Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will introduce stricter liability for waste duty of care on large waste producing business.

Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Government published its new Waste Crime Action Plan on 20 March which is the toughest ever crackdown on illegal waste. We have no plans to introduce a stricter liability for waste duty of care on large waste producing businesses. Businesses already have a duty to ensure their waste is lawfully managed and the Environment Agency (EA) will make full use of its powers to hold those responsible for illegal waste operations accountable. Additionally, the EA will now publicly name and shame illegal waste operators so that those working in the waste sector understand who has been involved in mishandling waste.

We are also introducing a mandatory digital waste tracking system. This will replace paper-based methods with a modern digital platform upon which details about waste movements will need to be recorded. This will provide environmental regulators with a single system to monitor waste movements in near real time, improving transparency and accountability.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask His Majesty's Government when they will implement plans for a waste crime levy.

Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Government published its new Waste Crime Action Plan on 20 March which is the toughest ever crackdown on illegal waste. We are now committing an additional £45 million for the Environment Agency (EA) to spend on waste crime enforcement over the next 3 financial years, on top of the £5.6 million increase for this financial year announced previously. This new funding will enable the EA to expand its on-the-ground enforcement activity and ensure waste criminals face the consequences of their actions. We continue to consider a waste crime levy to support enforcement but given the extra funding we are providing now, its introduction is not imminent.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask His Majesty's Government when they plan to implement the recommendations of the Independent Reservoir Safety Report, published on 13 May 2021.

Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Many of the recommendations from the Independent Reservoir Safety Report have already been implemented – detail can be found here [see attached]. A public consultation on legislative reforms to take forward further recommendations from this report is planned in due course.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask His Majesty's Government when they will bring forward the regulations to introduce the waste carriage, broker and dealer reforms as committed to in October 2023.

Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The commitment made in 2023 was under the previous Government. This Government published its policy paper on gov.uk in August 2025, setting out its plans for reform of the waste carrier broker dealer regime in England [see attached].

Work has begun to draft the necessary legislative amendments and will be progressed when parliamentary time allows.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask His Majesty's Government what level of support is available for energy costs under the cost of living provisions and additional support under the warm homes discount; whether that support totals £300; and if not, whether they will correct the figure on the Gov.uk website.

Answered by Lord Whitehead - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

We announced in the Autumn Budget that we would cut the cost of living, and as a result, the price cap fell by 7% / £117 to £1,641 per year for an average dual fuel customer paying by Direct Debit.

This action follows the decision to expand the Warm Home Discount this winter, which will see around six million households receive an additional £150 off their energy bills.

This short inquiry will consider pet parasite medication (PPM), with a focus on treatments containing pesticides of concern such as fipronil and imidacloprid. The inquiry will seek to understand distribution pathways, and the impact of PPM use and non-use on biodiversity and human health. It will also cover current regulation, monitoring, and the potential implications for pets and pet owners of alternative medications or application practices.