Asked by: Lord Roborough (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government how much funding Natural England is expected to receive under the Nature Restoration Levy between 2025 and 2029.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra is working closely with Natural England and the wider Government to ensure appropriate resources are in place to administer the Nature Restoration Fund. The levy rate which developers will be required to pay will be set by Natural England.
The Nature Restoration Fund will run on a full cost recovery basis. The Government may in some instances provide upfront funding to a delivery body to commence actions identified in Delivery Plans in advance of need, with costs recovered over time as development comes forward. The Nature Restoration Fund will offset the environmental impact of development via a developer contribution.
We recognise the important role farmers, land managers, ecologists, and nature service providers will continue to play in supporting both development and nature’s recovery. These will be essential to the design and delivery of nature conservation measures under this new system. Natural England will ensure competition and innovation in securing interventions which are impactful and offer good value for developers’ money.
Asked by: Lord Roborough (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what proportion of the funding raised by the Nature Restoration Levy they expect Natural England to spend on services provided by private sector consultants, landowners and private contractors.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra is working closely with Natural England and the wider Government to ensure appropriate resources are in place to administer the Nature Restoration Fund. The levy rate which developers will be required to pay will be set by Natural England.
The Nature Restoration Fund will run on a full cost recovery basis. The Government may in some instances provide upfront funding to a delivery body to commence actions identified in Delivery Plans in advance of need, with costs recovered over time as development comes forward. The Nature Restoration Fund will offset the environmental impact of development via a developer contribution.
We recognise the important role farmers, land managers, ecologists, and nature service providers will continue to play in supporting both development and nature’s recovery. These will be essential to the design and delivery of nature conservation measures under this new system. Natural England will ensure competition and innovation in securing interventions which are impactful and offer good value for developers’ money.
Asked by: Lord Roborough (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government when they expect the Woodland Carbon Code to achieve the Integrity Council for the Voluntary Carbon Market accreditation.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Woodland Carbon Code is planning to apply for Integrity Council for the Voluntary Carbon Market accreditation this year although this Council is not currently set up to accredit schemes that are run by Governments.
Asked by: Lord Roborough (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have considered placing a statutory duty to maintain an adequate level of bin provision on the Canal and Rivers Trust.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
We have not made an assessment of the adequacy of bin provision beside waterways in urban areas.
Under section 89 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990, The Canal and River Trust has a duty to keep the land they are responsible for clear of litter and refuse. It would be for them to work out how they can best comply with the duty, considering the standards set out in statutory Code of Practice on Litter and Refuse.
An adequate cleansing regime alongside the provision of public litter bins can help to maintain acceptable standards of cleanliness on land managed by a duty body. WRAP have previously provided guidance on the provision of litter bins which is available at https://www.wrap.ngo/resources/guide/binfrastructure-right-bin-right-place
The Canal and River Trust also has a responsibility to remove litter and fly-tipping in canals where it would interfere with navigation.
This Government is committed to reducing waste by transitioning to a circular economy. As part of this we remain focused on delivering the Collection and Packaging Reforms including the Deposit Return Scheme (DRS). The DRS will go live in October 2027. It will introduce a redeemable deposit on single-use in-scope drinks containers which can be claimed back by customers when the empty container is returned. This will reduce litter alongside canals, increase recycling rates, create high quality recyclate for producers, and promote a circular economy.
Asked by: Lord Roborough (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the adequacy of current bin provision beside waterways in urban areas.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
We have not made an assessment of the adequacy of bin provision beside waterways in urban areas.
Under section 89 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990, The Canal and River Trust has a duty to keep the land they are responsible for clear of litter and refuse. It would be for them to work out how they can best comply with the duty, considering the standards set out in statutory Code of Practice on Litter and Refuse.
An adequate cleansing regime alongside the provision of public litter bins can help to maintain acceptable standards of cleanliness on land managed by a duty body. WRAP have previously provided guidance on the provision of litter bins which is available at https://www.wrap.ngo/resources/guide/binfrastructure-right-bin-right-place
The Canal and River Trust also has a responsibility to remove litter and fly-tipping in canals where it would interfere with navigation.
This Government is committed to reducing waste by transitioning to a circular economy. As part of this we remain focused on delivering the Collection and Packaging Reforms including the Deposit Return Scheme (DRS). The DRS will go live in October 2027. It will introduce a redeemable deposit on single-use in-scope drinks containers which can be claimed back by customers when the empty container is returned. This will reduce litter alongside canals, increase recycling rates, create high quality recyclate for producers, and promote a circular economy.
Asked by: Lord Roborough (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to tackle litter in and beside waterways in urban areas.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
We have not made an assessment of the adequacy of bin provision beside waterways in urban areas.
Under section 89 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990, The Canal and River Trust has a duty to keep the land they are responsible for clear of litter and refuse. It would be for them to work out how they can best comply with the duty, considering the standards set out in statutory Code of Practice on Litter and Refuse.
An adequate cleansing regime alongside the provision of public litter bins can help to maintain acceptable standards of cleanliness on land managed by a duty body. WRAP have previously provided guidance on the provision of litter bins which is available at https://www.wrap.ngo/resources/guide/binfrastructure-right-bin-right-place
The Canal and River Trust also has a responsibility to remove litter and fly-tipping in canals where it would interfere with navigation.
This Government is committed to reducing waste by transitioning to a circular economy. As part of this we remain focused on delivering the Collection and Packaging Reforms including the Deposit Return Scheme (DRS). The DRS will go live in October 2027. It will introduce a redeemable deposit on single-use in-scope drinks containers which can be claimed back by customers when the empty container is returned. This will reduce litter alongside canals, increase recycling rates, create high quality recyclate for producers, and promote a circular economy.
Asked by: Lord Roborough (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what percentage of funding they have provided to the Canal and Rivers Trust is intended to be used to keep urban waterways and towpaths clean.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The current grant agreement between Defra and the Canal and River Trust provides for the grant to be used in pursuit of the charitable objects of the Trust, including a range of permitted activities set out in the agreement. The activities include litter management. The agreement, however, does not stipulate what proportion of the grant should be spent on any of the activities, which is for the Trust to decide on the basis of need at any given time.
Asked by: Lord Roborough (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many qualified and practising vets who are available to support the enforcement of biosecurity regulations there are in the UK.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Vets are involved in biosecurity in multiple settings, including in a lab, at the borders, in abattoirs and on farms. The latest figures provided by the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons show the total number of vets registered as UK Practising is 31,221. Within this figure, the Animal and Plant Health Agency has a total of approximately 450 veterinary roles, and the Food Standards Agency employ 80 vets directly. The Government employs around 1,000 veterinary surgeons in total, of which 270 are official veterinarians.
Asked by: Lord Roborough (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what percentage of the fishing quota in UK territorial waters and the exclusive economic zone is operated by UK registered fishing vessels.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Fishing quotas are determined within total allowable catch (TAC) management areas. These typically align with the distribution of the biological stock rather than the boundaries of exclusive economic zones.
Latest statistics can be found here MMO Sea Fisheries Statistics 2023.
Asked by: Lord Roborough (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government when they intend to publish the final Land Use Framework.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government has launched a 12-week consultation on land use in England, the outcomes of which will inform the publication of the Land Use Framework this year. A timeline for publishing Land Use Framework will be set out in due course, after the consultation has closed and the feedback has been considered.