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1678999

registered interest
date	19/12/2023
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: 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 steps his Department is taking to help support large local authorities to introduce food waste collections by 2026.
tabling member constituency	Birmingham, Edgbaston
tabling member printed	Preet Kaur Gill
uin	7640
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/01/2024 answer text <p>Any new financial burdens introduced through new statutory duties on local authorities will be assessed in accordance with the New Burdens Doctrine and the net reasonable cost covered by the Government. Given the additional costs involved in separate food waste collection, the Government will ensure that local authorities are resourced to meet any reasonable new burdens arising from this policy. We will work with the Waste and Resources Action Programme and other partners to provide guidance on best practice, and work with local authorities to help them to deliver services to all householders.</p> answering member constituency Keighley answering member printed Robbie Moore question first answered 08/01/2024 15:43:46 answering member 4861 label Biography information for Robbie Moore
tabling member	4603 label Biography information for Preet Kaur Gill

1679024

registered interest
date	19/12/2023
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: Maps
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 had recent discussions with the Environment Agency on the (a) accuracy of flood maps and (b) extent to which those maps take into account an area's flood defences.
tabling member constituency	South Holland and The Deepings
tabling member printed	Sir John Hayes
uin	7476
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/01/2024 answer text <p>The Secretary of State has regular discussions with Defra’s arm’s length bodies, including the Environment Agency, on a range of issues. This includes many topics on flood and coastal erosion risk management such as the Environment Agency’s flood risk maps and models.</p> answering member constituency Keighley answering member printed Robbie Moore question first answered 08/01/2024 15:16:03 answering member 4861 label Biography information for Robbie Moore
tabling member	350 label Biography information for Sir John Hayes

1679139

registered interest
date	19/12/2023
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	Waste Management
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 his Department's guidance entitled Waste collection services: guidance for local authorities, published on 23 July 2021, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of publishing statutory guidance for local authorities on sorting waste materials.
tabling member constituency	Bath
tabling member printed	Wera Hobhouse
uin	7637
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/01/2024 answer text <p>We recently consulted on the content of the statutory guidance for Simpler Recycling. We will publish our final statutory guidance once the regulations relating to Simpler Recycling have been made.</p> answering member constituency Keighley answering member printed Robbie Moore question first answered 08/01/2024 15:06:23 answering member 4861 label Biography information for Robbie Moore
tabling member	4602 label Biography information for Wera Hobhouse

1678456

registered interest
date	18/12/2023
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
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 implications for his policies of page four of the National Audit Office’s report entitled, Resilience to flooding, published on 15 November 2023; and for what reasons the Environment Agency has reduced its forecast of the number of additional properties that will be protected from flooding due to the capital programme.
tabling member constituency	Ellesmere Port and Neston
tabling member printed	Justin Madders
uin	7349
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/02/2024 answer text <p>Defra’s Permanent Secretary and the Environment Agency’s Chief Executive provided oral evidence at the Public Accounts Committee hearing on 27 November 2023, discussing the National Audit Office’s findings and recommendations. The Committee will publish a report in the new year, to which the Government will formally respond.</p><p> </p><p>The investment programme has faced delivery challenges which the Government is taking action to mitigate. The effects of inflation have increased the cost of materials and labour to build flood defences, and impacts from Covid-19 delayed mobilisation of construction activity. These events were unforeseen when the programme was developed ahead of the funding being announced in March 2020. These issues have been felt across the entire construction sector. The Environment Agency therefore now forecasts the number of properties to be better protected by 2027 will reduce from 336,000 to 200,000, with the number of new flood defence projects reducing from approximately 2,000 to around 1,500. Ministers are considering this new forecast with the Environment Agency.</p><p> </p><p>Despite challenges, at the end of March 2023, the Environment Agency estimated that approximately £1.5 billion of the current £5.2 billion programme for flood reduction has been invested. Over 67,000 properties have already been better protected from flooding since the start of the programme and projects are being delivered in every region, providing flooding protection across the country.</p> answering member constituency Keighley answering member printed Robbie Moore question first answered 14/02/2024 14:46:42 answering member 4861 label Biography information for Robbie Moore
tabling member	4418 label Biography information for Justin Madders

