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1519834

	registered interest
	date	10/10/2022
	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	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, what steps his Department is taking to tackle littering in (a) city centres, (b) town centres, (c) the UK and (d) the Newcastle-under-Lyme constituency.
	tabling member constituency	Newcastle-under-Lyme
	tabling member printed	Aaron Bell
	uin	60173
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/10/2022 answer text <p>Litter policy is a devolved matter. Defra is the lead department for litter policy in England.</p><p>In 2017 Defra published the Litter Strategy for England which sets out our aim to deliver a substantial reduction in litter and littering within a generation. Since publishing the Litter Strategy, we have bolstered councils' enforcement powers, such as by almost doubling the maximum fixed penalty for littering, published guidance on the provision of litter bins and provided nearly £1 million across 44 councils to help councils purchase new bins.</p><p>We have also brought together chewing gum producers as part of a voluntary producer responsibility scheme that has recently announced funding of £1.25 million to help more than 40 councils across the United Kingdom clean gum off pavements. It is the first project of the five-year programme through which gum producers will invest up to £10 million to help tackle chewing gum littering.</p><p>We are also actively exploring options for tackling cigarette butt littering. Our current proposals for extended producer responsibility for packaging will place the financial costs of managing street bin litter on producers and we have consulted on introducing a deposit return scheme for drinks containers which we estimate can reduce drinks containers being littered by 85%. Further details for when a deposit return scheme will be introduced will be set out in HM Government response to last year's consultation. We are working towards publication in late 2022.</p> answering member constituency Copeland answering member printed Trudy Harrison question first answered 18/10/2022 16:48:21 answering member 4593 label Biography information for Trudy Harrison
	tabling member	4837 label Biography information for Aaron Bell

1537360

	registered interest
	date	31/10/2022
	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	Bees: North Staffordshire
	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 she will make an estimate of the trend in the population level of bees in North Staffordshire over the last 10 years.
	tabling member constituency	Newcastle-under-Lyme
	tabling member printed	Aaron Bell
	uin	74982
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/11/2022 answer text <p>While the Department does not hold comprehensive historic data on the population level of honey bees, the National Bee Unit does hold some county data, including for Staffordshire as a whole, on its BeeBase website. This data relates to honey bees managed by beekeepers and indicates a rise in the honey bee population in Staffordshire, from around 2,300 colonies in 2012 to around 3,200 colonies in 2022.</p><p> </p><p>It is important to note that the overall number of beekeepers registering on BeeBase has risen dramatically over the last 10 years, and this may account for the apparent rise in the honey bee population suggested by the colony numbers.</p><p> </p><p>We do not hold information specific to the population level of wild bees in North Staffordshire over the last 10 years. More generally, Defra’s indicator recording the distribution of pollinating insects in England between 1980 and 2017 shows long term decline for the majority of the 377 species of hoverflies and bees. In the short term, however, around 40% of these species have become less well distributed, and around 40% have become more well distributed. In the short term, more recorded bee species are becoming more widespread in England than are becoming less widespread. We cannot provide information on which species are declining and which are increasing. We are keeping these trends under review.</p> answering member constituency Copeland answering member printed Trudy Harrison question first answered 09/11/2022 14:59:26 answering member 4593 label Biography information for Trudy Harrison
	tabling member	4837 label Biography information for Aaron Bell

1519833

	registered interest
	date	10/10/2022
	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	Dogs: Animal Welfare
	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 prevent healthy dogs from being euthanised in the UK.
	tabling member constituency	Newcastle-under-Lyme
	tabling member printed	Aaron Bell
	uin	60172
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/10/2022 answer text <p>We committed in the Action Plan for Animal Welfare to seek greater assurance that alternatives to euthanasia are explored before a healthy dog is put down.</p><p>In 2021, we worked closely with the veterinary profession to develop an approach that works for all parties. Following these discussions, the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RVCS) agreed to incorporate the principle of microchip scanning before euthanasia into the guidance that underpins their Code of Professional Conduct. This applies to all veterinary surgeons practising in the United Kingdom.</p><p>The Code requires veterinary surgeons to scan for a microchip in dogs prior to euthanasia where, in their professional judgement, it is not necessary to put the dog down on animal health or welfare grounds. Checking the details on the relevant microchip database reveals who the animal's registered keepers are and can also alert the veterinary surgeon to anyone else who may have an interest in the animal. This may include rescue centres which have entered support back-up information on the microchip record. This information can help inform consideration about alternatives to euthanasia. We continue to engage with the RCVS about how these changes are working in practice.</p><p>In addition, we recently held a consultation to seek views on changes to current microchipping legislation which, if adopted, may make it easier and simpler for veterinary surgeons when they apply this RCVS guidance.</p> answering member constituency North Cornwall answering member printed Scott Mann question first answered 18/10/2022 16:45:19 answering member 4496 label Biography information for Scott Mann
	tabling member	4837 label Biography information for Aaron Bell

1242366

	registered interest
	date	12/10/2020
	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	Fly-tipping
	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 tackle the illegal dumping of waste.
	tabling member constituency	Newcastle-under-Lyme
	tabling member printed	Aaron Bell
	uin	102197
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/10/2020 answer text <p>The illegal dumping of waste, including fly-tipping, is an unacceptable blight on local communities and the environment. The government is committed to cracking down on the waste and carelessness that destroys our natural environment and kills marine life. We are also committed to increasing the penalties for fly-tipping.</p><p> </p><p>Over the last five years we have strengthened and expanded the powers available to tackle the illegal dumping of waste. Local authorities have the power to issue fixed penalty notices of up to £400 to those caught fly-tipping or to householders who pass their waste to a fly-tipper. Vehicles of those suspected of committing a waste crime, including illegal dumping, can be searched and seized.</p><p> </p><p>Those accused of illegal dumping can be prosecuted and, on conviction, can face a fine, up to 12 months imprisonment, or both in a Magistrates Court; or a fine, up to 5 years imprisonment, or both, in a Crown Court. Local authorities carried out a total of 2,397 prosecutions for fly-tipping offences in England in 2018/19, an increase of 7% on 2017/18. The value of total fines increased by 29% to £1,090,000 compared to 2017/18.</p><p> </p><p>We have invested £60 million in the Environment Agency’s waste crime enforcement work since 2014. This year’s Budget committed the government to investing £7.2 million in the development of electronic waste tracking, as well as £0.5 million in 2020/21 to support innovative approaches to tackling fly-tipping.</p><p> </p><p>In the Resources and Waste Strategy we committed to reforming the regulation of waste carriers, tightening up the regulation of the waste exemptions regime and improving intelligence sharing and joint working between enforcement agencies. The Joint Unit for Waste Crime, led by the Environment Agency and including the National Crime Agency, HMRC, the Police and others, was established earlier this year and has already had a number of operational successes.</p><p> </p><p>The Environment Bill includes a number of measures to help tackle waste crime. It will enable Government to mandate the use of electronic waste tracking; simplify the process for enforcement authorities to enter premises under a warrant; introduce a new power to search for and seize evidence of waste crime; and reduce the cost and bureaucracy when the police seize vehicles involved in waste crime on behalf of the Environment Agency.</p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow question first answered 20/10/2020 16:50:18 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
	tabling member	4837 label Biography information for Aaron Bell

