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1713668

registered interest
date	24/04/2024
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: Wales
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 3 April 2024 to Question 20109 on Rivers: Repairs and Maintenance, whether he has held recent discussions with his counterpart in the Welsh Government on riparian landowners responsibilities for watercourse management.
tabling member constituency	Cynon Valley
tabling member printed	Beth Winter
uin	23638
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/05/2024 answer text <p>Ministers regularly meet with stakeholders to discuss the department’s policies, including flood and water management.</p><p> </p><p>The government’s independent review of statutory powers and responsibilities associated with Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk Management assets included riparian landowners’ responsibilities. Whilst the review covered England only, since responsibility for flood risk management is a devolved matter, officials from the Welsh Government and National Resources Wales, and a member from the Wales Flood and Coastal Erosion Committee were members of the Project Board and Project Steering Group. The review has recently concluded, and we expect to publish its findings by the summer.</p> answering member constituency Keighley answering member printed Robbie Moore question first answered 02/05/2024 10:42:38 answering member 4861 label Biography information for Robbie Moore
tabling member	4809 label Biography information for Beth Winter

1713521

registered interest
date	24/04/2024
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: Mobile Phones
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 estimate of the cost to the public purse of mobile phone contracts for (a) Ministers and (b) staff in his Department since 2010.
tabling member constituency	Croydon North
tabling member printed	Steve Reed
uin	23503
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/05/2024 answer text <p>The attached table contains mobile phone contract costs for the last three financial years for staff in core Defra. Information prior to 2021-2022 is not held.</p><p> </p><p>Ministers’ costs are also included in the core Defra all users totals.</p> answering member constituency Sherwood answering member printed Sir Mark Spencer question first answered 01/05/2024 16:48:16 answering member 4055 label Biography information for Sir Mark Spencer attachment 1 file name PQ 23503 attachment.pdf title PQ 23503 attachment
tabling member	4268 label Biography information for Steve Reed

1713859

registered interest
date	25/04/2024
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	Plastics: Treaties
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 is participating in the fourth session of negotiations on a global plastics treaty in Ottawa that began on 23 April 2024.
tabling member constituency	Leeds North East
tabling member printed	Fabian Hamilton
uin	23677
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/04/2024 answer text <p>The Department participated in the fourth session of negotiations on a global plastics treaty in Ottawa. Officials from Defra attended the fourth session of negotiations to develop a global plastics pollution treaty, and I attended the high-level segment hosted by Canada ahead of the start of formal negotiations. The UK’s negotiating mandate covers the relevant policy from across Government departments and we continue to strongly support the active and meaningful participation of stakeholders, including UK businesses, at all stages of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) process. As a founding member of the High Ambition Coalition to End Plastic Pollution, the UK remains committed to securing an ambitious treaty by the end of 2024 that includes measures to address plastic pollution across the full lifecycle of plastic. We continue to work closely with other member states and stakeholders at, and beyond, the fourth session of the INC to advance negotiations and pave the way for a historic agreement.</p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow question first answered 30/04/2024 16:03:14 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
tabling member	415 label Biography information for Fabian Hamilton

1713671

registered interest
date	24/04/2024
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	Coastal Erosion and Flood Control
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 3 April 2024 to Question 20109 on Rivers: Repairs and Maintenance, when he expects the independent review of statutory powers and responsibilities associated with Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk Management assets across all flood risks and coastal erosion to be published.
tabling member constituency	Cynon Valley
tabling member printed	Beth Winter
uin	23641
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/04/2024 answer text <p>The Government commissioned Review of Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk Management Assets has just concluded, and we expect to publish its findings by the summer.</p><p> </p><p>The role of conveyancers (used when purchasing property) was considered as part of the review. The Law Society has published a practice note for solicitors and professional conveyancers on flood risk, which includes mention of riparian ownership and further information they can use.</p><p> </p><p>Whilst the review covered England only, since responsibility for flood risk management is a devolved matter, officials from the Welsh Government and National Resources Wales, and a member from the Wales Flood and Coastal Erosion Committee were members of the Project Board and Project Steering Group.</p> answering member constituency Keighley answering member printed Robbie Moore grouped question UIN 23639 23642 question first answered 29/04/2024 13:10:23 answering member 4861 label Biography information for Robbie Moore
tabling member	4809 label Biography information for Beth Winter

