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1346975

registered interest
date	14/07/2021
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	Marine Protected Areas: Fishing Vessels
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 compatibility of the activity of (a) supertrawlers, (b) bottom trawlers and (c) fly shooting in UK Marine Protected Areas with the Government’s aim to protect 30 per cent of UK oceans by 2030.
tabling member constituency	Brighton, Pavilion
tabling member printed	Caroline Lucas
uin	33197
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/07/2021 answer text <p>Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) are a devolved competency and the information provided therefore relates to England only.</p><p> </p><p>The Marine Management Organisation (MMO) and the Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authorities assess on a site by site basis which fishing activities could prevent them from achieving their conservation objectives and determine what management is required to meet the site conservation objectives.</p><p> </p><p>'Supertrawlers' generally target pelagic species of fish within the water column and are unlikely to interact with the seabed habitats, such as reef and sediment habitats, for which most MPAs are designated. Both bottom trawlers and fly-shooters interact with the seabed and are therefore likely to impact seabed habitats. The compatibility of these activities will depend on the features protected in each site. If the site assessments conclude that this type of fishing poses a risk to the conservation objectives of a MPA, the relevant regulator would implement management measures.</p><p> </p><p>Management measures will be introduced on a site by site basis to ensure that measures can be tailored to meet the conservation objectives of each site, without unnecessarily restricting fishing activity. We believe using byelaws, rather than fishing vessel licences, to manage fishing in MPAs is the best approach to further site conservation objectives. All existing MPAs in our offshore waters will be protected from fishing activities which could prevent them from achieving their conservation objectives through a three-year byelaw programme being undertaken by the MMO.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow question first answered 19/07/2021 13:46:44 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
tabling member	3930 label Biography information for Caroline Lucas

1346976

registered interest
date	14/07/2021
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	Highly Protected Marine Areas
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 potential merits of fully or highly protected Marine Protected Areas for (a) the ecological health of inshore waters and (b) the livelihoods of local fishing communities.
tabling member constituency	Brighton, Pavilion
tabling member printed	Caroline Lucas
uin	33198
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/07/2021 answer text <p>On 8 June 2021, the Government published its response to the Benyon Review into Highly Protected Marine Areas (HPMAs). The Government accepted the central recommendation that we should take forward pilot sites and we will designate these next year. The purpose of HPMAs is biodiversity recovery and by setting aside areas of sea with high levels of protection, HPMAs will allow nature to recover to a more natural state, allowing the ecosystem to thrive in the absence of damaging activities. The Benyon Review Panel reviewed clear evidence and heard strong support for the ecological benefits that HPMAs can deliver.</p><p> </p><p>The Government will identify pilot HPMAs with ecological value, including areas with potential to recover. In early July, Defra, with the Joint Nature Conservation Committee and Natural England, published the ecological criteria to be used in HPMA identification and opened the process for third parties to suggest potential HPMA pilot sites until the end of August. Defra will then use social and economic principles to minimise the impacts on sea users, including fishing communities. Defra will evaluate socio-economic concerns, including fisheries displacement, before designating HPMAs.</p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow question first answered 19/07/2021 13:25:45 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
tabling member	3930 label Biography information for Caroline Lucas

1346977

registered interest
date	14/07/2021
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	Marine Protected Areas: Fishing Vessels
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the Government’s plans to introduce management measures in 40 English offshore Marine Protected Areas over the next three years, if he will make it his policy for those plans to include site-wide bans on (a) bottom trawlers, (b) supertrawlers and (c) fly-shooting.
tabling member constituency	Brighton, Pavilion
tabling member printed	Caroline Lucas
uin	33199
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/07/2021 answer text <p>Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) are a devolved competency and the information provided therefore relates to England only.</p><p> </p><p>The Marine Management Organisation (MMO) and the Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authorities assess on a site by site basis which fishing activities could prevent them from achieving their conservation objectives and determine what management is required to meet the site conservation objectives.</p><p> </p><p>'Supertrawlers' generally target pelagic species of fish within the water column and are unlikely to interact with the seabed habitats, such as reef and sediment habitats, for which most MPAs are designated. Both bottom trawlers and fly-shooters interact with the seabed and are therefore likely to impact seabed habitats. The compatibility of these activities will depend on the features protected in each site. If the site assessments conclude that this type of fishing poses a risk to the conservation objectives of a MPA, the relevant regulator would implement management measures.</p><p> </p><p>Management measures will be introduced on a site by site basis to ensure that measures can be tailored to meet the conservation objectives of each site, without unnecessarily restricting fishing activity. We believe using byelaws, rather than fishing vessel licences, to manage fishing in MPAs is the best approach to further site conservation objectives. All existing MPAs in our offshore waters will be protected from fishing activities which could prevent them from achieving their conservation objectives through a three-year byelaw programme being undertaken by the MMO.</p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow grouped question UIN 33200 question first answered 19/07/2021 13:47:50 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
tabling member	3930 label Biography information for Caroline Lucas

