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1716452

registered interest
date	08/05/2024
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	Water: Testing
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 introduce year-round water quality testing.
tabling member constituency	Eastbourne
tabling member printed	Caroline Ansell
uin	25292
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/05/2024 answer text <p>The Bathing Water Regulations require the Environment Agency to sample bathing waters at a fixed location using a pre-determined sampling schedule during the bathing season, which runs from 15 May to 30 September. The Government is committed to reviewing the Bathing Water Regulations 2013 to ensure they reflect changes in how and where people use bathing waters. That is why Defra has recently announced plans to consult on proposals to reform the Bathing Water Regulations for England. The proposed changes will drive work to improve bathing water quality, enhance monitoring and enable more flexibility around the dates of the bathing water monitoring season.</p><p /><p>The EA also conducts wider water quality monitoring for a range of purposes including understanding the state of the environment year-round.</p> answering member constituency Keighley answering member printed Robbie Moore question first answered 23/05/2024 12:53:32 answering member 4861 label Biography information for Robbie Moore
tabling member	4512 label Biography information for Caroline Ansell

1716455

registered interest
date	08/05/2024
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	Water: Standards
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 support for citizen science to help improve understanding of the UK's water quality.
tabling member constituency	Eastbourne
tabling member printed	Caroline Ansell
uin	25295
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/05/2024 answer text <p>Citizen Science initiatives can provide invaluable data about our water environment, which complements monitoring and assessment work conducted by the Environment Agency (EA). In recognition of this the EA is delivering the first phase of a three-year citizen science project: Supporting Citizen Science. This project is working with partners across England to explore how the EA can best utilise citizen science evidence alongside its own monitoring data to further increase understanding of water quality. Recommendations from this project are expected in 2025.</p> answering member constituency Keighley answering member printed Robbie Moore question first answered 23/05/2024 12:42:29 answering member 4861 label Biography information for Robbie Moore
tabling member	4512 label Biography information for Caroline Ansell

1716458

registered interest
date	08/05/2024
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	Water: Testing
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 assessment of the potential merits of asking citizen science programmes to (a) test water quality and (b) provide that data to his Department.
tabling member constituency	Eastbourne
tabling member printed	Caroline Ansell
uin	25296
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/05/2024 answer text <p>We recognise the value of citizen science data, and the additional insight it can provide to complement monitoring and assessment work conducted by the Environment Agency (EA).</p><p> </p><p>The EA is delivering the first phase of a multi-year citizen science project: Supporting Citizen Science. The project is working with partners across England to explore how the EA can best work with citizen science groups to observe and measure the environment, alongside their ongoing monitoring to further increase understanding of water quality.</p><p> </p><p>Citizen scientists are not being asked to test water quality on behalf of the EA: the focus is instead on citizen science data providing supplementary insight.</p><p> </p><p>The EA is working with catchment partners to provide data management guidance to support citizen scientists in the collection and storage of data to improve our understanding of the water environment.</p> answering member constituency Keighley answering member printed Robbie Moore question first answered 23/05/2024 12:36:27 answering member 4861 label Biography information for Robbie Moore
tabling member	4512 label Biography information for Caroline Ansell

1716464

registered interest
date	08/05/2024
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	Agriculture: Land Use
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 she has made on allowing land identified as Selected Heritage Inventory for Natural England to be used for food production without financial penalties for farmers.
tabling member constituency	Eastbourne
tabling member printed	Caroline Ansell
uin	25300
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/05/2024 answer text <p>Locally significant historical and archaeological features identified by local authority Historic Environment officers that could potentially benefit from management under environmental land management schemes are placed on the Selected Heritage Inventory for Natural England (or SHINE).</p><p> </p><p>These irreplaceable features are often only on a part of a parcel and Government does not pay for any action that could cause them damage. Farmers may already be using this land for food production and many of these features are subject to environmental land management scheme actions which either cause no harm or can directly benefit them.</p><p> </p><p>In 2022 we changed the process so that we could allow for the areas containing sensitive heritage features to be separated out from the remaining field area.</p><p> </p><p>We want to ensure that farmers have the maximum opportunities to be able to take part in our schemes and to that end will work with our partners to refine both SHINE data and SFI actions. We also expect to introduce further actions that allow for management of SHINE features under the Sustainable Farming Incentive later in the year.</p><p> </p><p>We will hold a roundtable discussion in due course to address the issues raised.</p> answering member constituency Sherwood answering member printed Sir Mark Spencer question first answered 15/05/2024 13:21:17 answering member 4055 label Biography information for Sir Mark Spencer
tabling member	4512 label Biography information for Caroline Ansell

