Asked by: Jesse Norman (Conservative - Hereford and South Herefordshire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what is the Environment Agency's policy on the number of miles its staff may be asked to walk in a day.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Environment Agency does not have a specific policy or guidance defining the maximum number of miles staff may be required to walk in a day.
Asked by: Jesse Norman (Conservative - Hereford and South Herefordshire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the Environment Agency's policy is on single person site, river and infrastructure inspections.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Environment Agency does not have a policy prohibiting single-person site, river or infrastructure inspections. Decisions on lone working are based on robust risk assessment arrangements, and inspections may be undertaken alone where risks can be controlled; however, lone working is not permitted for certain higher-risk activities or hazards.
Asked by: Jesse Norman (Conservative - Hereford and South Herefordshire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what financial support is available to households and businesses in Ewyas Harold to install property flood resilience measures.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Environment Agency is delivering property flood resilience measures in Ewyas Harold to help reduce the impact of flooding. Households affected by flooding may also be able to access funding through participating insurers under the Flood Re 'Build Back Better' scheme.
Asked by: Jesse Norman (Conservative - Hereford and South Herefordshire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the Environment Agency has updated its flood risk modelling for the Dulas Brook catchment since 2020.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Environment Agency updated its flood risk model for the Dulas Brook catchment in 2021. The updated model provides an improved representation of flood risk and supports a better understanding of flooding in the catchment.
Asked by: Jesse Norman (Conservative - Hereford and South Herefordshire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to prioritise increased flood resilience in South Herefordshire.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government’s National Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk Management Strategy for England supports a long-term approach to improving flood resilience. In South Herefordshire, the Environment Agency and Herefordshire Council are working with local communities to raise awareness of flood risk, improve preparedness and support action to reduce impacts from flooding.
Asked by: Jesse Norman (Conservative - Hereford and South Herefordshire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she has considered the establishment of a cross-border agency to co-ordinate and consolidate the flood response for waterways running through Wales and England.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Although the response to flooding is a devolved matter, during flooding incidents Defra coordinates closely with colleagues in Welsh Government and Natural Resources Wales where appropriate.
Asked by: Jesse Norman (Conservative - Hereford and South Herefordshire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what funding her Department has secured for flood management and mitigation schemes in rural areas.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
This Government is investing at least £10.5 billion until 2036 to construct new flood schemes and repair existing defences, protecting communities across England from the devastating impacts of climate change.
Last October, the Government announced major changes to its flood and coastal erosion funding policy. Our funding rules will support farming and rural communities and improve resilience against flood risk across the country.
Asked by: Jesse Norman (Conservative - Hereford and South Herefordshire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what support the Department offers to both households and businesses who are unable to secure insurance following repeated flood events.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Flood Re, the joint Government and industry scheme, supports households to access floods insurance. Households and businesses can use the British Insurance Brokers’ Association Find Insurance Service and Flood Insurance Directory to identify specialist providers. Parametric insurance can provide business insurance for pre-agreed events, with choices of premiums for multiple levels of risk.
Asked by: Jesse Norman (Conservative - Hereford and South Herefordshire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how the Department plans to reduce the complexity, cost and time for landowners to obtain the required licences to carry out repairs, tree management and flood mitigations on water courses.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government keeps all legislation under review, including permitting, and announced, in its Regulation Action Plan, plans to streamline the process for defining exemptions within environmental permitting. The Environment Agency will be able to exempt certain flood risk activities, making the regime quicker, more flexible and proportionate for low-risk activities.
Asked by: Jesse Norman (Conservative - Hereford and South Herefordshire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the total proceeds of fines on water companies have been since the Treasury announcement on 30 November 2022 that they would be reserved for river restoration; and how much has been spent for this purpose.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Water Restoration Fund, which launched in April this year, is reinvesting water company environmental fines and penalties into projects to improve the water environment. A total of £11 million has been made available for local projects in regions where fines and penalties have been issued between April 2022 and October 2023. The application window for the Water Restoration Fund closed on Friday 7th June and we are currently reviewing applications. The Government is committed to restoring and enhancing the water environment in England.