To match an exact phrase, use quotation marks around the search term. eg. "Parliamentary Estate". Use "OR" or "AND" as link words to form more complex queries.


Keep yourself up-to-date with the latest developments by exploring our subscription options to receive notifications direct to your inbox

Written Question
Recycling
Friday 3rd February 2023

Asked by: Lord Bassam of Brighton (Labour - Life peer)

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

To ask His Majesty's Government what were the recycling rates for each local authority in the last year for which figures are available; and what is the ranking of local authorities with regard to percentage of waste recycled.

Answered by Lord Benyon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

This data is available online for England here:

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1047704/LA_and_Regional_Spreadsheet_2021_rev.ods (see Table 3, also attached).

Defra holds this data for England only as waste is a devolved policy.


Written Question
Noise: Pollution
Monday 16th March 2020

Asked by: Lord Bassam of Brighton (Labour - Life peer)

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

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of (1) the case for gathering information on noise complaints in England, and (2) the health impacts of noise in England.

Answered by Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park

The Chartered Institute of Environmental Health surveys local authorities to monitor and track changes in the amount of noise complaints received under statutory nuisance legislation. Their most recent survey report is available at https://www.cieh.org/policy/campaigns/noise-survey/, and includes some data on types of noise complaints. Given the existence of these surveys, the Government has not made a recent assessment of the case for gathering data on noise complaints. The data from these surveys feeds into Public Health England’s Public Health Outcomes Framework, published on GOV.UK, which includes three indicators related to the health impacts of noise in England. These are: the rate of complaints about noise; the percentage of the population exposed to high levels of road, rail and air transport noise during the daytime; and the percentage of the population exposed to high levels of road, rail and air transport noise during the night-time. More information and data, including trends, is available at https://fingertips.phe.org.uk/profile/public-health-outcomes-framework.

The Government estimates that the annual social cost of urban road noise in England is in the region of £7 to 10 billion. In 2019 we convened the Interdepartmental Group on Costs and Benefits (Noise Subject Group) to assess the latest evidence for valuing noise impacts in England, including impacts on health. This expert Group has commissioned evidence reviews relating to potential health outcomes from exposure to noise from a range of sources, and the outputs of these reviews will be taken into account in considering whether any updates to relevant Government guidance are required.

Reports published to date can be found at the following sites: http://randd.defra.gov.uk/Default.aspx?Menu=Menu&Module=More&Location=None&ProjectID=20395&FromSearch=Y&Publisher=1&SearchText=cardiovascular&SortString=ProjectCode&SortOrder=Asc&Paging=10#Description; and http://sciencesearch.defra.gov.uk/Default.aspx?Menu=Menu&Module=More&Location=None&ProjectID=20398&FromSearch=Y&Publisher=1&SearchText=specific%20health&SortString=ProjectCode&SortOrder=Asc&Paging=10#Description.


Written Question
Noise: Pollution
Monday 16th March 2020

Asked by: Lord Bassam of Brighton (Labour - Life peer)

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

To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the number noise complaints received by local authorities in England in each year since 2015.

Answered by Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park

The Chartered Institute of Environmental Health surveys local authorities to monitor and track changes in the amount of noise complaints received under statutory nuisance legislation. Their most recent survey report is available at https://www.cieh.org/policy/campaigns/noise-survey/, and includes some data on types of noise complaints. Given the existence of these surveys, the Government has not made a recent assessment of the case for gathering data on noise complaints. The data from these surveys feeds into Public Health England’s Public Health Outcomes Framework, published on GOV.UK, which includes three indicators related to the health impacts of noise in England. These are: the rate of complaints about noise; the percentage of the population exposed to high levels of road, rail and air transport noise during the daytime; and the percentage of the population exposed to high levels of road, rail and air transport noise during the night-time. More information and data, including trends, is available at https://fingertips.phe.org.uk/profile/public-health-outcomes-framework.

The Government estimates that the annual social cost of urban road noise in England is in the region of £7 to 10 billion. In 2019 we convened the Interdepartmental Group on Costs and Benefits (Noise Subject Group) to assess the latest evidence for valuing noise impacts in England, including impacts on health. This expert Group has commissioned evidence reviews relating to potential health outcomes from exposure to noise from a range of sources, and the outputs of these reviews will be taken into account in considering whether any updates to relevant Government guidance are required.

Reports published to date can be found at the following sites: http://randd.defra.gov.uk/Default.aspx?Menu=Menu&Module=More&Location=None&ProjectID=20395&FromSearch=Y&Publisher=1&SearchText=cardiovascular&SortString=ProjectCode&SortOrder=Asc&Paging=10#Description; and http://sciencesearch.defra.gov.uk/Default.aspx?Menu=Menu&Module=More&Location=None&ProjectID=20398&FromSearch=Y&Publisher=1&SearchText=specific%20health&SortString=ProjectCode&SortOrder=Asc&Paging=10#Description.


Written Question
Noise: Pollution
Monday 16th March 2020

Asked by: Lord Bassam of Brighton (Labour - Life peer)

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

To ask Her Majesty's Government what measures are in place to (1) monitor, and (2) track, changes in (a) the amount of, and (b) the types of, noise complaints received by local authorities in England since 2015.