1346979

registered interest
date	14/07/2021
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	Marine Protected Areas: Fishing Vessels
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the Government’s new powers in the Fisheries Act 2020, if he will make it his policy to restrict the fishing licences of (a) supertrawlers, (b) bottom trawlers and (c) fly-shooters so that they cannot operate in offshore UK Marine Protected Areas.
tabling member constituency	Brighton, Pavilion
tabling member printed	Caroline Lucas
uin	33200
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/07/2021 answer text <p>Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) are a devolved competency and the information provided therefore relates to England only.</p><p> </p><p>The Marine Management Organisation (MMO) and the Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authorities assess on a site by site basis which fishing activities could prevent them from achieving their conservation objectives and determine what management is required to meet the site conservation objectives.</p><p> </p><p>'Supertrawlers' generally target pelagic species of fish within the water column and are unlikely to interact with the seabed habitats, such as reef and sediment habitats, for which most MPAs are designated. Both bottom trawlers and fly-shooters interact with the seabed and are therefore likely to impact seabed habitats. The compatibility of these activities will depend on the features protected in each site. If the site assessments conclude that this type of fishing poses a risk to the conservation objectives of a MPA, the relevant regulator would implement management measures.</p><p> </p><p>Management measures will be introduced on a site by site basis to ensure that measures can be tailored to meet the conservation objectives of each site, without unnecessarily restricting fishing activity. We believe using byelaws, rather than fishing vessel licences, to manage fishing in MPAs is the best approach to further site conservation objectives. All existing MPAs in our offshore waters will be protected from fishing activities which could prevent them from achieving their conservation objectives through a three-year byelaw programme being undertaken by the MMO.</p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow grouped question UIN 33199 question first answered 19/07/2021 13:47:50 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
tabling member	3930 label Biography information for Caroline Lucas

1346982

registered interest
date	14/07/2021
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	Marine Protected Areas: Fishing Vessels
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 blue carbon climate benefits of banning bottom trawling in Marine Protected Areas.
tabling member constituency	Brighton, Pavilion
tabling member printed	Caroline Lucas
uin	33202
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/07/2021 answer text <p>The UK recognises the important role that blue carbon habitats can play to prevent biodiversity loss and support adaptation and resilience to climate change, alongside carbon sequestration benefits. The Government understands that marine carbon stores in sediments can be released due to human activities such as bottom trawling. However, the magnitude of change in these carbon stores following trawling impacts remains uncertain, and difficult to quantify accurately based on the current knowledge.</p><p>To support our work here, we recently published a <a href="http://sciencesearch.defra.gov.uk/Document.aspx?Document=15118_Blue_Carbon_Stocks_Fluxes_FINALREPORTv6.pdf" target="_blank">report</a> from Cefas scientists that provides us with the evidence base to help understand the carbon stocks and fluxes of marine blue carbon habitats in UK waters. We continue to build the evidence base on blue carbon habitats in the UK.</p><p>The UK Government has a clear, long-standing ambition to implement measures which protect the marine environment, both internationally and domestically. This is set out in our 25 Year Environment Plan, which includes commitments to protect the UK 'Blue Belt' network of Marine Protected Areas and to support the protection of 30% of the global ocean by 2030.</p><p>England already has 40% of our waters in Marine Protected Areas (MPA), covering the majority of saltmarsh and seagrass blue carbon habitats. 98 sites in our inshore waters now have management measures in place to protect sensitive features from bottom-towed fishing gears. All existing MPAs in our offshore waters will be protected from fishing activities which could prevent them achieving their conservation objectives through a three-year by-law programme being undertaken by the Marine Management Organisation.</p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow question first answered 23/07/2021 12:22:52 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
tabling member	3930 label Biography information for Caroline Lucas

