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1003589

registered interest
date	09/11/2018
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	Squirrels: 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 his Department is taking to increase the red squirrel population over the next five years.
tabling member constituency	East Londonderry
tabling member printed	Mr Gregory Campbell
uin	189605
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/11/2018 answer text <p>The Government is committed to protecting and expanding red squirrel populations and tackling the threats that grey squirrels pose to them. This is a devolved matter. In England, the Forestry Commission works with Natural England and other conservation organisations and projects to help protect red squirrel enclaves and to allow the populations to expand.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The Forestry Commission also undertakes a number of actions to protect red squirrels from the impact of grey squirrels as outlined in the grey squirrel action plan for England. These actions include Countryside Stewardship funding for landowners who choose to help protect red squirrels within designated reserves.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Defra, in partnership with the United Kingdom Squirrel Alliance (UKSA), also provided funding for work by the Animal and Plant Health Agency for the development of a fertility control method for grey squirrels. This research, now in its third year, continues to show promise as one potentially effective method to control grey squirrel numbers in the longer term.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Suffolk Coastal answering member printed Dr Thérèse Coffey question first answered 14/11/2018 11:23:49 answering member 4098 label Biography information for Dr Thérèse Coffey
tabling member	1409 label Biography information for Mr Gregory Campbell

1003840

registered interest
date	09/11/2018
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	Paper: 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, whether he has plans to (a) ban the sale of unrecyclable wrapping paper or (b) introduce a tax on such products.
tabling member constituency	Preston
tabling member printed	Sir Mark Hendrick
uin	189590
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/11/2018 answer text <p>We have no plans to ban “non-recyclable” wrapping paper. Retailers are encouraged to provide information on whether their wrapping paper can be recycled or whether it should be disposed of in residual waste.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Packaging materials, including wrapping paper sold with the product, are covered by the Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging Waste) Regulations which place a legal obligation on businesses that make or use packaging to ensure that a proportion of the packaging they sell is recovered and recycled.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>This creates an incentive for companies to use less packaging and to ensure that their packaging can be recycled at end of life as it will reduce their costs in complying with the Regulations.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>We have committed to exploring changes to the packaging producer responsibility scheme. This will look at all aspects of the regime, including mechanisms to encourage increased recyclability. More detail will be announced in the Resources and Waste Strategy, which will be published shortly.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Suffolk Coastal answering member printed Dr Thérèse Coffey question first answered 15/11/2018 11:09:34 answering member 4098 label Biography information for Dr Thérèse Coffey
tabling member	473 label Biography information for Sir Mark Hendrick

1003891

registered interest
date	09/11/2018
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: Children
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 funding his Department has allocated to projects to reduce children’s exposure to air pollution.
tabling member constituency	Poplar and Limehouse
tabling member printed	Jim Fitzpatrick
uin	189532
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/11/2018 answer text <p>Defra provides funds to Local Authorities via the air quality grant fund for projects in local communities to tackle air pollution and reduce emissions affecting schools, businesses and residents. For example, in 2016/17, the London Borough of Islington were awarded £50,000 to run a local school focussed awareness and engagement campaign through the air quality grant, and in 2017/18, Spelthorne Borough Council were given £145,188 to run an awareness campaign in schools across Surrey.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Local Authorities have a duty to monitor and assess air quality and to take action to reduce pollution where these breach statutory limits, and are best placed to determine local priorities. Their local knowledge and interaction with the communities that they serve mean that they know the issues on the ground in detail and the solutions that are best suited to local circumstances.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Defra awarded a total of £2.4 million to local authorities from the 2017/18 air quality grant fund; £3.7 million was awarded to local authorities in 2016/17, and £0.5 million in 2015/6. £3 million has been allocated for 2018/19.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The Government has also put in place a £3.5 billion plan to improve air quality and reduce harmful emissions, which includes £255 million for councils to improve air quality and a dedicated Clean Air Fund of £220 million for those local areas with the biggest air quality challenges. We have consulted on our new world leading Clean Air Strategy, which includes new and ambitious goals, legislation, investment and policies which will help us to clean up our air faster and more effectively.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Suffolk Coastal answering member printed Dr Thérèse Coffey question first answered 14/11/2018 12:19:36 answering member 4098 label Biography information for Dr Thérèse Coffey
tabling member	197 label Biography information for Jim Fitzpatrick

