Asked by: Baroness Elliott of Whitburn Bay (Labour - 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 assessment he has made of the risk to public health as a result of the Halliwell Banks Landfill site.
Answered by Jo Churchill
The former Halliwell Banks landfill site falls under the scope of the Part 2a Contaminated Land regime and was designated a “special site” as a result of its potential impact to the groundwater in the Principal Aquifer, the North Sea and the Northumberland Costal Special Protection Area. Following the 2A regime, “Appropriate Persons” with a link to the site have been identified, and, in accordance with the statutory procedure, required to commission a post determination report examining the issues with the site. This report is currently being jointly scrutinised by the Environment Agency and Natural England, who expect to make a determination on its suitability in coming months.
Asked by: Baroness Elliott of Whitburn Bay (Labour - 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 potential costs of mitigating potential negative impacts of the Halliwell Banks Landfill site on the surrounding area (a) as at 7 December 2021, (b) in 10 years and (c) in 20 years.
Answered by Jo Churchill
The former Halliwell Banks landfill site falls under the scope of the Part 2a Contaminated Land regime and was designated a “special site” as a result of its potential impact to the groundwater in the Principal Aquifer, the North Sea and the Northumberland Costal Special Protection Area. Following the 2A regime, “Appropriate Persons” with a link to the site have been identified, and, in accordance with the statutory procedure, required to commission a post determination report examining the issues with the site. This report is currently being jointly scrutinised by the Environment Agency and Natural England, who expect to make a determination on its suitability in coming months.
Asked by: Baroness Elliott of Whitburn Bay (Labour - 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 assessment he has made of the environmental impact of the Halliwell Banks Landfill site on the surrounding area.
Answered by Jo Churchill
The former Halliwell Banks landfill site falls under the scope of the Part 2a Contaminated Land regime and was designated a “special site” as a result of its potential impact to the groundwater in the Principal Aquifer, the North Sea and the Northumberland Costal Special Protection Area. Following the 2A regime, “Appropriate Persons” with a link to the site have been identified, and, in accordance with the statutory procedure, required to commission a post determination report examining the issues with the site. This report is currently being jointly scrutinised by the Environment Agency and Natural England, who expect to make a determination on its suitability in coming months.
Asked by: Baroness Elliott of Whitburn Bay (Labour - 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 plans he has to introduce further standards on companies (a) disposing of waste and (b) disposing of unused or new products in response to Government’s commitment to Net Zero.
Answered by Jo Churchill
The Government is committed to maximising the value obtained from resources and minimising waste, as stated in our Resources and Waste Strategy 2018. Preventing products becoming waste and enabling reuse is fundamentally important in achieving this, and the climate benefits of doing so are recognised.
Businesses that handle waste are obliged, by the Waste (England and Wales) Regulations 2011, to follow the waste hierarchy. This requires action to prevent waste as the priority option. Failure to meet the legal obligation to take all reasonable steps to apply this can lead to enforcement action, from the Environment Agency in England.
We recently consulted on a new Waste Prevention Programme for England. This builds on the Resources and Waste Strategy and seeks to help with our strategic goals including achieving Net Zero. It included proposals to provide guidance aimed at encouraging the reuse of products and considering the need to clarify the application of the waste hierarchy. We expect to publish our new Programme later this year.
Asked by: Baroness Elliott of Whitburn Bay (Labour - 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 recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of the Waste Regulations 2011.
Answered by Jo Churchill
A statutory review of The Waste (England and Wales) Regulations 2011 was published in December 2018, available here:
https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2011/988/pdfs/uksiod_20110988_en.pdf
Asked by: Baroness Elliott of Whitburn Bay (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many enforcement actions have been made under the Waste Regulations 2011 since those regulations came into law; and if he will provide a list of all enforcement actions taken under those regulations.
Answered by Jo Churchill
The Environment Agency (EA) has taken 46 enforcement actions under the Waste (England and Wales) Regulations 2011 since they came into force. Alongside these enforcement actions, the EA issues cautions and advice and guidance to operators where appropriate to bring them into legal compliance. The Waste (England and Wales) Regulations 2011 legislation is one part of the enforcement framework for waste that the EA works under.
Asked by: Baroness Elliott of Whitburn Bay (Labour - 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 annual revenue from the import and sale of real fur into the UK.
Answered by George Eustice
In 2017 the UK imported £63 million worth of fur and articles with fur. In the same year the UK exported £33 million worth of fur and articles with fur, suggesting that around £30 million was for UK use1.
The Government shares the British public’s high regard for animal welfare. The UK continues to support higher animal welfare standards worldwide as the best way of phasing out cruel and inhumane fur farming and trapping practices that are banned here.
The Government is planning that after we leave the EU, we will retain all the current regulations banning imports of cat and dog fur and seal products from commercial hunts, as well as controls on products from endangered species and humane trapping. It will be open to Governments in future, once the UK has left the EU, to consider whether they wish to go further than current EU arrangements.
The Government is not preparing a report on the fur trade.
Asked by: Baroness Elliott of Whitburn Bay (Labour - 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 Department's policy is on the sale of real fur.
Answered by George Eustice
In 2017 the UK imported £63 million worth of fur and articles with fur. In the same year the UK exported £33 million worth of fur and articles with fur, suggesting that around £30 million was for UK use1.
The Government shares the British public’s high regard for animal welfare. The UK continues to support higher animal welfare standards worldwide as the best way of phasing out cruel and inhumane fur farming and trapping practices that are banned here.
The Government is planning that after we leave the EU, we will retain all the current regulations banning imports of cat and dog fur and seal products from commercial hunts, as well as controls on products from endangered species and humane trapping. It will be open to Governments in future, once the UK has left the EU, to consider whether they wish to go further than current EU arrangements.
The Government is not preparing a report on the fur trade.
Asked by: Baroness Elliott of Whitburn Bay (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when he plans to publish his Department's report into the fur trade.
Answered by George Eustice
In 2017 the UK imported £63 million worth of fur and articles with fur. In the same year the UK exported £33 million worth of fur and articles with fur, suggesting that around £30 million was for UK use1.
The Government shares the British public’s high regard for animal welfare. The UK continues to support higher animal welfare standards worldwide as the best way of phasing out cruel and inhumane fur farming and trapping practices that are banned here.
The Government is planning that after we leave the EU, we will retain all the current regulations banning imports of cat and dog fur and seal products from commercial hunts, as well as controls on products from endangered species and humane trapping. It will be open to Governments in future, once the UK has left the EU, to consider whether they wish to go further than current EU arrangements.
The Government is not preparing a report on the fur trade.