1702319

registered interest
date	18/04/2024
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	Food: Waste
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports of high levels of pollutants in food produced near waste incinerators in Europe; and whether they have any plans to conduct similar assessments in the UK.
tabling member printed	Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle
uin	HL3930
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/04/2024 answer text <p>The Environment Agency (EA) has not made any assessment of reports on this subject and does not plan to conduct any such assessments in England.</p><p> </p><p>The impact on food produced in proximity to waste incinerators is considered as part of environmental permitting regulations. The EA is responsible for deciding whether new incinerators in England should get a permit to operate. For each permit application it receives, the EA uses the results of air quality modelling and a human health risk assessment (HHRA) to determine the impact of the proposed incinerator.</p><p> </p><p>The HHRA assesses impacts on the food chain. Impact assessments are very conservative and permit decisions are based on worst-case scenario impacts.</p><p> </p><p>The EA also consults the UK Health Security Agency and the Food Standards Agency (FSA) on every permit application it receives and will not issue a permit if the proposed plant could cause significant pollution or harm to human health, including via the food chain.</p><p> </p><p>The FSA is responsible for the management of public health risks in relation to food. In general, the FSA considers that if incinerator facilities are correctly operated and monitored, with the appropriate level of emissions abatement, there should be no impact on the local area in terms of elevated levels of contaminants in soil and locally produced food. Measures are in place to manage the risk from chemical contaminants and keep levels as low as reasonably achievable through good practices and regulatory controls.</p> answering member printed Lord Douglas-Miller question first answered 26/04/2024 11:06:48 answering member 5006 label Biography information for Lord Douglas-Miller
tabling member	4719 label Biography information for Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle

1713208

registered interest
date	23/04/2024
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	Flood Control: Urban 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 steps his Department is taking to help reduce flooding in urban areas.
tabling member constituency	Birmingham, Hall Green
tabling member printed	Tahir Ali
uin	23305
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/04/2024 answer text <p>The Government is investing £5.6 billion between 2021 and 2027 to better protect communities across England from flooding and coastal erosion. This investment includes a record £5.2 billion capital investment programme, a £200 million Flood and Coastal Innovation Programme, £170 million for economic recovery from flooding and over £30 million of funding for flood incident management.</p><p> </p><p>This investment will benefit both urban and rural communities. We forecast that around 55% of the £5.2bn investment, and around 60% of schemes, will better protect properties in urban areas. This includes investment in major flood projects benefitting urban areas, such as the Thames Estuary Programme, the Southsea Coastal Scheme, and others.</p><p> </p><p>Flood risk is also an important consideration in the planning system and there are strong safeguards in place. In 2022/23, 96% of all planning decisions complied with Environment Agency advice on flood risk.</p><p> </p><p>On 13 March 2024 the Government published its response to the National Infrastructure Commission’s study into ‘reducing the risk of surface water flooding’. Our response sets out actions to strengthen and further develop the implementation of current policy, supporting lead local flood authorities to access better data, information and to improve co-operation between bodies.</p> answering member constituency Keighley answering member printed Robbie Moore question first answered 26/04/2024 09:03:29 answering member 4861 label Biography information for Robbie Moore
tabling member	4747 label Biography information for Tahir Ali

1702520

registered interest
date	19/04/2024
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	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 recent steps his Department has taken to reduce (a) single-use and (b) other plastic waste.
tabling member constituency	Hampstead and Kilburn
tabling member printed	Tulip Siddiq
uin	22773
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/04/2024 answer text <p>In December 2018, the UK Government published its Resources and Waste Strategy. This sets out how we will achieve a circular economy for plastic and achieve our ambition to eliminate all avoidable plastic waste by 2042.</p><p> </p><p>Our goal is to maximise resource efficiency and minimise waste to keep plastic in circulation for longer by following the principles of the waste hierarchy: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. One way will do this is by making producers more responsible for the plastic they make with our incoming Collection and Packaging Reforms.</p><p> </p><p>Single-use plastics are a particularly problematic type of plastic that makes up much of our waste. We have introduced bans, including most recently in October 2023, on the supply of many unnecessary single-use plastic items. To tackle the use of virgin plastics, the Government brought in the Plastic Packaging Tax in April 2022.</p><p> </p><p>Internationally, the UK is a founding member of the High Ambition Coalition, a group of over 60 countries calling for an ambitious and effective UN Treaty to end plastic pollution. At the current round of negotiations in Canada, we are continuing to support a treaty that will address the full lifecycle of plastic to tackle the problem of plastic pollution globally, including through designing out waste and supporting a circular economy for plastic.</p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Keighley answering member printed Robbie Moore question first answered 25/04/2024 12:42:53 answering member 4861 label Biography information for Robbie Moore
tabling member	4518 label Biography information for Tulip Siddiq