1002626

registered interest
date	06/11/2018
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 reduce fly-tipping; and if he will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	Tewkesbury
tabling member printed	Mr Laurence Robertson
uin	188703
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/11/2018 answer text <p>The Government is committed to tackling fly-tipping. We have given local authorities the power to issue fixed penalty notices for small scale fly-tipping and enhanced local authorities’ and the Environment Agency’s ability to search and seize the vehicles of suspected fly-tippers.</p><p> </p><p>Earlier this year we consulted on giving local authorities and the Environment Agency the power to issue fixed penalty notices to householders who fail in their duty of care and pass their waste to fly-tippers. A further announcement will follow later this year. We will also support local authorities in raising householders’ awareness of their duty of care and update the Waste Duty of Care Code of Practice to better inform householders about how to ensure their waste is disposed of properly.</p><p> </p><p>As part of the Government’s Resource and Waste Strategy (due to be published before the end of the year), we are developing a strategic approach to waste crime. This will include further measures to tackle fly-tipping, including enhancing local-level partnership working and intelligence sharing and working with the court system to strengthen the sentences of fly-tippers to act as an effective deterrent.</p> answering member constituency Suffolk Coastal answering member printed Dr Thérèse Coffey question first answered 12/11/2018 11:04:32 answering member 4098 label Biography information for Dr Thérèse Coffey
tabling member	253 label Biography information for Mr Laurence Robertson

1002713

registered interest
date	06/11/2018
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	Biodiversity
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 his Department spent on biodiversity conservation in (a) England and (b) the UK Overseas Territories in each of the last three financial years.
tabling member constituency	Oxford West and Abingdon
tabling member printed	Layla Moran
uin	188902
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/11/2018 answer text <p>Defra spend on biodiversity in England was £278m in 2015/16; and £258m in 2016/17. Figures for 2017/18 are still being compiled for publication, and should be available in July 2019 as part of our update of our Biodiversity Indicators.</p><p>These figures include a proportion of the total expenditure on agri-environment schemes (55% – the proportion that is assessed to directly contribute to biodiversity outcomes specifically). They also include expenditure by Natural England, the Joint Nature Conservation Committee, the Environment Agency and the Forestry Commission on managing the public estate, advice, research and monitoring.</p><p>This is likely to be an underestimate as spend on biodiversity is integrated into a wide range of Departmental programmes that support multiple outcomes. For example, the figures do not include all spend on marine and fisheries. In 2018/19 £21m will be spent on activities that contribute to the conservation of marine biodiversity. In addition to this, much of the Department’s work to improve the sustainability of our fisheries will also contribute to improving marine biodiversity.</p><p>The main source of Departmental funding for biodiversity in the UK Overseas Territories (OTs) is through Darwin Plus, also known as “The Overseas Territories Environment and Climate Fund”. Defra’s contribution to Darwin Plus funding in the last three years is as follows: £1.85 million in 2015/16; £2 million in 2016/17; £2 million in 2017/18. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Department for International Development also contribute.</p><p>Defra leads on a number of environmental protection projects under the Conflict, Stability and Security Fund (CSSF) but these are funded and administered by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Suffolk Coastal answering member printed Dr Thérèse Coffey question first answered 12/11/2018 10:59:33 answering member 4098 label Biography information for Dr Thérèse Coffey
tabling member	4656 label Biography information for Layla Moran

1002718

registered interest
date	06/11/2018
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 of Prey: 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, if he will bring forward legislative proposals on vicarious liability for crimes against birds of prey.
tabling member constituency	Bristol East
tabling member printed	Kerry McCarthy
uin	188753
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/11/2018 answer text <p>All wild birds are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, which provides a powerful framework for the conservation of wild birds, their eggs, nests and habitats.</p><p> </p><p>There are no plans to introduce vicarious liability in England for offences related to wildlife crime.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Suffolk Coastal answering member printed Dr Thérèse Coffey question first answered 12/11/2018 11:09:19 answering member 4098 label Biography information for Dr Thérèse Coffey
tabling member	1491 label Biography information for Kerry McCarthy

