Asked by: Lord Wigley (Plaid Cymru - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what is the total annual expenditure on coastal protection against erosion by the sea, broken down by how much was spent in (1) England, (2) Scotland, (3) Wales, and (4) Northern Ireland.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Coastal erosion risk management is a devolved responsibility; therefore, this response applies only to England.
Between April 2024 and March 2026, around £609 million will be invested in schemes that reduce risk from coastal erosion, sea flooding, and tidal flooding. Approximately £102 million of this is allocated to projects where coastal erosion is the primary risk, £56 million for 2024/2025 and £46 million for 2025/2026. Some projects reduce risk from multiple risk sources, so there may be some projects with coastal benefits that may not be included in these figures.
Further to this, on 28 January, the Government announced £30 million for Coastal Adaptation Pilots which will deliver advanced adaptation actions such as selective property purchases and the development of long-term financing solutions in East Riding of Yorkshire, Norfolk and Suffolk. The funding will also deliver smaller adaptation actions, such as relocating or adapting community buildings, and early warning systems in other places facing coastal erosion across England.
Asked by: Lord Wigley (Plaid Cymru - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many nests of Asian hornets have been discovered and destroyed in England in the past 10 years; and what discussions they have had with (1) the National Bee Unit, and (2) the NHS, about new initiatives to combat the threats posed by Asian hornets.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Since 2016 the Animal and Plant Health Agency’s National Bee Unit (NBU) have been taking action against incursions of Yellow-Legged Hornets (YLHs) also known as Asian hornet. During this time a total of 270 YLH nests were found and destroyed. Defra remains committed to taking action against YLH and the NBU stand ready to respond to reports of YLH in 2026. Defra have not engaged with the NHS about how to combat the threats posed by YLHs.
Asked by: Lord Wigley (Plaid Cymru - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the Welsh Government about any joint action needed to minimise the danger of flooding in Monmouth.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Flooding is a devolved matter, and the Welsh Government has responsibility for preparations, response and recovery. I offered support and assistance on behalf of Defra to the Deputy First Minister and officials engaged with their counterparts. Staff from Flood Re and a FloodMobile – a mobile demonstration unit that showcases dozens of Property Flood Resilience measures which can help better protect homes from flooding or make recovery faster – were in Monmouth on Wednesday 19 November and plan to revisit next week.
Asked by: Lord Wigley (Plaid Cymru - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland's finding that 26 percent of the 1,720 native plants it studied are threatened with extinction; and what plans they have to protect such species.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
In England, we have four legally binding targets for biodiversity: to halt the decline in species abundance by 2030; to reverse declines by at least 10% by 2042, when compared with 2030; to reduce the risk of national species extinction by 2042; and to restore or create more than 500,000 hectares of wildlife-rich habitat, also by 2042.
To meet these targets and deliver positive outcomes for species, including threatened plants, we are taking actions to: create and restore, wildlife-rich habitats; reduce pressures on biodiversity; and deliver targeted action for threatened species. For example, Natural England’s Species Recovery Programme provides funding for targeted action for threatened species, including a range of plant species such as the Fen orchid and the Lady Slipper orchid.
Asked by: Lord Wigley (Plaid Cymru - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the annual number of insects killed in the UK by wind turbines, and what impact this may have on the sustainability of insect populations.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government has not made an assessment of the annual number of insects killed in England by wind turbines, nor on the sustainability of insect populations accordingly.
International research estimates that individual turbines in temperate regions may kill millions of insects per year. However, to understand the impacts of wind turbines on the sustainability of insect populations, it is necessary to evaluate them in the context of other pressures. Factors operating at larger scales likely have a greater overall impact, e.g. land management and pesticide use.
The Natural Environment Research Council is funding the DRUID project to understand the drivers and repercussions of UK insect declines.
Asked by: Lord Wigley (Plaid Cymru - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what further resources they intend to make available to eliminate pollution of the River Wye from sewage discharges and chicken manure.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Cleaning up our rivers, seas, and lakes, including iconic sites such as the River Wye, is a top Government priority. In a joint initiative worth up to £1 million, Defra and Welsh Government will fund comprehensive cross-border research to understand pollution and other pressures and develop plans to tackle these issues in the Wye catchment.
