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1668657

registered interest
date	08/11/2023
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	Clothing: Fibres
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the Preferred Fiber & Materials Market Report by Textile Exchange, indicating that there are likely to be only 30 million tonnes available globally of "preferred materials" for fashion production, accounting for 19 per cent of global demand; and what steps are they taking to reduce the use of "non-preferred materials".
tabling member printed	Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle
uin	HL93
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/11/2023 answer text <p>Defra has not made an assessment of the Preferred Fiber and Materials Report by The Textiles Exchange. One of Defra’s delivery partners, WRAP (Waste and Resources Action Programme), manages Textiles 2030, which commits signatories, who represent 62% of the fashion industry, to meet ambitious targets to reduce water and carbon consumption. WRAP has also done research on sustainable clothing design and produced guidance on fibre and fabric selection.</p><p> </p><p>In July, Defra announced proposals for keeping textiles in use for longer and minimising textile waste. These proposals, which will be subject to consultation in 2024, include a requirement for non-domestic settings such as businesses to separate their textile waste from other types of waste so that it can be collected for reuse or recycling. This separately collected textile waste should not enter landfill or be incinerated. Defra is also proposing that certain retailers provide in store facilities so that customers can return their pre-loved textiles for recycling or reuse.</p> answering member printed Lord Benyon question first answered 15/11/2023 17:19:35 answering member 1547 label Biography information for Lord Benyon
tabling member	4719 label Biography information for Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle

1666435

registered interest
date	23/10/2023
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	Electrical Goods
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to reduce the future (1) production, and (2) sale, of small electrical items; what progress has been made on the implementation of the "producer-pays" principle for such items; and what steps they are taking to increase recycling of these items, in particular those that remain unused in storage.
tabling member printed	Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle
uin	HL10709
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/10/2023 answer text <p>It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.</p> answering member printed Lord Benyon question first answered 26/10/2023 11:08:30 answering member 1547 label Biography information for Lord Benyon
tabling member	4719 label Biography information for Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle

1655111

registered interest
date	25/07/2023
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	Clothing: Recycling
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the effectiveness of garment recycling offered by retailers; and what regulations and checks of compliance apply to such services.
tabling member printed	Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle
uin	HL9674
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 31/07/2023 answer text <p>As announced in the Maximising Resources, Minimising Waste programme on July 28th, we will develop and consult on policy options for reducing textiles waste, including requiring businesses over a certain size to provide a customer take back systems for used textiles.</p><p> </p><p>There is anecdotal evidence that garment recycling schemes can be effective, and we will assess this further as we develop the new policies. As these are voluntary initiatives, there are currently no regulations and checks of compliance that apply to the retailers.</p><p> </p><p>The Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) produced a guide for businesses on setting up takeback schemes, funded in part by Defra: <a href="https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwrap.org.uk%2Fsites%2Fdefault%2Ffiles%2F2021-02%2FRetailer-clothing-take-back-guide-Feb21.pdf&amp;data=05%7C01%7Cpqtransfers%40defra.gov.uk%7C8972244c76524860feef08db8f507469%7C770a245002274c6290c74e38537f1102%7C0%7C0%7C638261347925610001%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=bGVrviFcsyGxtEZGz95j4npi%2Fyo9Ne%2BVuFRw4ejrQAA%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">Retailer-clothing-take-back-guide-Feb21.pdf (wrap.org.uk)</a>.</p> answering member printed Lord Benyon question first answered 31/07/2023 11:49:25 answering member 1547 label Biography information for Lord Benyon attachment 1 file name Retailer-clothing-take-back-guide-Feb21.pdf title guide for businesses on setting up takeback scheme
tabling member	4719 label Biography information for Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle

1654939

registered interest
date	20/07/2023
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	Paraquat: Exports
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ban the manufacture of paraquat in the UK for export, given its impact on human health.
tabling member printed	Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle
uin	HL9536
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 31/07/2023 answer text <p>The Government currently has no plans to ban the manufacture of paraquat in the UK for export.</p><p> </p><p>The export of paraquat from Great Britain (GB) is regulated under the GB Prior Informed Consent (PIC) regulatory regime for the export and import of certain hazardous chemicals. Before the export of paraquat can take place, the explicit consent of the importing country is required.</p><p> </p><p>The exchange of information that PIC provides allows the importing countries to make informed decisions on the import of those chemicals and on how to handle and use them safely.</p><p> </p><p>The UK is committed to working internationally to support the safe management of pesticides. That is why we continue to support the listing of paraquat under the Rotterdam convention.</p> answering member printed Lord Benyon question first answered 31/07/2023 11:39:35 answering member 1547 label Biography information for Lord Benyon
tabling member	4719 label Biography information for Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle

1651482

registered interest
date	10/07/2023
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	Developing Countries: Veterinary Medicine
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government whether, and if so to what extent, they provide direct financial support for the development of veterinary clinical skill laboratories in low- and middle-income countries to strengthen animal health systems.
tabling member printed	Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle
uin	HL9195
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/07/2023 answer text <p>While we do not provide direct financial support for the development of veterinary clinical skill laboratories in low- and middle-income countries, we proactively support country and regional partners with Official Development Assistance funding to strengthen health systems, including through our £5m Animal Health Systems Strengthening Project, which is providing technical assistance and other capability-building to veterinary services in Africa.</p><p> </p><p>In addition, and to ensure the UK effectively drives better and sustainable health outcomes in low- and middle-income countries, our world-class laboratories are actively involved in delivering global health outreach programmes, including laboratory twinning projects to build diagnostic capability for the surveillance and detection of animal diseases.</p><p> </p><p>We have also developed and delivered e-learning modules for over 200 veterinary professionals and paraprofessionals working in low- and middle-income countries to build skills in laboratory diagnostics, surveillance strategies, pandemic preparedness training, epidemiology, and veterinary medicine residue surveillance.</p><p> </p><p>All UK Aid spend is published by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office as Statistics on International Development, and is available at GOV.UK.</p> answering member printed Lord Benyon question first answered 13/07/2023 16:31:58 answering member 1547 label Biography information for Lord Benyon
tabling member	4719 label Biography information for Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle

1648322

registered interest
date	27/06/2023
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	Avian Influenza: Developing Countries
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government how they are supporting lower and middle income countries with weak animal health systems to combat avian influenza effectively.
tabling member printed	Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle
uin	HL8807
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/07/2023 answer text <p>The UK continues to play a leading role in this critical area as part of our wider work to tackle zoonotic diseases, which are responsible for around 60% of all human diseases and 75% of all new and emerging infectious diseases.</p><p> </p><p>Our world-class laboratories provide capability-building services to global partners including lower and middle income countries, integrating technical support, surveillance, risk analysis and epidemiology expertise, and participating in numerous global research and development networks which offer a multi-disciplinary approach for early detection systems and emergency preparedness and response coordination, with a focus on animal and zoonotic diseases, including avian influenza.</p><p> </p><p>We also support country and regional partners through our Official Development Assistance (ODA) budget to strengthen global health systems, so they are better able to prepare for, prevent, detect and respond to a wide range of health threats, including zoonotic diseases like avian influenza. This includes our Animal Health Systems Strengthening Project, International Health Regulations Strengthening Project and Tackling Deadly Disease in Africa Programme, all of which take a One Health approach, emphasising the connections between human, animal, plant and environmental health.</p><p> </p><p>In addition, we are providing ODA funding to the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations to build avian influenza prevention, preparedness and response capacity in West Africa. Furthermore, we are funding The One Health Poultry Hub, a multistakeholder development research partnership working in Southeast Asia to support safer poultry systems. We are also strengthening genomic surveillance capability through the New Variant Assessment Platform, which will help countries to deal more effectively with pathogens of pandemic potential, including avian influenza.</p><p> </p><p>All UK Aid spend is published by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office in the form of Statistics on International Development and is available at GOV.UK.</p> answering member printed Lord Benyon question first answered 03/07/2023 16:12:47 answering member 1547 label Biography information for Lord Benyon
tabling member	4719 label Biography information for Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle

1626300

registered interest
date	09/05/2023
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	Hen Harriers: Conservation
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government (1) whether Natural England's Scientific Advisory Committee will publish their recently completed assessment report on the hen harrier brood meddling trial, (2) on what basis the decision was made by Natural England licensing services to extend the trial by two years rather than a longer or shorter period or not at all, and (3) whether they can identify the number of hen harrier chicks that were part of the trial and are subsequently known or thought to have fallen victim to illegal persecution.
tabling member printed	Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle
uin	HL7676
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/05/2023 answer text <p>An overview of Natural England's (NE) Science Advisory Committee review of the Brood Management Trial was published in this NE blog on 16 March 2023: <a href="https://naturalengland.blog.gov.uk/2023/03/16/update-on-the-hen-harrier-brood-management-trial/" target="_blank">naturalengland.blog.gov.uk/2023/03/16/update-on-the-hen-harrier-brood-management-trial/</a>. A copy is attached with this answer. They advised that further social science data on changing attitudes, was needed. Consequently, The Brood Management partnership has applied for a licence for two years (2023-2024) to allow for further data to be collected. NE’s wildlife licensing service assessed this two-year licence application and issued the licence on 4 May 2023.</p><p> </p><p>The trial is designed to understand how the availability of brood management may affect the persecution of all hen harriers. All hen harriers in England are therefore part of the trial, and research is underway on survival rates of wild reared hen harriers satellite-tagged by NE, before and after the availability of brood management. Of the 32 hen harriers reared in captivity and released with satellite tags, 10 are still alive, six dead birds have been recovered (five confirmed died naturally, one currently under investigation), and 16 have stopped transmitting and have not been recovered. The status of all tagged hen harriers tracked by NE is regularly published on this page: <a href="http://www.gov.uk/government/publications/hen-harriers-tracking-programme-update/hen-harrier-tracking-update" target="_blank">www.gov.uk/government/publications/hen-harriers-tracking-programme-update/hen-harrier-tracking-update</a>.</p> answering member printed Lord Benyon question first answered 17/05/2023 15:09:38 answering member 1547 label Biography information for Lord Benyon attachment 1 file name Update on the Hen Harrier Brood Management Trial - Natural England.pdf title Hen harrier trial update
tabling member	4719 label Biography information for Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle

1602548

registered interest
date	08/03/2023
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	Fluorinated Gases: Regulation
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the progress in the implementation of the F-gas regulations, particularly with regard to the greenhouse gas sulphur hexafluoride (SF6) and reducing its carbon footprint in electricity transmission, distribution, and hydronic heat pump equipment; what plans they have to amend the F-gas Regulations 2014 ((EU) No 517/2014); and how they intend to ensure that expansion of the electricity grid does not increase carbon emissions through increased use of fluorinated greenhouse gases.
tabling member printed	Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle
uin	HL6230
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/03/2023 answer text <p>A review of the F-gas Regulation is underway. Defra published an <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/assessment-of-the-f-gas-regulation-in-great-britain" target="_blank">Assessment Report</a> in December 2022 that assesses the Regulation against its objectives to reduce F-gas use and emissions. Defra are now identifying options for change, with a focus on additional measures to help the UK meet Net Zero. Development of any proposals will account for factors such as the expansion of the power grid as regards SF6 use and the rollout of heat pumps as regards use of hydrofluorocarbons (the main types of F-gas).</p><p> </p><p>In addition to the F-gas Regulation, Ofgem has a framework in place that encourages the reduction of SF6 emissions from existing switchgear equipment on the grid.</p><p> </p><p>The F-gas Regulation reduces emissions primarily through the phasedown of the use of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), the main type of F-gases. The Regulation also sets rules on F-gas use, containment, recovery and destruction and training and certification.</p><p> </p><p>Alternative technologies to the use of SF6 in the power sector are being developed, with some already available and being deployed. Consideration needs to be given as to the ability to use alternatives at some existing sites, particularly where the footprint of a site is restricted such as in built-up areas.</p> answering member printed Lord Benyon question first answered 16/03/2023 16:59:21 answering member 1547 label Biography information for Lord Benyon attachment 1 file name F_gas_regulation_in_Great_Britain.pdf title Assessment Report F-gas
tabling member	4719 label Biography information for Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle

1568367

registered interest
date	18/01/2023
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	Pharmacy: Pollution
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the report in the Lancet First, do no harm: time for a systems approach to address the problem of health-care-derived pharmaceutical pollution, published in December 2022; and what steps, if any, they plan to take regarding its recommendations.
tabling member printed	Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle
uin	HL4839
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/02/2023 answer text <p>Defra and its agencies, including the Environment Agency, have not yet considered the report in full detail but will do so in due course. We will consider the recommendations in conjunction with officials in the Department for Health and Social Care. Defra has already noted that some of the suggested interventions in the Lancet paper may be relevant to veterinary medicines. The Veterinary Medicines Directorate within Defra is actively considering issues around pharmaceuticals in the environment, and conducts environmental risk assessments for all new veterinary medicines.</p> answering member printed Lord Benyon question first answered 01/02/2023 15:05:43 answering member 1547 label Biography information for Lord Benyon
tabling member	4719 label Biography information for Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle

1566181

registered interest
date	11/01/2023
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	Antimicrobials: Drug Resistance
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking (1) to monitor concentrations of non-antibiotic pharmaceuticals and personal care product residues in terms of driving the evolution of antimicrobial resistance in the environment, and (2) to fund more research into the risks they may pose to human health.
tabling member printed	Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle
uin	HL4650
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/01/2023 answer text <p>(1) Defra and the Environment Agency (EA) have been working with the water industry to research the occurrence and transport of bacteria that are resistant to antibiotics through wastewater treatment works as part of the industry-funded Chemical Investigations Programme. Investigations have been carried out at ten sites across the country to understand how the different treatment processes and the presence of chemicals including a range of pharmaceuticals affect the presence and prevalence of particular organisms and resistance genes. The results are due to be published by UK Water Industry Research in early 2023.</p><p>The EA has also been working with water companies on chemicals investigations which have included a range of pharmaceuticals and personal care products residues discharged from treated sewage effluent which might contribute to antimicrobial resistance (AMR).</p><p>The EA has developed a Prioritisation and Early Warning System (PEWS) for chemicals of emerging concern to ensure consideration of the potential risks of emerging chemicals including to surface waters (both freshwater and saline waters), groundwater and soils. The system allows the EA to sift and to screen any chemical substance nominated using, where available, hazard data and environmental monitoring data to prioritise whether a substance may be a possible chemical of concern in England. The EA has included a number of pharmaceuticals and personal care products as part of PEWS including, for example, diclofenac, ibuprofen and Benzophenone-3 (UV filter). These three substances flagged as high risk in PEWS.</p><p>The EA also monitors for a wide range of pharmaceuticals and substances used in personal care products in the water environment using a semi-quantitative screening methodology. All the substances mentioned above are included on this screening.</p><p>(2) The UK AMR National Action Plan (NAP) (2019-24) commits to “support research to reduce evidence gaps and improve our understanding of hazards and risks from AMR in the environment”. The Government is not currently supporting research on the potential risks of non-antibiotic pharmaceuticals and personal care product residues in terms of driving the evolution of AMR in the environment and the risks they may pose to human health, but is exploring options with funders on how best to undertake a One-Health approach to research into the drivers of AMR in the environment and environmental transmission risks to human health. This work will be built upon as an area of focus for research in the next five-year NAP (2024-29).</p><p>The Government is funding a wide array of research into AMR, including through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). As of September 2022, the NIHR was supporting 65 active research projects funded by NIHR programmes on AMR, with a combined value of approximately £97 million. The NIHR welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health, including risk factors for AMR.</p> answering member printed Lord Benyon question first answered 25/01/2023 12:03:40 answering member 1547 label Biography information for Lord Benyon
tabling member	4719 label Biography information for Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle