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1344648

registered interest
date	07/07/2021
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 recent estimates his Department has made of the (a) ranking of the UK in the international table of plastic produced per head of population, (b) proportion of plastic waste recycled within the UK and (c) reasons for the level of recycling (i) overall and (ii) within the UK; what steps his Department has taken to recycle plastic waste since 2010; what the results were of implementing such plans; and if he will make it his policy to (A) formulate and (B) implement a nationwide policy on reduction of single-use plastic products.
tabling member constituency	New Forest East
tabling member printed	Dr Julian Lewis
uin	28926
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/07/2021 answer text <p>In our 25 Year Environment Plan, the Government has already set out its policy of eliminating all avoidable plastic waste by the end of 2042, which will include avoidable single-use plastic waste. In December 2018 we published the Resources and Waste Strategy, which sets out how we want to achieve this and move towards a circular economy and keep resources in the system for as long as possible. We know more needs to be done, and for the most problematic plastics we are going faster - which is why we have committed to work towards all plastic packaging on the market being recyclable, reusable, or compostable by 2025.</p><p> </p><p>We have made significant progress on reducing single-use plastic products. In October 2020, we introduced measures to restrict the supply of plastic straws, plastic drink stirrers, and plastic-stemmed cotton buds. The single-use carrier bag charge, which has led to a 95% reduction in the use of single-use carrier bags by the main supermarkets, has been increased to 10p and extended to all retailers to encourage customers to bring their own bags to carry shopping and reduce the volumes of single-use plastic being used. We will continue to review the latest evidence on problematic products and materials to take a systematic approach to reducing the use of unnecessary single-use plastic products, including problematic packaging materials. However, we must think carefully about introducing bans and other policy solutions to avoid unintended consequences, such as a switch to another single-use material. To note, waste and environmental policy is a devolved area and therefore devolved administrations are taking their own approach.</p><p> </p><p>Whilst plastic appears separately in some of our published data sets, we do not hold statistics for all plastic waste. Plastic waste contained within the residual waste stream will appear in mixed waste categories.</p><p> </p><p>We do publish information on the amount of plastic packaging that is recycled. The latest figures are for 2018 and the amount of plastic packaging recycled was 43.8%. From April 2022, plastic packaging that does not contain at least 30% recycled content will be subject to a tax of £200/tonne. The tax will provide a clear economic incentive for businesses to use recycled material in the manufacture of plastic packaging, which will create greater demand for this material. In turn, this will stimulate increased levels of recycling and collection of plastic waste, diverting it away from landfill or incineration. Further details on the development of this tax can be found at: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/introduction-of-plastic-packaging-tax-from-april-2022/introduction-of-plastic-packaging-tax-2021" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/introduction-of-plastic-packaging-tax-from-april-2022/introduction-of-plastic-packaging-tax-2021</a>.</p><p> </p><p>The Government has not made a recent estimate of how the UK compares internationally regarding plastic production per capita.</p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow question first answered 12/07/2021 16:13:22 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
tabling member	54 label Biography information for Sir Julian Lewis

1344662

registered interest
date	07/07/2021
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: Information
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 mechanisms are in place to audit the information provided to his Department by (a) regulatory bodies and (b) non-departmental public bodies.
tabling member constituency	Hendon
tabling member printed	Dr Matthew Offord
uin	29014
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/07/2021 answer text <p>The relationship between Defra and its arm’s-length bodies (ALB) is established through a Framework Document which has been agreed between each ALB and Defra to exercise meaningful oversight of the ALB’s strategy and performance, pay arrangements and/or major financial transactions, e.g. by monthly returns, standard delegations and exception reporting. Defra’s accounts consolidate its ALBs, so Defra’s accounting officer must be satisfied that the consolidated accounts are accurate and not misleading.</p><p> </p><p>Defra’s ALBs are required to submit to Defra, on an annual basis, an annual report and audited accounts prepared in accordance with the relevant statutes and guidelines. The annual report and accounts provide Defra with the financial and non-financial performance of the ALB. In addition, they will state if the ALB has met key performance indicators as set out in their business and corporate plans. The report and accounts of each ALB are independently audited and are laid in Parliament and, where commercially possible, made available on the ALB’s website. The consolidated Defra group accounts are audited by the National Audit Office, laid in Parliament, and published on Defra’s website.</p> answering member constituency Banbury answering member printed Victoria Prentis question first answered 16/07/2021 13:36:46 answering member 4401 label Biography information for Victoria Prentis
tabling member	4006 label Biography information for Dr Matthew Offord

