Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans she has to ensure that planning and infrastructure projects are consistent with the (a) priorities and (b) targets set out in local nature recovery strategies.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Local Nature Recovery Strategies (LNRS) set out nature recovery priorities for their area and where action could best be taken on the ground to achieve those priorities.
All public authorities must “have regard” to LNRSs and Planning Practice Guidance has been updated to set out how Local Planning Authorities should use LNRSs when preparing local plans and in decision making. A new requirement for all tiers of planning to “take account” of LNRSs is expected to come into effect.
Asked by: Wera Hobhouse (Liberal Democrat - Bath)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of the lack of sorting requirements of collected materials under Simpler Recycling on recycling rates.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
As part of the Simpler Recycling reforms, the Government has made an exemption in regulations to allow local authorities and other waste collectors to co-collect plastic, metal and glass in the same container. This applies in all circumstances without the need to produce a written assessment, based on the evidence that co-collection does not significantly affect the potential for those materials to be recycled.
The decision to allow dry materials to be co-collected has been taken based on evidence to indicate that simplifying the number of bins can help increase participation in recycling. Evidence also suggests that fully co-collecting systems (with one mixed dry recycling bin) have the highest levels of contamination (for example, broken glass stuck on paper or soggy paper from the liquid from bottles and cans), and that paper and card are particularly vulnerable to cross-contamination, which will affect the recycling rate. By default, therefore, paper and card should be separately collected from all other dry materials so their potential to be recycled is not reduced.
Asked by: Wera Hobhouse (Liberal Democrat - Bath)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions her Department has had with PackUK on the role of the Producer Responsibility Organisation in setting expectations for (a) the sorting of collected materials and (b) mechanisms which could support consistent recovery across different local authorities and MRFs.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Department is working with PackUK to appoint a Producer Responsibility Organisation (PRO) which will be responsible for administering certain elements of the pEPR scheme. The sorting of collected materials and consistent collections is not within PackUKs remit, so no discussions have taken place so far on the involvement of the PRO in this area.
We are working with WRAP (Waste and Resources Action Programme) and waste industry representatives to support MRF (Materials Recovery Facility) readiness for the Simpler Recycling requirements in England.
Asked by: Wera Hobhouse (Liberal Democrat - Bath)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent discussions she has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer, on the potential impact of the circular economy on local economic growth.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
This Government’s commitment to transitioning towards a circular economy builds a path to economic growth, progress towards Net Zero, restoration of nature, and creates a more resilient economy with investment in green jobs and vital infrastructure. The UK’s existing circular industries deliver £67 billion to the economy, and industry estimates indicate that the ongoing reforms in the packaging sector alone have the potential to support an estimated 21,000 new jobs and stimulate over £10 billion of investment in recycling capability over the next ten years.
We will publish a plan for delivering the Government’s circular economy ambitions in the coming months and the action plan will set out the biggest opportunities to support growth in sectors right across the economy, including: agri-food; built environment; chemicals and plastics; electrical and electronic equipment; textiles; and transport. We also convened a Circular Economy Taskforce of experts to help us with this – they have undertaken extensive engagement with industry leaders, trade associations, and other key stakeholders to ensure that the needs and opportunities for all are considered.
Asked by: Wera Hobhouse (Liberal Democrat - Bath)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment she has made of the potential for private investment in the circular economy.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
This Government’s commitment to transitioning towards a circular economy builds a path to economic growth, progress towards Net Zero, restoration of nature, and creates a more resilient economy with investment in green jobs and vital infrastructure. The UK’s existing circular industries deliver £67 billion to the economy, and industry estimates indicate that the ongoing reforms in the packaging sector alone have the potential to support an estimated 21,000 new jobs and stimulate over £10 billion of investment in recycling capability over the next ten years.
We will publish a plan for delivering the Government’s circular economy ambitions in the coming months and the action plan will set out the biggest opportunities to support growth in sectors right across the economy, including: agri-food; built environment; chemicals and plastics; electrical and electronic equipment; textiles; and transport. We also convened a Circular Economy Taskforce of experts to help us with this – they have undertaken extensive engagement with industry leaders, trade associations, and other key stakeholders to ensure that the needs and opportunities for all are considered.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to ensure that local nature recovery strategies are (a) implemented in full and (b) that their targets are monitored.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Local Nature Recovery Strategies (LNRS) are strategies whose primary purpose is to identify where action for nature recovery and wider environmental improvement would be more effective. Defra will work closely with responsible authorities to deliver priority actions identified by LNRS.
Landowners and managers are being encouraged to carry out proposed actions within an LNRS.
Actions that have been taken will be reported when each LNRS is reviewed and republished. This will ensure that LNRS remain up to date and effective in helping nature to recover.
Asked by: Sarah Gibson (Liberal Democrat - Chippenham)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of (a) ultra-processed foods, (b) palm oil and (c) single-use plastics on the environment impacts associated with supply chains; and if she will publish lifecycle analyses held by her Department.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra is funding research into the environmental impacts of agricultural goods including oil seeds such as palm oil and multi-ingredient/complex food products. We are also funding a life-cycle assessment on alternative proteins, which may include products involving varying levels of processing. The findings will be published once complete.
UK Research and Innovation is taking forward a public dialogue on ultra-processed foods to ensure public views feed into research and innovation priorities and programmes at an early stage. The oversight group for the dialogue involves multiple stakeholders from academia, Government and policy bodies, NGOs and food industry organisations.
The Government is committed to supporting sustainable production, trade and use of palm oil. The Joint Nature Conservation Committee has created the Global Environmental Impacts of Consumption indicator, which includes analysis of the impact of palm oil in global supply chains. The indicator estimates that UK consumption of palm oil drove 2,800 hectares of deforestation in 2022. We recognise the urgency of taking action to ensure that UK consumption of forest risk commodities is not driving deforestation. Oil palm is a very efficient crop, producing more oil per hectare than other vegetable oil crops. Substitution of other oils which typically require significantly more land to produce may lead to greater environmental impacts as more land is converted to agricultural use.
Asked by: Bob Blackman (Conservative - Harrow East)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether any cross-departmental work is being undertaken to (a) assess and (b) address the environmental impact of illegally imported disposable vapes.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Single-use vapes have been banned in the UK since 1 June 2025, we are continuing to monitor the impact of the ban, including the illicit market. In March 2025, the Government announced a £10 million funding boost to trading standards to tackle illicit vapes, including those that are single-use, to ensure that the ban is successfully enforced.
Asked by: Lord Jamieson (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by the Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government) on 7 April (HC40908), what communications representatives of the Ebbsfleet Development Corporation have made to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on (1) the Swanscombe Peninsula Site of Special Scientific Interest designation or (2) the presence or absence of distinguished jumping spiders within land owned by the Development Corporation for development, since 4 July 2024.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Other than a site visit to the Swanscombe Peninsula Site of Special Scientific Interest, hosted by Ebbsfleet Development Corporation (EDC) in July 2025 and attended by officials from Defra, Natural England, and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, EDC has made no communication to the Department since 4 July 2024.
Asked by: Tim Farron (Liberal Democrat - Westmorland and Lonsdale)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to ensure farmers receive support for instances of flooding in winter 2025-26.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
To support rural communities and farmers, we: