Asked by: Mike Amesbury (Independent - Runcorn and Helsby)
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 is taking to encourage (a) young people and (b) new entrants into farming.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Attracting bright new talent into land-based careers and having a skilled workforce in place is vital for the future of UK food and farming.
Defra works closely with The Institute for Agriculture and Horticulture (TIAH) which is encouraging young people and new entrants into farming in its capacity as an industry led professional body for the farming industry. This includes leading a cross-industry initiative to address common negative misconceptions about the sector and providing free TIAH membership for students. TIAH is also developing online capabilities to support matching mentees with mentors, and those looking for land with those who wish to provide access to land.
Furthermore, the Government has launched Skills England to ensure there is a comprehensive suite of apprenticeships, training and technical qualifications for individuals and employers to access, which are aligned with skills gaps and what employers need. It will work with its partners to ensure that regional and national skills needs are met.
Asked by: Mike Amesbury (Independent - Runcorn and Helsby)
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 quality of water in river ways in Runcorn and Helsby constituency.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The watercourses of the River Weaver, River Gowy, Peckmill Brook and Keckwick Brook and their tributaries, together with the Mersey Estuary, were classified in 2019 and 2022. They are mainly at ‘Moderate’ ecological status. The Environment Agency publishes data on the classifications of rivers in England at England | Catchment Data Explorer.
Asked by: Mike Amesbury (Independent - Runcorn and Helsby)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment has he made of the impact of incinerators on air quality (a) in Halton and (b) nationally.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Environment Agency (EA) are responsible for issuing permits to allow new incinerators (also known as energy from waste or EfW plants) to operate in England. When the EA receives a permit application for a new EfW plant, or to change the operation of an existing plant in a way which could affect its emissions, they carry out a comprehensive air quality impact assessment.
The EA will only grant a permit for an EfW plant, or a variation to an existing permit, if they are satisfied that the proposal would not give rise to any significant pollution of the environment or harm to human health, including via impacts on air quality. This has been done for the Runcorn EfW plant in the Borough of Halton. A copy of the latest air quality impact assessment for Runcorn can be found in Section 1 of the document at the following link: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5c8faadee5274a4c32a1597d/Application_Variation_-_Decision_Document.pdf
The EA also consult the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) for their views on every new permit application they receive. The UKHSA’s position is that modern, well-run and regulated municipal waste incinerators are not a significant risk to public health. This view is based on detailed assessments of the effects of air pollutants on health and on the fact that these incinerators make only a very small contribution to local and national concentrations of air pollutants.
Asked by: Mike Amesbury (Independent - Runcorn and Helsby)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with United Utilities on the level of sewage released into the River Severn.
Answered by Robbie Moore - Shadow Minister (Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Secretary of State has regular discussions with representatives of the water industry to discuss a range of issues, including reducing sewage discharges. This Government will continue to take bold action to tackle sewage pollution and hold all water companies, including United Utilities, to account for delivery.
The Government is clear that the volume of sewage being discharged into our waters is unacceptable. This is why we launched the Storm Overflows Discharge Reduction Plan, setting stringent targets to reduce discharges from storm overflows. This Plan will drive the largest infrastructure programme in water company history - £60 billion capital investment over 25 years.
The River Severn is not a catchment in which United Utilities operates.
Asked by: Mike Amesbury (Independent - Runcorn and Helsby)
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 Fifth Special Report of Session 2022-23 of the Environmental, Food and Rural Affairs Committee on Species Reintroduction: Government response to the Committee's Fifth Report, published on 27 October 2023, HC 1931, on what criteria her Department decides when it is appropriate to support the reintroduction of recently lost former native species.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
The reintroduction of any species in England should follow our published guidance and Code for Reintroductions, which provides the best practice for assessing the benefits and impacts of releasing a species into the wild. The appropriateness of a reintroduction proposal will be highly dependent on the specific circumstances in which it is made, for example the surrounding environmental conditions, socio-economic circumstances, or species already present in that location. As such, Natural England assess applications for release licences on a case-by-case basis, ensuring that any applications align to the Code.
