Asked by: Lord Kamall (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the remarks of Lord Harlech on 21 September (HL Deb col 1533), whether any companies have asked them to maintain mandatory reporting on food waste, what were those companies, and whether any such companies have offered to pay the costs of that reporting rather than using public money.
Answered by Lord Benyon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
In the 2022 consultation on improved food waste reporting, 40 companies supported introducing mandatory reporting for large businesses in England. These companies were from the manufacturing, retail, hospitality and primary production sectors. A list of respondents, excluding those who requested confidentiality, is included in the Government Response published in July 2023. If a mandatory approach were to have been taken forward, those companies in scope would be liable for the costs of reporting their food waste.
Asked by: Lord Kamall (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government why the innovation principle was not included as one of the principles in the draft environmental principles policy statement published in May 2022; and whether they will include it in the final statement.
Answered by Lord Benyon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The environmental principles in the policy statement are set out in section 17 of the recent Environment Act.
Determining which principles were included in the Act involved thorough consideration, including a public consultation and significant engagement with stakeholders. The five internationally recognised principles are the integration principle, the prevention principle, the rectification at source principle, the polluter pays principle, and the precautionary principle.
Asked by: Lord Kamall (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government, given the absence of the innovation principle from the draft environmental principles policy statement published in May 2022, what plans they have to encourage innovation in creating a cleaner and sustainable environment.
Answered by Lord Benyon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The policy statement outlines how the five principles should be interpreted and proportionately applied when making policy. The draft policy statement recognises the importance of innovation. For example, the precautionary principle incentivises innovation by encouraging development of alternative policy options that reduce risk and uncertainty.