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Coastal Erosion (Lincolnshire)

Mark Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the rate of coastal erosion in (a) Boston and Skegness and (b) Lincolnshire. [56704]

Mr. Morley: Defra has overall policy responsibility for coastal erosion risk in England and grant aids individual local authority improvement projects to reduce this risk but does not build defences, nor direct the authorities on which specific projects to undertake.

Erosion risk will vary around the coastline depending on local conditions and defences in place. Defra has encouraged the relevant authorities to produce Shoreline Management Plans (SMPs) which provide large-scale assessments of the risks associated with coastal processes and present long term policy frameworks to manage these risks in a sustainable manner. In 2001 Defra funded a national study of information on long term coastal processes and evolution over the next century (Futurecoast). This is designed to be used by coastal authorities to inform their current revisions of SMPs. The Office of Science and Technology's Foresight Future Flooding report, published in 2004, also considered possible rates of coastal erosion under different scenarios over the next 80 years.

Management of coastal erosion risk and associated monitoring in specific locations is the responsibility of the relevant local authority in each area. Defra has not carried out an assessment specifically in the areas specified.
 
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Correspondence

Sir Michael Spicer: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when the Minister of State will reply to the letter of 30 January 2006, from the hon. Member for West Worcestershire. [57566]

Mr. Morley: I apologise for the delay. A reply will be sent shortly.

Departmental Wildlife Unit

Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs who is the director of her Department's wildlife unit; what relevant specialist qualifications he or she holds; and what are the details of his or her career to date. [57649]

Mr. Bradshaw: This information cannot be provided for security reasons.

Draft Marine Bill

Paddy Tipping: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she expects to publish the Draft Marine Bill; and if she will make a statement on its scope. [56256]

Mr. Bradshaw [holding answer 7 March 2006]: Defra will be publishing a consultation document shortly that will outline the Government's thinking in a number of key areas that will be addressed by the Marine Bill. These areas cover marine spatial planning, nature conservation, licensing reform, and the possibility of setting up a new marine organisation. We have already undertaken initial consultation on some fisheries issues that will also be dealt with in the Bill.

The final scope of the Marine Bill will not be decided until we have fully considered the responses to the consultation exercise. The consultation document will identify the areas that we are considering, but it also asks for views on the strategic direction that we should take. It would be inappropriate to make a statement on the scope of the Bill before we have completed this process.

The Government have indicated that a draft Bill will be published later in this Parliamentary session. We will need to take the consultation responses into account before taking a final decision, but it may be appropriate to publish further detailed proposals for consultation once we determine the scope of the Marine Bill.

Fair Trade

Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what activities her Department is (a) sponsoring and (b) supporting for fair trade fortnight. [55503]

Mr. Bradshaw: The event has been advertised on the public sector food procurement initiative (PSFPI) website at: http://www.defra.gov.uk.farm/sustain/procurement/trade.htm, as the fortnight is designed to help spread the work about fair trade and the benefits it brings to farmers and workers in developing countries.
 
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In DEFRA we have worked with our catering contractors to introduce fairly traded tea and coffee into the hospitality services they provide and are promoting fair trade products for purchase by staff. Events organised by the catering services providers will be taking place over the fortnight in support of fairly traded products, and DEFRA is supporting these events. Under the public procurement rules DEFRA and its catering services providers can and does seek to increase awareness of the range of products available from fairly traded sources, but are not permitted to promote the products of a single organisation to the exclusion of other fair trade sources.

Fallen Stock

Mr. Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will permit farmers who do not wish to use the National Fallen Stock Scheme to choose their own contractors if they have fallen stock. [57987]

Mr. Bradshaw: Yes. The National Fallen Stock Scheme is voluntary. It is designed to assist farmers and horse owners with the requirement to comply with the Animal-By-Products Regulation, by providing a reliable, low cost means of disposal.

Flood Defences (Lincolnshire)

Mark Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much money has been allocated to Lincolnshire County Council for flood defences in each of the last five years; and how much is proposed to be granted in each of the next three years. [56702]

Mr. Morley: The Environment Agency is the principal operating authority with responsibility for flood risk management in England. Defra funds most of the Agency's flood related work and grant aids individual capital improvement projects and related studies undertaken by local authorities and internal drainage boards.

It is unusual for county councils to carry out works for flood risk management since such works are usually done by district or unitary councils in those few areas where this is not the responsibility of the Environment Agency or internal drainage boards. Defra has provided no funding support to Lincolnshire County Council for capital flood risk management works or studies in these years.

Non-capital flood risk management expenditure by local authorities is supported by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister via Formula Grant. Since Lincolnshire County Council incurs expenditure on flood risk management, the calculation of their Formula Grant takes this into account. It is not, however, possible to say how much Formula Grant they have received for this purpose since it is an unhypothecated block grant, that is councils can use the money to support any service.

Flood Risk Insurance

Mark Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what representations Ministers and officials in her
 
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Department have received in the last 12 months from the Association of British Insurers on insurance for houses in areas at risk of flooding. [56690]

Mr. Morley: There have been extensive discussions with the Association over the past few years at both Ministerial and official level with regard to insurance and flood risk. At a meeting in November I agreed with them a Statement of Principles" which sets out the commitments made by the insurance industry to maintain flood insurance cover for the majority of domestic and small business properties at risk in association with commitments made by the Government on flood risk management.

Mark Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what assessment she has made of the (a) access to and (b) cost of home insurance for people living in areas designated as at risk of flooding by the Environment Agency map in (i) Boston and Skegness and (ii) Lincolnshire; [56701]

(2) how many homes have been unable to obtain insurance against flood damage in (a) Boston and Skegness, (b) Lincolnshire and (c) England. [56916]

Mr. Morley: The Government continues to work with the Association of British Insurers (ABI) with a mutual aim of continuing affordable domestic flood cover into the future.

The insurance industry is a competitive and commercial one and makes decisions based on risk. The Department has not done any specific assessment in Boston, Skegness or Lincolnshire but indications from the ABI suggest that flood insurance cover remains broadly available to households in areas at risk of flooding nationally in accordance with their Statement of Principles on this. The cost of premiums is a matter for individual insurers.

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