Asked by: Maria Eagle (Labour - Garston and Halewood)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to assist those who wish to deliver food aid via the EU to support Ukrainian refugees now in Eastern Europe.
Answered by Victoria Prentis - Attorney General
Defra has been contacted by many individuals and organisations willing to generously donate their time, money and resources to helping the Ukrainian people. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office is leading on the distribution of humanitarian aid to Ukraine.
Individuals who wish to help Ukraine are urged to donate to the Red Cross or DEC Ukraine appeals (www.dec.org.uk/). Cash donations will be more effective at enabling experienced aid workers to reach the people who need help the most, rather than donations of goods. Reputable NGOs such as these will be able to efficiently utilise existing supply chains.
Asked by: Maria Eagle (Labour - Garston and Halewood)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what meetings her Department has had with Liverpool City Council to discuss preparations for leaving the EU without a withdrawal agreement.
Answered by George Eustice
We have communicated on a range of topics with local authorities, including in a conference call on 13 August along with other Government departments. Each local Authority has established a Brexit lead officer to liaise with government.
Defra has identified areas where our exit preparations impact local authorities. For instance Environmental Health Officers are responsible for issuing Export Health Certificates on fish and we have discussed capacity and the requirements with them.
We regularly contribute to a cross-government working group which coordinates engagement with local authorities.
Information on leaving the EU without a withdrawal agreement relevant to a particular local authority can then be accessed by the local authority via shared channels, such as:
Information on a range of Defra’s exit projects if we leave the EU without a withdrawal agreement has been made available to local authorities through these channels. This includes information on:
Local authorities have been invited to attend various meetings, including workshops, training events and roadshows on topics including:
Asked by: Maria Eagle (Labour - Garston and Halewood)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what meetings her Department has had with Knowsley Borough Council to discuss preparations for leaving the EU without a withdrawal agreement.
Answered by George Eustice
We have communicated on a range of topics with local authorities, including in a conference call on 13 August along with other Government departments. Each local Authority has established a Brexit lead officer to liaise with government.
Defra has identified areas where our exit preparations impact local authorities. For instance Environmental Health Officers are responsible for issuing Export Health Certificates on fish and we have discussed capacity and the requirements with them.
We regularly contribute to a cross-government working group which coordinates engagement with local authorities.
Information on leaving the EU without a withdrawal agreement relevant to a particular local authority can then be accessed by the local authority via shared channels, such as:
Information on a range of Defra’s exit projects if we leave the EU without a withdrawal agreement has been made available to local authorities through these channels. This includes information on:
Local authorities have been invited to attend various meetings, including workshops, training events and roadshows on topics including:
Asked by: Maria Eagle (Labour - Garston and Halewood)
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 has taken to ensure that tractors pulling trailers in a work capacity are not charged (a) tolls and (b) Penalty Charge Notices on the Mersey Gateway Bridge; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by George Eustice
No such meetings have been held. The administration, operation and collection of tolls and penalty charge notices on the Mersey Gateway Bridge, including for tractors, are a matter for Halton Borough Council and Merseylink consortium to decide.
Asked by: Maria Eagle (Labour - Garston and Halewood)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent representations he has received on the liability of tractors to pay tolls on the Mersey Gateway Bridge.
Answered by George Eustice
No such meetings have been held. The administration, operation and collection of tolls and penalty charge notices on the Mersey Gateway Bridge, including for tractors, are a matter for Halton Borough Council and Merseylink consortium to decide.
Asked by: Maria Eagle (Labour - Garston and Halewood)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what meetings (a) ministers and (b) officials of his Department have had with (i) HM Treasury and (ii) the Department of Transport related to the liability of tractors to pay tolls on the Mersey Gateway Bridge; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by George Eustice
No such meetings have been held. The administration, operation and collection of tolls and penalty charge notices on the Mersey Gateway Bridge, including for tractors, are a matter for Halton Borough Council and Merseylink consortium to decide.
Asked by: Maria Eagle (Labour - Garston and Halewood)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans he has to review the application to schools of the Guidance to Water and Sewerage Undertakers in relation to Concessionary Schemes for Community Groups for Surface Water and Highways Drainage Charges.
Answered by Thérèse Coffey
Information on average water and sewerage charges for particular groups of customers is not readily available centrally. Water companies set out the basis for all their charges in charges schemes, published annually on their websites.
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs does not intend to undertake another review of the guidance in relation to concessionary schemes for community groups for surface water drainage charges, following the review carried out last year.
The guidance allows water companies the flexibility to introduce concessions that best suit their local circumstances. This has meant, for example, that United Utilities has been able to introduce the following changes for schools with playgrounds teaching key stages 1-5:
a bill credit of 15% on wholesale surface water and highway drainage charges for 2017/18; and
a 50% reduction to wholesale surface water and highway drainage charges from 2018/19 onwards. This would represent approximately a 40% reduction in the overall wastewater bill.
Asked by: Maria Eagle (Labour - Garston and Halewood)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the average water and sewerage charge was for schools in Garston and Halewood constituency in 2016-17.
Answered by Thérèse Coffey
Information on average water and sewerage charges for particular groups of customers is not readily available centrally. Water companies set out the basis for all their charges in charges schemes, published annually on their websites.
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs does not intend to undertake another review of the guidance in relation to concessionary schemes for community groups for surface water drainage charges, following the review carried out last year.
The guidance allows water companies the flexibility to introduce concessions that best suit their local circumstances. This has meant, for example, that United Utilities has been able to introduce the following changes for schools with playgrounds teaching key stages 1-5:
a bill credit of 15% on wholesale surface water and highway drainage charges for 2017/18; and
a 50% reduction to wholesale surface water and highway drainage charges from 2018/19 onwards. This would represent approximately a 40% reduction in the overall wastewater bill.
Asked by: Maria Eagle (Labour - Garston and Halewood)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the average water and sewerage charge was for schools across local authorities in the South East in 2016-17.
Answered by Thérèse Coffey
Information on average water and sewerage charges for particular groups of customers is not readily available centrally. Water companies set out the basis for all their charges in charges schemes, published annually on their websites.
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs does not intend to undertake another review of the guidance in relation to concessionary schemes for community groups for surface water drainage charges, following the review carried out last year.
The guidance allows water companies the flexibility to introduce concessions that best suit their local circumstances. This has meant, for example, that United Utilities has been able to introduce the following changes for schools with playgrounds teaching key stages 1-5:
a bill credit of 15% on wholesale surface water and highway drainage charges for 2017/18; and
a 50% reduction to wholesale surface water and highway drainage charges from 2018/19 onwards. This would represent approximately a 40% reduction in the overall wastewater bill.
Asked by: Maria Eagle (Labour - Garston and Halewood)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the average water and sewerage charge was for schools across local authorities in the North West in 2016-17.
Answered by Thérèse Coffey
Information on average water and sewerage charges for particular groups of customers is not readily available centrally. Water companies set out the basis for all their charges in charges schemes, published annually on their websites.
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs does not intend to undertake another review of the guidance in relation to concessionary schemes for community groups for surface water drainage charges, following the review carried out last year.
The guidance allows water companies the flexibility to introduce concessions that best suit their local circumstances. This has meant, for example, that United Utilities has been able to introduce the following changes for schools with playgrounds teaching key stages 1-5:
a bill credit of 15% on wholesale surface water and highway drainage charges for 2017/18; and
a 50% reduction to wholesale surface water and highway drainage charges from 2018/19 onwards. This would represent approximately a 40% reduction in the overall wastewater bill.