Asked by: Peter Dowd (Labour - Bootle)
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 row two Ring-fenced budgets Resource DEL table on page 15 of her Department's 2019-20 Main Estimate Memorandum, if she will publish a breakdown of budgeted expenditure under Flood Defence.
Answered by George Eustice
In relation to the Resource Department Expenditure Limits (DEL) table on page 10 of the memorandum, the Capital DEL table on page 11 and Resource AME table on page 13:
A breakdown is provided in the annex under ‘Part II: Subhead detail’.
In relation to ring-fenced budgets on page 14 and 15 of the memorandum:
The breakdown is to be published as a HM Treasury OSCAR data release later in the 2019 calendar year. Defra’s ring-fenced spend on OSCAR is identified by sub segment codes ending with I, J, M and N within the data release. These Official Statistics are released at the following location:
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/hmt-oscar-publishing-from-the-database
We send our Estimate and Memorandum (including the Annexes) to our Select Committee and this should all be published on the documents page under commons committee for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee. Our Annex (attached) has not been published but the Scrutiny Unit is following up on this.
Asked by: Peter Dowd (Labour - Bootle)
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 row three of the Ring-fenced budgets Resource DEL table on page 15 of her Department's 2019-20 Main Estimate Memorandum, if she will publish a breakdown of budgeted expenditure under Urban Trees.
Answered by George Eustice
In relation to the Resource Department Expenditure Limits (DEL) table on page 10 of the memorandum, the Capital DEL table on page 11 and Resource AME table on page 13:
A breakdown is provided in the annex under ‘Part II: Subhead detail’.
In relation to ring-fenced budgets on page 14 and 15 of the memorandum:
The breakdown is to be published as a HM Treasury OSCAR data release later in the 2019 calendar year. Defra’s ring-fenced spend on OSCAR is identified by sub segment codes ending with I, J, M and N within the data release. These Official Statistics are released at the following location:
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/hmt-oscar-publishing-from-the-database
We send our Estimate and Memorandum (including the Annexes) to our Select Committee and this should all be published on the documents page under commons committee for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee. Our Annex (attached) has not been published but the Scrutiny Unit is following up on this.
Asked by: Peter Dowd (Labour - Bootle)
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 row four of the Ring-fenced budgets Resource DEL table on page 15 of her Department's 2019-20 Main Estimate Memorandum, if she will publish a breakdown of budgeted expenditure under Plastic and Waste Innovation Funding.
Answered by George Eustice
In relation to the Resource Department Expenditure Limits (DEL) table on page 10 of the memorandum, the Capital DEL table on page 11 and Resource AME table on page 13:
A breakdown is provided in the annex under ‘Part II: Subhead detail’.
In relation to ring-fenced budgets on page 14 and 15 of the memorandum:
The breakdown is to be published as a HM Treasury OSCAR data release later in the 2019 calendar year. Defra’s ring-fenced spend on OSCAR is identified by sub segment codes ending with I, J, M and N within the data release. These Official Statistics are released at the following location:
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/hmt-oscar-publishing-from-the-database
We send our Estimate and Memorandum (including the Annexes) to our Select Committee and this should all be published on the documents page under commons committee for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee. Our Annex (attached) has not been published but the Scrutiny Unit is following up on this.
Asked by: Peter Dowd (Labour - Bootle)
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 row five of the Ring-fenced budgets Resource DEL table on page 15 of her Department's 2019-20 Main Estimate Memorandum, if she will publish a breakdown of budgeted expenditure under EU Exit.
Answered by George Eustice
In relation to the Resource Department Expenditure Limits (DEL) table on page 10 of the memorandum, the Capital DEL table on page 11 and Resource AME table on page 13:
A breakdown is provided in the annex under ‘Part II: Subhead detail’.
In relation to ring-fenced budgets on page 14 and 15 of the memorandum:
The breakdown is to be published as a HM Treasury OSCAR data release later in the 2019 calendar year. Defra’s ring-fenced spend on OSCAR is identified by sub segment codes ending with I, J, M and N within the data release. These Official Statistics are released at the following location:
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/hmt-oscar-publishing-from-the-database
We send our Estimate and Memorandum (including the Annexes) to our Select Committee and this should all be published on the documents page under commons committee for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee. Our Annex (attached) has not been published but the Scrutiny Unit is following up on this.
