Asked by: Lord Grayling (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what his policy is on the export of plastic waste from the UK.
Answered by Jo Churchill
Plastic waste is a commodity which is traded on a legitimate global market. The export of plastic waste is subject to strict controls set out in UK legislation. Businesses involved in the export of waste are required to take all necessary steps to ensure that the waste they ship is managed in an environmentally sound manner throughout its shipment and during its recycling. Individuals and businesses found to be exporting waste in contravention of the requirements of the legislation can face a two-year jail term and an unlimited fine.
The Government does, however, want to deal with more of our waste at home and that is why we have committed to banning the export of plastic waste to countries which are not members of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development. The Environment Act contains a power that will enable us to deliver on this commitment and we plan to consult by the end of this year on options to deliver the ban.
Asked by: Lord Grayling (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to help ensure that forest risk products entering the UK come from sustainable sources.
Answered by Rebecca Pow
The Government is committed to a package of measures to tackle deforestation in our supply chains.
In 2019, the Government asked an independent task force, the Global Resource Initiative (GRI), to provide recommendations on how to reduce the UK's global environmental footprint, with a focus on deforestation. The GRI published its report and 14 recommendations in March 2020.
In response, we have introduced world-leading due diligence legislation through the Environment Act to tackle illegal deforestation in UK supply chains. Our law will make it illegal for larger businesses in the UK to use key forest risk commodities produced on land illegally occupied or used. We launched a consultation on 3 December 2021 to seek views on the detail of regulations that will implement the Environment Act provisions, to ensure that we design them effectively.
The Government also funds and convenes the UK Roundtables on Sustainable Palm Oil and Soy, which bring together UK businesses and provide technical assistance and support to businesses committed to reducing deforestation in these supply chains.
In addition, the Government will lead by example in the procurement of sustainable forest risk commodities. Our consultation to update the Government Buying Standards for Food and Catering Services, taking place early this year, will propose ambitious new requirements that champion legal and sustainably sourced foods.
Asked by: Lord Grayling (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate he has made of the total area of undeveloped land in the UK available for agricultural, forestry, moorland or other countryside use.
Answered by Rebecca Pow
This is a devolved matter and the information provided therefore relates to England only. The total area in England of non-developed land (agricultural, forest and open land only), which may be available for conversion to agricultural, forestry, moorland or other countryside uses, is 10,910,678 hectares (based on 2018 MHCLG Land Use data, the latest available). A proportion of this land will already comprise species rich or protected habitats or high grades of agricultural land so may not be suitable for conversion to other uses.
Asked by: Lord Grayling (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will limit the size of trawlers allowed to operate in marine protected areas.
Answered by Rebecca Pow
Marine protection is a devolved matter and the information provided relates to England only.
The impact a fishing vessel has on a Marine Protected Area is determined by how damaging the fishing method is, rather than the size of the vessel. 'Supertrawlers' generally target pelagic species of fish within the water column and are unlikely to damage the seabed habitats, such as reef and sediment habitats, for which most Marine Protected Areas are designated.
A new power proposed in the Fisheries Bill will allow the Marine Management Organisation to protect offshore Marine Protected Areas from damaging fishing activity. We are prioritising those Marine Protected Areas most at risk and aim to make rapid progress as soon as the transition period ends.
Our Fisheries Bill prohibits any commercial fishing vessel from fishing in UK waters without a licence. It also provides powers to attach conditions (such as the areas that can be fished, species that can be caught and the type of fishing gear that can be used) to fishing vessel licences. Foreign vessels operating in UK waters will have to follow UK rules, including the conditions that are attached to their commercial fishing licence.