1345383

registered interest
date	08/07/2021
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	Office for Environmental Protection: Finance
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, for what reason the ring-fenced budget for the Office for Environmental Protection has been reduced from five to three years; when that decision was made; and for what reason that decision was not communicated to Parliament.
tabling member constituency	Brighton, Pavilion
tabling member printed	Caroline Lucas
uin	29772
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/07/2021 answer text <p>The Government is committed to establishing the Office for Environmental Protection (OEP) as soon as possible after Royal Assent with sufficient funding to fulfil its statutory advice, scrutiny, and enforcement functions. The intention, subject to finalising parliamentary passage, is to provide the OEP with a five year indicative budget, with a ringfenced budget for each spending review period. Defra has agreed this approach with HM Treasury to give the OEP the greatest possible certainty over its finances for the coming years. The OEP will then be required to report annually on whether it has sufficient funding to carry out its functions, and we will share this information with Parliament. Defra have discussed this approach with the OEP who welcome this commitment.</p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow question first answered 16/07/2021 16:03:46 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
tabling member	3930 label Biography information for Caroline Lucas

1341439

registered interest
date	28/06/2021
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	Peatlands: Conservation
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 set obligations for water companies and peatland owners in SSSI's to restore peatland on land they own, as recommended by the Climate Change Committee in their Policies for the Sixth Carbon Budget and Net Zero.
tabling member constituency	Brighton, Pavilion
tabling member printed	Caroline Lucas
uin	23151
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/07/2021 answer text <p>The England Peat Action Plan was published in May and provides an ambitious framework to improve the management and protection of peatlands, to ensure they are functioning healthily for the needs of wildlife, people and planet. We will work to ensure all our peatlands, not just deep or protected peat, are responsibly managed, or under restoration management.</p><p>In April we launched the Nature for Climate Peatland Grant Scheme which intends to invest over £50 million by 2025 to fund the restoration of at least 35,000 hectares of degraded peatlands across England, including in Sites of Special Scientific Interest. The scheme is open to a range of groups and organisations, such as Non-Governmental Organisations, national parks and water companies. In Sites of Special Scientific Interest, landowners are required to manage the land effectively and appropriately to conserve the special features of the site.</p><p>In the England Peat Action Plan, we committed to continue to work with water companies to encourage their investment in peat restoration as a solution to water quality issues, and to meet the industry's net zero goals.</p><p>We will also publish a comprehensive Net Zero Strategy ahead of COP26, setting out the Government’s vision for transitioning to a net zero economy. This will outline our path to meet net zero by 2050, our Carbon Budgets and Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC).</p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow question first answered 06/07/2021 16:34:21 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
tabling member	3930 label Biography information for Caroline Lucas

1336583

registered interest
date	15/06/2021
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	Domestic Waste: 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, what information he holds on the proportion of waste from household (ex NI-192) recorded by local authorities as collected and sent for reuse, recycling, composting or treatment by anaerobic digestion that is successfully reused, recycled, composted or treated by anaerobic digestion.
tabling member constituency	Brighton, Pavilion
tabling member printed	Caroline Lucas
uin	16060
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/06/2021 answer text <p>Defra publishes an annual national statistics release and datasets relating to the collection and disposal of local authority collected waste. The most recent statistics show that 45.5 per cent of ‘waste from households’ in England was sent for recycling, reuse, composting or anaerobic digestion in <a href="https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fassets.publishing.service.gov.uk%2Fgovernment%2Fuploads%2Fsystem%2Fuploads%2Fattachment_data%2Ffile%2F966114%2FStatistics_on_waste_managed_by_local_authorities_in_England_in_2019v3_accessible.pdf&amp;data=04%7C01%7Cpqteam%40defra.gov.uk%7C1a2ec2a53e904f2d8f7b08d935703968%7C770a245002274c6290c74e38537f1102%7C1%7C0%7C637599578388585367%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C1000&amp;sdata=qs%2B14vYgOMg4vLL%2Bt8FLRm%2B2KZvtl6tImXJ5HG2NyQ0%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">2019</a>.</p><p>The (ex-192) performance indicator measure of recycling (including reuse, composting, and anaerobic digestion) relates specifically to the ‘household’ waste definition. Figures for 2019/20 are available within Table 3a of the published <a href="https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fassets.publishing.service.gov.uk%2Fgovernment%2Fuploads%2Fsystem%2Fuploads%2Fattachment_data%2Ffile%2F966042%2FLA_and_Regional_Spreadsheet_1920_rev.ods&amp;data=04%7C01%7Cpqteam%40defra.gov.uk%7C1a2ec2a53e904f2d8f7b08d935703968%7C770a245002274c6290c74e38537f1102%7C1%7C0%7C637599578388595361%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C1000&amp;sdata=vrrcnXCWuC3OGKJE8oUpCbUMmL02S9pmDVSj5TVl%2BBU%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">dataset</a>.</p><p>‘Waste from households’ has a slightly different definition to ‘household’ waste and details of these differences can be found in the Glossary of Terms section of the statistical <a href="https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fassets.publishing.service.gov.uk%2Fgovernment%2Fuploads%2Fsystem%2Fuploads%2Fattachment_data%2Ffile%2F966114%2FStatistics_on_waste_managed_by_local_authorities_in_England_in_2019v3_accessible.pdf&amp;data=04%7C01%7Cpqteam%40defra.gov.uk%7C1a2ec2a53e904f2d8f7b08d935703968%7C770a245002274c6290c74e38537f1102%7C1%7C0%7C637599578388595361%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C1000&amp;sdata=eoqtvAO2IZ8FBf19UVspxl32aDzntgioVKpB1ZW0YPc%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">notice</a>.</p><p>‘Household’ waste collected for recycling, reuse, composting or anaerobic digestion, which was then rejected by sorting facilities or at the gates of a reprocessor was estimated to be around 525 thousand tonnes (5 per cent) of all material collected for recycling, reuse, composting or anaerobic digestion in 2019/20. This rejected material is diverted to the residual waste stream and does not count towards recycling rates. Defra does not publish this figure on a ‘waste from households’ basis.</p><p>The Environment Bill stipulates that all local authorities in England must make arrangements for a core set of materials to be collected for recycling from households. This will help to improve the quality and recycling value of the materials collected and, alongside reforms on labelling, will reduce confusion over the materials that can and cannot be recycled.</p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow question first answered 23/06/2021 15:15:33 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
tabling member	3930 label Biography information for Caroline Lucas

