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1128823

registered interest
date	03/06/2019
answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept id	13
answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
hansard heading	Plastics: Consumption
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 reduce levels of plastic consumption in the UK.
tabling member constituency	Birkenhead
tabling member printed	Frank Field
uin	259012
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/06/2019 answer text <p>This Government is taking action to tackle all avoidable plastic waste. We have introduced one of the world’s toughest bans on microbeads in rinse-off personal care products and significantly reduced the use of plastic bags by around 86% with our 5p carrier bag charge. New measures to ban the distribution and/or sale of plastic straws, stirrers, and plastic-stemmed cotton buds have been announced which will come into force from April 2020. We have consulted on plans to extend the charge to all retailers, and consulted on increasing the minimum 5p charge to at least 10p.</p><p> </p><p>Earlier this year, we published consultations on measures to significantly change the way that we deal with our waste in the UK, helping to cut plastic pollution as we move towards a more circular economy. These included proposals to: reform the existing packaging waste regulations; introduce a deposit return scheme for drinks containers; and to increase consistency in the recycling system. Legislative proposals will be developed taking account of the consultation responses.</p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Suffolk Coastal answering member printed Dr Thérèse Coffey question first answered 10/06/2019 11:12:15 answering member 4098 label Biography information for Dr Thérèse Coffey
tabling member	478 label Biography information for Lord Field of Birkenhead

1128868

registered interest
date	03/06/2019
answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept id	13
answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
hansard heading	Plastics: Packaging
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 plastic packaging in supermarkets.
tabling member constituency	Birmingham, Edgbaston
tabling member printed	Preet Kaur Gill
uin	259383
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/06/2019 answer text <p>The Government is currently working with retailers and the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) to encourage their efforts to reduce waste and to explore the introduction of plastic-free supermarket initiatives in which fresh food is sold loose, giving consumers the choice.</p><p> </p><p>The government recently consulted on reforms to the packaging producer responsibility system to ensure that packaging producers meet the full cost of managing and recycling packaging waste. This provides a strong incentive to producers to reduce the amount of packaging they use and to make packaging that is more easily collected and recycled. Plastic food packaging serves important purposes such as protecting food, providing important storage information, extending the shelf life and decreasing food waste.</p><p> </p><p>However there are opportunities where offering food loose may help to reduce plastic waste whilst not impacting on shelf life. WRAP have published a technical report on the evidence for providing fresh produce loose and this will inform future guidance. And industry is already taking action. In April last year, WRAP and the Ellen MacArthur Foundation launched their world-leading UK Plastics Pact, with support from the Government, and all the major supermarkets have signed up to it. The Pact brings these organisations together with four key targets for 2025 that aim to reduce the amount of plastic waste generated. Which include action to eliminate problematic or unnecessary single-use plastic packaging items. Our proposed reforms will support supermarkets in achieving those targets.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Suffolk Coastal answering member printed Dr Thérèse Coffey question first answered 10/06/2019 11:04:20 answering member 4098 label Biography information for Dr Thérèse Coffey
tabling member	4603 label Biography information for Preet Kaur Gill

1128999

registered interest
date	03/06/2019
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	World Bee Day
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 events he attended to commemorate World Bee Day on 20 May 2019.
tabling member constituency	Preston
tabling member printed	Sir Mark Hendrick
uin	259009
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/06/2019 answer text <p>World Bee Day’s objective is to raise public awareness of the role of beekeeping, bees and other pollinators in increasing food security and fighting hunger as well as providing key ecosystem services for agriculture.</p><p> </p><p>Lord Gardiner, the Minister with responsibility for policy on bee health and pollinators, attended an event on 16 May at Winfield House, hosted by the United States Ambassador to the United Kingdom, to mark World Bee Day. The event was also attended by many of our partners on the National Pollinator Strategy and the Healthy Bees Plan. Lord Gardiner was invited to provide a short address in which he emphasised the importance of supporting healthy wild and managed bee populations.</p><p> </p><p>Lord Gardiner also recently attended the RHS Chelsea Flower Show to support Sarah Eberle’s Gold Medal winning ‘Resilience Garden’ and its promotion of the importance of biosecurity in protecting our native species, including bees and other pollinators, from pests and disease.</p><p> </p><p>Furthermore, at the Suffolk Show this May, Lord Gardiner celebrated the contribution local farmers are making to create vital habitats for bees and pollinators which, in turn, benefits the region’s crop production.</p><p> </p><p>As part of the National Pollinator Strategy, Defra established and coordinates ‘Bees’ Needs Week’ alongside conservation groups, beekeepers, farmers, researchers and businesses to promote and raise awareness of the actions everyone can take for bees and other pollinators all year round. This year’s campaign runs from 8-14 July.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Suffolk Coastal answering member printed Dr Thérèse Coffey question first answered 10/06/2019 10:37:28 answering member 4098 label Biography information for Dr Thérèse Coffey
tabling member	473 label Biography information for Sir Mark Hendrick