1344689

registered interest
date	07/07/2021
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	Pets: Tagging
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 ensure that pets in the UK are microchipped; and if will he ensure that there is an adequate level of funding to microchip all pets.
tabling member constituency	Strangford
tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
uin	29047
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/07/2021 answer text <p>All dogs in England must already be microchipped under the Microchipping of Dogs (England) Regulations 2015, unless they are certified as exempt. We committed in our Manifesto, and reaffirmed this commitment in our Action Plan for Animal Welfare, to introduce compulsory cat microchipping and are currently considering the responses to our recent consultation on the issue.</p><p> </p><p>Recent data suggests that the cost of microchipping an animal is £17 on average. We are aware that some organisations offer free microchipping of dogs.</p><p> </p><p>This is a devolved matter and the information provided therefore relates to England only.</p> answering member constituency Banbury answering member printed Victoria Prentis question first answered 16/07/2021 13:40:55 answering member 4401 label Biography information for Victoria Prentis
tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

1344696

registered interest
date	07/07/2021
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	Consumer Goods
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to recent reports of unsold electrical goods being destroyed by Amazon, if he will bring forward legislative proposals to make it unlawful for retailers to destroy unsold stock.
tabling member constituency	Leeds Central
tabling member printed	Hilary Benn
uin	28966
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/07/2021 answer text <p>There is already an obligation, set out in the Waste (England and Wales) Regulations 2011, for businesses that handle waste to take all measures reasonable to apply the waste hierarchy. Failure to meet the legal obligation can lead to enforcement action from the Environment Agency in England.</p><p> </p><p>We also have a producer responsibility system in place under the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Regulations to ensure all waste electrical and electronic products are collected and treated properly. This supports action in line with the waste hierarchy by those who treat electronics to ensure priority is given to preparing the products for reuse where possible, and then recycling so full use is made of components and materials.</p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow question first answered 16/07/2021 13:31:53 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
tabling member	413 label Biography information for Hilary Benn

1344698

registered interest
date	07/07/2021
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	Seafood Exports Working Group
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when the Seafood Exports Working Group last met.
tabling member constituency	Dwyfor Meirionnydd
tabling member printed	Liz Saville Roberts
uin	29111
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/07/2021 answer text <p>In response to difficulties with exporting to the EU, Defra established the Seafood Exports Working Group in January to monitor live, immediate operational issues across the UK and work with industry on responses to minimise disruption to trade flows of seafood. The last group meeting was held on 25 March, when it was paused to allow officials to focus on developing longer-term system improvements with industry, which the group had identified as a priority. There are no current plans to publish an update on the group’s work.</p> answering member constituency Banbury answering member printed Victoria Prentis grouped question UIN 29112 question first answered 12/07/2021 13:49:19 answering member 4401 label Biography information for Victoria Prentis
tabling member	4521 label Biography information for Liz Saville Roberts

1344699

registered interest
date	07/07/2021
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	Seafood Exports Working Group
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 an update on the progress of the work of the Seafood Exports Working Group.
tabling member constituency	Dwyfor Meirionnydd
tabling member printed	Liz Saville Roberts
uin	29112
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/07/2021 answer text <p>In response to difficulties with exporting to the EU, Defra established the Seafood Exports Working Group in January to monitor live, immediate operational issues across the UK and work with industry on responses to minimise disruption to trade flows of seafood. The last group meeting was held on 25 March, when it was paused to allow officials to focus on developing longer-term system improvements with industry, which the group had identified as a priority. There are no current plans to publish an update on the group’s work.</p> answering member constituency Banbury answering member printed Victoria Prentis grouped question UIN 29111 question first answered 12/07/2021 13:49:19 answering member 4401 label Biography information for Victoria Prentis
tabling member	4521 label Biography information for Liz Saville Roberts

