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1149191

registered interest
date	15/10/2019
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
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 her Department has made of the potential merits of introducing a mandatory and consistent (a) UK-wide logo and (b) on pack information for compostable food packaging; and what plans her Department has to introduce such a policy.
tabling member constituency	Scunthorpe
tabling member printed	Nic Dakin
uin	524
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/10/2019 answer text <p>The Resources and Waste Strategy analysed the challenges currently facing the recycling industry in this country, setting out how we would tackle these challenges. Building on commitments in the Strategy we launched a consultation earlier this year on reforming the packaging producer responsibility system, as part of that consultation the Government proposed a mandatory UK-wide labelling system that provides clear information to help people to recycle. Following strong support for the proposal from consultation respondents, the Government is minded to take forward a mandatory labelling scheme subject to further analysis and legal considerations. Defra officials are exploring how a mandatory labelling scheme can address consumer confusion about what to do with compostable packaging. The consultation closed on 13 May and the summary of responses and next steps can be found via the below link: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/packaging-waste-changing-the-uk-producer-responsibility-system-for-packaging-waste" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/packaging-waste-changing-the-uk-producer-responsibility-system-for-packaging-waste</a></p><p> </p><p>The Government recognises that innovation into compostable and biodegradable plastics could help reduce the environmental impacts of plastics if they are disposed of in the right way. However, this is often not the case. If these plastics are put in the domestic waste bin, for example, they are likely to end up in landfill and can break down to release powerful greenhouse gases, such as methane. If mistakenly recycled with other plastics, they have the potential to damage the quality of the new products made from the recycled plastic. Furthermore, concerns persist that plastics which are claimed to be biodegradable, if littered or otherwise released into the environment in an uncontrolled way, may not degrade quickly or at all, and they can only be composted if they meet relevant standards.</p><p> </p><p>As a consequence of these concerns, the Government published a call for evidence in July 2019 to help consider the development of standards or certification criteria for bio-based, biodegradable, and compostable plastics as well as to better understand their effects on the environment and our current waste system. The call for evidence closed on the 14 October 2019 and we are currently analysing the responses received to inform future policy. We currently do not have plans to bring forward legislative proposals on the matter of requiring any form of plastic packaging to be compostable.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow grouped question UIN 525 526 question first answered 22/10/2019 14:39:28 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
tabling member	4056 label Biography information for Nic Dakin

1149192

registered interest
date	15/10/2019
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	Food: 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 assessment her Department has made of the potential merits for (a) reducing littering and (b) increasing recycling rates by (i) banning food producers from using using the term biodegradable on food packaging and (ii) introducing a standard definition of the term with respect to the time-frame in which products must fully decompose.
tabling member constituency	Scunthorpe
tabling member printed	Nic Dakin
uin	525
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/10/2019 answer text <p>The Resources and Waste Strategy analysed the challenges currently facing the recycling industry in this country, setting out how we would tackle these challenges. Building on commitments in the Strategy we launched a consultation earlier this year on reforming the packaging producer responsibility system, as part of that consultation the Government proposed a mandatory UK-wide labelling system that provides clear information to help people to recycle. Following strong support for the proposal from consultation respondents, the Government is minded to take forward a mandatory labelling scheme subject to further analysis and legal considerations. Defra officials are exploring how a mandatory labelling scheme can address consumer confusion about what to do with compostable packaging. The consultation closed on 13 May and the summary of responses and next steps can be found via the below link: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/packaging-waste-changing-the-uk-producer-responsibility-system-for-packaging-waste" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/packaging-waste-changing-the-uk-producer-responsibility-system-for-packaging-waste</a></p><p> </p><p>The Government recognises that innovation into compostable and biodegradable plastics could help reduce the environmental impacts of plastics if they are disposed of in the right way. However, this is often not the case. If these plastics are put in the domestic waste bin, for example, they are likely to end up in landfill and can break down to release powerful greenhouse gases, such as methane. If mistakenly recycled with other plastics, they have the potential to damage the quality of the new products made from the recycled plastic. Furthermore, concerns persist that plastics which are claimed to be biodegradable, if littered or otherwise released into the environment in an uncontrolled way, may not degrade quickly or at all, and they can only be composted if they meet relevant standards.</p><p> </p><p>As a consequence of these concerns, the Government published a call for evidence in July 2019 to help consider the development of standards or certification criteria for bio-based, biodegradable, and compostable plastics as well as to better understand their effects on the environment and our current waste system. The call for evidence closed on the 14 October 2019 and we are currently analysing the responses received to inform future policy. We currently do not have plans to bring forward legislative proposals on the matter of requiring any form of plastic packaging to be compostable.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow grouped question UIN 524 526 question first answered 22/10/2019 14:39:28 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
tabling member	4056 label Biography information for Nic Dakin