Asked by: Peter Dowd (Labour - Bootle)
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 ensure the accuracy of the data in relation to tree (a) felling and (b) restocking and the associated granting of felling licences.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Forestry Commission regulates felling of trees in England. Felling licences are a requirement for felling, unless an exemption applies.
The Forestry Commission provides the best available information on the granting of felling licences, illegal felling, and publicly funded restocking. These Official Statistics are produced to meet the standards of the Code of Practice for Statistics. Last year, the Forestry Commission introduced a new felling licence online service, which will enable further improvements to the collection and reporting of data on licencing.
There is no obligation for a landowner to fell their trees once a licence has been granted, which can be valid for up to 10 years, so data on actual felling is not recorded and there are no plans to do so. However, loss of woodland can be detected from the analysis of satellite earth observation data, and the Forestry Commission already provides statistics on the net loss of woodland area in England.
This takes account of the loss of woodland to open habitat creation and development. The Forestry Commission is also exploring the potential to further develop techniques to enhance the detection of tree felling and restocking.
Asked by: Peter Dowd (Labour - Bootle)
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 increase (a) the transparency of the UK timber market and (b) the publication of data on timber production.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Forestry Commission, through its agency Forest Research, collects data and publishes statistics on UK timber markets. This work includes information provided by timber processors through surveys and members of the timber industry who participate in the Expert Group on Timber Statistics. Forest Research works to recognised standards, and Official Statistics are produced in compliance with the Code of Practice for Statistics.
Asked by: Peter Dowd (Labour - Bootle)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many consultants his Department has hired in each year since 2016; and what the cost has been to the public purse.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Department does not hold information on the number of consultants hired in any one year as this work is often commissioned as part of an outcome-based contract to ensure value for money.
As set out in the Department’s published Annual Report and Accounts, the amount spent on consultants by Core Defra each year since 2016 is:
2016-17 - £2,792,000
2017-18 - £11,422,000
The increase reflects the need to ensure the Department draws on the best advice possible as we prepare to leave the EU.
Asked by: Peter Dowd (Labour - Bootle)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many consultations by his Department (a) are open, (b) are closed awaiting a Government response and (c) have been initiated since 2016.
Answered by Robert Goodwill
All public government consultations are uploaded onto GOV.UK where one can filter consultations by many criteria, including department, official document status and date of publication. As of 12 March 2019 Defra had:
a) 9 open public consultations,
b) 14 consultations closed awaiting a government response; and
c) 116 consultations published in total from 1 January 2016.
Asked by: Peter Dowd (Labour - Bootle)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the potential effect of lowering import tariffs on agricultural products on the domestic food and drink industry in the event of the UK leaving the EU without a deal.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
In the event the UK leaves the EU without a deal, there would be a number of tools available to help mitigate adverse impacts for the food and drink industry, as well as for consumers and producers. These tools could include lowering applied tariffs on certain goods, alongside tariff rate suspensions and opening up autonomous tariff rate quotas.
Different combinations of these tools would have different impacts on the food and drink industry, as would different degrees of tariff reduction. In addition, the competitiveness of the domestic industry is heavily affected by a number of other factors, including commodity prices, exchange rates and oil prices. These drivers will continue to apply when we leave the EU, regardless of tariff rates.
Asked by: Peter Dowd (Labour - Bootle)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the potential effect of the UK leaving the EU without a deal on the food and drink industry.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Extensive work to prepare for a no-deal scenario has been under way for over two years and the Government is taking necessary steps to ensure the country continues to operate as smoothly as possible from the day the UK leaves the EU.
Alongside the publication of technical notices, the Government has significantly increased engagement with industry in recent months so that businesses better understand the steps they need to take in the event of a no deal.
The Government has well-established ways of working with the food industry on food supply chain issues and we are using these to support preparations for leaving the EU. This includes working with Defra’s long established Food Chain Emergency Liaison Group (FCELG), which allows Government and industry to work together to plan for and respond to any food supply disruption.
Defra regularly meets with trade associations and businesses covering the full spectrum of food and drink production, to explore the operational and technical aspects of EU withdrawal, as well as businesses’ individual concerns.
Defra will continue to work closely with food industry stakeholders to understand the impacts of a no deal scenario on the food and drink industry, as well as any contingency planning measures being taken by industry. Close collaboration between Government and industry will be essential to plan for, respond to, and mitigate any potential disruption.