1344700

registered interest
date	07/07/2021
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	Forests: 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, with reference to the Government's recent announcement on the COP26 initiative to protect the world’s forests, what steps he has taken to strengthen measures to protect forests in the UK.
tabling member constituency	Hornsey and Wood Green
tabling member printed	Catherine West
uin	29113
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/07/2021 answer text <p>We are committed to increasing tree planting across the UK to 30,000 hectares per year by the end of this parliament. We published our ambitious England Trees Action Plan on 18 May which sets out our plans to at least treble tree planting rates in England in support of this, using more than £500m from the Nature for Climate Fund.</p><p> </p><p>The irreplaceable nature of ancient and long-established woodlands is recognised in our 25 Year Environment Plan. We therefore strengthened the protection of ancient and veteran trees in 2018 through the National Planning Policy Framework and guidance to planners. These outline that developments should be refused if they would lead to the loss and deterioration of ancient and veteran trees unless there are wholly exceptional reasons and suitable compensation measures.</p><p> </p><p>The Government will also introduce a new category of ‘Long Established Woodland’, which are woodlands that have been in situ since 1840, alongside ancient woodland. We will consult on the protections these woodlands are afforded in the planning system, recognising their high ecological and societal value.</p><p> </p><p>We will also continue to lead efforts to build resilience to protect and enhance our trees, woods, and forests for the future, implementing the four environmental goals of the Tree Health Resilience Strategy: Extent, Connectivity, Diversity, and Condition. This includes launching a new Centre for Forest Protection which will help protect our trees, woodlands, and forests from the threats from pests and pathogens through the provision of better evidence.</p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow question first answered 16/07/2021 13:18:16 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
tabling member	4523 label Biography information for Catherine West

1344734

registered interest
date	07/07/2021
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: Fines
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 increasing the minimum fine for unlawfully depositing waste.
tabling member constituency	Wimbledon
tabling member printed	Stephen Hammond
uin	29008
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/07/2021 answer text <p>There is currently no minimum fine set out in law for unlawfully depositing waste under Section 33 of the Environmental Protection Act.</p><p> </p><p>Sentencing in individual cases is a matter for the independent courts. When deciding what sentence to impose for unlawfully depositing waste, the court will take into account the circumstances of the offence and any aggravating and mitigating factors in line with the Environmental Offences Definitive Guideline issued by the independent Sentencing Council for England and Wales. Where a court decides that a fine is the right sentence, the level of fine must reflect the seriousness of the offence and take into account the financial circumstances of the offender.</p><p> </p><p>Instead of prosecuting, councils may choose to issue a fixed penalty notice (FPN). The value of an FPN needs to be high enough to act as a deterrent, but not too high so that offenders cannot, or choose not to, pay the penalty. Defra issued a call for evidence in 2015 prior to introducing a FPN for fly-tipping offences. The responses to the call for evidence, and further analysis, led to a default value of £200, a maximum value of £400, and a discounted minimum of £120. Similarly, in 2018 Defra consulted on introducing a FPN for householders who fail in their duty of care by passing their waste to an unlicensed waste carrier and which is then found fly-tipped. Almost three-quarters of respondents to the consultation felt that the proposed value of the FPN (discounted minimum value of £120, default value of £200 and maximum value of £400) was correct.</p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow question first answered 16/07/2021 13:15:03 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
tabling member	1585 label Biography information for Stephen Hammond