1694928

registered interest
date	11/03/2024
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	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 plans to make a comparative assessment of the effectiveness of (a) voluntary and (b) mandatory food waste reporting.
tabling member constituency	Eastbourne
tabling member printed	Caroline Ansell
uin	17907
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/03/2024 answer text <p>The Secretary of State decided in November 2023 to look again at how best to secure the benefits of food waste reporting for large businesses. We are currently gathering further evidence, including ways to enhance voluntary reporting, and will re-consider all options in the 2022 consultation using the latest available data. We expect to make the decision later this year.</p><p> </p><p>The consultation’s Impact Assessment includes an assessment of the effectiveness of the voluntary and mandatory approaches to reporting.</p> answering member constituency Keighley answering member printed Robbie Moore grouped question UIN 17908 question first answered 19/03/2024 15:17:18 answering member 4861 label Biography information for Robbie Moore
tabling member	4512 label Biography information for Caroline Ansell

1694929

registered interest
date	11/03/2024
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	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 increasing the take up of voluntary food waste reporting by large businesses.
tabling member constituency	Eastbourne
tabling member printed	Caroline Ansell
uin	17908
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/03/2024 answer text <p>The Secretary of State decided in November 2023 to look again at how best to secure the benefits of food waste reporting for large businesses. We are currently gathering further evidence, including ways to enhance voluntary reporting, and will re-consider all options in the 2022 consultation using the latest available data. We expect to make the decision later this year.</p><p> </p><p>The consultation’s Impact Assessment includes an assessment of the effectiveness of the voluntary and mandatory approaches to reporting.</p> answering member constituency Keighley answering member printed Robbie Moore grouped question UIN 17907 question first answered 19/03/2024 15:17:18 answering member 4861 label Biography information for Robbie Moore
tabling member	4512 label Biography information for Caroline Ansell

1679525

registered interest
date	05/01/2024
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	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 taking steps to increase the level of food waste reporting by large businesses.
tabling member constituency	Eastbourne
tabling member printed	Caroline Ansell
uin	8052
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/01/2024 answer text <p>We are committed to tackling food waste, which is why we are taking action to increase the take up of the voluntary approach to reporting through the Food Waste Reduction Roadmap delivered by WRAP. Last year more than £2 million went to our food waste prevention programme, with action across the supply chain including working with trade associations and businesses to measure and report their food waste. We ask all businesses to sign up to the Roadmap and to ‘Target, Measure and Act’ on their food waste.</p> answering member constituency Keighley answering member printed Robbie Moore question first answered 23/01/2024 11:22:26 answering member 4861 label Biography information for Robbie Moore
tabling member	4512 label Biography information for Caroline Ansell

