Asked by: Steve Reed (Labour (Co-op) - Croydon North)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of funding available to highway authorities to carry out statutory duties on public rights of way.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The final Local Government Finance Settlement for 2024-25 makes available up to £64.7 billion, an increase in Core Spending Power of up to £4.5 billion or 7.5% in cash terms on 2023-24. This is an above inflation increase.
Local highway authorities themselves are best placed to understand local priorities and allocate funding accordingly to fulfil their statutory rights of way duties.
Asked by: Steve Reed (Labour (Co-op) - Croydon North)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has had discussions with Ministers in his Department on the MVV Environment incinerator proposal in his constituency.
Answered by Steve Barclay - Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
As Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, I have not had any meetings with my ministers to discuss the proposed MVV Environment incinerator in my constituency.
Asked by: Steve Reed (Labour (Co-op) - Croydon North)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, pursuant to the Answer of 18 March 2024 to Question 18175 on Nature Conservation: Finance, what estimate he has made of the total budget that is (a) unspent and (b) unallocated as of 12 April 2024.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Between financial years 2021/22 and 2022/23 the UK spent £763 million on climate change interventions that protect and restore nature and biodiversity leaving £2.2 billion to spend between 2023/24 and 2025/26. This figure will be updated when total spend for the financial year for 2023/24 is finalised later this year. There is currently over £3 billion allocated to nature programming between 2021/22 and 2025/26.
Asked by: Steve Reed (Labour (Co-op) - Croydon North)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to Q25 of the evidence given by the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (EFRA) to the EFRA Committee on 26 March 2024, HC 163, whether the Prime Minister has asked the Cabinet Office to investigate the compliance of the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs with the Ministerial Code.
Answered by John Glen - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
I have been asked to reply.
I refer the hon. Member to the full statement by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs during his appearance at that Select Committee meeting (questions 25 to 27). The Secretary of State has recused himself from these matters. It is not uncommon for Ministers to balance their work as a constituency MP with their roles as Ministers, and there are established processes which support that.
Asked by: Steve Reed (Labour (Co-op) - Croydon North)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he had discussions with the planning inspectorate on MVV Environment incinerator proposals in his constituency.
Answered by Steve Barclay - Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
As Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, I have not made representations to the planning inspectorate.
In my capacity as the Member of Parliament for North East Cambridgeshire, I have made a number of representations to the Planning Inspectorate. This includes representations made on: 29 July 2022; 06 October 2022; 09 March 2023; 24 March 2023; 02 February 2024; and 13 February 2024.
These representations are a matter of the public record and can be found on the Planning Inspectorate’s website: https://national-infrastructure-consenting.planninginspectorate.gov.uk/projects/EN010110
Asked by: Steve Reed (Labour (Co-op) - Croydon North)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, on what date he recused himself from the decision-making process for the proposed MVV Environment incinerator construction in his constituency.
Answered by Steve Barclay - Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
On 27 February 2024, following advice from the Permanent Secretary, I formally recused myself from any decisions relating to incinerator policy. I put in place with the Permanent Secretary a formal recusal process which means I have no involvement in any decisions or sight of advice related to incinerator policy. All decisions on this policy will be taken by a junior Minister in the department who has no relevant interest.
As I stated at the EFRA Select Committee on 26 March 2024, I had previously flagged my constituency interest, and had said the policy needed to be delegated to another minister, recognising the importance of the Ministerial Code in terms of conflicts of interests, and also the perception of any conflicts of interest. As soon as I was notified by the Permanent Secretary of the need to formally recuse myself, that is exactly what I did.
Asked by: Steve Reed (Labour (Co-op) - Croydon North)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he sought legal advice on the MVV Environment incinerator proposal in his constituency.
Answered by Steve Barclay - Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
In my capacity as Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, I have not sought legal advice on the MVV Environment facility proposed in North East Cambridgeshire
Asked by: Steve Reed (Labour (Co-op) - Croydon North)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions he has had with the Environment Agency on MVV Environment's proposals for an energy from waste plant in Wisbech, Cambridgeshire.
Answered by Steve Barclay - Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
In my capacity as the Member of Parliament for North East Cambridgeshire, I met with former Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, my Rt. Hon friend, Thérèse Coffey, Defra officials and an Environment Agency official on 19 July 2023 to discuss the proposal for a waste incineration facility in North East Cambridgeshire.
Asked by: Steve Reed (Labour (Co-op) - Croydon North)
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 publish all correspondence he has exchanged with the Environment Agency relating to MVV Environment's proposals for an energy from waste plant to be built in Wisbech, Cambridgeshire.
Answered by Steve Barclay - Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
In my capacity as Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, I have had no correspondence with the Environment Agency relating to MVV Environment's proposals for an energy from waste plant to be built in Wisbech, Cambridgeshire.
Asked by: Steve Reed (Labour (Co-op) - Croydon North)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department sought external legal advice on the proposal by MVV Environment to build a new incinerator in his constituency.
Answered by Steve Barclay - Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Defra has not sought legal advice with regard to the proposal for a waste incineration facility operated by MVV Environment in North East Cambridgeshire