1149193

registered interest
date	15/10/2019
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	Food: 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 assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of bringing forward legislative proposals to require that specific packaging items must be compostable; and whether she has any plans to do so.
tabling member constituency	Scunthorpe
tabling member printed	Nic Dakin
uin	526
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/10/2019 answer text <p>The Resources and Waste Strategy analysed the challenges currently facing the recycling industry in this country, setting out how we would tackle these challenges. Building on commitments in the Strategy we launched a consultation earlier this year on reforming the packaging producer responsibility system, as part of that consultation the Government proposed a mandatory UK-wide labelling system that provides clear information to help people to recycle. Following strong support for the proposal from consultation respondents, the Government is minded to take forward a mandatory labelling scheme subject to further analysis and legal considerations. Defra officials are exploring how a mandatory labelling scheme can address consumer confusion about what to do with compostable packaging. The consultation closed on 13 May and the summary of responses and next steps can be found via the below link: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/packaging-waste-changing-the-uk-producer-responsibility-system-for-packaging-waste" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/packaging-waste-changing-the-uk-producer-responsibility-system-for-packaging-waste</a></p><p> </p><p>The Government recognises that innovation into compostable and biodegradable plastics could help reduce the environmental impacts of plastics if they are disposed of in the right way. However, this is often not the case. If these plastics are put in the domestic waste bin, for example, they are likely to end up in landfill and can break down to release powerful greenhouse gases, such as methane. If mistakenly recycled with other plastics, they have the potential to damage the quality of the new products made from the recycled plastic. Furthermore, concerns persist that plastics which are claimed to be biodegradable, if littered or otherwise released into the environment in an uncontrolled way, may not degrade quickly or at all, and they can only be composted if they meet relevant standards.</p><p> </p><p>As a consequence of these concerns, the Government published a call for evidence in July 2019 to help consider the development of standards or certification criteria for bio-based, biodegradable, and compostable plastics as well as to better understand their effects on the environment and our current waste system. The call for evidence closed on the 14 October 2019 and we are currently analysing the responses received to inform future policy. We currently do not have plans to bring forward legislative proposals on the matter of requiring any form of plastic packaging to be compostable.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow grouped question UIN 524 525 question first answered 22/10/2019 14:39:28 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
tabling member	4056 label Biography information for Nic Dakin

1149215

registered interest
date	15/10/2019
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	Sewage: 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 the Government plans to compensate property owners with septic tanks for the expense of (a) upgrading and (b) replacing existing tanks to make their tanks compliant by 1 January 2020.
tabling member constituency	Crewe and Nantwich
tabling member printed	Laura Smith
uin	651
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/10/2019 answer text <p>There is no financial help available for upgrading or replacing small sewage discharges, regulated under General Binding Rules (GBRs), including for septic tanks if required. However, where the Environment Agency identifies that improvements are required they will agree a reasonable timescale for the improvements to be made with the owner.</p><p> </p><p>All operators of septic tanks are responsible for maintaining them and making sure they don’t cause pollution. Untreated sewage harms rivers and wildlife. Discharges from septic tanks have been regulated under UK law for many years and discharges from a septic tank to a watercourse without a permit have not been lawful.</p><p> </p><p>Alongside the GBRs coming into effect in January 2015, a policy target date of 1 January 2020 was set to phase out the remaining discharges directly from septic tanks to watercourses.</p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow question first answered 22/10/2019 14:29:09 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
tabling member	4648 label Biography information for Laura Smith

1149216

registered interest
date	15/10/2019
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	Sewage: 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, what assessment she has made of the potential financial effect on property owners of changes to septic tank regulations which come into force on 1 January 2020.
tabling member constituency	Crewe and Nantwich
tabling member printed	Laura Smith
uin	652
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/10/2019 answer text <p>There was a regulatory impact assessment which considered the financial impact of the 2014 regulation changes of the regulatory system for controlling small sewage discharges from sceptic tanks which can be found here <a href="http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2014/2852/contents" target="_blank">http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2014/2852/contents</a></p><p> </p><p>The outcome of this was a beneficial saving to home owners and businesses as operators of small sewage discharges.</p><p> </p><p>The aim of the changes is to protect water quality and were a means of reducing regulatory burden on primarily home owners and households. They removed the need to register a discharge whilst aiming to ensure maintenance of environmental protection and to prevent discharges causing pollution.</p><p> </p><p>Under polluter pays principle it is an owners responsibility to comply with legislative requirements and to prevent pollution. There are no grants available for homeowners to improve or upgrade their discharges.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow question first answered 22/10/2019 13:59:36 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
tabling member	4648 label Biography information for Laura Smith

1149217

registered interest
date	15/10/2019
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: Waste
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 she is taking to reduce plastic waste in fast food outlets.
tabling member constituency	Crewe and Nantwich
tabling member printed	Laura Smith
uin	653
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/10/2019 answer text <p>The Resources and Waste Strategy set out our ambition to eliminate all avoidable plastic waste, including from fast food outlets. We will do this by making producers more responsible for the products they put on the market, starting with reforming the packaging waste regulations. We recently consulted on proposals to reform the packaging producer responsibility system to ensure that packaging producers fund the full net cost of managing the packaging they place on the market once it becomes waste. This will provide a strong financial incentive for packaging producers to make more sustainable decisions at the design stage and during manufacture, and to take greater responsibility for the environmental impacts of their products.</p><p> </p><p>In general, we prefer to help people and companies make the right choice, rather than banning items outright. There may, however, be times when a ban is appropriate as part of a wider strategic approach. Which is why we are introducing measures to restrict the supply of plastic drink stirrers, plastic-stemmed cotton buds and plastic straws, which are commonly provided in fast food outlets, in April 2020. We will continue to review the latest evidence on problematic single-use plastic products to take a systematic approach to reducing their use.</p><p> </p><p>In April last year, the Waste and Resources Action Programme and the Ellen MacArthur Foundation launched their world-leading UK Plastics Pact, with support from the Government, and some major fast food corporations such as McDonalds 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, including action to eliminate problematic or unnecessary single-use plastic packaging items. Our proposed reforms will support the Pact in achieving those targets.</p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow question first answered 22/10/2019 14:06:17 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
tabling member	4648 label Biography information for Laura Smith

1149275

registered interest
date	15/10/2019
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	Marine Protected Areas
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 she has taken to expand the size of the Blue Belt.
tabling member constituency	Woking
tabling member printed	Mr Jonathan Lord
uin	555
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/11/2019 answer text <p>The Government is looking at whether Highly Protected Marine Areas, where all damaging human activities are prohibited, could enhance the blue belt within the Secretary of State Waters. It has commissioned an independent review, led by Richard Benyon MP, to advise whether and how such sites could be introduced. The review will report in early 2020.</p><p> </p><p>On 31 May 2019, we announced the designation of the third tranche of 41 Marine Conservation Zones (MCZs) in English waters and Northern Ireland offshore waters. Designating these MCZs expanded the UK’s Blue Belt by almost 12,000 km<sup>2</sup> and essentially completes our contribution to the international ecologically-coherent network of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in terms of habitat and species representation. The UK now has 355 MPAs of different types protecting 25% of UK waters.</p> answering member constituency Camborne and Redruth answering member printed George Eustice question first answered 04/11/2019 14:23:04 answering member 3934 label Biography information for George Eustice
tabling member	4090 label Biography information for Mr Jonathan Lord

1149295

registered interest
date	15/10/2019
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	Fisheries
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 plans she has to ensure the enforcement of UK fishing waters in the event that the UK leaves the EU without a deal.
tabling member constituency	Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport
tabling member printed	Luke Pollard
uin	688
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/10/2019 answer text <p>Although fisheries control and enforcement is a devolved matter, we are working closely with the Devolved Administrations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to ensure a coordinated approach to fisheries control and enforcement across UK waters.</p><p> </p><p>In England, the Marine Management Organisation (MMO) has assessed the risk of increased illegal fishing when the UK leaves the EU, including under the scenario of doing so without a deal, and strengthened our resources accordingly. This includes an increase to the number of frontline warranted officers, increased aerial surveillance and further vessels to enhance patrolling capacity at sea. The MMO is working with Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland on a common approach to control and enforcement where appropriate.</p> answering member constituency Camborne and Redruth answering member printed George Eustice question first answered 22/10/2019 13:46:06 answering member 3934 label Biography information for George Eustice
tabling member	4682 label Biography information for Luke Pollard

1149309

registered interest
date	15/10/2019
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	Animal Products: 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, which countries are allowed to import hunting trophies to the UK.
tabling member constituency	Mid Derbyshire
tabling member printed	Mrs Pauline Latham
uin	573
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/10/2019 answer text <p>The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) permit system allows trade in hunting trophies of listed species, from any country party to CITES, only when it is satisfied that the export will not be harmful to the survival of the species. Import suspensions are in place for countries where hunting of certain species is considered unsustainable.</p> answering member constituency Richmond Park answering member printed Zac Goldsmith question first answered 23/10/2019 15:22:10 answering member 4062 label Biography information for Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
tabling member	4025 label Biography information for Mrs Pauline Latham

1149310

registered interest
date	15/10/2019
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	Animal Products: 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, whether animal (a) bones, (b) hands, (c) tails and (d) other parts are included in the ban on hunting trophy imports to the UK.
tabling member constituency	Mid Derbyshire
tabling member printed	Mrs Pauline Latham
uin	574
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/10/2019 answer text <p>Last month we announced that we will be consulting on whether to further restrict the import and export of hunting trophies.</p><p> </p><p>The consultation will cover a range of options. This is an important next step to determine how best to respond to conservation, welfare and ethical concerns. Following the consultation we will publish a Government response setting out any future policy actions required to move ahead on this important issue. The exact scope and timing of any further action will be subject to results of the consultation.</p> answering member constituency Richmond Park answering member printed Zac Goldsmith grouped question UIN 570 571 572 577 question first answered 21/10/2019 15:21:10 answering member 4062 label Biography information for Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
tabling member	4025 label Biography information for Mrs Pauline Latham