1129025

registered interest
date	03/06/2019
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	Soya Beans: Imports
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 (a) monitor and (b) prevent the (i) direct and (ii) indirect import of deforestation soy.
tabling member constituency	Bristol East
tabling member printed	Kerry McCarthy
uin	259092
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/06/2019 answer text <p>The Government established an industry-led Roundtable on Sustainable Soya to help industry act on a shared goal of reaching resilient, secure and conversion-free soy supply by 2020. The Roundtable has published a baseline report from which to monitor the progress of Roundtable members in tracking the direct and indirect imports of deforestation soy. With the support of the Roundtable, eight of the largest UK supermarkets representing a combined retail market share of 83% have published new sourcing policies to deliver sustainable soya to the UK market. The Roundtable is also working with other national initiatives to share lessons and information on soya imports (direct and indirect) to support a mass market move to sustainable soya.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Suffolk Coastal answering member printed Dr Thérèse Coffey question first answered 11/06/2019 16:33:41 answering member 4098 label Biography information for Dr Thérèse Coffey
tabling member	1491 label Biography information for Kerry McCarthy

1129027

registered interest
date	03/06/2019
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	Birds: Pest 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, if he will publish Natural England’s 2014 assessment and advice on General Licences.
tabling member constituency	Bristol East
tabling member printed	Kerry McCarthy
uin	259094
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/06/2019 answer text <p>Natural England’s 2014 assessment and advice on general licences can be found at the following link:</p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/news/natural-england-board-determines-outcome-of-general-licences-consultation" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/news/natural-england-board-determines-outcome-of-general-licences-consultation</a></p> answering member constituency Suffolk Coastal answering member printed Dr Thérèse Coffey question first answered 10/06/2019 11:33:52 answering member 4098 label Biography information for Dr Thérèse Coffey
tabling member	1491 label Biography information for Kerry McCarthy

1129028

registered interest
date	03/06/2019
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	Birds: Pest 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, with reference to the General Licences (a) GL04, (b) GL05 and (c) GL06 issued by Natural England, whether the 2014 Natural England review made an assessment of legality issues relating to those licences; and for what reason such licences have continued to be issued in that format.
tabling member constituency	Bristol East
tabling member printed	Kerry McCarthy
uin	259095
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/06/2019 answer text <p>Natural England’s 2014 review consulted on 46 proposals on general and class licences. These included one proposal to strengthen compliance with the requirement for licence users to consider alternative lawful solutions before resorting to lethal control permitted under licences GL04, GL05 and GL06. Following public consultation, there was no consensus on the need for this change which, consequently, was not taken forward. Natural England had no legal advice that questioned the legality of the licences until the Wild Justice challenge in February 2019.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Suffolk Coastal answering member printed Dr Thérèse Coffey question first answered 11/06/2019 16:29:09 answering member 4098 label Biography information for Dr Thérèse Coffey
tabling member	1491 label Biography information for Kerry McCarthy

