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1719630

registered interest
date	21/05/2024
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	Hornets
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 17 May 2024 to Question 25464, whether her Department has plans in place to move from a rapid response to a management phase for the Asian hornet, in the context of their growing presence in the UK.
tabling member constituency	Westmorland and Lonsdale
tabling member printed	Tim Farron
uin	27314
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/05/2024 answer text <p>The Asian hornet (<em>Vespa velutina</em>) is not currently considered established in the UK and therefore is still being addressed via rapid response measures. The Asian hornet <a href="https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nationalbeeunit.com%2Fassets%2FPDFs%2F2_Diseases_and_Pests%2FAsian-Hornet%2F2023-01-03_Asian_hornet_contingency_plan_Public_version_English-AC.pdf&amp;data=05%7C02%7Cpqteam%40defra.gov.uk%7Cc91427138ce5472f8db308dc7a47c122%7C770a245002274c6290c74e38537f1102%7C0%7C0%7C638519695828819352%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=rhuOR4NNosNv3Qhn3m4vTci7W9Vzl1TQlE%2FPtgF6jmM%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">contingency plan</a> covers the action that will be taken against Asian hornets with the NBU responding to credible sightings to locate and destroy any nests.</p><p> </p><p>For a species to be considered established, there should be evidence of a reproducing population having been present in the wild for a significant number of generations, that is considered viable in the long term without any human intervention. Whilst there has been presence of overwintered hornets produced from a nest found and destroyed late last year, it is not considered to be strong evidence of an established population.</p><p> </p><p>Defra will continue to follow an eradication strategy against Asian hornets until this becomes unviable at which point a change in approach will be required.</p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow question first answered 23/05/2024 14:27:13 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
tabling member	1591 label Biography information for Tim Farron

1719262

registered interest
date	20/05/2024
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, if he will publish the (a) members, (b) terms of reference, (c) agendas and (d) summaries of meetings of his Department's Biodiversity Expert Committee.
tabling member constituency	Brighton, Pavilion
tabling member printed	Caroline Lucas
uin	27007
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/05/2024 answer text <p>The Biodiversity Expert Committee is a subgroup of Defra’s Science Advisory Council; and members, terms of reference and meeting notes will be published on their website in due course. Upcoming agendas are not published as they can be reactive.</p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow question first answered 23/05/2024 14:23:25 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
tabling member	3930 label Biography information for Caroline Lucas

1719384

registered interest
date	20/05/2024
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 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, what progress has been made on the Environment Improvement Plan’s objective to secure £500 million of private finance for nature restoration by 2027.
tabling member constituency	Hendon
tabling member printed	Dr Matthew Offord
uin	27016
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/05/2024 answer text <p>The Government has set a target to mobilise over £500m per year of private finance into nature’s recovery in England by 2027, rising to over £1 billion by 2030. We are making progress towards the target by supporting the development and integrity of nature markets through the British Standards Institution Nature Investment Standards Programme; delivering Biodiversity Net Gain; committing £30 million of investment into a blended finance Big Nature Impact Fund; helping farmers with advice and support on accessing nature markets; and increasing the supply of nature investment projects through the Natural Environment Investment Readiness Fund.</p><p> </p><p>We recently published an update on progress on our Nature Markets Framework, and we will consult on further policy interventions needed to support the growth of high integrity voluntary carbon and nature markets in the coming months.</p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow question first answered 23/05/2024 14:18:10 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
tabling member	4006 label Biography information for Dr Matthew Offord

1719469

registered interest
date	20/05/2024
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	Tree Planting: Rother Valley
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 his Department holds on how many trees have been planted in Rother Valley constituency in the last (a) year, (b) five years and (c) decade.
tabling member constituency	Rother Valley
tabling member printed	Alexander Stafford
uin	27207
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/05/2024 answer text <p>I would refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Wellingborough on 22 May 2024 to question <a href="https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2024-05-16/26823" target="_blank">26823</a>.</p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow question first answered 23/05/2024 13:40:19 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
tabling member	4866 label Biography information for Alexander Stafford

1718792

registered interest
date	16/05/2024
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	Tree Planting: Wellingborough
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 data his Department holds on the number of trees planted in Wellingborough constituency since 2010.
tabling member constituency	Wellingborough
tabling member printed	Gen Kitchen
uin	26823
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/05/2024 answer text <p>The Forestry Commission publishes statistics on new planting of woodland, and trees outside woodland, in England. These can be found in <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/forestry-commission-corporate-plan-performance-indicators" target="_blank">Forestry Commission Key Performance Indicators</a>. These statistics are reported for each financial year in thousands of hectares.</p><p> </p><p>This Government has not set specific targets for individual constituencies and the statistic the hon. Member has requested is not currently available.</p><p> </p><p>Our England Trees Action Plan has kickstarted tree planting over the past 3 years. We reported over 3,600 hectares of new woodland and trees outside of woodland planted in 22/23. This represents the highest woodland planting rate for nearly a decade and an almost 40% increase on the previous year. The figures for planting in 23/24 are scheduled to be published as part of Official Statistics in June 2024.</p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow question first answered 22/05/2024 12:43:57 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
tabling member	5011 label Biography information for Gen Kitchen

1718793

registered interest
date	16/05/2024
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	Motor Vehicles: Wellingborough
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 prevent off-road vehicles used for recreational purposes from causing damage to (a) farmland and (b) the countryside in Wellingborough constituency.
tabling member constituency	Wellingborough
tabling member printed	Gen Kitchen
uin	26824
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/05/2024 answer text <p>We recognise that these unsealed routes often provide essential vehicular access for residents and businesses without causing damage or disturbance. Whilst many users make use of their rights in a responsible way, we are aware of disturbance caused by excessive use of off-road motor vehicles on some unsealed routes. We consulted on banning vehicles from green lanes as part of the 2019 Landscapes Review, but a legislative ban to remove vehicular rights was not supported by the public. We believe that the current Traffic Regulation Order (TRO) process is legally robust enough to protect these routes on farmland with carefully targeted local action to protect sensitive areas, while allowing vehicle users to responsibly enjoy the countryside. It is the responsibility of local authorities to issue Traffic Regulations Orders to protect sensitive areas where necessary.</p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow question first answered 22/05/2024 13:14:27 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
tabling member	5011 label Biography information for Gen Kitchen

1718903

registered interest
date	16/05/2024
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 Environment
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 coastal habitats.
tabling member constituency	Southport
tabling member printed	Damien Moore
uin	26729
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/05/2024 answer text <p>Coastal habitats play a crucial role in absorbing carbon dioxide, providing flood defence, supporting fisheries, enhancing water quality, and contributing to biodiversity and well-being.</p><p> </p><p>The Environmental Improvement Plan sets out our focus on enhancing nature in marine and coastal environments, including the steps we are taking to restore and protect marine habitats and marine wildlife.</p><p> </p><p>These include delivering the UK Marine Strategy, which sets our ambition for Good Environmental Status (GES) across our seas. To help achieve GES we have created a series of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) to protect and restore our marine biodiversity. We are focused on strengthening the protection of this extensive network of 178 sites covering 40% of English waters, which represents the range of species and habitats found in our seas.</p><p> </p><p>To complement the MPA network, the first three Highly Protected Marine Areas (HPMAs) in English waters came into force on 5 July 2023. HPMAs will provide the highest levels of protection in our seas, allowing nature to fully recover to a more natural state and helping the wider ecosystem, including coastal habitats, to thrive.</p><p> </p><p>We actively invest in coastal habitat restoration, allocating significant funding to protect and enhance these vital ecosystems. For example, last year Defra announced a £640,000 funding commitment which is supporting vital restoration and creation of blue carbon habitats in the UK. The Environment Agency’s Restoring Meadow, Marsh and Reef (ReMeMaRe) initiative aims to reverse centuries of coastal habitat decline by restoring seagrass meadows, saltmarsh and native oyster reefs to bring benefits to people and nature.</p><p> </p><p>In February we awarded £25 million funding to 40 schemes around England for improving flood resilience through a new natural flood management programme.</p><p> </p><p>The Government’s £80 million Green Recovery Challenge Fund has supported a range of nature recovery projects across England, some which have included saltmarsh and seagrass restoration. Defra is also funding coastal and marine restoration projects under its flagship £37 million Marine Natural Capital and Ecosystem Assessment R&amp;D programme.</p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow question first answered 23/05/2024 14:46:33 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
tabling member	4669 label Biography information for Damien Moore

