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1284848

registered interest
date	08/02/2021
answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept id	13
answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
hansard heading	Water: Meters
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans his Department has to bring forward legislative proposals to mandate the universal rollout of smart water meters.
tabling member constituency	Linlithgow and East Falkirk
tabling member printed	Martyn Day
uin	150868
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/02/2021 answer text <p>The Department will set out its policy in relation to smart meters in the Government’s response to the 2019 consultation on measures to reduce personal water consumption, which we intend to publish in 2021.</p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow grouped question UIN 150869 150870 150871 question first answered 16/02/2021 16:06:08 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
tabling member	4488 label Biography information for Martyn Day

1284849

registered interest
date	08/02/2021
answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept id	13
answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
hansard heading	Water: Meters
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that (a) there are sufficient incentives supporting the Water Industry to install smart water metering technology and (b) barriers to rollout of that technology are removed.
tabling member constituency	Linlithgow and East Falkirk
tabling member printed	Martyn Day
uin	150869
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/02/2021 answer text <p>The Department will set out its policy in relation to smart meters in the Government’s response to the 2019 consultation on measures to reduce personal water consumption, which we intend to publish in 2021.</p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow grouped question UIN 150868 150870 150871 question first answered 16/02/2021 16:06:08 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
tabling member	4488 label Biography information for Martyn Day

1284850

registered interest
date	08/02/2021
answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept id	13
answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
hansard heading	Water: Meters
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the role of smart water meters in (a) protecting the sustainability of the UK’s water supply and (b) reducing carbon emissions.
tabling member constituency	Linlithgow and East Falkirk
tabling member printed	Martyn Day
uin	150870
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/02/2021 answer text <p>The Department will set out its policy in relation to smart meters in the Government’s response to the 2019 consultation on measures to reduce personal water consumption, which we intend to publish in 2021.</p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow grouped question UIN 150868 150869 150871 question first answered 16/02/2021 16:06:08 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
tabling member	4488 label Biography information for Martyn Day

1284851

registered interest
date	08/02/2021
answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept id	13
answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
hansard heading	Water: Meters
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to co-ordinate its work with regulatory bodies on supporting the water industry in the roll-out of smart water meters to protect the sustainability of the UK’s water supply and reduce carbon emissions.
tabling member constituency	Linlithgow and East Falkirk
tabling member printed	Martyn Day
uin	150871
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/02/2021 answer text <p>The Department will set out its policy in relation to smart meters in the Government’s response to the 2019 consultation on measures to reduce personal water consumption, which we intend to publish in 2021.</p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow grouped question UIN 150868 150869 150870 question first answered 16/02/2021 16:06:08 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
tabling member	4488 label Biography information for Martyn Day

1234378

registered interest
date	15/09/2020
answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept id	13
answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
hansard heading	Sewage: Waste Disposal
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the accuracy of reports in the Guardian newspaper in its article entitled Nearly 30,000 tonnes of sewage sludge containing human waste to enter UK, published on 2 September 2020; and if he will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	Linlithgow and East Falkirk
tabling member printed	Martyn Day
uin	90188
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/09/2020 answer text <p>The Sludge Use in Agriculture Regulations provides controls that protect the environment and human health when these organic materials are spread to land.</p><p>The use of sewage sludge in agriculture is regulated by the Environment Agency. The Environment Agency has reviewed the risks and limitations of the regulatory framework and issued a bespoke landspreading mobile plant permit to handle sludge from the Netherlands.</p><p>Provided the use of sewage sludge is carried out in accordance with the relevant regulatory controls and good practice guidance is followed, the recycling of sewage sludge to land remains a safe activity.</p><p>We are working to implement the Environment Agency’s Sludge Strategy to bring sludge and septic tank sludge into the Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations, by 2023. This will enable better management of the environmental impacts of landspreading sludge, and modernise the regulatory framework surrounding the treatment, storage and safe use of sludge.</p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow question first answered 23/09/2020 14:41:05 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
tabling member	4488 label Biography information for Martyn Day

1229700

registered interest
date	28/08/2020
answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept id	13
answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
hansard heading	Plastics: Recycling
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many recycling plants in the UK accept and process (a) polycarbonate, (b) polyethylene, (c) polyethylene terephthalate and (d) bisphenol A; and where are they located.
tabling member constituency	Linlithgow and East Falkirk
tabling member printed	Martyn Day
uin	82161
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/09/2020 answer text <p>Defra does not hold information on the number and location of recycling plants in the UK that process these materials. The Environment Agency maintains a list of accredited recycling plants in England and of these 64 are listed as accepting plastic waste to be sorted or recycled. Regulators in the devolved administrations maintain registers of plants in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.</p><p> </p><p>For food contact purposes only polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and high-density polyethylene (HDPE) are recycled in the UK. There are currently eight sites in England and one in Scotland that have applied for authorisation to recycle PET for use in food contact. There are a further two sites in England that have applied to recycle HDPE for this purpose.</p><p> </p><p>Some plastics reprocessing sites are regulated at local authority level and information is not held centrally on these.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow question first answered 08/09/2020 15:38:02 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
tabling member	4488 label Biography information for Martyn Day

1229701

registered interest
date	28/08/2020
answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept id	13
answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
hansard heading	Microplastics: Health Hazards
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he has taken to ensure that (a) micro- and (b) nano-plastics used in products, such as (i) food packaging and (ii) mobile phones, are not harmful to human health.
tabling member constituency	Linlithgow and East Falkirk
tabling member printed	Martyn Day
uin	82162
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/09/2020 answer text <p>The Government’s priority is preventing plastic from entering the environment in the first place, be that the freshwater, marine or terrestrial environment. The Resources and Waste Strategy sets out our plans to eliminate all avoidable plastic waste. This encompasses all types of plastic, including microplastics, and we are already taking action. We have banned plastic microbeads in rinse-off personal care products and we will continue to invest in water purification.</p><p> </p><p>Defra has not made an estimate of the amount of micro- and nano-plastics in food packaging in the UK. It is difficult to do so, as this amount will vary based on the use and subsequent treatment of the plastic. According to the latest industry data from the Waste and Resources Action Programme, 2.36Mt of plastic packaging was placed on the market in 2017, of which 1.53Mt came from the consumer sector.</p><p> </p><p>Legislation on plastics in contact with food or drink requires that they are produced under the provisions for Good Manufacturing Practice, so that any adverse interactions with food are minimised. This legislation is regularly updated to ensure the plastics that are authorised for such use are safe.</p><p> </p><p>The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has been monitoring the scientific literature concerning the occurrence and effects of microplastics in food. On the basis of current evidence, the FSA considers it is unlikely that the presence of microplastic particles that have been reported to occur in certain types of food would cause harm to consumers.</p><p> </p><p>The FSA will continue to monitor and assess emerging information concerning microplastics in food, including further consideration of this issue by the Committee on Toxicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment later this year.</p><p> </p><p>We support Operation Clean Sweep, an international initiative coordinated in the UK by the British Plastics Federation which aims to reduce plastic pellet loss in the environment. In 2019, the British Irish Council of Ministers recognised the need to address this source of microplastics and committed to learn from a supply-chain approach in Scotland.</p><p> </p><p>Global solutions are needed to address one of the most pressing environmental issues of our time, which is why the UK has stepped up to this challenge and is leading the way to end the scourge of plastic pollution that enters our waterways, rivers and, ultimately, our ocean. The UK has committed to the G7 Ocean Plastics Charter, which aims to move towards a more resource-efficient and sustainable approach to the management of plastics. Having left the EU, the UK now has the opportunity to reprioritise and refresh our environmental policy and can now focus on implementing measures which work best for the UK.</p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow grouped question UIN 82163 82164 82165 question first answered 08/09/2020 16:10:00 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
tabling member	4488 label Biography information for Martyn Day