1678472

registered interest
date	18/12/2023
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	Disposable Wipes: Plastics
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when she plans to respond to the consultation on the proposed ban of the manufacture supply and sale of wet wipes containing plastic, published on 14 October 2023.
tabling member constituency	Putney
tabling member printed	Fleur Anderson
uin	7425
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/01/2024 answer text <p>The consultation on the proposed ban of wet wipes containing plastic closed on 25<sup>th</sup> November. The Government response to the outcome of this consultation will be published in due course.</p> answering member constituency Keighley answering member printed Robbie Moore question first answered 08/01/2024 14:55:00 answering member 4861 label Biography information for Robbie Moore
tabling member	4788 label Biography information for Fleur Anderson

1678473

registered interest
date	18/12/2023
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	River Thames: Pollution Control
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 his Department has taken to help reduce pollution in (a) the Thames and (b) Beverley Brook.
tabling member constituency	Putney
tabling member printed	Fleur Anderson
uin	7426
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/01/2024 answer text <p>The Government published the Plan for Water in April 2023 – our comprehensive strategy for managing our water environment, including our rivers. It brings together the significant steps we have already taken with a suite of new policy actions. It aims to change the way that we manage water, improve water quality, and continue to secure our water supply.</p><p> </p><p>The Plan for Water is underpinned by three main things:</p><ol><li>Increased investment for improvements – including £2.2 billion from water companies to spend on new and better infrastructure in the next two years, more funding for catchment-scale groups, and increasing slurry grant funding for farmers.</li><li>Strong regulation – including more Environment Agency (EA) inspections of wastewater treatment works, banning plastic wet wipes (subject to consultation) and new restrictions of ‘forever’ chemicals that damage our waters.</li><li>Tougher enforcement – including bigger penalties for water companies and tighter control over water company dividends.</li></ol><p> </p><p>The EA both responds to and investigates serious pollution incidents, such as the extensive work mitigating the impact of a category 1 oil spill in March 2022. There have been no serious (Cat 1&amp;2) pollution incidents on the Beverley Brook since then.</p><p> </p><p>The EA permits discharges to the Beverly Brook to control and improve water quality. There is one large continuous discharge which is treated final effluent from Hogsmill Sewage Treatment Works to increase river flow and prevent it drying up. There are five permitted, combined sewer overflows which discharge storm sewage after heavy rainfall. None of these have significant environmental impact. Other sources of pollution are road run-off and misconnected domestic properties.</p><p> </p><p>The EA works with partners to remove pollution sources entering rivers. ‘Outfall Safaris’ are taking place to assess possible pollution inputs and these are managed by the Zoological Society of London and supported by the EA, South East Rivers Trust, and members of the public. These are investigated by Thames Water and rectified, often aided by the Local Authority. In 2022, three outfall improvements were completed with a further two this year and seven more identified.</p><p> </p><p>Monitoring by the EA over many decades shows that general water quality of the tidal Thames has been improving with increased regulation of sewage treatment. Harm however can still be done to the river by storm sewage discharges after rainfall. The London Tideway Tunnels will begin to receive flow in 2024 capturing the majority of these sewage spills, further protecting our aquatic habitat.</p><p> </p><p>The EA recognises that the performance of the water sector is not where it needs to be, and that robust regulation is a key element of the required improvement. That is why in June 2023, the EA launched its Water Industry Transformation Programme, outlining that it would be transforming the way it regulates the sector, embedding a new approach that targets resource and interventions to uncover non-compliance and drive better performance from the water industry. This includes looking at how incidents are investigated and how they are categorised.</p><p> </p><p>The EA will soon have new powers to deliver civil penalties that are quicker and easier to enforce.</p><p> </p><p>Actions that the EA is taking as the water industry regulator are set out in the <a href="https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.gov.uk%2Fgovernment%2Fpublications%2Fwater-and-sewerage-companies-in-england-environmental-performance-report-2022&amp;data=05%7C02%7Cpqteam%40defra.gov.uk%7C2d7391ca09a44d19f75c08dc024449ea%7C770a245002274c6290c74e38537f1102%7C0%7C0%7C638387739520148592%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=JF8AeRopnwZTIAQh75%2BiMMMvgilfR6BhzNpSt5RmF4M%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">annual water company performance report</a>, published 12 July 2023.</p> answering member constituency Keighley answering member printed Robbie Moore question first answered 08/01/2024 14:50:46 answering member 4861 label Biography information for Robbie Moore
tabling member	4788 label Biography information for Fleur Anderson

