| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
2 Apr 2009 : Column 1298W—continued
Floods: Property Development
Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which planning authorities have made representations to the Environment Agency seeking as waiver of the restrictions on building in flood risk areas since 27 January; and if he will make a statement. [265518]
Huw Irranca-Davies [holding answer 20 March 2009]: The Environment Agency has no powers to either restrict or waive restrictions on building in flood risk areas. The Environment Agency is a consultee in the planning process, providing technical advice and information on the flood risk implications of development proposals. The Environment Agency may object to developments that do not comply with planning policy statement 25—Development and Flood Risk, but the final planning decision rests with the local planning authority.
Fly Tipping
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which 10 local authority areas experienced the greatest tonnage of fly-tipped waste in the most recent 12-month period for which figures are available. [267810]
Jane Kennedy: DEFRA does not hold the information requested. While instances of fly-tipping are recorded, tonnages are not.
Food and Environment Research Agency
Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the expenditure was of each of the offices and services merged to form the Food and Environment Research Agency in each of the last 10 years; what buildings are occupied by each such constituent office; and what plans he has for the future location of that agency. [267434]
Huw Irranca-Davies: The annual expenditure of each of the different services now merged to form FERA is shown in the tables.
The buildings currently occupied by the constituent offices forming FERA are also shown in the tables.
The Agency has no immediate plans to consolidate onto one site in each city other than in York, where a small number of former PHD staff will move to Sand Hutton and in Cambridge where a small number of PHSI staff will be relocated.
Any future office moves will be driven by the need to improve sustainability and value for money.
| Site name | Name |
| Total expenditure are as merged to form Food and Environment Research Agency | ||||
| CSL | GDS( 1) | PVS( 2) | PHD incl. PHSI( 3) | |
| (1) GDS only operated as an Agency from October 2005. (2) Uncertainty over some figures, especially 2007-08, prior years information not available. (3) Based on ‘admin’ and ‘programme’ allocations not actual expenditure, prior years information not available. | ||||
Food Supply
Mr. Holloway: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps his Department is taking to ensure the security of food supply. [268339]
Hilary Benn: By any objective standard, the UK enjoys a high degree of food security. DEFRA has a new co-ordination role for food policy across Government and a new departmental strategic objective for a sustainable, secure and healthy food supply. We are working with our stakeholders to ensure that our food remains sustainably produced, distributed and consumed in future, and that it is available and affordable for all sectors of society.
Fuels: RAF Fairford
Colin Challen: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps his Department has taken in relation to the fuel spillage at RAF Fairford on 25 February 2009; and what assessment his Department has made of the effects of the spillage on (a) water supply and (b) plant and animal life. [267288]
Huw Irranca-Davies: The Environment Agency was notified by the Ministry of Defence of the aviation fuel spill on 25 February 2009 and attended the air force base immediately. The Environment Agency found that the fuel had affected local ground and a surface water ditch off site. The Ministry of Defence put into operation their emergency response plan to contain and clean up the spill.
The Environment Agency attended the site for three days afterwards and ensured that the Ministry of Defence investigated the full impact of the spill to the local environment: this included surveys to ensure no fuel had affected local groundwater.
The Environment Agency has also completed an investigation which has shown no effect on water supply. A local ditch had been recently cleared by the landowner and contained no notable plant and animal life. The Environment Agency continues to work with the Ministry of Defence to ensure they remove all the fuel and contaminated soil from the site.
Members: Correspondence
Mr. Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when he plans to reply to the letter from the hon. Member for Torbay of 5 November 2008, transferred from the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, on energy conservation. [264768]
Joan Ruddock: I have been asked to reply.
I replied to the letter on 31 March 2009 and apologise for the delay in replying, which was due to departmental reorganisation.
Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when he plans to reply to the letter from the hon. Member for Northavon of 9 December 2008 sent on behalf of Mr. Andrew Mearman of Thornbury, on cross-contamination of GM crops. [267262]
Huw Irranca-Davies: I have recently sent a reply to the hon. Member for Northavon.
Pigs: Animal Welfare
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the Farm Animal Welfare Council on tail-docking and teeth clipping in growing pigs. [267484]
Jane Kennedy: At the Government’s request, the Farm Animal Welfare Council (FAWC) is conducting a study on the mutilations of growing pigs. Both tail docking and teeth clipping are included in the study. FAWC has recently published a consultation on the issue and the intention is that the Committee’s opinion will be submitted to Ministers in summer 2010.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |