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1138614

registered interest
date	12/07/2019
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	Bottles: Deposit Return Schemes
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 he has made of the potential merits of a return scheme for plastic bottles of all sizes for the economy.
tabling member constituency	Coventry South
tabling member printed	Mr Jim Cunningham
uin	276508
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/07/2019 answer text <p>We are currently analysing the responses and evidence submitted to the consultation on introducing a deposit return scheme in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Suffolk Coastal answering member printed Dr Thérèse Coffey question first answered 17/07/2019 15:42:55 answering member 4098 label Biography information for Dr Thérèse Coffey
tabling member	308 label Biography information for Mr Jim Cunningham

1138134

registered interest
date	10/07/2019
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	Recreation Spaces
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 he has made of the merits of increasing green spaces in the UK to reduce the effect of flash flooding.
tabling member constituency	Coventry South
tabling member printed	Mr Jim Cunningham
uin	275672
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/07/2019 answer text <p>As set out in our 25 Year Environment Plan, this Government recognises the importance of green spaces for health and happiness as well as for environmental benefits such as sequestering carbon, absorbing noise, cleansing pollutants, absorbing surface water and reducing high temperatures. In the right place, using green spaces in towns and cities to help divert or store flood water can be beneficial, including using sustainable drainage systems such as permeable surfaces and ponds or natural flood management techniques in towns and cities as well as upstream.</p><p> </p><p>As we build more homes, preserving and creating green spaces in towns is more important than ever. We want to encourage local authorities to consider all flood management opportunities and developers to take into account all the benefits when deciding how much land to allocate as green space.</p><p> </p><p>To support this we have worked with colleagues in the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government to revise the National Planning Policy Framework to further encourage sustainable drainage systems, and published our Surface Water Management Action Plan which includes actions that will join up planning for surface water management and build local authority capacity. In addition, Natural England is developing a framework of national standards for green infrastructure in close consultation with stakeholders.</p> answering member constituency Suffolk Coastal answering member printed Dr Thérèse Coffey question first answered 15/07/2019 12:16:36 answering member 4098 label Biography information for Dr Thérèse Coffey
tabling member	308 label Biography information for Mr Jim Cunningham

1135819

registered interest
date	01/07/2019
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: Health Hazards
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 he has had with the Secretary of State for Health on the effect of poor air quality on the level of demand on the NHS.
tabling member constituency	Coventry South
tabling member printed	Mr Jim Cunningham
uin	271359
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/07/2019 answer text <p>The Secretary of State has regular meetings with his counterpart at the Department for Health and Social Care and they discuss air pollution and public health most weeks.</p> answering member constituency Suffolk Coastal answering member printed Dr Thérèse Coffey question first answered 04/07/2019 11:36:29 answering member 4098 label Biography information for Dr Thérèse Coffey
tabling member	308 label Biography information for Mr Jim Cunningham

1135821

registered interest
date	01/07/2019
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	Climate Change: Health Hazards
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 he has had with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on the effect on the NHS of rising temperatures as a result of climate change.
tabling member constituency	Coventry South
tabling member printed	Mr Jim Cunningham
uin	271361
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/07/2019 answer text <p>Tackling climate change is a cross-Government priority and is one of a range of issues the Secretary of State discusses with Cabinet colleagues. Defra works closely with the Department for Health and Social Care and other Government Departments and partner organisations to address domestic climate risks, including risks of overheating from high temperatures (one of the six priority risk areas identified in the Government’s second Climate Change Risk Assessment, published in 2017).</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Suffolk Coastal answering member printed Dr Thérèse Coffey question first answered 04/07/2019 16:26:01 answering member 4098 label Biography information for Dr Thérèse Coffey
tabling member	308 label Biography information for Mr Jim Cunningham

1135836

registered interest
date	01/07/2019
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	Zoos: Birds of Prey
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 extend Government guidance on the tethering of owls and vultures in zoos to all birds of prey.
tabling member constituency	Coventry South
tabling member printed	Mr Jim Cunningham
uin	271369
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/07/2019 answer text <p>The Secretary of State's Standards of Modern Zoo Practice already set clear requirements for the tethering of all birds of prey used for demonstrations in zoos. The zoo standards require that tethered birds of prey should be flown at least four times a week unless tethered for medical treatment; that no bird of prey should be tethered permanently, and that all birds of prey should be given the opportunity to fly or move around freely during part of the year. Resting birds of prey should also be provided with sufficient aviary space. Defra’s Zoos Expert Committee is currently considering revisions to the zoo standards as a whole.</p> answering member constituency Macclesfield answering member printed David Rutley question first answered 08/07/2019 15:17:23 answering member 4033 label Biography information for David Rutley
tabling member	308 label Biography information for Mr Jim Cunningham

1135837

registered interest
date	01/07/2019
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
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 support research on alternatives to plastics.
tabling member constituency	Coventry South
tabling member printed	Mr Jim Cunningham
uin	271370
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/07/2019 answer text <p>Our Resources and Waste Strategy, published in December last year, sets out approach to eliminating avoidable plastic waste. We recognise, however, that plastics will continue to play an important role, for example by helping to prevent food waste when used in food packaging for certain foods. One reason plastics are useful is that they are lightweight, which can have benefits in terms of the carbon emissions associated with getting them to market. So we want to better understand the environmental trade-offs associated with alternative materials. We set this out as an area of research in interest in the Resources and Waste Strategy, and we welcome collaborations with industry and academia in order to further explore it.</p><p> </p><p>We are also taking steps to ensure new, innovative types of plastic really are more sustainable. As part of this, the Government has confirmed, subject to matched funding from industry, that it is prepared to invest up to £60 million through the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund towards the development of smart, sustainable plastic packaging, which will aim to make the UK a world-leader in sustainable packaging for consumer products.</p><p> </p><p>We will also publish a call for evidence on standards for bio-based and biodegradable plastics. The Government is concerned that, in the absence of accepted standards, claims about the biodegradability of plastic-based products cannot be verified, possibly leading to increased levels of consumption and greater environmental harm, in comparison to conventional fossil-based plastics. The call for evidence will be published later this year, and we welcome responses from the research community.</p> answering member constituency Suffolk Coastal answering member printed Dr Thérèse Coffey question first answered 10/07/2019 13:44:25 answering member 4098 label Biography information for Dr Thérèse Coffey
tabling member	308 label Biography information for Mr Jim Cunningham

1135842

registered interest
date	01/07/2019
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: Recycling
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 assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the current plastic recycling system.
tabling member constituency	Coventry South
tabling member printed	Mr Jim Cunningham
uin	271373
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/07/2019 answer text <p>In England plastic is widely collected for recycling across local authorities. 45% of plastic packaging waste was recycled in 2017, exceeding the EU target of 22.5%.</p><p> </p><p>As part of our Resources and Waste Strategy, the Government analysed the challenges currently facing the recycling industry in this country. Through the Strategy, the Government set out how it would tackle these challenges, including making producers more responsible for the packaging they put on the market and making recycling simpler for households. We want all local waste authorities to collect the same core set of materials for recycling. We also want to introduce a deposit return system. This will increase the quantity and quality of recyclable material collected. Our approach, from production through consumption to end of life, is focused on increasing supply and demand for secondary materials to be recycled in the UK.</p><p> </p><p>Our ambition is to eliminate all avoidable plastic waste over the lifetime of the 25 Year Environmental Plan. For the most problematic plastics we are going faster, which is why we have committed to working towards all plastic packaging placed on the UK market being recyclable, reusable or compostable by 2025.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Suffolk Coastal answering member printed Dr Thérèse Coffey question first answered 10/07/2019 12:56:24 answering member 4098 label Biography information for Dr Thérèse Coffey
tabling member	308 label Biography information for Mr Jim Cunningham

1131670

registered interest
date	12/06/2019
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	Drinking Water: Microplastics
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 estimate his Department has made of the level of micro-plastic contamination in UK tap water.
tabling member constituency	Coventry South
tabling member printed	Mr Jim Cunningham
uin	263685
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/06/2019 answer text <p>The Drinking Water Inspectorate (DWI) has commissioned research to investigate the efficiency of microplastic removal by drinking water treatment processes. In addition, the DWI is supporting research by the water industry as a whole to measure levels in treated water in the UK.</p> answering member constituency Suffolk Coastal answering member printed Dr Thérèse Coffey question first answered 17/06/2019 14:54:51 answering member 4098 label Biography information for Dr Thérèse Coffey
tabling member	308 label Biography information for Mr Jim Cunningham

1131671

registered interest
date	12/06/2019
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	Pesticides
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 Government plans to maintain the ban on hormone disrupting chemical pesticides after the UK leaves the EU.
tabling member constituency	Coventry South
tabling member printed	Mr Jim Cunningham
uin	263686
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/06/2019 answer text <p>The Government has made a clear commitment that the UK’s high level of environmental protection will be maintained outside the EU. We will ensure that the regulation of pesticides continues to be robust and fit for purpose, so as to protect people and the environment. This includes maintaining controls on endocrine disrupting chemicals.</p><p> </p><p>We are promptly addressing a drafting error in an EU Exit Statutory Instrument to make it clear that these controls are maintained. We will submit a draft instrument to Parliament for sifting imminently.</p> answering member constituency Scarborough and Whitby answering member printed Mr Robert Goodwill question first answered 17/06/2019 16:34:57 answering member 1562 label Biography information for Sir Robert Goodwill
tabling member	308 label Biography information for Mr Jim Cunningham

1129118

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	Landfill
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 estimate his Department has made of the cost to public purse of sending waste to landfill sites in each of the last three years.
tabling member constituency	Coventry South
tabling member printed	Mr Jim Cunningham
uin	258980
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/06/2019 answer text <p>The Government has not made an estimate of the total cost to the public purse of sending waste to landfill sites in the last three years. The available data shows that the total cost to local authorities of managing waste was £3.4 billion in 2017/18; in the same year local authorities sent 3.2 million tonnes (12.5% of their waste) to landfill, down from 22 million tonnes (78.5%) in 2000/01.</p> answering member constituency Suffolk Coastal answering member printed Dr Thérèse Coffey question first answered 06/06/2019 14:43:40 answering member 4098 label Biography information for Dr Thérèse Coffey
tabling member	308 label Biography information for Mr Jim Cunningham