Asked by: Alex Mayer (Labour - Dunstable and Leighton Buzzard)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if his Department will take legislative steps to ensure all domestic insurers offer Build Back Better policies.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
I hosted a roundtable in September 2024 with leaders from the insurance industry, as well as experts in research and development. At this event, the importance of Build Back Better was stressed to the insurance industry and all providers were encouraged to offer this. Flood Re and the insurance industry responded positively to this ask.
Asked by: Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb (Green Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Sherlock on 16 September (HL638), whether they intend to make and publish their decision on the Health and Safety Executive's final restriction opinion on the risks of using lead in ammunition within three months of receipt of the opinion.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Following receipt of the Health and Safety Executive’s final opinions, the final decision for any restriction will be made by the Secretary of State, with the consent of the Scottish and Welsh Ministers, and published on GOV.UK.
Asked by: Victoria Collins (Liberal Democrat - Harpenden and Berkhamsted)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he plans to (a) reintroduce the Kept Animals Bill and (b) introduce a ban on snares.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for South Devon on 11 October 2024, PQ 7135.
Asked by: Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb (Green Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Hayman of Ullock on 17 September (HL801), whether the compensation of existing shareholders is a pre-condition for the transfer of ownership of a water company in the Special Administrative Regime to a new owner.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
No, there is no precondition to compensate shareholders in the case of transferring of company to new owner after a Special Administration Regime (SAR). The Procedure for a transfer scheme in a SAR is set out in Schedule 2 to the Water Industry Act 1991.
Asked by: Freddie van Mierlo (Liberal Democrat - Henley and Thame)
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 amend the criteria relating to bathing water designation to include the (a) use of (i) non-motorised boats and (ii) paddleboards and (b) holding of (i) the Royal Regatta, (ii) events organised by Swim Henley and (iii) other such events.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Ministers continue to consider possible changes to the Bathing water system. In light of this, applications for designations for the 2025 bathing season which were closed by the previous administration, remain closed.
Asked by: Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb (Green Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they intend to conduct a review of whether Area and Regional Directors of the Environment Agency have any conflicts of interest with their role as regulators of the water industry, and if so, whether they intend to make any such conflicts public.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
An annual assessment of declarations of interest takes place across the Environment Agency (EA). The EA has a Code of Conduct that applies equally to all employees including Area Directors and Directors of Operations (Regional Directors). All employees are required to make an annual declaration of interest even if it's to confirm that there are no interests to declare, as well as at any time, should a potential conflict arise. They must make a declaration when an actual or potential conflict arises, including the existence of any private interest which might influence or be reasonably thought by others to influence their impartiality or the performance of their duties under the contract of employment. In these situations, the EA assess the declaration and take steps to mitigate or avoid the risk of conflict. A serious failure to declare an interest could lead to disciplinary action resulting in dismissal on the grounds of gross misconduct.
The question of publication of Area and Regional Directors’ financial declarations has recently been the subject of a ruling from the Information Commissioners Office (ICO) which examined the balance of data protection and the public interest, given the current focus on water industry regulation. The ICO found that the Agency should publish relevant financial disclosures for those at Director level, and not for those at the Deputy Director grade, which includes Area Directors. The Agency intends to comply with this ruling.
Asked by: Baroness Eaton (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will take steps to invite officials in the Department for Transport to sit on, and become members of, the Flood Resilience Task Force.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government’s new Floods Resilience Taskforce marks a new approach to preparing for flooding and developing policy. It brings together a range of partners in national, regional and local Government, including the Environment Agency, Devolved Administrations, selected Regional Mayors and Lead Local Flood Authorities. Membership of the Taskforce from national, regional and local partners is flexed to meet the specific agenda and priorities but the Taskforce will also work with a wider range of flood risk partners as needed.
The Floods Resilience Taskforce spoke to the Department for Transport (DfT) before the first meeting and received information on the Transport Sectors’ readiness for flooding. This builds on Defra’s existing close work with the Department for Transport. DfT will be invited to attend future Taskforce meetings when the agenda requires and the Taskforce will work with DfT as needed.
Asked by: Lord Carlile of Berriew (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have any proposals to license the increased culling of cormorants and other predatory native and non-native birds in England and Wales.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
This is a devolved matter and the information provided therefore relates to England only.
The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 provides licensing functions to permit the control of piscivorous birds, most often cormorants, to protect fisheries where it can be shown that non-lethal measures are failing to manage predation.
Licences are issued by Natural England, which has responsibility for setting a prudent upper limit on cormorant control to ensure that licensed removal does not irreversibly affect their conservation status. Licensing returns are monitored to ensure this limit is not breached. The Government is not currently proposing to license an increased culling of cormorants or other predatory species of birds.
Asked by: Lord Taylor of Warwick (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to protect consumers where water companies are facing financial difficulties.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Ofwat independently monitors the financial position of water companies and acts when companies need to strengthen their long-term financial resilience. Ofwat expect water companies to maintain a level of financial headroom to manage short term volatility and shocks to their financial structures and meet their obligations and commitments.
We are clear consumers must be protected. Ofwat has strengthened its powers to improve financial resilience, including stopping water companies paying dividends where financial resilience is at risk.
Our Water (Special Measures) Bill will put water companies under tough special measures, by strengthening regulation as a first legislative step towards improving the sector.
Asked by: Lord Carlile of Berriew (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what proposals they have for encouraging and developing private and business leisure fishing in rivers and lakes in England and Wales.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Environment Agency (EA) has a statutory duty under the Salmon and Freshwater Fisheries Act (1975) to maintain, improve and develop fisheries. In addition, ministerial guidance they received in 2000 confirmed the need to:
- ensure the conservation and maintain the diversity of freshwater and migratory fish, and to conserve their aquatic environment.
- enhance the contribution migratory and freshwater fisheries make to the economy, particularly in remote rural areas and in areas with low levels of income; and
- enhance the social value of fishing as a widely available and healthy form of recreation.
The EA promotes angling as a widely available and healthy outdoors activity. Getting more people to take up fishing involves working closely with partners, particularly the Angling Trust. This work also results in social, health and wellbeing outcomes.
The EA provides advice and guidance for fishery owners, including commercially run venues, and invests income from rod licence sales to support projects to improve fisheries and facilities for anglers. This improves economic benefits for many angling stakeholders and businesses within local communities, many in rurally deprived areas.
These responsibilities are undertaken by the EA throughout England, the role in Wales sits with National Resources Wales.