Answered by Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park

The Chartered Institute of Environmental Health surveys local authorities to monitor and track changes in the amount of noise complaints received under statutory nuisance legislation. Their most recent survey report is available at https://www.cieh.org/policy/campaigns/noise-survey/, and includes some data on types of noise complaints. Given the existence of these surveys, the Government has not made a recent assessment of the case for gathering data on noise complaints. The data from these surveys feeds into Public Health England’s Public Health Outcomes Framework, published on GOV.UK, which includes three indicators related to the health impacts of noise in England. These are: the rate of complaints about noise; the percentage of the population exposed to high levels of road, rail and air transport noise during the daytime; and the percentage of the population exposed to high levels of road, rail and air transport noise during the night-time. More information and data, including trends, is available at https://fingertips.phe.org.uk/profile/public-health-outcomes-framework.

The Government estimates that the annual social cost of urban road noise in England is in the region of £7 to 10 billion. In 2019 we convened the Interdepartmental Group on Costs and Benefits (Noise Subject Group) to assess the latest evidence for valuing noise impacts in England, including impacts on health. This expert Group has commissioned evidence reviews relating to potential health outcomes from exposure to noise from a range of sources, and the outputs of these reviews will be taken into account in considering whether any updates to relevant Government guidance are required.

Reports published to date can be found at the following sites: http://randd.defra.gov.uk/Default.aspx?Menu=Menu&Module=More&Location=None&ProjectID=20395&FromSearch=Y&Publisher=1&SearchText=cardiovascular&SortString=ProjectCode&SortOrder=Asc&Paging=10#Description; and http://sciencesearch.defra.gov.uk/Default.aspx?Menu=Menu&Module=More&Location=None&ProjectID=20398&FromSearch=Y&Publisher=1&SearchText=specific%20health&SortString=ProjectCode&SortOrder=Asc&Paging=10#Description.


Written Question
Floods
Tuesday 10th March 2020

Asked by: Lord Bassam of Brighton (Labour - Life peer)

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

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of climate change on the prevalance and severity of recent flooding; and what plans they have taken to review the (1) Bellwin scheme, and (2) aid and support provided to local authorities, to ensure that communities have sufficient resilience to withstand such events.

Answered by Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park

The second Climate Change Risk Assessment (CCRA) published in 2017 identifies risks to flooding and coastal change as one of the UK’s top six risks from climate change. The second National Adaptation Programme (NAP) published in 2018, sets out a plan of actions across Government to address these risks (amongst others identified in the CCRA) over the following 5 years. In addition updated UK Climate Projections – UKCP18 – are a key tool to help the Government, businesses and the public understand the future climate and enable them to make climate-resilient decisions.

The Government acted swiftly to activate the emergency Bellwin scheme to help local authorities cope with the cost of response in the immediate aftermath of recent flooding. The Bellwin scheme was activated after Storm Ciara on 10 February and Storm Dennis on 17 February 2020. Under the scheme, local authorities dealing with the flooding can apply to have 100% of their eligible costs, above a threshold, reimbursed by the government. The operation of the Bellwin Scheme was last reviewed in 2015. There are currently no plans to review it further.

The Ministry of Housing, Communities, and Local Government provides funding to local government to carry out functions including managing flood and coastal erosion risk, through the local government finance settlement.


Written Question
Landslips
Tuesday 29th July 2014

Asked by: Lord Bassam of Brighton (Labour - Life peer)

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

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they are supporting, or plan to support, work to repair damage caused by landslips and coastal erosion in the South-East.

Answered by Lord De Mauley

The Government announced a support package totalling over £560million to overcome the immediate and longer term recovery issues faced by local authorities, communities, individuals and businesses following the severe weather of winter 2013/14. Coast protection authorities in the South East are responsible for the management and recovery of coastal land slips under the Coast Protection Act 1949.


Written Question
Landslips
Monday 28th July 2014

Asked by: Lord Bassam of Brighton (Labour - Life peer)

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

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assistance, if any, they give to local authorities which are tackling landslips, storm damage or coastal erosion.

Answered by Lord De Mauley

A local authority can apply to the Department for Communities and Local Government for assistance under the Bellwin Scheme of Emergency Financial Assistance to local authorities if damage from bad weather, including damage from storms, landslips or coastal erosion, has caused threats to life and property.


Written Question
Landslips
Monday 28th July 2014

Asked by: Lord Bassam of Brighton (Labour - Life peer)

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

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether there are any ongoing or planned assessments of landslips in East Sussex.

Answered by Lord De Mauley

Under the Coast Protection Act 1949, the management of the East Sussex coastline is the responsibility of the Coast Protection Authorities. Coast Protection Authorities regularly monitor and assess the condition of the coastlines in their area. The Coast Protection Authorities for East Sussex will continue to monitor the coastline in East Sussex for landslips.


Written Question
Landslips
Tuesday 22nd July 2014

Asked by: Lord Bassam of Brighton (Labour - Life peer)

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

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty<i></i>and country parks will receive any support specifically to repair storm damage, landslips and coastal erosion.

Answered by Lord De Mauley

The Government committed around £560 million to support those affected by the recent flooding. Whilst we have no proposals to provide support specifically to repair storm damage, landslips and coastal erosion in AONBs and Country Parks we are helping households and businesses affected by the recent flooding through the repair and renew grant, council tax and rates relief. Farmers and fishermen are receiving funding for repairs through existing schemes. We are supporting businesses through a £10 million hardship fund.