1229702

registered interest
date	28/08/2020
answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept id	13
answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
hansard heading	Food: Packaging
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has made an estimate has been made of the amount of (a) micro- and (b) nano-plastics contained in food packaging in the UK.
tabling member constituency	Linlithgow and East Falkirk
tabling member printed	Martyn Day
uin	82163
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/09/2020 answer text <p>The Government’s priority is preventing plastic from entering the environment in the first place, be that the freshwater, marine or terrestrial environment. The Resources and Waste Strategy sets out our plans to eliminate all avoidable plastic waste. This encompasses all types of plastic, including microplastics, and we are already taking action. We have banned plastic microbeads in rinse-off personal care products and we will continue to invest in water purification.</p><p> </p><p>Defra has not made an estimate of the amount of micro- and nano-plastics in food packaging in the UK. It is difficult to do so, as this amount will vary based on the use and subsequent treatment of the plastic. According to the latest industry data from the Waste and Resources Action Programme, 2.36Mt of plastic packaging was placed on the market in 2017, of which 1.53Mt came from the consumer sector.</p><p> </p><p>Legislation on plastics in contact with food or drink requires that they are produced under the provisions for Good Manufacturing Practice, so that any adverse interactions with food are minimised. This legislation is regularly updated to ensure the plastics that are authorised for such use are safe.</p><p> </p><p>The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has been monitoring the scientific literature concerning the occurrence and effects of microplastics in food. On the basis of current evidence, the FSA considers it is unlikely that the presence of microplastic particles that have been reported to occur in certain types of food would cause harm to consumers.</p><p> </p><p>The FSA will continue to monitor and assess emerging information concerning microplastics in food, including further consideration of this issue by the Committee on Toxicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment later this year.</p><p> </p><p>We support Operation Clean Sweep, an international initiative coordinated in the UK by the British Plastics Federation which aims to reduce plastic pellet loss in the environment. In 2019, the British Irish Council of Ministers recognised the need to address this source of microplastics and committed to learn from a supply-chain approach in Scotland.</p><p> </p><p>Global solutions are needed to address one of the most pressing environmental issues of our time, which is why the UK has stepped up to this challenge and is leading the way to end the scourge of plastic pollution that enters our waterways, rivers and, ultimately, our ocean. The UK has committed to the G7 Ocean Plastics Charter, which aims to move towards a more resource-efficient and sustainable approach to the management of plastics. Having left the EU, the UK now has the opportunity to reprioritise and refresh our environmental policy and can now focus on implementing measures which work best for the UK.</p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow grouped question UIN 82162 82164 82165 question first answered 08/09/2020 16:10:00 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
tabling member	4488 label Biography information for Martyn Day

1229703

registered interest
date	28/08/2020
answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept id	13
answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
hansard heading	Microplastics: EU Action
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions he has had with his European counterparts on developing a comprehensive cross-border initiatives to reduce the amount of micro- and nano-plastics.
tabling member constituency	Linlithgow and East Falkirk
tabling member printed	Martyn Day
uin	82164
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/09/2020 answer text <p>The Government’s priority is preventing plastic from entering the environment in the first place, be that the freshwater, marine or terrestrial environment. The Resources and Waste Strategy sets out our plans to eliminate all avoidable plastic waste. This encompasses all types of plastic, including microplastics, and we are already taking action. We have banned plastic microbeads in rinse-off personal care products and we will continue to invest in water purification.</p><p> </p><p>Defra has not made an estimate of the amount of micro- and nano-plastics in food packaging in the UK. It is difficult to do so, as this amount will vary based on the use and subsequent treatment of the plastic. According to the latest industry data from the Waste and Resources Action Programme, 2.36Mt of plastic packaging was placed on the market in 2017, of which 1.53Mt came from the consumer sector.</p><p> </p><p>Legislation on plastics in contact with food or drink requires that they are produced under the provisions for Good Manufacturing Practice, so that any adverse interactions with food are minimised. This legislation is regularly updated to ensure the plastics that are authorised for such use are safe.</p><p> </p><p>The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has been monitoring the scientific literature concerning the occurrence and effects of microplastics in food. On the basis of current evidence, the FSA considers it is unlikely that the presence of microplastic particles that have been reported to occur in certain types of food would cause harm to consumers.</p><p> </p><p>The FSA will continue to monitor and assess emerging information concerning microplastics in food, including further consideration of this issue by the Committee on Toxicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment later this year.</p><p> </p><p>We support Operation Clean Sweep, an international initiative coordinated in the UK by the British Plastics Federation which aims to reduce plastic pellet loss in the environment. In 2019, the British Irish Council of Ministers recognised the need to address this source of microplastics and committed to learn from a supply-chain approach in Scotland.</p><p> </p><p>Global solutions are needed to address one of the most pressing environmental issues of our time, which is why the UK has stepped up to this challenge and is leading the way to end the scourge of plastic pollution that enters our waterways, rivers and, ultimately, our ocean. The UK has committed to the G7 Ocean Plastics Charter, which aims to move towards a more resource-efficient and sustainable approach to the management of plastics. Having left the EU, the UK now has the opportunity to reprioritise and refresh our environmental policy and can now focus on implementing measures which work best for the UK.</p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow grouped question UIN 82162 82163 82165 question first answered 08/09/2020 16:10:00 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
tabling member	4488 label Biography information for Martyn Day

