Every parliamentary written question tabled by Ben Spencer this session, with the full answer and department. See how every department answers, or back to the MP page.
Showing 21–40 of 41 · Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of Thames Water’s surface and foul water drainage asset management in the Runnymede and Weybridge constituency.
It is important for companies to maintain assets to ensure compliance with legal obligations and continuity of service for customers now and into the future. There are two common performance commitments that Ofwat uses, alongside other information, to mon...
Food and Rural Affairs, what proportion of (a) flood risk and (b) primary navigation assets along the non-tidal Thames that are below their target condition lie within the Runnymede and Weybridge constituency
Protecting communities around the country from flooding is one of the new Secretary of State’s five core priorities. That’s why this Government launched a Flood Resilience Taskforce to provide oversight of national and local flood resilience and preparedn...
Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the impact of the condition of flood risk assets along the non-tidal Thames on flood risk in that area.
Protecting communities around the country from flooding is one of the new Secretary of State’s five core priorities. That’s why this Government launched a Flood Resilience Taskforce to provide oversight of national and local flood resilience and preparedn...
Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the Environment Agency’s performance on flood risk asset management along the non-tidal Thames; and what discussions he has had with that
Protecting communities around the country from flooding is one of the new Secretary of State’s five core priorities. That’s why this Government launched a Flood Resilience Taskforce to provide oversight of national and local flood resilience and preparedn...
Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the (a) ability of river users to safely navigate the Thames river and (b) potential economic impact of the proportion of navigation assets along
(a) The safety of river users navigating the non-tidal Thames is a priority for the Environment Agency (EA), although it remains the responsibility of the master of their vessel to ensure the safety of it and everyone on board. The EA have measures in pla...
Food and Rural Affairs, the performance standards he expects Thames Water to meet in response to a sewer flooding incident.
The Environment Agency expects water and sewerage companies to take all possible measures to avoid pollution incidents and to mitigate environmental impact if they occur. Thames Water’s current performance on pollution incidents is unacceptable and the co...
Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the (a) adequacy of improvements to sewage works discharging into the river Mole and (b) extent of further work needed to reduce storm overflows from tho
The Environment Agency (EA) has 31 Water Industry National Environment Programme (WINEP) schemes in the current investment period 2020-25. These cover the Mole catchment as a whole. The schemes involve a range of actions including increasing storm tank ca...
Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the causes of delays in repairing bridge 142 in Runnymede and Weybridge constituency.
To ensure public safety and prevent access to the bridge, Egham Hythe (Bridge 142) will be closed until the Environment Agency (EA) has completed the necessary repair. Following a tree strike in 2023 the EA has conducted several specialist surveys of this...
Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the (a) adequacy of improvements to Weybridge sewage works and (b) extent of further work needed to reduce storm overflows from that site.
The Environment Agency (EA) has required Thames Water to improve the Event Duration Monitoring of storm overflows at Weybridge Sewage Treatment works as part of the current Water Industry National Environment Programme (WINEP) 2020-25. The EA has inspecte...
Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the (a) adequacy of improvements to Chertsey Sewage Works and (b) extent of further work needed to reduce storm overflows from that site.
The Environment Agency (EA) has required Thames Water to significantly improve the storm tank capacity at Chertsey Sewage Treatment works as part of the current Water Industry National Environment Programme (WINEP) 2020-25 to reduce the frequency of storm...
Food and Rural Affairs, what enforcement powers he has over the Environment Agency if they fail to remove (a) a tree under the Wey Bridge and (b) other waterway obstructions.
The Environment Agency (EA) is accountable to Parliament via the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra). As the principal sponsor of the EA, Defra works closely with EA officials at every level to provide constructive challenge...
Food and Rural Affairs, what metrics are in place to (a) monitor and (b) enforce the timely response of the Environment Agency to reports of (i) waterway obstructions, (ii) lack of waterway maintenance and (i
The Environment Agency (EA) is accountable to Parliament via the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra). As the principal sponsor of the EA, Defra works closely with EA officials at every level to provide constructive challenge...
Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the planned upgrade and improvement works at the Animal and Plant Health Agency on (a) current and (b) future trade agreements.
Work to safeguard and enhance the Animal & Plant Health Agency (APHA) site in Weybridge continues. This capability ensures the Government can continue to manage a wide range of biosecurity threats which may otherwise affect our ability to trade. Defra...
Food and Rural Affairs, if he will take enforcement action against Thames Water in response to sewer flooding in the Runnymede and Weybridge Constituency.
The Environment Agency (EA) assesses all incident reports and responds to those which pose the greatest risk to the environment. The EA has received one recent report of sewer flooding in the Runnymede and Weybridge Constituency (since 1 September 2024). ...
Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of extending the provisions of Flood:Re beyond 2039.
Flood Re is a flood re-insurance scheme that aims to ensure UK householders living in properties at high risk of flooding can access affordable home insurance. The scheme is due to end in 2039, at which point the aim is for the market to offer affordable ...
Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Environment Agency's (a) actions and (b) policies in managing flood risk from watercourse in riparian ownership.
Under the Flood and Water Management Act 2010, the Environment Agency (EA) has a strategic overview of the management of all sources of flooding and coastal change and are the lead authority for managing the risk of flooding from main rivers, estuaries an...
Food and Rural Affairs, how many enforcement actions relating to flood risk prevention were taken by the Environment Agency in each constituency in 2023.
The Environment Agency (EA) regulate works in rivers through a permissions-based approach under the Environmental Permitting Regulations. These are referred to as “flood risk activities”. The primary purpose of the regulations is to ensure in-river works ...
Food and Rural Affairs, whether he plans to introduce flood performance certificates.
Protecting communities from flooding is a key priority for this Government. Flood Re is a UK-wide, Government and industry led flood re-insurance scheme which aims to promote the affordability and availability of insurance for UK households at high flood ...
Food and Rural Affairs, what information his Department holds on when the Environment Agency plans to take enforcement action against illegal moorings in Runnymede and Weybridge constituency.
Environment Agency (EA) officers have been actively patrolling the Desborough Cut area and have mapped all trespassing vessels, including wrecks and abandoned boats. As of 27 September 2024, there are 29 vessels in total in this area. These include both r...
Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of amending the Development Consent Order application process to speed up the delivery of the River Thames Scheme.
The Secretary of State is aware of the importance of the River Thames Scheme in reducing flood risk and enhancing resilience for communities along the Thames. The Development Consent Order (DCO) application process plays a critical role in ensuring that l...