1001975

registered interest
date	05/11/2018
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	Fracking: Air 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 his Department has taken to monitor emissions from shale gas sites once they have been decommissioned.
tabling member constituency	Fylde
tabling member printed	Mark Menzies
uin	188134
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/11/2018 answer text <p>The Environment Agency requires monitoring of the environmental conditions at shale gas sites before operations can start in accordance with the environmental permit granted. This provides a valuable evidence base to compare against monitoring results taken during and after operations. The type and period of monitoring required after decommissioning is determined on a site by site basis. It will depend on the risks associated with the type and scale of activities at a particular site, together with the local environmental setting.</p><p> </p><p>The Environment Agency will not allow an operator to surrender their permit until it is satisfied that the well has been decommissioned in line with the Health and Safety Executive's requirements and either no pollution has occurred at a site, or if it has, that the site has been returned to its original condition.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Suffolk Coastal answering member printed Dr Thérèse Coffey question first answered 12/11/2018 11:18:33 answering member 4098 label Biography information for Dr Thérèse Coffey
tabling member	3998 label Biography information for Mark Menzies

1001978

registered interest
date	05/11/2018
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	Fracking: Air 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 assessment his Department has made of the potential air quality effects of shale gas extraction since the completion of the Air Quality Expert Group report n that subject in 2015.
tabling member constituency	Fylde
tabling member printed	Mark Menzies
uin	188135
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/11/2018 answer text <p>The report, “Potential Air Quality Impacts of Shale Gas Extraction in the UK”, prepared by the Air Quality Expert Group (AQEG) was published on 27 July and no further assessment of air quality impacts from this activity has been carried out.</p><p> </p><p>However, in line with the AQEG recommendations, the Environment Agency (EA) continues to monitor air quality around identified exploration sites before, during and after activities and they provide strict guidance that operators must adhere to.</p> answering member constituency Suffolk Coastal answering member printed Dr Thérèse Coffey question first answered 12/11/2018 11:24:56 answering member 4098 label Biography information for Dr Thérèse Coffey
tabling member	3998 label Biography information for Mark Menzies

1001979

registered interest
date	05/11/2018
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	Fracking: Lancashire
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 adequacy of the waste water disposal system at the Preston New Road Shale Gas site.
tabling member constituency	Fylde
tabling member printed	Mark Menzies
uin	188136
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/11/2018 answer text <p>Environmental permits issued by the Environment Agency set legally binding conditions. The permit at Preston New Road allows for hydraulic fracturing fluid that returns to the surface, known as flowback fluid, to be reused and recycled onsite in the process. Flowback fluid that cannot be recycled will become waste, and must be taken offsite for treatment at appropriately licensed waste water treatment facilities.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Waste flowback is not expected to be produced at the site until further into the fracturing programme. At that time the Environment Agency plan to carry out a full audit of flowback storage, sampling and disposal.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Suffolk Coastal answering member printed Dr Thérèse Coffey question first answered 12/11/2018 11:22:17 answering member 4098 label Biography information for Dr Thérèse Coffey
tabling member	3998 label Biography information for Mark Menzies

1001982

registered interest
date	05/11/2018
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	Fracking: Lancashire
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 the Environment Agency has made of the level of compliance by Cuadrilla Resources with relevant environmental restrictions at its shale gas site at Preston New Road.
tabling member constituency	Fylde
tabling member printed	Mark Menzies
uin	188138
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/11/2018 answer text <p>The Environment Agency has been carrying out regular inspections, audits and unannounced spot checks to ensure that Cuadrilla is compliant with the legally binding conditions in the environmental permit.</p><p> </p><p>Cuadrilla had a small number of non-compliances with their environmental permit in 2017, mostly for procedural matters. This is not uncommon for industrial sites after site inspections and audits. In these instances the Environment Agency has provided advice and guidance to ensure full compliance with the permits. In response Cuadrilla has implemented the required improvements. So far in 2018, no permit non-compliances have been recorded.</p> answering member constituency Suffolk Coastal answering member printed Dr Thérèse Coffey question first answered 12/11/2018 11:41:47 answering member 4098 label Biography information for Dr Thérèse Coffey
tabling member	3998 label Biography information for Mark Menzies