1677741

registered interest
date	13/12/2023
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	Wind Power
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 he has made an assessment of the environmental sustainability of biomass lubricants in wind turbines.
tabling member constituency	Eastbourne
tabling member printed	Caroline Ansell
uin	6855
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/01/2024 answer text <p>The Marine Management Organisation’s (MMO) general objective, as set out by the Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009 (MCAA), is to manage its activities with the objective of contributing to the achievement of sustainable development, taking account of all relevant facts and matters and in a consistent and coordinated manner (section 2(1) MCAA). In our decision making and when making our recommendations to the Secretary of State where applicable, the MMO considers the need to protect the environment, human health, and to prevent interference with legitimate uses of the sea (and such other matters as thought relevant) (section 69 MCAA). As a signatory to the Oslo and Paris convention (specifically OSPAR 1992 Annex lll Article 4) the UK must ensure that chemicals are approved for use in the marine environment. This is a requirement for each signatory country for their exclusive economic zone beyond 12 nautical miles and covers the area up to the recognised international boundaries.</p><p> </p><p>Offshore wind farm (OWF) applications with a generating capacity of more than 100MW are classed as Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIPs), as set out in Part 3 of the Planning Act 2008 (as amended), and as such are granted or refused by the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero. OWF developments</p><p> </p><p>The <a href="https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ospar.org%2Fwork-areas%2Feiha%2Foffshore-renewables&amp;data=05%7C02%7Cpqteam%40defra.gov.uk%7C85a4a37afebb45376f8308dc015dbb4a%7C770a245002274c6290c74e38537f1102%7C0%7C0%7C638386749302011585%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=KkTp5OeMVBEZCSD5t9a1LHg26H766Cb8JXR7Kl0Liq0%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">OSPAR guidance on environmental considerations for OWF development</a> suggests that all chemicals, paints and coverings used in the maintenance and repair of OWFs should be approved for use in the marine environment and their properties should be sufficiently understood. DML conditions are contained within DCOs consented by the Secretary of State, to capture this requirement, alongside others regarding the control of chemicals in the offshore environment.</p><p> </p><p>Under the management of DML conditions, the MMO reviews chemicals used, and any chemicals not already approved under the List of Notified Chemicals require a chemical risk assessment to be submitted before being approved for use.</p><p> </p><p>Generally, lubricants are used in small quantities with low risk to enter the marine environment. They are used to maintain low friction, allow for efficient heat transfer and for the maintenance of hydraulics or moving mechanical parts in activities relating to foundations, cable laying, substation platforms and wind turbine generators where applicable. Regardless, all lubricants are considered for their environmental sustainability alongside all chemicals as part of the process outlined above.</p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow question first answered 04/01/2024 17:44:06 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
tabling member	4512 label Biography information for Caroline Ansell

1587195

registered interest
date	20/02/2023
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	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, whether she has had discussions with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the potential merits of offering (a) financial incentives and (b) introducing a tax to encourage the use of biomass plastic; and if she will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	Eastbourne
tabling member printed	Caroline Ansell
uin	148672
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/02/2023 answer text <p>No.</p><p> </p><p>Further research is required to make sure that bio-based plastics lead to a better environmental outcome overall. Our position on this was set out in the response to our call for evidence on the need for standards for bio-based, biodegradable, and compostable plastics in April 2021.</p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow grouped question UIN 148674 question first answered 24/02/2023 11:55:33 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
tabling member	4512 label Biography information for Caroline Ansell

1587196

registered interest
date	20/02/2023
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	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, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of the wider adoption of biomass plastics to reduce plastic waste; and if she will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	Eastbourne
tabling member printed	Caroline Ansell
uin	148673
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/02/2023 answer text <p>In April 2021, we published our response to our call for evidence on the need for standards for bio-based, biodegradable, and compostable plastics. Concerns were raised that the full environmental impacts of bio-based plastics, including land and water usage for example, were potentially greater overall compared with conventional based plastics.</p><p> </p><p>Further research is required to make sure that bio-based plastics lead to a better environmental outcome overall. During the production of these materials, there are a number of factors we need to better understand – we need to consider water consumption, the impact of crop switching and carbon footprint, so a full lifecycle approach is considered. On the basis of current information, a key area of interest for Government is bio-based plastics derived from materials that would otherwise have been waste.</p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow question first answered 24/02/2023 12:03:08 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
tabling member	4512 label Biography information for Caroline Ansell