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| MPs concerned over environment budget cuts | MPs concerned over environment budget cuts |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Substantial cuts to the government's environment department budget will hamper its future ability to cope with emergencies such as flooding, MPs fear. | Substantial cuts to the government's environment department budget will hamper its future ability to cope with emergencies such as flooding, MPs fear. |
| They called on Environment Secretary Owen Paterson to clarify which policy areas faced the biggest cuts. | They called on Environment Secretary Owen Paterson to clarify which policy areas faced the biggest cuts. |
| Mr Paterson has said resources will be shifted to respond to changing needs. | Mr Paterson has said resources will be shifted to respond to changing needs. |
| The Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) budget has been cut by £500m since 2010 and must find £300m in savings by 2016. | The Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) budget has been cut by £500m since 2010 and must find £300m in savings by 2016. |
| Defra spent just under £2.5bn during 2012-13, the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Efra) Select Committee said in its annual report on the department. | Defra spent just under £2.5bn during 2012-13, the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Efra) Select Committee said in its annual report on the department. |
| The department oversees a network of 28 agencies - including the Environment Agency and the Food and Environment Research Agency (Fera) - that delivers its policies. | The department oversees a network of 28 agencies - including the Environment Agency and the Food and Environment Research Agency (Fera) - that delivers its policies. |
| Efra Select Committee chairwoman and Conservative MP Ann McIntosh said: "Ministers must clarify how further budget cuts of [more than] £300m over the coming two years will impact on the funding provided to these agencies and the ability of the department to respond to emergencies." | |
| She called for the government to consider using local engineers and private sector finance, such as from water companies, to cover the cost of other projects. | |
| Last week, the Environment Agency announced that it was going to cut about 1,500 jobs by October as part of its ongoing efforts to reduce costs. | Last week, the Environment Agency announced that it was going to cut about 1,500 jobs by October as part of its ongoing efforts to reduce costs. |
| 'Strong as ever' | 'Strong as ever' |
| Responding to reports that more than 500 of the possible post closures would be within the agency's flood prevention and protection teams, the Prospect union called on the government to review the planned job losses. | |
| Prospect deputy secretary general Leslie Manasseh said: "They need to learn the lessons of the experiences of this winter, which have had such a devastating impact on so many people." | Prospect deputy secretary general Leslie Manasseh said: "They need to learn the lessons of the experiences of this winter, which have had such a devastating impact on so many people." |
| Mr Paterson responded by saying that he had been assured that frontline services would be protected. | Mr Paterson responded by saying that he had been assured that frontline services would be protected. |
| A Defra spokeswoman told BBC News: "Like all departments we have to make efficiency savings but we are confident that our ability to respond to emergencies remains as strong as ever. | A Defra spokeswoman told BBC News: "Like all departments we have to make efficiency savings but we are confident that our ability to respond to emergencies remains as strong as ever. |
| "We are currently spending [more than] £2.3bn on tackling the risk of flooding and coastal erosion. Together with contributions from other partners, this is more money than ever before." | |
| She added: "We will also be making record levels of capital investment and will be spending [more than] £400m by 2020/21." | |
| Maria Eagle, Labour's shadow environment secretary, accused Mr Paterson of failing to prioritise investment in flood defences despite evidence that extreme weather conditions were set to become more frequent. | Maria Eagle, Labour's shadow environment secretary, accused Mr Paterson of failing to prioritise investment in flood defences despite evidence that extreme weather conditions were set to become more frequent. |
| She also said he had failed to explain how communities at risk from flooding would be adversely impacted by "major reductions" in Environment Agency staff. | She also said he had failed to explain how communities at risk from flooding would be adversely impacted by "major reductions" in Environment Agency staff. |
| Severe and sustained flooding has affected many parts of the UK in recent weeks. | Severe and sustained flooding has affected many parts of the UK in recent weeks. |
| The environment secretary said on Monday that seven people had died and 1,700 homes had been flooded in England alone due to storms and flooding in December and January. | The environment secretary said on Monday that seven people had died and 1,700 homes had been flooded in England alone due to storms and flooding in December and January. |
| Thousands of homes have suffered power cuts since strong winds and heavy rain began before Christmas. | |
| The Met Office said last month was the windiest December in the UK since 1969 and the wettest since 1993, while the Environment Agency said recent storm surges were the highest since 1953. | The Met Office said last month was the windiest December in the UK since 1969 and the wettest since 1993, while the Environment Agency said recent storm surges were the highest since 1953. |
| Cull costs | Cull costs |
| Over the weekend, the ministerial team was also criticised for the cost of the pilot badger culls in Somerset and Gloucestershire. | Over the weekend, the ministerial team was also criticised for the cost of the pilot badger culls in Somerset and Gloucestershire. |
| Charity Care for the Wild said it had used official sources and data from Freedom of Information (FOI) requests to calculate that the cost of the cull in the two pilot zones was £7.3m, which was the equivalent of £4,121 per badger culled. | Charity Care for the Wild said it had used official sources and data from Freedom of Information (FOI) requests to calculate that the cost of the cull in the two pilot zones was £7.3m, which was the equivalent of £4,121 per badger culled. |
| A Defra spokesman said the final cost for the first year of the pilot had not been calculated, but it would be published as soon as it was available. | A Defra spokesman said the final cost for the first year of the pilot had not been calculated, but it would be published as soon as it was available. |
| He added: "The costs of the badger cull pilots are vastly outweighed by the impact that bovine TB is having on our farming industry and taxpayers. | He added: "The costs of the badger cull pilots are vastly outweighed by the impact that bovine TB is having on our farming industry and taxpayers. |
| "Each bovine TB cattle outbreak costs an average of £34,000, and if left unchecked this disease will cost the taxpayer £1bn over the next 10 years." | "Each bovine TB cattle outbreak costs an average of £34,000, and if left unchecked this disease will cost the taxpayer £1bn over the next 10 years." |
| Ms Eagle said Mr Paterson had failed to rule out extending his "unscientific policy" of culling badgers, despite risking the spread of TB during the pilots by failing to reduce the local badger populations by 70% as intended. | Ms Eagle said Mr Paterson had failed to rule out extending his "unscientific policy" of culling badgers, despite risking the spread of TB during the pilots by failing to reduce the local badger populations by 70% as intended. |
| The Efra Select Committee report also said the department faced a number of other high-profile emergencies during the past parliamentary year. | The Efra Select Committee report also said the department faced a number of other high-profile emergencies during the past parliamentary year. |
| These included the outbreak of ash dieback in the wider environment and the horsemeat food contamination scandal. | These included the outbreak of ash dieback in the wider environment and the horsemeat food contamination scandal. |
| The MPs observed that the allocation of resources to tackle these problems would be at the expense of other areas of policy. | The MPs observed that the allocation of resources to tackle these problems would be at the expense of other areas of policy. |
| They added that the forthcoming year was also shaping up to be another challenging one, with a range of issues on the agenda, including: Common Agriculture Policy reforms; biodiversity offsetting; GM technology and flood defence funding. | They added that the forthcoming year was also shaping up to be another challenging one, with a range of issues on the agenda, including: Common Agriculture Policy reforms; biodiversity offsetting; GM technology and flood defence funding. |