation. This competition is offered under two lots:

  • Lot 1 – projects designed to reduce air pollutant exceedances especially in those areas that are projected to remain in exceedance of the UK’s legal targets

  • Lot 2 – projects that will improve knowledge and information about air quality and steps individuals can take to reduce their exposure to air pollution and/or projects that include measures that deal with particulate matter.

FY 2020-21: £5 million for the delivery of projects designed to support LAs to develop and/or implement measures to improve local air quality.

FY 2019-20: £2 million for the delivery of projects designed to support LAs to develop and/or implement measures to improve local air quality.

FY 2018-19: £3 million to incentivise LAs to improve air quality in areas most in need of improvement and identify projects which are likely to have the greatest environmental impact.

FY 2016-17: £3 million for LAs in England where Defra’s national air quality assessment, as reported to the EU Commission, identified and/or projected an exceedance, and/or which have one or more Air Quality Management Areas.

In 2020 Core Defra and the Environment Agency invited lead local flood authorities to express interest to participate in our £150m Flood Resilience and Innovation Programme. The 25 successful areas were announced in March 2021, (Innovative projects to protect against flooding selected - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk), and received £40k each from Defra to further develop their plans. The Environment Agency is managing the programme, including distribution of the capital funding between now and March 2027.

We have not run any other LA-only competed grants schemes within Core Defra.


Written Question
Recycling: Finance
Monday 8th February 2021

Asked by: Clive Betts (Labour - Sheffield South East)

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what interim financial support he plans to provide to local authorities in the event that the launch of the Deposit Return Scheme is delayed until 2024.

Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Government is committed to ensuring that Local Authorities are properly funded for the services they deliver. In 2021-22, we estimate that local government will see a cash terms increase of 4.6% in core spending power - a real-terms increase. This is in line with last year's increase and recognises the resources councils need to meet their responsibilities and maintain current service levels. In total, we expect Core Spending Power to rise from £49.0 billion to £51.2 billion next year.

With regards to the introduction of a deposit return scheme (DRS) for drinks containers, any additional costs incurred by local authorities to support the introduction of a DRS will be funded in line with the new burdens doctrine.


Written Question
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Annual Reports
Tuesday 4th September 2018

Asked by: Clive Betts (Labour - Sheffield South East)

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, which agencies and other public bodies accountable to him will not have published their annual report and accounts for 2017-2018 by 31 July 2018; and what the reasons are for each such body not having done so by that date.

Answered by George Eustice

As per the Government Resources and Accounts Act (2000), there is no legal requirement for agencies or other public bodies to publish their accounts before the January following year end.

The Sea Fish Industry Authority (SFIA) and the National Forest Company (NFC) will not have published their annual report and accounts by 31 July 2018.

The SFIA has historically presented its completed annual report and accounts after the summer recess. The Authority is working with the Core Department and the National Audit Office with a view to laying and publishing its annual report and accounts at an earlier stage in future years.

The NFC converted to a charity in April 2016. It was agreed between Defra and the National Audit Office that the 2017-18 annual report and accounts would be produced after recess, to ensure that the continuing impact of the transfer to charitable status on the business and the accounts are fully understood, and reflected appropriately in the group consolidated accounts.


Written Question
Research
Thursday 26th March 2015

Asked by: Clive Betts (Labour - Sheffield South East)

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what research her Department has commissioned from external bodies between September 2010 and December 2014 has not been published; when each such report was commissioned; what the nature of the research commissioned for each such report was; from whom each such research report was commissioned; what the value of each such commission was; on what date each such report was received by her Department; for what reason each such research report has not yet been published; and when she plans to publish each such report.

Answered by Dan Rogerson

Details for all core Defra’s research projects including description, contractor, cost and publications, commissioned between September 2010 and December 2014 are published online at http://randd.defra.gov.uk/. Defra is committed to publishing the results of high quality research and contractors are encouraged to publish articles in scientific journals. Core Defra publishes final research reports online and exceptions tend to relate to risks to personal or national security or limitations identified by specialist reviewers. The department does not hold centrally a record of which exemption applies to individual research projects.