Asked by: Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they intend to revoke the Sludge (Use in Agriculture) Regulations 1989 that regulate sewage sludge and bring sewage sludge regulation within the Environmental Permitting Regime; and if so, when.
Answered by Lord Douglas-Miller
The Government is working with the Environment Agency to assess the regulatory framework for sludge. We recognise the importance of improving the regulatory framework, however, further work is required before any proposal for change may be progressed.
Asked by: Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to their policy paper Plan for Water, updated on 4 April, what plans they have to set a timetable for the enforcement of a mandate for microfibre filters on new washing machines.
Answered by Lord Benyon - Lord Chamberlain (HM Household)
The Government has already taken significant steps to tackle plastic pollution (e.g. microplastics), including restricting the supply of several single-use plastics through introducing a plastic packaging tax from April 2022; restricting the supply of plastic straws, plastic drink stirrers, and plastic-stemmed cotton buds; and preventing billions of plastic microbeads from entering the ocean each year by introducing a ban on microbeads in rinse off personal care products.
The majority of microfibres are removed through water treatment and analysis of the evidence available to date does not show that there is a sufficient benefit to the environment that can justify legislation to mandate the microfibre filters in new washing machines with prices ranging from £30 to £122 per machine, dependent on manufacturer and whether the filters are disposable or reusable. Defra’s Plan for Water therefore includes a commitment for industry to develop low cost, effective microfibre filters on washing machines and encourage their effective use. We have met industry colleagues and posed this challenge and we look forward to any proposals they are able to share when they are able to do so.
Asked by: Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to their policy paper Plan for Water, updated on 4 April, what funding they intend to provide to develop microfibre filters on new washing machines.
Answered by Lord Benyon - Lord Chamberlain (HM Household)
The Government has already taken significant steps to tackle plastic pollution (e.g. microplastics), including restricting the supply of several single-use plastics through introducing a plastic packaging tax from April 2022; restricting the supply of plastic straws, plastic drink stirrers, and plastic-stemmed cotton buds; and preventing billions of plastic microbeads from entering the ocean each year by introducing a ban on microbeads in rinse off personal care products.
The majority of microfibres are removed through water treatment and analysis of the evidence available to date does not show that there is a sufficient benefit to the environment that can justify legislation to mandate the microfibre filters in new washing machines with prices ranging from £30 to £122 per machine, dependent on manufacturer and whether the filters are disposable or reusable. Defra’s Plan for Water therefore includes a commitment for industry to develop low cost, effective microfibre filters on washing machines and encourage their effective use. We have met industry colleagues and posed this challenge and we look forward to any proposals they are able to share when they are able to do so.
Asked by: Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the potential environmental benefits of mandating microfibre filters on new washing machines.
Answered by Lord Benyon - Lord Chamberlain (HM Household)
The Government has already taken significant steps to tackle plastic pollution (e.g. microplastics), including restricting the supply of several single-use plastics through introducing a plastic packaging tax from April 2022; restricting the supply of plastic straws, plastic drink stirrers, and plastic-stemmed cotton buds; and preventing billions of plastic microbeads from entering the ocean each year by introducing a ban on microbeads in rinse off personal care products.
The majority of microfibres are removed through water treatment and analysis of the evidence available to date does not show that there is a sufficient benefit to the environment that can justify legislation to mandate the microfibre filters in new washing machines with prices ranging from £30 to £122 per machine, dependent on manufacturer and whether the filters are disposable or reusable. Defra’s Plan for Water therefore includes a commitment for industry to develop low cost, effective microfibre filters on washing machines and encourage their effective use. We have met industry colleagues and posed this challenge and we look forward to any proposals they are able to share when they are able to do so.
Asked by: Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to tackle microplastic pollution entering waterways from washing machines.
Answered by Lord Benyon - Lord Chamberlain (HM Household)
The Government has already taken significant steps to tackle plastic pollution (e.g. microplastics), including restricting the supply of several single-use plastics through introducing a plastic packaging tax from April 2022; restricting the supply of plastic straws, plastic drink stirrers, and plastic-stemmed cotton buds; and preventing billions of plastic microbeads from entering the ocean each year by introducing a ban on microbeads in rinse off personal care products.
