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1179911

registered interest
date	24/02/2020
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	Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to (1) protect, and (2) enhance, the tranquility of Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
tabling member printed	Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb
uin	HL1763
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/02/2020 answer text <p>The Government’s 25 Year Environment Plan has set out our comprehensive and long-term approach to protecting and enhancing the environment in England. The importance of designated landscapes, including Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), is made clear in the plan.</p><p> </p><p>Tranquillity is a key component of AONB purpose. To reflect this it is included in the special qualities of why many of these sites have been designated to be protected as AONBs.</p><p> </p><p>AONBs are some of our most treasured landscapes. Funding for these landscapes has been protected in real terms since 2015. We recognise their value and are committed to help them thrive. The AONBs received over £6.5 million during 19/20 of core grant funding from Defra to deliver their statutory purpose.</p><p> </p><p>The Government is committed to ensuring that noise is managed effectively in order to promote good health and quality of life. We have protections in place to avoid significant adverse noise impacts for example through our planning system, our environmental permitting systems, in vehicle and product standards, and noise abatement legislation.</p> answering member printed Lord Gardiner of Kimble question first answered 26/02/2020 17:37:00 answering member 4161 label Biography information for Lord Gardiner of Kimble
tabling member	4297 label Biography information for Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb

1179013

registered interest
date	21/02/2020
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: Marine Environment
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 recent steps he has taken to tackle plastic pollution in British waters.
tabling member constituency	Birmingham, Edgbaston
tabling member printed	Preet Kaur Gill
uin	18649
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/02/2020 answer text <p>The Government is making great strides in tackling marine plastic pollution, and we have made some good progress. In 2018, our ban on microbeads in rinse-off personal care products helped to stop billions of tiny pieces of plastic entering the ocean. Our charge for single-use carrier bags has also led to a 90% reduction in plastic bag usage and a reduction of plastic bags surveyed on the seabed.</p><p> </p><p>Our 25 Year Environment Plan establishes our target of reducing all forms of marine plastic pollution where possible, and our Resources and Waste Strategy sets out how we will achieve this. We have committed to introducing a deposit return scheme to encourage the reuse of items prevalent in marine litter, and we will explore the use of Extended Producer Responsibility schemes to incentivise innovation for items such as plastic packaging and fishing gear.</p><p> </p><p>We collaborate closely with our neighbouring countries through the OSPAR Convention to reduce the flow of waste into the North-east Atlantic. We are delivering on our commitments in the Marine Litter Regional Action Plan and leading on efforts to tackle the issue of abandoned, lost and otherwise discarded fishing gear.</p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow question first answered 26/02/2020 10:21:13 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
tabling member	4603 label Biography information for Preet Kaur Gill

1179076

registered interest
date	21/02/2020
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	Noise: Court Orders
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 the process is to (a) remove and (b) challenge longstanding noise abatement orders.
tabling member constituency	North West Durham
tabling member printed	Mr Richard Holden
uin	18926
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/02/2020 answer text <p>Local authorities are responsible for serving abatement notices where appropriate for noise nuisances deemed a statutory nuisance under the Environmental Protection Act 1990. An abatement notice will operate according to the conditions contained within it, which may require it to be indefinite, and which are set by the local authority serving the notice.</p><p>A person served with an abatement notice can appeal to a magistrate’s court within 21 days of the date on which the notice was served. Grounds for appeal include:</p><ul><li>legal tests haven’t been met to show that the issue is a statutory nuisance</li><li>the notice was served on the wrong person</li><li>the notice is defective</li></ul><p> </p><p>Industrial, trade and business premises can claim the use of “best practicable means” in their defence. This may be used as grounds for appeal against the abatement notice or a defence (if prosecuted) for not complying with the abatement notice. Only the courts can determine what the best practicable means are in each case, taking into account, among other things, the local conditions and circumstances, the current state of technical knowledge and the financial implications.</p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow question first answered 26/02/2020 13:06:58 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
tabling member	4813 label Biography information for Mr Richard Holden

1179157

registered interest
date	21/02/2020
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	Biodiversity: Property Development
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 contribution of the application of the biodiversity net gain system to the UK’s (a) climate, (b) tree-planting and (c) nature recovery targets.
tabling member constituency	Dulwich and West Norwood
tabling member printed	Helen Hayes
uin	18704
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/02/2020 answer text <p>Defra officials have completed an analysis of the quantified impacts of biodiversity net gain, which can be found in the regulatory impact assessment published alongside the Environment Bill.</p><p><a href="https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/839610/net-gain-ia.pdf" target="_blank">https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/839610/net-gain-ia.pdf</a></p><p> </p><p>This assessment includes an estimate that mandatory biodiversity net gain will result in the creation of between 1,500 and 17,000 hectares of habitat per year. The breadth of this range is due to uncertainty over how much habitat loss will avoided altogether through the policy, and the extent of residual losses that will be compensated for by creating new habitat.</p><p> </p><p>Together with the provisions in the Environment Bill for Local Nature Recovery Strategies, net gain will provide new habitats where they offer the greatest benefit for wildlife and the wider environment. Because habitat creation through net gain will be steered by local strategies and the development impacts for which it is compensating, it is impossible to know exactly what types of habitat will be created through biodiversity net gain. It is therefore also impossible to determine the exact contributions that net gain will make towards climate, tree-planting and nature recovery targets. Biodiversity net gain will, however, complement other Government policies such as our Nature for Climate Fund and future farming policy in order to meet our commitments on these vital issues.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow question first answered 26/02/2020 15:19:31 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
tabling member	4510 label Biography information for Helen Hayes

1179209

registered interest
date	21/02/2020
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	Flood Control: North East
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 6 February 2020 to Question 11503 on Flood Control: North East, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of flood defences in the North East since (a) Storm Ciara and (b) Storm Dennis.
tabling member constituency	Houghton and Sunderland South
tabling member printed	Bridget Phillipson
uin	18713
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/02/2020 answer text <p>Following any storm or flood event, the Environment Agency (EA) carries out inspections of affected areas to assess flood defence assets. It does this to ensure that defences have operated effectively and will continue to do so. It also does this to assess any damages and defects as a result of the flood event. Any defects are used to inform where future investment is required.</p><p> </p><p>After storms Ciara and Dennis, the EA visited communities and assessed flood defence assets in the North East where official flood warnings were issued or that were close to receiving a warning. These areas were prioritised as they were where water levels rose the furthest. Upon inspection, there were no asset failures during or following the two storm events and assets in these areas continue to operate effectively.</p><p> </p><p>In addition, the EA examines the higher water levels to check flood warnings are being correctly issued and speaks with residents and businesses to ensure they have good awareness of the flood risk.</p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow question first answered 26/02/2020 15:30:14 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
tabling member	4046 label Biography information for Bridget Phillipson

1179275

registered interest
date	21/02/2020
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	Inland Waterways: Access
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the adequacy of existing regulations on rights of access to waterways; and if he will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	Sheffield Central
tabling member printed	Paul Blomfield
uin	18738
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/02/2020 answer text <p>There are no plans to undertake such an assessment.</p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow question first answered 26/02/2020 17:35:11 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
tabling member	4058 label Biography information for Paul Blomfield

1179382

registered interest
date	21/02/2020
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	Montreal Protocol
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 is taking to meet the commitments of the Kigali Agreement.
tabling member constituency	Torfaen
tabling member printed	Nick Thomas-Symonds
uin	18776
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/02/2020 answer text <p>The Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol commits the UK to reduce its consumption of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), a group of refrigerant gases that are very damaging to the Earth’s climate, by 85% between 2019 and 2036.</p><p> </p><p>Under the EU F-gas Regulation, quotas are allocated to HFC importers which are cut every three years until a 79% reduction is achieved by 2030. HFC consumption in the UK has already been cut by 37% since 2015, a world-leading phasedown which is faster than required under Kigali.</p><p> </p><p>The Government will soon start a review of the F-gas Regulation, to be finished before the end of 2022, to decide how we will meet the final Kigali phasedown step between 2030 and 2036. The review will also look at how the UK can continue being even more ambitious than Kigali.</p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow question first answered 26/02/2020 15:40:37 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
tabling member	4479 label Biography information for Nick Thomas-Symonds

1179383

registered interest
date	21/02/2020
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	Perfluorooctanoic Acid: Regulation
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 is taking to ensure that perfluorooctanoic acid is not used in the manufacture of goods and products; and what assessment he has made of the adequacy of regulations on the use of that acid.
tabling member constituency	Torfaen
tabling member printed	Nick Thomas-Symonds
uin	18777
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/02/2020 answer text <p>Perfluorooctanoic acid, known as PFOA, its salts and PFOA-related compounds, was listed as a persistent organic pollutant (POP) and banned from use under the UN Stockholm Convention with a number of time-limited specific exemptions at the Conference of Parties in May 2019.</p><p> </p><p>POPs are toxic, persist in the environment, bioaccumulate in humans and animals and have long-ranging properties. The ban on the manufacture, sale and use of PFOA will come into force in July 2020 through the POPs regulation.</p><p> </p><p>The effectiveness of this legislation cannot be assessed until it is in force but UK regulators will be responsible for ensuring that these regulations are adhered to and emissions monitoring will include PFOA.</p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow question first answered 26/02/2020 15:51:15 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
tabling member	4479 label Biography information for Nick Thomas-Symonds

1179489

registered interest
date	21/02/2020
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	Roads: Litter
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 plans to (a) introduce penalty points for roadside littering and (b) bring forward legislative proposals to require delivery and haulage companies to equip vehicles with bins for use by employees.
tabling member constituency	Warwick and Leamington
tabling member printed	Matt Western
uin	19037
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/02/2020 answer text <p>It is a criminal offence to throw down, drop or otherwise deposit litter, whether from a vehicle or otherwise. It is up to employers to determine whether they need to provide specific equipment or facilities to their employees to enable them to comply with the law.</p><p> </p><p>With effect from April 2018, we have introduced new powers enabling councils in England (outside London) to issue civil fixed penalties of between £65 to £150 to the keepers of vehicles from which litter is thrown. Councils in London already had similar powers. This enables them to take action against the offence, even when the precise offender cannot be identified beyond reasonable doubt.</p><p> </p><p>We have no plans to introduce penalty points (endorsements) for littering offences, nor to require employers to provide bins in vehicles.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow question first answered 26/02/2020 15:32:40 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
tabling member	4617 label Biography information for Matt Western

1179525

registered interest
date	21/02/2020
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	Per- and Polyfluorinated Alkyl Substances
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 17 February 2020 to Question 13972 on Chemicals, what discussions he has had with his international counterparts as part of the Stockholm process on the management of per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS) as a group of chemicals; and whether he has made representations to his international counterparts on (a) listing and (b) managing PFAS as a group of chemicals as part of that process.
tabling member constituency	Swansea West
tabling member printed	Geraint Davies
uin	18440
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/02/2020 answer text <p>The Stockholm Convention lists persistent organic pollutant chemicals (POPs) that are toxic, persist in the environment, bioaccumulate in humans and animals and have long-ranging properties.</p><p> </p><p>International awareness is growing of the adverse effects of PFAS as a group. The Stockholm Convention has banned some of the most harmful chemicals in the PFAS family and the UK has fully supported this action.</p><p> </p><p>The Government is working with international counterparts on new PFAS assessments and lifecycle approaches and will continue work to develop these. Defra officials have been attending the POP review committee and inputting into the evidence base. The department is also financing PFAS evidence projects through the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development and remains an active member.</p><p> </p><p>We will continue to develop our position on the rest of the PFAS group, based on evidence, and will engage with our international partners to support the ban on any PFAS substances that fulfil the POPs criteria.</p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow question first answered 26/02/2020 15:34:13 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
tabling member	155 label Biography information for Geraint Davies