Asked by: Tom Blenkinsop (Labour - Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the effects of dumping steel flue dust on the surrounding environment; and what guidance and regulations apply to the disposal of steel flue dust.
Answered by Thérèse Coffey
Defra has not undertaken an assessment of the effects of disposing of flue dust from steelworks on the environment. Impacts of direct releases to the environment from steel production are assessed on a site-specific basis during determination of applications for environmental permits. Wastes produced from flue gas abatement are disposed of through many different disposal or recovery routes. Assessment of any environmental impact of these waste operations is also done on a site-specific basis.
Flue dust produced from steelworks will be hazardous waste to be treated and disposed of at a permitted hazardous waste disposal facility. Those who produce or handle hazardous waste have a duty to ensure that the waste causes no harm or damage. Waste producers have specific responsibilities known as 'duty of care'. Those who produce, store, collect transport or receive waste for recycling or disposal must also meet extra requirements, which are described on the GOV.UK website.
Asked by: Tom Blenkinsop (Labour - Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, which flood defence maintenance works were undertaken in Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland constituency in each year since 2010; and what the cost to the public purse was of each of those works.
Answered by Rory Stewart
The Environment Agency regularly cleans and maintains several debris screens on the upper reaches of the Ormesby Beck, Middle Beck and Marton West Beck in Middlesbrough. Other maintenance works by the Environment Agency consist of works to maintain, or improve, the flow of water in rivers where it reduces flood risk to homes.
In accordance with data retention rules, the Environment Agency does not hold financial records for more than five years. The table below outlines expenditure since 2011/12.
2011 - 12 | 2012 - 13 | 2013 - 14 | 2014 -15 | 2015 - 16 |
£1,370 | £22,990 | £21,730 | £16,920 | £116,220 |
Asked by: Tom Blenkinsop (Labour - Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential effect of insecurity of supply of potash minerals on farming and food production.
Answered by George Eustice
I refer the hon. Member to the reply previously given on 24 June 2015, PQ UIN 3328.
Asked by: Tom Blenkinsop (Labour - Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions her Department has had with the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills on the potential costs of cleaning pollutants from SSI property in Redcar.
Answered by Rory Stewart
Officials in the Environment Agency and the Health and Safety Executive have been working with the Official Receiver to ensure that the SSI Redcar site is closed down in a safe manner and with minimal impact to the environment and human health. The closure Plan which the Official Receiver is now implementing will deliver a ‘safe state’ position.
Government continues to work closely with all relevant parties to establish the potential costs of cleaning pollutants from the site.
Asked by: Tom Blenkinsop (Labour - Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the need for security of supply of potash minerals.
Answered by George Eustice
Defra has not made an assessment of the security of supply of potash minerals. The UK currently has one domestic mine for supply and therefore depends on some imports. Import statistics provided to Defra by the Agriculture Industries Confederation show that 135,000 tonnes of straight potash fertilisers and 389,000 tonnes of potash-containing compound fertilisers were imported into the UK from a wide range of EU and non-EU countries in the 12 months to March 2015 making up approximately 40% of UK consumption.
Asked by: Tom Blenkinsop (Labour - Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland)
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 provide funding as part of the National Pollinator Strategy to create a national insect monitoring scheme.
Answered by George Eustice
Defra is currently commissioning a two year research project that will develop and test a new national pollinator monitoring scheme. The project will develop the methods, sampling framework and delivery mechanisms for a cost-effective national monitoring scheme, which will assess changes in pollinator populations and their pollination services. Commissioning of this research is at an advanced stage and the project could start as early as this month. Once contracts are in place we will provide details on our science webpages (http://randd.defra.gov.uk/ ).
Asked by: Tom Blenkinsop (Labour - Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland)
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 Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government on the issuing of planning guidance as part of the proposed National Pollinator Strategy to ensure that future development is beneficial to bees and other pollinators.
Answered by George Eustice
Defra officials discussed the National Pollinator Strategy in relation to planning guidance with officials at the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) in autumn 2013. DCLG published the National Planning Practice Guidance in March 2014, which is clear about biodiversity aims.