1247280

	registered interest
	date	30/10/2020
	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	Odour Pollution: Complaints
	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 odour complaints the Environment Agency received about each of the sites it regulates in each month since January 2019.
	tabling member constituency	Newcastle-under-Lyme
	tabling member printed	Aaron Bell
	uin	109738
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/11/2020 answer text <p>The Environment Agency receives reports of odour from members of the public via the National Pollution Reporting Hotline. The numbers in the table below represent all reports received since January 2019 from members of the public across England, rather than those that have been assessed by a local Environment Agency officer and confirmed to be correctly attributed to a site that the Environment Agency regulates. The Environment Agency does not collate figures centrally for that number.</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p>Year</p></td><td><p><strong>Jan</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Feb</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Mar</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Apr</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>May</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Jun</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Jul</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Aug</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Sep</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Oct</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Nov</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Dec</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Year Totals</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>2019</strong></p></td><td><p>883</p></td><td><p>1,311</p></td><td><p>755</p></td><td><p>1,122</p></td><td><p>1,223</p></td><td><p>1,265</p></td><td><p>2,267</p></td><td><p>2,219</p></td><td><p>1,571</p></td><td><p>1,034</p></td><td><p>1,093</p></td><td><p>1,867</p></td><td><p>16,610</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>2020</strong></p></td><td><p>4,160</p></td><td><p>2,181</p></td><td><p>1,474</p></td><td><p>1,468</p></td><td><p>1,212</p></td><td><p>1,755</p></td><td><p>1,673</p></td><td><p>1,854</p></td><td><p>2,223</p></td><td><p>992</p></td><td><p>NA</p></td><td><p>NA</p></td><td><p>18,992</p></td></tr></tbody></table> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow question first answered 09/11/2020 16:39:17 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
	tabling member	4837 label Biography information for Aaron Bell

1247281

	registered interest
	date	30/10/2020
	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	Hydrogen Sulphide: Newcastle-under-Lyme
	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 assessment his Department has made of trends in the level of hydrogen sulphide in the air in Newcastle-under-Lyme.
	tabling member constituency	Newcastle-under-Lyme
	tabling member printed	Aaron Bell
	uin	109739
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/11/2020 answer text <p>Defra's national monitoring network does not monitor hydrogen sulphide levels.</p><p>The Environment Agency (EA) monitors specific sites within the Newcastle-under-Lyme area. In particular, on the Walley's Quarry Landfill site, the EA carried out an ambient air monitoring study between January 2019 and June 2019. The EA deployed a Mobile Monitoring Facility (MMF) to the north of Walleys landfill site between 15 January 2019 and 12 February 2019. Comparison of the hydrogen sulphide data with the World Health Organization’s (WHO) guidelines showed that concentrations were below health limits but exceeded odour limits for 6% of this monitoring period. The MMF was then relocated approximately 60 metres to the east between 28 February 2019 and 25 June 2019. Comparison of the hydrogen sulphide data with the WHO guidelines showed that concentrations were below health limits but exceeded odour limits for 1% of the monitoring period.</p><p>The EA will be continuing with its regular odour assessments and site inspections and will take appropriate action as part of its regulation of the Walley's Quarry Landfill site, should it identify any areas where the Operator is not compliant with their permit conditions.</p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow question first answered 09/11/2020 17:37:06 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
	tabling member	4837 label Biography information for Aaron Bell

1247283

	registered interest
	date	30/10/2020
	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	Landfill: Newcastle-under-Lyme
	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 potential effect on air quality levels in Newcastle-under-Lyme of the environmental permit variation application to increase the annual waste inputs from 250,000 tonnes to 400,000 tonnes at the Walleys Quarry landfill site.
	tabling member constituency	Newcastle-under-Lyme
	tabling member printed	Aaron Bell
	uin	109740
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/11/2020 answer text <p>The Environment Agency (EA) conducted an emissions to air assessment of the new application and is satisfied that air quality levels will not be impacted and there will be no additional emissions from landfill gas or risk of additional odour.</p><p>The operator's Odour Management Plan complies with EA guidance and reflects the industry best practice. The EA is satisfied it will minimise the risk of odour pollution, and that they have sufficient controls within the permit conditions to enable further measures to be implemented if required. The benefit of the variation is that the Operator could complete the landfill sooner (by 2024 not 2026) accelerating the progressive capping of the site.</p><p>The operator's gas management plan complies with the relevant landfill directive and permit conditions and the EA does not consider emissions from the installation will cause significant pollution to the environment or harm to human health. The increase in annual tonnages at the site would not change the amount of gas produced but would bring forward the peak gas production rate. The site is already permitted to operate a gas utilisation plant which has the capacity to combust the maximum volume of gas which will be produced.</p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow question first answered 09/11/2020 17:37:50 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
	tabling member	4837 label Biography information for Aaron Bell