1129111

registered interest
date	03/06/2019
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	Seas and Oceans: Environment Protection
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 protect oceans and marine life.
tabling member constituency	Solihull
tabling member printed	Julian Knight
uin	259276
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/06/2019 answer text <p>The UK is working both domestically and internationally to improve global ocean conservation in line with the Sustainable Development Goals, especially SDG14. Internationally, we are leading calls to protect 30% of the world’s ocean by 2030. We are on track to protect 4 million square kilometres of ocean across our Overseas Territories by 2020 and are backing an Ascension Island bid to protect 100% of its offshore waters. To support the achievement of the “30by30” target the UK is working hard to secure the agreement of a new Implementing Agreement under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea for the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction in 2020.</p><p> </p><p>The UK is at the forefront in establishing Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). We currently have 355 sites protecting 25% of UK waters. Included in these figures, is the recent designation of the third tranche of Marine Conservation Zones (MCZs), where a further 41 sites have been designated. This tranche builds on the 50 MCZs previously designated and essentially completes the UK’s contribution to the ecologically coherent network of MPAs in terms of habitat and species representation.</p><p> </p><p>We are also working to reduce plastic pollution in the ocean and are leading global efforts to tackle the problem through our support of the G7 Oceans Plastics Charter, the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s New Plastics Economy and the Commonwealth Blue Charter. In April 2018, we launched the Commonwealth Clean Ocean Alliance (CCOA), which we co-lead with Vanuatu. The CCOA encourages its 25 member countries to take steps to eliminate avoidable single-use plastics, significantly reduce single use plastic carrier bags by 2021 and implement a ban of microbeads in rinse-off personal care products by 2021.</p><p> </p><p>The Government’s forthcoming International Ocean Strategy will set out our plan to work with our international partners to secure a sustainable, prosperous and secure ocean future.</p> answering member constituency Suffolk Coastal answering member printed Dr Thérèse Coffey question first answered 10/06/2019 11:23:07 answering member 4098 label Biography information for Dr Thérèse Coffey
tabling member	4410 label Biography information for Julian Knight

1129112

registered interest
date	03/06/2019
answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept id	13
answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
hansard heading	Plastics: Regulation
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to reduce levels of plastic use; and if he will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	Solihull
tabling member printed	Julian Knight
uin	259277
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/06/2019 answer text <p>I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the Rt. Hon. Member for Birkenhead, Frank Field, on 10 June 2019, PQ 259012.</p> answering member constituency Suffolk Coastal answering member printed Dr Thérèse Coffey question first answered 10/06/2019 11:29:09 answering member 4098 label Biography information for Dr Thérèse Coffey
tabling member	4410 label Biography information for Julian Knight

1129113

registered interest
date	03/06/2019
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	Nature 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 steps he is taking to ensure developers in England enhance habitats for wildlife.
tabling member constituency	Solihull
tabling member printed	Julian Knight
uin	259278
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/06/2019 answer text <p>The 25 Year Environment Plan set out the Government’s ambitions for thriving plants and wildlife. We have committed to embedding a net gain approach to development, strengthened the National Planning Policy Framework to make it clear that all development within its scope should achieve net gains for biodiversity and consulted on proposals to mandate biodiversity net gain for development. We will use the forthcoming Environment Bill to legislate for mandatory biodiversity net gain in the planning system. A mandatory approach will provide a consistent framework for the development sector to contribute to the provision and enhancement of habitats for wildlife.</p> answering member constituency Suffolk Coastal answering member printed Dr Thérèse Coffey question first answered 10/06/2019 11:19:42 answering member 4098 label Biography information for Dr Thérèse Coffey
tabling member	4410 label Biography information for Julian Knight

1129114

registered interest
date	03/06/2019
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	Air Pollution: West Midlands
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 improve air quality in the West Midlands.
tabling member constituency	Solihull
tabling member printed	Julian Knight
uin	259279
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/06/2019 answer text <p>As part of our £3.5 billion plan to tackle roadside nitrogen dioxide (NO<sub>2</sub>) concentrations, the Government is working closely with 61 English local authorities and has placed legal duties on them, underpinned by £495 million in funding, to tackle their NO<sub>2</sub> exceedances. This includes Birmingham City Council, Coventry City Council, City of Wolverhampton, Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council, Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council, Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council and Walsall Council. Each of these local authorities has been directed to undertake local plans or studies to identify any measures that could bring forward compliance with NO<sub>2</sub> legal limits. A number of these have now concluded and the Government is working with the local authorities to implement measures including charging Clean Air Zones, bus retrofitting and upgrades, traffic signal optimisation and behavioural change schemes.</p><p> </p><p>In March 2019 Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council received a further direction to undertake a full local plan as updated national modelling identified a more persistent, long term exceedance in Solihull. The local authority is required to submit initial plans by 31 July 2019 and final plans by 30 April 2020.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Suffolk Coastal answering member printed Dr Thérèse Coffey question first answered 10/06/2019 11:13:45 answering member 4098 label Biography information for Dr Thérèse Coffey
tabling member	4410 label Biography information for Julian Knight