Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions she is having with Cabinet colleagues on ensuring that environmental organisations are given priority for the allocation of funding raised from environmental charges and levies.

Across the Defra group, for many environmental services provided, HM Treasury requires that we seek to charge for those services through full cost recovery, levies or in some cases taxes. For these services, the revenue received from these charges can only support the services specified. The retention of revenue from levies or taxes is usually in agreement with HM Treasury.