The majority of microfibres are removed through water treatment and analysis of the evidence available to date does not show that there is a sufficient benefit to the environment that can justify legislation to mandate the microfibre filters in new washing machines with prices ranging from £30 to £122 per machine, dependent on manufacturer and whether the filters are disposable or reusable. Defra’s Plan for Water therefore includes a commitment for industry to develop low cost, effective microfibre filters on washing machines and encourage their effective use. We have met industry colleagues and posed this challenge and we look forward to any proposals they are able to share when they are able to do so.
Asked by: Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Food Donation Act 1996 in the United States; what plans they have, if any, to introduce similar legislation to reduce food waste and allow for “apparently wholesome food” to be donated to charities; and whether they have received any representations from charities about the case for such legislation.
Answered by Lord Benyon - Lord Chamberlain (HM Household)
There are no plans to introduce legislation in this area. The absence of such legislation has not been seen as a key barrier to redistributors when it comes to increasing the availability of surplus food. Legal protection for suppliers of food, including the charities and organisations distributing surplus food, already exists in the form of the Food Safety Act 1990’s ‘due diligence’ provision. This is designed to balance the protection of the consumer from defective food with the right of suppliers of food not to be convicted of an offence they have taken all reasonable care to avoid committing.
Asked by: Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the effect on the volume of food donated to food banks arising from "Natasha’s Law" regarding food labelling, which requires allergen labelling on pre-packaged direct sale food.
Answered by Lord Benyon - Lord Chamberlain (HM Household)
The UK maintains high standards on the information that is provided on food labels so that consumers can have confidence in the food that they buy.
This was strengthened, for food that is sold prepacked for direct sale, with the introduction of Natasha’s Law in 2021.
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) recently conducted an evaluation of the impact of the law. During the evaluation, the FSA spoke to stakeholders including food businesses.
While the evaluation did not focus specifically on food redistribution, it did offer stakeholders the opportunity to discuss their experiences implementing the new law broadly. There was no significant evidence provided in respect of impact on food donations. However, we are clear that, irrespective of how food is distributed, whether for sale or provided free, consumer safety must remain the priority.
Defra and the FSA have worked with WRAP (the Waste and Resources Action Programme) to produce comprehensive guidance on surplus food redistribution to help businesses and charities safely and efficiently redistribute surplus and prevent good food going to waste.
The FSA continues to engage with stakeholders regarding the impact of Natasha's Law, to ensure any issues are identified and resolved.
Asked by: Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to amend the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 to prevent harm to birds and other wildlife from drones.
Answered by Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 prohibits the intentional or reckless disturbance of any wild bird included in Schedule 1 while it is building a nest or is in, on or near a nest containing eggs or young; or the dependent young of such a bird. The Act also prohibits the intentional or reckless disturbance of any animal included on Schedule 5 while it is occupying a structure or place which it uses for shelter or protection. In both instances this would include disturbance by drones.
Asked by: Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to extend protection to nest sites for species which return to the same sites on an annual basis, such as swifts, swallows and martins; and what assessment they have made of the barriers to those birds returning to such sites, including the use of netting.
Answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble
While swallows, swifts and martins have preferential nest sites, they will nest elsewhere. Therefore, protecting nests while they are in use is the most important consideration.
We would expect those considering excluding birds from nest sites to do so only when truly necessary and in compliance with the relevant legislation, including the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.
The Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government has written to leading developers to remind them of their obligations in this regard, which includes existing planning practice guidance on the natural environment, and standing advice for local planning authorities to assess the impacts of development on wild birds.
Asked by: Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what research they have conducted into the pollution of watercourses by hormones contained in human waste.
Answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble
The Environment Agency (EA) has worked over the last five years with the water industry via United Kingdom Water Industry Research (UKWIR) to understand better and quantify levels of hormones in pre- and post-treatment effluents containing human waste from wastewater treatment works. This will continue in the next phase of work due to start in 2020.
A study report, reference number 18/EQ/01/13, is available from UKWIR https://www.ukwir.org/eng/search-uk-water-industry-research-reports
The EA also monitors hormones in watercourses as part of a surveillance network of substances on an EU Watch List.