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99726

registered interest
date	17/10/2014
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	Rivers: 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 steps the Government is taking to prevent plastic contaminants in UK river basins from reaching the sea.
tabling member constituency	Coventry South
tabling member printed	Mr Jim Cunningham
uin	211006
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/10/2014 answer text <p>The Government focuses on preventing litter from entering rivers and the sea by reducing it at source.</p><p>Through the waste hierarchy, we seek to reduce the amount of waste produced in the first place and to encourage greater reuse and recycling of goods and materials. The Waste Prevention Programme for England, published in December last year, sets out actions for government, businesses, the wider public sector, civil society and consumers to prevent waste.</p><p>Where litter is found on waterside land, the responsibility for rectifying it depends on the ownership and management arrangements. The responsibility for removing litter may fall on local authorities, appropriate Crown authorities, designated statutory undertakers and the governing bodies of educational institutions. All of these bodies have a statutory duty to keep specified land clear of litter and refuse. The Code of Practice on Litter and Refuse recommends that canals and waterside areas should be subject to regular and systematic management and monitoring of litter and refuse.</p><p>Investment by the water companies to improve sewerage infrastructure has resulted in a significant reduction in sewage-related litter entering rivers and the sea through screening of discharges and improvements to sewage treatment.</p><p>We welcome work such as that done by Keep Britain Tidy and Anglian Water through their RiverCare programme to engage local communities in clearing litter, removing non-native species, surveying and monitoring flora and fauna and carrying out habitat management and restoration in their local rivers.</p><p>Defra will shortly be consulting on a programme of measures, including for marine litter, as part of the implementation of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive. The UK is contributing to the OSPAR convention’s regional action plan on marine litter in the north-east Atlantic.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Defra has not undertaken any recent studies into the effect of plastic and litter contamination on rivers; however, Defra is funding a study into the possible effects of microplastics in the marine environment.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency North Cornwall answering member printed Dan Rogerson grouped question UIN 211007 211008 question first answered 22/10/2014 16:59:03 answering member 1504 label Biography information for Dan Rogerson
tabling member	308 label Biography information for Mr Jim Cunningham

99727

registered interest
date	17/10/2014
answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept id	13
answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
hansard heading	Water: 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 steps her Department is taking to (a) prevent and (b) rectify plastic and litter contamination of (i) UK river basins and (ii) the sea.
tabling member constituency	Coventry South
tabling member printed	Mr Jim Cunningham
uin	211007
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/10/2014 answer text <p>The Government focuses on preventing litter from entering rivers and the sea by reducing it at source.</p><p>Through the waste hierarchy, we seek to reduce the amount of waste produced in the first place and to encourage greater reuse and recycling of goods and materials. The Waste Prevention Programme for England, published in December last year, sets out actions for government, businesses, the wider public sector, civil society and consumers to prevent waste.</p><p>Where litter is found on waterside land, the responsibility for rectifying it depends on the ownership and management arrangements. The responsibility for removing litter may fall on local authorities, appropriate Crown authorities, designated statutory undertakers and the governing bodies of educational institutions. All of these bodies have a statutory duty to keep specified land clear of litter and refuse. The Code of Practice on Litter and Refuse recommends that canals and waterside areas should be subject to regular and systematic management and monitoring of litter and refuse.</p><p>Investment by the water companies to improve sewerage infrastructure has resulted in a significant reduction in sewage-related litter entering rivers and the sea through screening of discharges and improvements to sewage treatment.</p><p>We welcome work such as that done by Keep Britain Tidy and Anglian Water through their RiverCare programme to engage local communities in clearing litter, removing non-native species, surveying and monitoring flora and fauna and carrying out habitat management and restoration in their local rivers.</p><p>Defra will shortly be consulting on a programme of measures, including for marine litter, as part of the implementation of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive. The UK is contributing to the OSPAR convention’s regional action plan on marine litter in the north-east Atlantic.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Defra has not undertaken any recent studies into the effect of plastic and litter contamination on rivers; however, Defra is funding a study into the possible effects of microplastics in the marine environment.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency North Cornwall answering member printed Dan Rogerson grouped question UIN 211006 211008 question first answered 22/10/2014 16:59:03 answering member 1504 label Biography information for Dan Rogerson
tabling member	308 label Biography information for Mr Jim Cunningham

99728

registered interest
date	17/10/2014
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	Rivers: 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 steps her Department has taken to study the effect of plastic and litter contamination of UK river basins on local biodiversity.
tabling member constituency	Coventry South
tabling member printed	Mr Jim Cunningham
uin	211008
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/10/2014 answer text <p>The Government focuses on preventing litter from entering rivers and the sea by reducing it at source.</p><p>Through the waste hierarchy, we seek to reduce the amount of waste produced in the first place and to encourage greater reuse and recycling of goods and materials. The Waste Prevention Programme for England, published in December last year, sets out actions for government, businesses, the wider public sector, civil society and consumers to prevent waste.</p><p>Where litter is found on waterside land, the responsibility for rectifying it depends on the ownership and management arrangements. The responsibility for removing litter may fall on local authorities, appropriate Crown authorities, designated statutory undertakers and the governing bodies of educational institutions. All of these bodies have a statutory duty to keep specified land clear of litter and refuse. The Code of Practice on Litter and Refuse recommends that canals and waterside areas should be subject to regular and systematic management and monitoring of litter and refuse.</p><p>Investment by the water companies to improve sewerage infrastructure has resulted in a significant reduction in sewage-related litter entering rivers and the sea through screening of discharges and improvements to sewage treatment.</p><p>We welcome work such as that done by Keep Britain Tidy and Anglian Water through their RiverCare programme to engage local communities in clearing litter, removing non-native species, surveying and monitoring flora and fauna and carrying out habitat management and restoration in their local rivers.</p><p>Defra will shortly be consulting on a programme of measures, including for marine litter, as part of the implementation of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive. The UK is contributing to the OSPAR convention’s regional action plan on marine litter in the north-east Atlantic.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Defra has not undertaken any recent studies into the effect of plastic and litter contamination on rivers; however, Defra is funding a study into the possible effects of microplastics in the marine environment.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency North Cornwall answering member printed Dan Rogerson grouped question UIN 211006 211007 question first answered 22/10/2014 16:59:03 answering member 1504 label Biography information for Dan Rogerson
tabling member	308 label Biography information for Mr Jim Cunningham

93802

registered interest
date	16/10/2014
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	Environment Agency and Natural England
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 expects to receive the progress report from the Environment Agency and Natural England on the action plan in response to the Triennial Review of those agencies.
tabling member constituency	Garston and Halewood
tabling member printed	Maria Eagle
uin	210941
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/10/2014 answer text <p>The report from the Environment Agency and Natural England on positive progress towards implementation of the Triennial Review Conclusions and Action Plan has been received and is being considered prior to publication.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency North Cornwall answering member printed Dan Rogerson question first answered 21/10/2014 15:14:53 answering member 1504 label Biography information for Dan Rogerson
tabling member	483 label Biography information for Maria Eagle

93543

registered interest
date	15/10/2014
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: Beetles
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 the Government has taken to prevent the spread of the beehive beetle through produce imported from Italy.
tabling member constituency	East Antrim
tabling member printed	Sammy Wilson
uin	210631
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/10/2014 answer text <p>Defra’s Pest Risk Analysis for the small hive beetle, including an assessment of its potential impact, has been published and can be found at <a href="http://www.nationalbeeunit.com/downloadDocument.cfm?id=945" target="_blank">www.nationalbeeunit.com/downloadDocument.cfm?id=945</a>.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Exports of bees are banned from an area of 100 km around the outbreak and the Italian authorities are taking steps to eradicate the beetle.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>As a precaution, in addition to inspecting recent exports of bees to England and Wales, Defra has alerted and provided advisory leaflets on the small hive beetle to the Plant Health and Seeds Inspectorate, the Horticulture Marketing Inspectorate, and trade associations representing importers of plant produce. We have asked them to remain vigilant and report any suspected findings to the National Bee Unit.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency North Cornwall answering member printed Dan Rogerson grouped question UIN 210632 question first answered 20/10/2014 16:44:46 answering member 1504 label Biography information for Dan Rogerson
tabling member	1593 label Biography information for Sammy Wilson

93544

registered interest
date	15/10/2014
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: EU Law
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 the removal of the derogations in the EU Landfill Directive will deliver the Best Overall Environmental Outcome; and how her Department made that assessment.
tabling member constituency	Hitchin and Harpenden
tabling member printed	Mr Peter Lilley
uin	210615
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/10/2014 answer text <p>The Government considers that the principles outlined in the “Strategy for Hazardous Waste Management in England” (Defra 2010) provide a framework for promoting the Best Overall Environmental Outcome for hazardous waste management consistent with Directive 2008/98/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council on waste. The Waste Framework Directive introduced a new five-step waste hierarchy which member states must introduce into national waste management laws, and which must be applied by member states in this priority order. Waste prevention, as the preferred option, is followed by reuse, recycling, recovery including energy recovery, and as a last option, safe disposal. In “Guidance on applying the waste hierarchy” (Defra 2011) the Government has indicated that the waste hierarchy already ranks waste management options according to what is best for the environment. Furthermore, in the Strategy for Hazardous Waste Management in England, the Government has stated:</p><p>“hazardous waste should be managed by waste producers and waste managers in accordance with the EU waste hierarchy. In applying the hierarchy, hazardous waste producers and waste managers shall opt for hazardous waste management that takes into account the resource value of hazardous wastes, and the need for health and safety to be maintained and delivers the best overall environmental outcome. This may require specific hazardous waste streams departing from the hierarchy where this is justified by life-cycle thinking on the overall impacts of the generation and management of such waste.”</p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency North Cornwall answering member printed Dan Rogerson question first answered 22/10/2014 16:25:59 answering member 1504 label Biography information for Dan Rogerson
tabling member	68 label Biography information for Lord Lilley

93545

registered interest
date	15/10/2014
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: Beetles
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 she has made of the effect of the beehive beetle on the honey bee population in the UK.
tabling member constituency	East Antrim
tabling member printed	Sammy Wilson
uin	210632
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/10/2014 answer text <p>Defra’s Pest Risk Analysis for the small hive beetle, including an assessment of its potential impact, has been published and can be found at <a href="http://www.nationalbeeunit.com/downloadDocument.cfm?id=945" target="_blank">www.nationalbeeunit.com/downloadDocument.cfm?id=945</a>.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Exports of bees are banned from an area of 100 km around the outbreak and the Italian authorities are taking steps to eradicate the beetle.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>As a precaution, in addition to inspecting recent exports of bees to England and Wales, Defra has alerted and provided advisory leaflets on the small hive beetle to the Plant Health and Seeds Inspectorate, the Horticulture Marketing Inspectorate, and trade associations representing importers of plant produce. We have asked them to remain vigilant and report any suspected findings to the National Bee Unit.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency North Cornwall answering member printed Dan Rogerson grouped question UIN 210631 question first answered 20/10/2014 16:44:46 answering member 1504 label Biography information for Dan Rogerson
tabling member	1593 label Biography information for Sammy Wilson

93546

registered interest
date	15/10/2014
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: Beetles
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 she has had with the Irish government to prevent the spread of the beehive beetle.
tabling member constituency	East Antrim
tabling member printed	Sammy Wilson
uin	210633
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/10/2014 answer text <p>The outbreak of the small hive beetle has been discussed in European Union meetings by Member State officials including those representing the UK and Irish Governments.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency North Cornwall answering member printed Dan Rogerson question first answered 22/10/2014 16:11:59 answering member 1504 label Biography information for Dan Rogerson
tabling member	1593 label Biography information for Sammy Wilson

93547

registered interest
date	15/10/2014
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: EU Law
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, which existing derogations in the EU Landfill Directive the UK applies.
tabling member constituency	Hitchin and Harpenden
tabling member printed	Mr Peter Lilley
uin	210618
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/10/2014 answer text <p>The Landfill Directive (1999/31/EC) was transposed into domestic legislation by the Landfill (England and Wales) Regulations 2002. The majority of the provisions came into force on 15 June 2002. The Landfill Directive is supplemented by Council Decision 2003/33/EC establishing criteria and procedures for the acceptance of waste at landfills pursuant to Article 16 and Annex II to the Landfill Directive. Between them they contain many derogations which can be applied. The information requested on the existing derogations in the Landfill Directive that the UK applies could only be provided at disproportionate cost. It is generally Government policy to take advantage of any derogations permitted by EU legislation which keep requirements to a minimum when transposing into UK legislation, as failure to do so would amount to gold plating.</p><p>An example is the derogation from the landfill diversion targets contained in Article 5 of the Landfill Directive. This relates to targets to progressively reduce the biodegradable municipal waste being sent for disposal in landfill. EU wide targets were established for 2006, 2009 and 2016 for reduction of biodegradable municipal waste. As the UK started from a point where over 80% of this waste was being landfilled in 1995, a four year derogation on these targets was available, which the UK applied. Another Landfill Directive derogation of current interest, and one which also applies in England and Wales, is the practice of relying on higher Landfill Directive waste acceptance criteria (the so-called 3xWAC derogation) to enable hazardous waste to continue to be landfilled.</p> answering member constituency North Cornwall answering member printed Dan Rogerson question first answered 22/10/2014 16:33:47 answering member 1504 label Biography information for Dan Rogerson
tabling member	68 label Biography information for Lord Lilley

93548

registered interest
date	15/10/2014
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: EU Law
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, which derogations in the EU Landfill Directive the Government is planning to remove from application in the UK.
tabling member constituency	Hitchin and Harpenden
tabling member printed	Mr Peter Lilley
uin	210619
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/10/2014 answer text <p>In the 2010 “Strategy for Hazardous Waste Management in England” the Government signalled its intention to end the practice of relying on higher Landfill Directive waste acceptance criteria (WAC, the so-called 3xWAC derogation) to enable hazardous waste to continue to be landfilled. The Environment Agency consulted in April this year on the removal of this derogation in Council Directive 1999/31/EC on the landfill of waste. Defra is considering the responses to the consultation with the Environment Agency and will be engaging with the waste industry to obtain more information on the impact of the removal of this derogation. The Government is not currently considering the removal of any other derogations in the Landfill Directive.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency North Cornwall answering member printed Dan Rogerson question first answered 22/10/2014 16:28:08 answering member 1504 label Biography information for Dan Rogerson
tabling member	68 label Biography information for Lord Lilley