Asked by: Mike Amesbury (Independent - Runcorn and Helsby)
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 made an assessment of the potential impact of delays in the availability of conservation covenants on the ability of local authorities to prepare the implementation of biodiversity net gain in November 2023.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
Guidance for any organisations considering applying to become a conservation covenant responsible body will be published and the application process launched as soon as possible, in readiness for the implementation of biodiversity net gain (BNG).
Land for BNG can already be secured via standard planning obligations such as s106.
Asked by: Mike Amesbury (Independent - Runcorn and Helsby)
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 made contingency plans in case there are no appropriate and approved conservation covenant responsible bodies in time for the implementation of biodiversity net gain in November.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
Guidance for any organisations considering applying to become a conservation covenant responsible body will be published and the application process launched as soon as possible, in readiness for the implementation of biodiversity net gain (BNG).
Land for BNG can already be secured via standard planning obligations such as s106.
Asked by: Mike Amesbury (Independent - Runcorn and Helsby)
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 provide (a) councils and (b) landowners with details of the conservation covenant responsible body application process before the implementation of biodiversity net gain.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
Guidance for any organisations considering applying to become a conservation covenant responsible body will be published and the application process launched as soon as possible, in readiness for the implementation of biodiversity net gain (BNG).
Land for BNG can already be secured via standard planning obligations such as s106.
Asked by: Mike Amesbury (Independent - Runcorn and Helsby)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment has made of the adequacy of the capacity of local planning authorities to implement biodiversity net gain for (a) large sites in November 2023 and (b) smaller sites in April 2024.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
Under the Environment Act 2021, planning permissions granted in England, with a few exemptions, will have to deliver at least 10% biodiversity net gain (BNG), with phased implementation starting from November 2023.
BNG will be mandatory for most new major development under the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 from November this year, for minor development from April 2024 and for Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects from 2025.
The exact dates will be announced as soon as possible and are subject to parliamentary timings.
The initial assessment of the additional burden mandatory BNG would place on local planning authorities was made in the BNG Impact Assessment in 2019: Net gain impact assessment.
Subsequently Defra worked with the Association of Local Government Ecologists and the Association of Directors of Environment, Economy, Planning & Transport to undertake a survey of local planning authorities in 2021. This survey was aimed at securing a better understanding of the existing capacity, skills and preparedness of local authorities with respect to BNG and wider Environment Act 2021 measures. The survey outcomes have been published in a report, available at: Defra Science Search.
The Government announced funding to support local authorities in England with preparation for mandatory BNG of £4.18 million and up to a further £16.71 million during the two-year transition period. Defra is also funding a project with the Planning Advisory Service to support local authorities in preparing for BNG.
Asked by: Mike Amesbury (Independent - Runcorn and Helsby)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when she plans to publish the dates for the implementation of biodiversity net gain in (a) November 2023 and (b) April 2024.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
Under the Environment Act 2021, planning permissions granted in England, with a few exemptions, will have to deliver at least 10% biodiversity net gain (BNG), with phased implementation starting from November 2023.
BNG will be mandatory for most new major development under the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 from November this year, for minor development from April 2024 and for Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects from 2025.
The exact dates will be announced as soon as possible and are subject to parliamentary timings.
The initial assessment of the additional burden mandatory BNG would place on local planning authorities was made in the BNG Impact Assessment in 2019: Net gain impact assessment.
Subsequently Defra worked with the Association of Local Government Ecologists and the Association of Directors of Environment, Economy, Planning & Transport to undertake a survey of local planning authorities in 2021. This survey was aimed at securing a better understanding of the existing capacity, skills and preparedness of local authorities with respect to BNG and wider Environment Act 2021 measures. The survey outcomes have been published in a report, available at: Defra Science Search.
The Government announced funding to support local authorities in England with preparation for mandatory BNG of £4.18 million and up to a further £16.71 million during the two-year transition period. Defra is also funding a project with the Planning Advisory Service to support local authorities in preparing for BNG.