1247285

	registered interest
	date	30/10/2020
	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	Landfill: Odour Pollution
	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 assessment he has made of the fitness for purpose of odour regulations as they relate to landfill sites.
	tabling member constituency	Newcastle-under-Lyme
	tabling member printed	Aaron Bell
	uin	109741
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/11/2020 answer text <p>No recent assessments have been made of odour regulations. The government considers that current provisions under the Environmental Permitting and Statutory Nuisance regimes provide adequate protection.</p><p> </p><p>Landfill sites in England must be operated in accordance with an environmental permit, regulated by the Environment Agency. Where issues could be a statutory nuisance under Section 79(1)(d) of the Environmental Protection Act 1990, local councils are responsible for investigating these complaints.</p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow question first answered 09/11/2020 16:42:17 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
	tabling member	4837 label Biography information for Aaron Bell

1247286

	registered interest
	date	30/10/2020
	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	Landfill: Odour Pollution
	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 support his Department provides to local authorities to (a) monitor and (b) tackle issues relating to (i) air quality and (ii) odour caused by landfill emissions.
	tabling member constituency	Newcastle-under-Lyme
	tabling member printed	Aaron Bell
	uin	109742
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/11/2020 answer text <p>Landfill sites are regulated under Environmental Permitting Regulations by the Environment Agency (EA). The EA operates a national network of air quality monitoring sites on behalf of Defra. These are designed to provide a representative sample of air quality across the UK, and will not be specific to individual regulated sites. In addition to its statutory air quality activities, the EA can use air quality monitoring equipment in some circumstances to monitor for certain trace gases that form odorous compounds. This is carried out using the EA’s mobile monitoring facilities.</p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow question first answered 09/11/2020 17:40:24 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
	tabling member	4837 label Biography information for Aaron Bell

1259412

	registered interest
	date	08/12/2020
	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	Walley's Quarry Landfill: Odour Pollution
	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 odour complaints have been received by the Environment Agency about Walley's Quarry Landfill in Newcastle-under-Lyme in each month since January 2019.
	tabling member constituency	Newcastle-under-Lyme
	tabling member printed	Aaron Bell
	uin	127016
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/12/2020 answer text <p>Walley’s Quarry landfill site holds a permit that is issued and regulated by the Environment Agency (EA), and the EA takes seriously any concerns expressed regarding the site. Although no landfill will ever be completely odour free, the level and type of odour arising from such operations should not be causing annoyance.</p><p> </p><p>The table below details the number of odour complaints (reports of incidents received through the EA Incident Communication Service) about Walley’s Quarry Landfill, over the last two-year period.</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p>Month</p></td><td><p>Number of Odour Complaints</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>January 2019</p></td><td><p>81</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>February 2019</p></td><td><p>259</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>March 2019</p></td><td><p>58</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>April 2019</p></td><td><p>49</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>May 2019</p></td><td><p>31</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>June 2019</p></td><td><p>57</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>July 2019</p></td><td><p>48</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>August 2019</p></td><td><p>95</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>September 2019</p></td><td><p>134</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>October 2019</p></td><td><p>82</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>November 2019</p></td><td><p>159</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>December 2019</p></td><td><p>102</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>January 2020</p></td><td><p>37</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>February 2020</p></td><td><p>94</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>March 2020</p></td><td><p>187</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>April 2020</p></td><td><p>74</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>May 2020</p></td><td><p>68</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>June 2020</p></td><td><p>53</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>July 2020</p></td><td><p>77</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>August 2020</p></td><td><p>92</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>September 2020</p></td><td><p>371</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>October 2020</p></td><td><p>225</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow question first answered 17/12/2020 12:58:06 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
	tabling member	4837 label Biography information for Aaron Bell