This funding will ensure farmers, environmental campaigners, citizen scientists and other local experts, can help us gather essential evidence about what is causing this iconic river to be so polluted, and chart a course towards improving water quality and restoring nature across the catchment.
We are working with farmers, local stakeholders and experts in the Wye to research what is causing pollution in the catchment. This focus on gathering data and evidence, using a ‘living labs’ approach, will help us understand and address problems to ensure a diverse range of perspectives are heard and the evidence which is gathered is comprehensive and actionable
Asked by: Lord Wigley (Plaid Cymru - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the remarks by Lord Katz on 14 May (HL Deb col 2181), which powers the Welsh Government and Senedd Cymru have over the construction and extension of reservoirs in Wales for the supply of water to English conurbations.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Both the UK Government and Welsh Government’s should act in accordance with the Intergovernmental Protocol on Water Resources, Water Supply and Water Quality in having regard to the interests of water consumers on the other side of the border in the exercise of their functions.
Planning consents for water resources infrastructure projects in Wales, such as reservoirs, are devolved to the Welsh Government. Where project proposals may affect cross-border links, applicants should work with the relevant administrations and regulatory organisations.
Asked by: Lord Wigley (Plaid Cymru - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the average temperature increase in the UK over the past 50 years; and what estimate have they made of further warming over the next 50 years.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Global average temperatures are now 1.3°C above preindustrial temperatures, based on a 20-year average, centred on present-day by including 10 years from the past and projections for 10 years into the future.
The UK Climate Projections, produced by the Met Office on behalf of government, provide information on future climate for a range of potential climate scenarios. These scenarios underpin the evidence used in the UK Climate Change Risk Assessment (CCRA).
The assessment of risks and opportunities in CCRA3 was based on global warming scenarios of 2ºC and 4ºC above preindustrial temperatures being reached by 2100. The Government’s climate adaptation plans, as set out in the third National Adaptation Programme, published in 2023, follow the advice of the Climate Change Committee to plan for 2ºC. The Government remains flexible and responsive in our approach, assessing for different scenarios.
Asked by: Lord Wigley (Plaid Cymru - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the proposals for pumping water from the River Severn to the River Thames for use in South-East England.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Severn to Thames Transfer is part of the RAPID programme and this means it will receive regulatory oversight as the owners (Severn Trent Water, Thames Water and United Utilities) continue to investigate and develop this potential strategic regional option (SRO). The Severn to Thames Transfer progressed through gate two in June 2023 after it was assessed by the RAPID partner regulators (Ofwat, EA and DWI). It was decided that this SRO should continue to be developed towards gate three.
The Severn to Thames Transfer is not currently a preferred option in water companies' water resource management plans (WRMPs). However, at PR24 Ofwat decided that the Severn to Thames Transfer should continue to be developed. This is because securing our future water supply is of critical importance, and therefore it is crucial that there is contingency within the system.
In the event that the Severn Thames Transfer is progressed, it is likely to involve a pipeline connection of the River Severn to the River Thames to enable the transfer of up to 500Ml/d raw water to the Southeast during times of drought.
Asked by: Lord Wigley (Plaid Cymru - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the effectiveness of storm and flood warning systems in the UK following Storm Bert and Storm Darragh.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra is the Lead Government Department in England for flooding and works with the Environment Agency (EA) and Met Office to maintain a flood warning system for England.
The responsibility for flood warning systems in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland rests with the equivalent organisations to Defra and the EA in the Devolved Governments. The responsibility for storm warning systems in the UK is held by the Met Office.
Between September and mid-January 2025 over 1,400 Flood Warnings were issued in England. Defra, the EA and the Met Office regularly assess the effectiveness of their flood warning systems in England including after major events like Storm Bert and Storm Darragh. These assessments take various forms, including working with Local Resilience Forums in post incident reviews as well as annual performance reports under the Flood & Water Management Act 2010.
Defra, the EA and the Met Office continuously work to improve flood warning services, including by developing the capability of world leading Flood Forecast Centre. Examples of this work include a trial of Rapid Flood Guidance which took place in 2024, and which is currently being evaluated.