1702242

registered interest
date	18/04/2024
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	Flood and Water Management Act 2010
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 he has to commence schedule 3 of the Floods and Water Act 2010.
tabling member constituency	North East Bedfordshire
tabling member printed	Richard Fuller
uin	22536
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/04/2024 answer text <p>The Government remains firmly committed to delivering standardised sustainable drainage systems in new developments as stated in our Plan for Water (April 2023). A consultation will take place shortly and final implementation decisions will be made on scope, threshold and process.</p> answering member constituency Keighley answering member printed Robbie Moore question first answered 25/04/2024 12:39:51 answering member 4861 label Biography information for Robbie Moore
tabling member	3912 label Biography information for Richard Fuller

1701928

registered interest
date	17/04/2024
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	Agricultural Machinery: Northern Ireland
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 his Department has made on reducing barriers to bringing used agricultural machinery from Great Britain to Northern Ireland for resale.
tabling member constituency	Upper Bann
tabling member printed	Carla Lockhart
uin	22426
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/04/2024 answer text <p>As part of the Windsor Framework we announced the new Northern Ireland Plant Health Label Scheme, which has streamlined the process for moving used agricultural and forestry machinery from GB to NI. We have been engaging with industry on the operation of the scheme, and will be taking forward further work in the light of a consultation which concluded earlier this month.</p> answering member constituency Sherwood answering member printed Sir Mark Spencer question first answered 25/04/2024 08:47:42 answering member 4055 label Biography information for Sir Mark Spencer
tabling member	4857 label Biography information for Carla Lockhart

1701956

registered interest
date	17/04/2024
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	Animal Experiments
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 take steps to end the lethal dose 50% process for testing of substances on groups of animals; and if he will have discussions with the Secretary of State for the Home Department about increasing funding for non-animal methodologies in substance testing.
tabling member constituency	Liverpool, West Derby
tabling member printed	Ian Byrne
uin	22419
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/04/2024 answer text <p>The UK supports work to develop New Approach Methodologies which can provide information on chemical hazards and risk assessment without the use of animals.</p><p> </p><p>The Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) is the UK regulatory authority for veterinary medicines. The VMD assesses applications submitted by the veterinary pharmaceutical industry in line with national and international regulations and guidance to ensure safe and effective veterinary medicines of good quality are marketed. These requirements may therefore necessitate animal testing either to develop and register new veterinary medicines or for routine product quality control, to ensure the continued quality, safety and efficacy batch to batch. Non-animal tests are not always available. The VMD is committed to phasing out the use of animals for testing purposes where possible, in accordance with the principles of 3Rs (Replacement, Reduction, Refinement). Furthermore, the UK is a signatory to the European Pharmacopoeia (which sets minimum quality standards of medicines) and the European Convention for the Protection of Vertebrate Animals used for Experimental and Other Scientific Purposes. This commitment to the 3Rs is also enshrined in the UK’s Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 under which scientific procedures in animals are regulated.</p><p> </p><p>The Minister of State for Science, Research and Innovation (the hon. Member for Arundel and South Downs, Andrew Griffith) recently announced that the Government will publish a plan to accelerate the development, validation and uptake of technologies and methods to reduce reliance on the use of animals in science, which will be published in the summer. He also requested that we double our investment in research to achieve these approaches next year to £20 million across the system in 2024/25.</p><p> </p><p>LD50 testing is not required for preclinical development of novel medicines. Some authorised medicines in the UK include (LD50) quality control tests which require the use of animals, conducted to ensure the quality, safety and efficacy of specific medicines. UK regulators follow the principles of the 3Rs. Significant progress has been made on validating alternative methods which do not use animals, including the possibility of replacing mice by in vitro suitable cell cultures in LD50-type testing methods, and the relevant regulatory quality standards and testing requirements have been revised accordingly for these specific medicines.</p> answering member constituency Sherwood answering member printed Sir Mark Spencer question first answered 24/04/2024 16:20:05 answering member 4055 label Biography information for Sir Mark Spencer
tabling member	4831 label Biography information for Ian Byrne