1229704

registered interest
date	28/08/2020
answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept id	13
answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
hansard heading	Microplastics: Manufacturing Industries
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans he has to bring forward legislative proposals to ensure manufacturers reduce micro- and nano-plastics in their processes.
tabling member constituency	Linlithgow and East Falkirk
tabling member printed	Martyn Day
uin	82165
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/09/2020 answer text <p>The Government’s priority is preventing plastic from entering the environment in the first place, be that the freshwater, marine or terrestrial environment. The Resources and Waste Strategy sets out our plans to eliminate all avoidable plastic waste. This encompasses all types of plastic, including microplastics, and we are already taking action. We have banned plastic microbeads in rinse-off personal care products and we will continue to invest in water purification.</p><p> </p><p>Defra has not made an estimate of the amount of micro- and nano-plastics in food packaging in the UK. It is difficult to do so, as this amount will vary based on the use and subsequent treatment of the plastic. According to the latest industry data from the Waste and Resources Action Programme, 2.36Mt of plastic packaging was placed on the market in 2017, of which 1.53Mt came from the consumer sector.</p><p> </p><p>Legislation on plastics in contact with food or drink requires that they are produced under the provisions for Good Manufacturing Practice, so that any adverse interactions with food are minimised. This legislation is regularly updated to ensure the plastics that are authorised for such use are safe.</p><p> </p><p>The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has been monitoring the scientific literature concerning the occurrence and effects of microplastics in food. On the basis of current evidence, the FSA considers it is unlikely that the presence of microplastic particles that have been reported to occur in certain types of food would cause harm to consumers.</p><p> </p><p>The FSA will continue to monitor and assess emerging information concerning microplastics in food, including further consideration of this issue by the Committee on Toxicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment later this year.</p><p> </p><p>We support Operation Clean Sweep, an international initiative coordinated in the UK by the British Plastics Federation which aims to reduce plastic pellet loss in the environment. In 2019, the British Irish Council of Ministers recognised the need to address this source of microplastics and committed to learn from a supply-chain approach in Scotland.</p><p> </p><p>Global solutions are needed to address one of the most pressing environmental issues of our time, which is why the UK has stepped up to this challenge and is leading the way to end the scourge of plastic pollution that enters our waterways, rivers and, ultimately, our ocean. The UK has committed to the G7 Ocean Plastics Charter, which aims to move towards a more resource-efficient and sustainable approach to the management of plastics. Having left the EU, the UK now has the opportunity to reprioritise and refresh our environmental policy and can now focus on implementing measures which work best for the UK.</p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow grouped question UIN 82162 82163 82164 question first answered 08/09/2020 16:10:00 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
tabling member	4488 label Biography information for Martyn Day