Asked by: Lord McCabe (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, with reference to Office for National Statistics publication of 21 October 2019, The decoupling of economic growth from carbon emissions: UK evidence, what steps the Government plans to take to tackle the UK's status as the largest per capita net importer of carbon dioxide emissions in the G7.
Answered by Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
On 27 June, the UK Government set a legally binding target to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions from across the UK economy by 2050. This made the UK the first major economy to set a net zero target in law, ending the UK’s contribution to global warming in three decades.
The Government seeks to support more sustainable patterns of consumption and production by moving towards a more circular economy. This will help reduce carbon emissions related to consumption of imported goods as well as those produced domestically. Our Resources & Waste Strategy (RWS), published in December 2018, sets out how we will do this. We will also publish an indicator framework for the RWS later this year, which will include an indicator on consumption-based greenhouse gas emissions for England.
On 15 October, the Government introduced the landmark Environment Bill to Parliament to tackle the biggest environmental priorities of our time. The Bill builds on this Government’s commitments to protect the environment set out in our 25 Year Environment Plan. Legislation to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 and hosting the climate-focused COP26 in 2020 will keep the UK at the forefront of international work on these issues.
To ensure environmental protection the Environment Bill will establish a new Office for Environment Protection, which will have a statutory duty to monitor progress in improving the natural environment, including on climate change.
Asked by: Lord McCabe (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 potential effect of a ban on the sale of (a) plastic straws, (b) plastic stirrers and (c) plastic-stemmed cotton buds on wholesalers that stock those items.
Answered by Baroness Coffey
This Government is a world leader in tackling plastic waste. The Prime Minister launched the Department’s 25 Year Environment Plan on 11 January and pledged to eliminate all avoidable plastic waste. At the Commonwealth Heads of Government Summit in April, the Prime Minister announced that subject to a consultation to be launched by Defra later this year, there will be a ban on the sale/supply of plastic straws, drink stirrers and plastic-stemmed cotton buds in England. Work is underway with a consultation due to be launched soon. Policy proposals will be subject to an impact assessment.
The Government is aware of the interest in biodegradable plastics. We will seek further evidence in our consultation to check whether assumptions on recyclability and degradation are correct. We also welcome views on whether it is likely that technical innovations in compostable or biodegradable plastics might improve their environmental or economic value.
Asked by: Lord McCabe (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, whether PLA biodegradable straws will be included in the proposed consultation on a ban on single use plastic products.
Answered by Baroness Coffey
This Government is a world leader in tackling plastic waste. The Prime Minister launched the Department’s 25 Year Environment Plan on 11 January and pledged to eliminate all avoidable plastic waste. At the Commonwealth Heads of Government Summit in April, the Prime Minister announced that subject to a consultation to be launched by Defra later this year, there will be a ban on the sale/supply of plastic straws, drink stirrers and plastic-stemmed cotton buds in England. Work is underway with a consultation due to be launched soon. Policy proposals will be subject to an impact assessment.
The Government is aware of the interest in biodegradable plastics. We will seek further evidence in our consultation to check whether assumptions on recyclability and degradation are correct. We also welcome views on whether it is likely that technical innovations in compostable or biodegradable plastics might improve their environmental or economic value.
Asked by: Lord McCabe (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 the timeframe is for the publication of the consultation document on a ban on the sale of plastic (a) straws, (b) stirrers and (c) stemmed cotton buds.
Answered by Baroness Coffey
This Government is a world leader in tackling plastic waste. The Prime Minister launched the Department’s 25 Year Environment Plan on 11 January and pledged to eliminate all avoidable plastic waste. At the Commonwealth Heads of Government Summit in April, the Prime Minister announced that subject to a consultation to be launched by Defra later this year, there will be a ban on the sale/supply of plastic straws, drink stirrers and plastic-stemmed cotton buds in England. Work is underway with a consultation due to be launched soon. Policy proposals will be subject to an impact assessment.
The Government is aware of the interest in biodegradable plastics. We will seek further evidence in our consultation to check whether assumptions on recyclability and degradation are correct. We also welcome views on whether it is likely that technical innovations in compostable or biodegradable plastics might improve their environmental or economic value.
Asked by: Lord McCabe (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 ensure that the proposed ban on live animal exports will prevent live exports for the purpose of fattening.