1678483

registered interest
date	18/12/2023
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	River Severn: Flood Control
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 Welsh counterpart on flood remediation measures for the River Severn.
tabling member constituency	Shrewsbury and Atcham
tabling member printed	Daniel Kawczynski
uin	7310
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/01/2024 answer text <p>Officials at Defra, the Welsh Government, the Environment Agency and Natural Resources Wales have regularly met this year to discuss the Severn Valley Water Management scheme. In addition, the Environment Agency is working closely with the Welsh Government and other partners to explore the interventions that could reduce flooding as part of the scheme.</p> answering member constituency Keighley answering member printed Robbie Moore question first answered 08/01/2024 14:43:20 answering member 4861 label Biography information for Robbie Moore
tabling member	1566 label Biography information for Daniel Kawczynski

1678523

registered interest
date	18/12/2023
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	Chemicals
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when he plans to publish the Chemicals Strategy.
tabling member constituency	Newport West
tabling member printed	Ruth Jones
uin	7408
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/01/2024 answer text <p>Our strategy for chemicals is under careful consideration and will be relayed <ins class="ministerial">this </ins><del class="ministerial">next</del> year.</p> answering member constituency Keighley answering member printed Robbie Moore question first answered 08/01/2024 14:31:12 question first ministerially corrected 19/01/2024 09:28:32 answering member 4861 label Biography information for Robbie Moore previous answer version 9895 answering member constituency Keighley answering member printed Robbie Moore answering member 4861 label Biography information for Robbie Moore
tabling member	4716 label Biography information for Ruth Jones

1678552

registered interest
date	18/12/2023
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: Warwick and Leamington
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 impact of sewage overflows into rivers and waterways in Warwick and Leamington constituency on groups who use the water for recreational activities.
tabling member constituency	Warwick and Leamington
tabling member printed	Matt Western
uin	7383
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/01/2024 answer text <p>The Government is clear that the volume of sewage being discharged into our waters in unacceptable. That is why our Plan for Water sets out more investment, stronger regulation, and tougher enforcement to tackle pollution and clean up our water.</p><p> </p><p>Alongside this, our <a href="https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fassets.publishing.service.gov.uk%2Fmedia%2F6537e1c55e47a50014989910%2FExpanded_Storm_Overflows_Discharge_Reduction_Plan.pdf&amp;data=05%7C02%7Cpqteam%40defra.gov.uk%7Ca6bfb334c3c544ec7b3608dc014da08e%7C770a245002274c6290c74e38537f1102%7C0%7C0%7C638386680129682357%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=0Ewyoaf7KkECc45DlOgx%2BeODPkrRpl2TCXTXfvi3gvM%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">Storm Overflows Discharge Reduction Plan</a> sets clear and specific targets for water companies to reduce sewage discharges, and will drive the largest infrastructure programme in water company history - £60 billion capital investment over 25 years</p><p> </p><p>The rivers in the vicinity of Warwick and Leamington (River Avon and River Leam) are not designated Bathing Waters. Monitoring undertaken by the Environment Agency is primarily focussed on its statutory duties to monitor and report environmental quality.</p><p> </p><p>We have increased the number of storm overflows monitored across the network: in 2010 only 7% were monitored, and now 100% are being monitored.</p><p> </p><p>Nationally, the Environment Agency has directed water companies to make significant improvements through the PR19 Water Industry National Environment Plan and water company business plans, including upgrading over 8,000 storm overflows in successive price reviews since 1989. This has resulted in water companies investing £3.1 billion to improve storm overflows between 2020 and 2025.</p><p> </p><p>Locally, Severn Trent Water, as part of their Green Recovery Programme, are carrying out a trial to improve a stretch of the River Leam near Warwick &amp; Leamington Spa with the aim of making the river safer to swim in a location where bathing is known to occur.  This trial includes river monitoring and improvements to some of Severn Trent’s sewer network, infrastructure and discharges.</p> answering member constituency Keighley answering member printed Robbie Moore question first answered 08/01/2024 14:27:52 answering member 4861 label Biography information for Robbie Moore
tabling member	4617 label Biography information for Matt Western

1678573

registered interest
date	18/12/2023
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	Chemicals: Waste Management
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 discussions he has had with local authorities on the management of waste containing persistent organic pollutants; and whether he plans to provide support to local authorities for the management of such waste.
tabling member constituency	Newport West
tabling member printed	Ruth Jones
uin	7410
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/01/2024 answer text <p>Local authority representatives form part of a long-established Defra working group on the management of waste containing persistent organic pollutants. We also meet with local authority representatives separately and provide advisory support and guidance together with the Environment Agency.</p> answering member constituency Keighley answering member printed Robbie Moore question first answered 08/01/2024 14:23:38 answering member 4861 label Biography information for Robbie Moore
tabling member	4716 label Biography information for Ruth Jones