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1698344

registered interest
date	25/03/2024
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: 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 (a) his Department's budget for and (b) the amount spent on the planting of trees was in each year since 2010.
tabling member constituency	Chesterfield
tabling member printed	Mr Toby Perkins
uin	20268
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/04/2024 answer text <p>Data on tree-specific funding is only available from 2020, when the Nature for Climate Tree Programme was established. Since then, Defra has had a capital spend (CDEL) of £232 million on planting trees in England.</p><p>The planting of trees has also been funded by Countryside Stewardship payments. Since 2016, £120 million has been claimed planting and managing trees and for managing and enhancing woodlands.</p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow question first answered 18/04/2024 14:35:58 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
tabling member	3952 label Biography information for Mr Toby Perkins

1698352

registered interest
date	25/03/2024
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	Reservoirs: Brent
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, on what dates the Priestley Way trash screen that sits on the River Brent and enters the Welsh Harp was cleared by the Environment Agency in the last 12 months.
tabling member constituency	Hendon
tabling member printed	Dr Matthew Offord
uin	20280
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/04/2024 answer text <p>The Environment Agency plans to attend once a week to clear the debris and waste build up on the Priestley Way Screen. By exception, operatives may not attend if they are required elsewhere to carry out higher priority work that could cause flooding or an environmental incident (for example, responding to emergency incidents). The Environment Agency arranges for a grab lorry to attend site once a month (although this frequency does increase at times of heavy rain and higher river levels when the screen can become inundated with waste much quicker). This lorry takes away up to 3 tonnes of rubbish each trip.</p><p> </p><p>The Environment Agency cannot provide exact dates for when it cleared the screen in the past 12 months but can confirm it cleared the screen 43 times (this includes planned visits to end of March 2024).</p> answering member constituency Keighley answering member printed Robbie Moore question first answered 15/04/2024 16:05:29 answering member 4861 label Biography information for Robbie Moore
tabling member	4006 label Biography information for Dr Matthew Offord

1698357

registered interest
date	25/03/2024
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	Microplastics: Washing Machines
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 potential merits of introducing a technical standard for microplastic filters in washing machines; and whether his Department has had recent discussions with industry representatives on developing a technical standard.
tabling member constituency	South West Bedfordshire
tabling member printed	Andrew Selous
uin	20219
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/04/2024 answer text <p>In Defra’s Plan for Water, there is a commitment for industry and businesses to develop low cost, effective microfibre filters in washing machines and encourage their use.</p><p> </p><p>Defra commissioned an evidence assessment to understand the efficiencies, costs and benefits of installing filters in washing machines to trap microplastic fibres shredded from clothing during washing cycles. The report showed that filters demonstrated a range of efficiencies and costs associated with them. We recommended that filter manufacturers collaborate with the washing machine industry to develop and implement standardised tests to provide unequivocal performance data for the relevant government departments to consider. We await industry’s proposals.</p> answering member constituency Keighley answering member printed Robbie Moore question first answered 15/04/2024 15:56:30 answering member 4861 label Biography information for Robbie Moore
tabling member	1453 label Biography information for Andrew Selous

1698358

registered interest
date	25/03/2024
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	Microplastics: 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, if he will make an assessment of the potential implications for his policies of the level of microplastic pollution in biosolids; and whether his Department is taking steps to help tackle this issue.
tabling member constituency	South West Bedfordshire
tabling member printed	Andrew Selous
uin	20220
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/04/2024 answer text <p>The Government continues to review the regulatory framework for biosolids spread to land to protect human health and the environment.</p><p> </p><p>The Government has taken a range of steps to stop sources of plastics and microplastics entering sewers and moving into biosolids, including:</p><p> </p><ul><li>We have already banned microbeads in rinse-off personal care products and the Government has been working at pace with devolved administrations to deliver a ban on wet wipes containing plastic. We recently ran a consultation on this and a government response setting out more information will be published in the spring.</li></ul><p> </p><ul><li>We have funded research to examine wider sources of microplastics, including tyres and textiles. Defra has also contributed to the design and development of the UK Water Industry Research funded and led <a href="https://ukwir.org/cip3-information" target="_blank">Chemicals Investigation Programme (CIP)</a> to improve our understanding of quantity and source of contaminants, including microplastics, in biosolids. This research will help to inform future policy.</li></ul><p> </p><ul><li>In Defra’s Plan for Water, there is a commitment for industry and businesses to develop low cost, effective microfibre filters in washing machines as a measure to reduce a primary source of microplastic fibres to wastewater treatment and the wider environment and encourage their use. Defra commissioned an evidence assessment to understand the efficiencies, costs and benefits of installing filters in washing machines to trap microplastic fibres shredded from clothing during washing cycles. The report showed that filters demonstrated a range of efficiencies and costs associated with them. We recommended that filter manufacturers collaborate with the washing machine industry to develop and implement standardised tests to provide unequivocal performance data for the relevant government departments to consider. We await industry’s proposals.</li></ul><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Keighley answering member printed Robbie Moore question first answered 15/04/2024 15:53:02 answering member 4861 label Biography information for Robbie Moore
tabling member	1453 label Biography information for Andrew Selous

1698067

registered interest
date	22/03/2024
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	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Training
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much his Department spent in the last 12 months on (a) in-work and (b) other training on (i) coastal restoration, (ii) the protection of coastal and marine ecosystems, (iii) monitoring, (iv) enforcement and (v) sustainable recreation; how much he plans to spend on each of those areas in the next 12 months; and whether his Department employs apprentices.
tabling member constituency	Kingston upon Hull West and Hessle
tabling member printed	Emma Hardy
uin	20101
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/04/2024 answer text <p>The requested information on training spend is not held centrally and to obtain it would incur disproportionate costs.</p><p> </p><p>Core Defra Marine and Fisheries staff and employees of Defra’s marine Arm’s Length Bodies undertake a range of training and learning and development (L&amp;D) opportunities covering a wide range of topics including coastal restoration and the protection of marine ecosystems, monitoring, enforcement, and sustainable recreation. Training is delivered through a range of means, including for example on the job learning, attending courses, peer to peer learning, conferences or talks, membership of professional bodies/learned societies, reviewing literature and mentoring. There is no mechanism through which we can give a specific amount that will be spent on those areas in the next 12 months. Every civil servant is supported to undertake L&amp;D and expected to undertake the training necessary to their role. Detailed records are not kept at a corporate level on specific training.</p><p> </p><p>The department does employ apprentices. As at March 2024 Defra Group currently has 880 active apprentices.</p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow question first answered 22/04/2024 13:23:25 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
tabling member	4645 label Biography information for Emma Hardy

1698137

registered interest
date	22/03/2024
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	Inland Waterways: Bacteria
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 potential impact of raw sewage in inland waterways on levels of (a) antimicrobial and (b) antibiotic resistance in waterborne bacteria networks.
tabling member constituency	Bermondsey and Old Southwark
tabling member printed	Neil Coyle
uin	20063
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/04/2024 answer text <p>There are no plans to perform assessments of possible impacts of raw sewage on levels of antimicrobic substances, and antibiotic resistance in bacterial communities in our surface waters. To do so would require extensive field monitoring, and analytical challenges would need to be robustly addressed to ascertain whether raw sewage discharges in the presence of other sources are responsible for antimicrobial resistance in river bacteria. However, the Environment Agency has been engaged in the cross government PATHSAFE programme to identify the pathways of antimicrobial resistance to humans and if it were decided necessary, the Agency would advise on the practical steps to undertake such assessments.</p> answering member constituency Keighley answering member printed Robbie Moore question first answered 17/04/2024 13:01:49 answering member 4861 label Biography information for Robbie Moore
tabling member	4368 label Biography information for Neil Coyle

1698138

registered interest
date	22/03/2024
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	Rivers: Bacteria
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 monitor the potential (a) presence and (b) spread of (i) antibiotic-resistant and (ii) antimicrobial-resistant organisms that are hazardous to human health in rivers.
tabling member constituency	Bermondsey and Old Southwark
tabling member printed	Neil Coyle
uin	20064
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/04/2024 answer text <p>We have been working with the Environment Agency and the UK Health Security Agency, to trial methods for detecting and quantifying antibiotic resistant bacteria in 3 river catchments in England and to provide example data on their presence and prevalence. The work involved sampling river waters at sites along the length of each river and subject to different land uses and potential sources of resistant bacteria. We expect to publish the results in the summer. The Secretary of State has regular discussions with Cabinet colleagues on a wide range of issues, and Cabinet discussions are considered confidential.</p> answering member constituency Keighley answering member printed Robbie Moore grouped question UIN 20065 question first answered 17/04/2024 10:27:08 answering member 4861 label Biography information for Robbie Moore
tabling member	4368 label Biography information for Neil Coyle

1698141

registered interest
date	22/03/2024
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	Water Supply: Bacteria
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 discussions with Cabinet colleagues on the potential impact of (a) antibiotic-resistant and (b) antimicrobial-resistant organisms in waterborne bacteria networks on public health.
tabling member constituency	Bermondsey and Old Southwark
tabling member printed	Neil Coyle
uin	20065
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/04/2024 answer text <p>We have been working with the Environment Agency and the UK Health Security Agency, to trial methods for detecting and quantifying antibiotic resistant bacteria in 3 river catchments in England and to provide example data on their presence and prevalence. The work involved sampling river waters at sites along the length of each river and subject to different land uses and potential sources of resistant bacteria. We expect to publish the results in the summer. The Secretary of State has regular discussions with Cabinet colleagues on a wide range of issues, and Cabinet discussions are considered confidential.</p> answering member constituency Keighley answering member printed Robbie Moore grouped question UIN 20064 question first answered 17/04/2024 10:27:09 answering member 4861 label Biography information for Robbie Moore
tabling member	4368 label Biography information for Neil Coyle

1697845

registered interest
date	21/03/2024
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: 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 is the annual funding for (a) coastal and marine restoration projects and (b) regenerative ocean activities; and if he will publish a breakdown of how this funding is spent.
tabling member constituency	Kingston upon Hull West and Hessle
tabling member printed	Emma Hardy
uin	19943
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/04/2024 answer text <p>Defra funded two coastal and marine restoration projects under its flagship R&amp;D Marine Natural Capital and Ecosystem Assessment Programme, at a cost of £2.1m in FY23/24. These projects are looking at the natural capital approaches to support local and strategic planning for marine recovery (£1.1m) and regional restoration plans for estuaries and coasts (£1m).</p><p> </p><p>Defra and the Environment Agency are supporting blue carbon restoration efforts through various initiatives, for example by investing £750,000 over two years to facilitate domestic blue carbon habitat restoration. As part of this, the Environmental Agency’s Restoring Meadow, Marsh and Reef (ReMeMaRe) initiative aims to reverse centuries of decline of our estuarine and coastal habitats by restoring seagrass meadows, saltmarsh and native oyster reef. The Environment Agency and partners are working on options for additional work to support saltmarsh restoration through the Water Environment Improvement Fund.</p> answering member constituency Keighley answering member printed Robbie Moore question first answered 23/04/2024 14:59:27 answering member 4861 label Biography information for Robbie Moore
tabling member	4645 label Biography information for Emma Hardy

1698028

registered interest
date	21/03/2024
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	Rivers: Environment Protection
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government how many river habitats in England have good ecological status; how many are polluted by chemical waste, including raw sewage and agricultural waste; and what steps they are taking to ensure the existing regulatory framework for managing the water environment in the UK is more effectively applied.
tabling member printed	The Marquess of Lothian
uin	HL3522
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/05/2024 answer text <p>The last Water Framework Directive (WFD) full water body classification results in 2019 showed 16% of all surface water bodies (14% for river water bodies), in England achieved good ecological status (GES) (or good ecological potential for artificial and heavily modified water bodies), and 64% of surface water bodies achieved moderate ecological status (or potential).</p><p> </p><p>The next full results will be published by the Environment Agency (EA) in 2025. The headline reporting for WFD creates a simplified picture and is just one way of understanding the water environment. For example, the last classification results for England showed the 79% of elements the EA test for GES were classed at Good.</p><p> </p><p>Most water bodies failing to reach GES are subject to multiple pressures. The top three pressures are physical modification of water bodies, diffuse agricultural pollution and waste water management. More detailed information on water body reasons for not achieving good are publicly available on the EA’s Catchment Data Explorer.</p><p> </p><p>The EA has developed a Prioritisation and Early Warning System (PEWS) for chemicals of emerging concern to assess their presence and quantities in our rivers. This allows the Agency to prioritise suitable management. Additionally, EA has developed a list of priority chemicals of concern which are regularly monitored alongside appropriate measures to protect aquatic wildlife and human health.</p><p> </p><p>The government is committed to achieving the goals of the Environment Improvement Plan to bring 75% of our water to as close to its natural state as soon as practicable. Our Plan for Water, published last year will go further and faster towards that goal and deliver a safe, reliable, resilient supply of clean and plentiful water underpinned by increased investment in infrastructure, increased regulation and stronger enforcement.</p> answering member printed Lord Douglas-Miller question first answered 14/05/2024 11:47:03 answering member 5006 label Biography information for Lord Douglas-Miller
tabling member	259 label Biography information for The Marquess of Lothian