1718254

registered interest
date	15/05/2024
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	Carbon Capture and Storage: Water Treatment
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 his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of the proposal from Planetary Technologies and South West Water to perform a carbon sequestration trial by adding magnesium hydroxide into treated wastewater outlet pipes.
tabling member constituency	Hendon
tabling member printed	Dr Matthew Offord
uin	26407
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/05/2024 answer text <p>Greenhouse gas removal (GGR) technologies are technologies that seek to remove carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases from the atmosphere. Technologies such as Ocean Alkalinity Enhancement (OAE) are currently being considered under this category. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change now considers GGR technologies to be essential in limiting warming to 1.5 degrees. The Government has an ambition to reach 5MtCO2/year of removals by 2030, potentially rising to 23MtCO2/year by 2035.</p><p> </p><p>Reaching Net Zero and achieving good environmental status in the seas is a priority for Defra. Trials which advance GGR technologies, such as the proposed trial by Planetary Technologies and South West Water, could bring us closer to being able to deploy these technologies at a large scale. Reaching Net Zero will have benefits for ocean health and ecosystems. GGR technologies such as OAE may also benefit ocean health in other ways, for example, they may temporarily help combat local ocean acidification and the related negative impacts on species and ecosystems, such as calcium carbonate dissolution of calcifying species.</p><p> </p><p>Planetary Technologies have informed the Environment Agency that they wish to delay their formal application for their proposed trial for a period of approximately 6 to 12 months. A new application will be considered as and when it is received.</p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow question first answered 23/05/2024 15:11:10 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
tabling member	4006 label Biography information for Dr Matthew Offord

1718256

registered interest
date	15/05/2024
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	Carbon Capture and Storage: Water Treatment
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 make an assessment of the implications for his policies of the report by the Water Research Centre entitled Pre-Trial Audit of the Planetary and South West Water Ocean and Alkalinity Enhancement Pilot, published in February 2024.
tabling member constituency	Hendon
tabling member printed	Dr Matthew Offord
uin	26409
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/05/2024 answer text <p>The pilot proposed by Planetary Technologies and South West Water involves the addition of alkaline material into the sea to assess the extent to which this results in the removal of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, as a method of engineered greenhouse gas removal.</p><p> </p><p>The Environment Agency commissioned the Water Research Centre (WRC) to independently audit Planetary Technologies’ proposal and received WRC’s report in February 2024. The report concluded the trial was low risk and made several recommendations to Planetary. The WRC report can be found on a dedicated Planetary Ocean Alkalinity Enhancement Trial Information Page hosted by the Environment Agency. More information can be found <a href="https://consult.environment-agency.gov.uk/dcis/planetary-ocean-alkalinity-enhancement-trial/" target="_blank">here</a>. Planetary Technologies have informed the Environment Agency that they wish to delay their formal application for this proposed trial for a period of approximately 6 to 12 months, to allow them time to action the recommendations.</p><p> </p><p>The Government is still evaluating the potential for marine-based technologies, such as ocean alkalinity enhancement, to provide a route for effective greenhouse gas removal. The benefits and risks to the environment need to be explored before these technologies can be deployed on a large scale. Pilot studies are essential to understanding the risks and benefits of these new technologies, but they need to be regulated to ensure they do not have adverse impacts themselves on the marine environment.</p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow question first answered 23/05/2024 16:18:33 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
tabling member	4006 label Biography information for Dr Matthew Offord

1718260

registered interest
date	15/05/2024
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	Carbon Capture and Storage: Water Treatment
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 planned timetable is to make a decision on whether Planetary Technologies and South West Water will be granted permission to carry out carbon sequestration trials involving adding alkaline minerals to treated waste water being pumped into the sea.
tabling member constituency	Hendon
tabling member printed	Dr Matthew Offord
uin	26410
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/05/2024 answer text <p>In March 2023, Planetary Technologies and South West Water asked the Environment Agency to authorise their carbon sequestration trial in St Ives Bay. Varying South West Water’s EPR (Environmental Permitting Regulations) permit would not have been appropriate for a short term trial (less than one month) so the approach would be to issue a Local Enforcement Position. The current EPR permit for the discharge doesn’t cover the proposed dosing activity and only considers the local environmental aspects rather than the wider policy implications and effectiveness of carbon sequestration of adding alkaline material (magnesium hydroxide) into the waste water outfall pipe.</p><p> </p><p>We commissioned the Water Research Centre (WRC) to audit Planetary Technologies’ proposal and we received WRC’s report in February 2024. The report concluded the trial was low risk and made several recommendations to Planetary. Planetary Technologies have now informed us that they wish to delay their formal application for the Ocean Alkalinity Enhancement trial for a period of approximately 6 to 12 months, to allow them time to action the recommendations.</p><p> </p><p>We will consider a new application as and when we receive it.</p><p> </p><p>More information can be found <a href="https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fconsult.environment-agency.gov.uk%2Fdcis%2Fplanetary-ocean-alkalinity-enhancement-trial&amp;data=05%7C02%7Cpqteam%40defra.gov.uk%7C7de9517fdd24426deb7708dc79736dbc%7C770a245002274c6290c74e38537f1102%7C0%7C0%7C638518783877003161%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=yn1jMaNpiFrBzvuRwRlHH2Ma7HDkINc%2Fv1FbUIDA2jE%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">here</a>.</p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow question first answered 24/05/2024 06:52:34 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
tabling member	4006 label Biography information for Dr Matthew Offord