Answered by George Eustice
The Government has always been clear that it would prefer animals to be slaughtered close to the point of production. Our manifesto made it clear that we would take early steps to control the export of live farm animals for slaughter, once we leave the European Union (EU).
We recently launched a call for evidence on the control of live animal exports for slaughter and on improving animal welfare during transport for all purposes including fattening after the UK leaves the EU. The call for evidence closed on 22 May 2018 and we are currently analysing the responses. The Government has also asked the Farm Animal Welfare Committee (FAWC) to look at what improvements could be made to the transport regulatory regime for all animals and for all purposes, we hope to receive the recommendations from the FAWC later in the year.
Asked by: Lord McCabe (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, pursuant to the Answer of 15 March to Question 132028 on Food Supply, whether his Department has made contingency plans in the event that the required flow of food goods from the EU is not achieved.
Answered by George Eustice
The Government is pursuing a unique and ambitious economic partnership that provides the greatest possible tariff free and frictionless trade with the EU.
The UK’s favourable food security is built on access to a diverse range of sources of supply, including domestic production. This will continue to be the case after leaving the EU, even if the source of some UK food supply changes. Food supply is highly resilient with flexibility throughout the supply chain, and industry can respond quickly to ensure ongoing supply.
Defra has longstanding mechanisms in place to work with the food industry. Our industry sector working group can jointly implement contingency plans if required. This comprises food chain Trade Associations and relevant Government Departments including Devolved Administrations and agencies.
Defra is working closely with other Government departments, including the cross-Government Border Delivery Group (BDG), which provides oversight and assurance of departmental plans for managing the border-related impacts of leaving the EU both for Day 1 and beyond. Planning work aims to ensure three key objectives for the border are delivered: maintaining security; facilitating the flow of goods and people; revenue protection. In addition, we are working to ensure that the necessary systems and processes are in place so that trade continues to flow smoothly after we leave.
Asked by: Lord McCabe (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, pursuant to the Answer of 29 January to Question 124442 on Energy: Meters, which body is responsible for monitoring the compliance of energy companies with the waste duty of care legislation when the original manufacturer cannot be verified.
Answered by Baroness Coffey
The regulators for the duty of care are the Environment Agency in England, Natural Resources Wales in Wales and local authorities.
Asked by: Lord McCabe (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 contingency plans his Department (a) has agreed on and (b) are working on to ensure that the UK's food supply is not affected when the UK exits the EU.
Answered by George Eustice
Food is one of the UK’s 13 critical infrastructure sectors and Defra produces an annual Sector Security and Resilience Plan working closely with industry sectors. The UK has a high degree of food security with access to a diverse range of sources of supply, including domestic production. This will continue to be the case after we leave the EU. Food supply is highly resilient with diversity and flexibility throughout the supply chain, and industry can respond quickly to ensure ongoing supply.
Defra has been working closely with other Government departments, including the Border Planning Group (BPG), which provides oversight and assurance of departmental plans for managing the border-related impacts of leaving the EU both for Day 1 and beyond. Planning work aims to ensure three key objectives for the border are delivered for Day 1 and beyond: maintaining security; facilitating the flow of goods and people; revenue protection.
Asked by: Lord McCabe (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 effect the recent Chinese ban on mixed plastic waste from the UK will have on the financial cost and size of domestic landfill.
Answered by Baroness Coffey
The Environment Agency’s most recent assessment shows that the UK’s infrastructure will allow for additional disposal of waste, if necessary, to landfill to prevent other more serious risks to human health and the environment, though we are working to respect the waste hierarchy.
Asked by: Lord McCabe (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, if he will give the Environment Agency regulatory control over how the revenue from Packaging Recovery Notes is spent.
Answered by Baroness Coffey
The UK’s Packaging Waste Regulations impose obligations on large producers to fund the recycling of a proportion of the packaging waste that arises in line with their market share. We have made great progress in boosting recycling rates and making more products recyclable – including doubling the recycling of plastic packaging waste over the last thirteen years – but there is still much more to be done.
Tackling waste, especially waste plastic, is a key priority for the Government. The Clean Growth Strategy, published on 12 October 2017, commits us to move towards zero avoidable waste by 2050 and announced that we are exploring changes to the packaging producer responsibility scheme. This will look at all aspects of the regime, including mechanisms to incentivise better design, encourage the use of recycled material and provide greater transparency for producer funding.
More detail will be announced in the Resources and Waste Strategy, which will be published later this year.