1344737

registered interest
date	07/07/2021
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 steps he is taking to minimise the impact of air pollution on children’s development.
tabling member constituency	Huddersfield
tabling member printed	Mr Barry Sheerman
uin	28951
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/07/2021 answer text <p>We know air pollution is a particular threat to vulnerable groups, including the elderly, the very young and those with existing health conditions such as asthma. Our Clean Air Strategy sets out an ambitious programme of action to reduce air pollution from a wide range of sources.</p><p>The Environment Bill will establish a duty to set two legally binding targets on PM <sub>2.5</sub>: a minimum concentration limit and a new population exposure reduction target. We will consult on these targets in early 2022. These two targets will drive action at the local level, as well as nationally, to improve air quality for everyone.</p><p>In addition, we have committed to reviewing the National Air Quality Strategy (including the Local Air Quality Management Framework) with a key objective of promoting and supporting greater local action to identify and address air pollution inequalities, targeting action at vulnerable groups and communities.</p><p>The Government is also committed to improving public awareness of air pollution and to improve the provision of air quality data and information on the UK Air website. We have started a comprehensive review of the Daily Air Quality Index, to enhance the advice when pollution levels are elevated.</p><p>The Department of Health and Social Care continues to engage with organisations such as Health Education England and the Royal Colleges to ensure that healthcare professionals are equipped to provide information and advice to those vulnerable to the health impacts of air pollution. This will allow patients and their carers to take steps to reduce their exposure to air pollution and give them greater power to manage their condition. The Chief Medical Officer has also discussed this matter with the Royal Colleges. Furthermore, the NHS has a Long Term Plan to improve asthma outcomes for children and young people. The Children and Young People's Transformation Programme has asked local systems to prioritise local improvements in asthma care. This will include supporting clinicians to discuss the short- and long-term adverse effects of air pollution on children with asthma and any mitigation strategies.</p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow grouped question UIN 28952 28959 question first answered 16/07/2021 13:14:57 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
tabling member	411 label Biography information for Mr Barry Sheerman

1344738

registered interest
date	07/07/2021
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: Asthma
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 mitigate the impact of air pollution on people who are suffering from long-term asthma.
tabling member constituency	Huddersfield
tabling member printed	Mr Barry Sheerman
uin	28952
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/07/2021 answer text <p>We know air pollution is a particular threat to vulnerable groups, including the elderly, the very young and those with existing health conditions such as asthma. Our Clean Air Strategy sets out an ambitious programme of action to reduce air pollution from a wide range of sources.</p><p>The Environment Bill will establish a duty to set two legally binding targets on PM <sub>2.5</sub>: a minimum concentration limit and a new population exposure reduction target. We will consult on these targets in early 2022. These two targets will drive action at the local level, as well as nationally, to improve air quality for everyone.</p><p>In addition, we have committed to reviewing the National Air Quality Strategy (including the Local Air Quality Management Framework) with a key objective of promoting and supporting greater local action to identify and address air pollution inequalities, targeting action at vulnerable groups and communities.</p><p>The Government is also committed to improving public awareness of air pollution and to improve the provision of air quality data and information on the UK Air website. We have started a comprehensive review of the Daily Air Quality Index, to enhance the advice when pollution levels are elevated.</p><p>The Department of Health and Social Care continues to engage with organisations such as Health Education England and the Royal Colleges to ensure that healthcare professionals are equipped to provide information and advice to those vulnerable to the health impacts of air pollution. This will allow patients and their carers to take steps to reduce their exposure to air pollution and give them greater power to manage their condition. The Chief Medical Officer has also discussed this matter with the Royal Colleges. Furthermore, the NHS has a Long Term Plan to improve asthma outcomes for children and young people. The Children and Young People's Transformation Programme has asked local systems to prioritise local improvements in asthma care. This will include supporting clinicians to discuss the short- and long-term adverse effects of air pollution on children with asthma and any mitigation strategies.</p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow grouped question UIN 28951 28959 question first answered 16/07/2021 13:14:57 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
tabling member	411 label Biography information for Mr Barry Sheerman