1328130

registered interest
date	26/05/2021
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	Dairy Products and Meat
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the press release of the 6th carbon budget, UK enshrines new target in law to slash emissions by 78% by 2035, published on 20 April 2021, for what reasons the Government does not plan to implement the advice of the Committee on Climate Change for low-cost, low-regret actions for a 20 per cent shift away from meat and dairy products by 2030 as part of the balanced net zero pathway as part of its policy position on diet change; and if he will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	Brighton, Pavilion
tabling member printed	Caroline Lucas
uin	7781
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/06/2021 answer text <p>We recognise the contribution to greenhouse gas emissions made by the livestock and dairy sectors. In 2019 - the most recent year for which emissions data is available - livestock emissions represented 60% of agricultural emissions (27.9Mt CO2e). Evidence shows that plant-based food products are generally less carbon intensive to produce than livestock products. While food choices and improved farming practices have an impact on these emissions, well-managed livestock can also provide environmental benefits such as contributing to protection of soil carbon in existing pastures, supporting biodiversity, protecting the character of the countryside and creating employment for rural communities. We recognise the delicate balance between these outcomes and the potential environmental trade-offs, and will ensure decision-making is evidence led.</p><p> </p><p>Achieving the net zero target is a priority for the Government, and we are developing a range of measures through the Agriculture Act, our future farming policy, our forthcoming Food Strategy White Paper and the 25 Year Environment Plan, all with the aim of enabling farmers to optimise sustainable food production, reduce emissions from agriculture and allow consumer choices to drive those changes.</p><p> </p><p>Part Two of Henry Dimbleby’s independent review of the food system will be published in July 2021. It will include a root and branch examination of the food system as it is today and the forces that shape it. The Government has committed to responding to the Review’s recommendations in the form of a Food Strategy White Paper within six months of the release of the final report. The Government is committed to developing a food strategy that will support the development of a food system that is sustainable, resilient and affordable, that will support people to live healthy lives, and that will protect animal health and welfare.</p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow question first answered 11/06/2021 12:00:11 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
tabling member	3930 label Biography information for Caroline Lucas

1328247

registered interest
date	26/05/2021
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	Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the Answer of 18 December 2021 to question 127521, when the planned consultation on implementing biodiversity net gain through the Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project regime will be published.
tabling member constituency	Brighton, Pavilion
tabling member printed	Caroline Lucas
uin	7782
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/06/2021 answer text <p>The Government is exploring how a biodiversity net gain approach for major infrastructure projects could best be delivered, and how other policy or legislative levers could be used to support this. To ensure that projects in the pipeline are able to progress and take advantage of the benefits a net gain approach can offer, the Government intends to consult further in due course.</p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow question first answered 11/06/2021 11:57:13 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
tabling member	3930 label Biography information for Caroline Lucas