Asked by: Alan Whitehead (Labour - Southampton, Test)
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 compatibility of pelagic supertrawlers in UK offshore Marine Protected Areas with the Government's commitment to protecting 30 per cent of oceans by 2030 as a member of the Global Ocean Alliance.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Marine protection is a devolved matter and the information below relates to England only.
The Marine Management Organisation (MMO) has developed an ambitious three-year programme to manage fishing activity in English offshore Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). We recognise the urgency to establish management measures to protect the marine environment and proposals for the first four MPAs have been published for consultation. The consultation closed on 28 March and the MMO is currently reviewing the responses.
The Government is currently reviewing its policy on large pelagic trawlers. However, these vessels target fish within the water column and are unlikely to damage the seabed habitats, such as reef and sediment habitats, for which most MPAs are designated. The MMO will assess the impact of all fishing types and consider if management measures are required. Not all fishing activities in MPAs will require management, only those likely to damage the designated features, as assessed on a site by site basis.
Asked by: Alan Whitehead (Labour - Southampton, Test)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether, following the decision to ban electric pulse fishing in UK waters, the Government plans to make further use of its powers under the Fisheries Act 2020 to restrict fishing vessel licenses from the most destructive industrial vessels in offshore Marine Protected Areas.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Marine protection is a devolved matter and the information below relates to England only.
The Marine Management Organisation (MMO) has developed an ambitious three-year programme to manage fishing activity in English offshore Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). We recognise the urgency to establish management measures to protect the marine environment and proposals for the first four MPAs have been published for consultation. The consultation closed on 28 March and the MMO is currently reviewing the responses.
The Government is currently reviewing its policy on large pelagic trawlers. However, these vessels target fish within the water column and are unlikely to damage the seabed habitats, such as reef and sediment habitats, for which most MPAs are designated. The MMO will assess the impact of all fishing types and consider if management measures are required. Not all fishing activities in MPAs will require management, only those likely to damage the designated features, as assessed on a site by site basis.
Asked by: Alan Whitehead (Labour - Southampton, Test)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the economic benefits to UK coastal communities of banning (a) bottom trawlers and (b) pelagic supertrawlers that are over 100 metres in length from the UK's marine protected areas.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Marine protection is a devolved matter and the information below relates to England only.
For Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in England, an assessment of impacts is prepared when sites are designated. The assessment assesses the costs and benefits of designating a site but does not include specific details on the benefits to coastal communities. It is difficult to quantify such benefits accurately.
The costs and benefits would only apply where an activity has been restricted. The appropriate regulator will assess sites and propose appropriate management of fishing activity where required. Management may not be required for all fishing gears because only those which are likely to damage the protected features of a site need to be managed. Large pelagic trawlers target fish within the water column and are unlikely to damage the seabed habitats, such as reef and sediment habitats, for which most MPAs are designated.
The Government is currently reviewing its policy on large pelagic trawlers operating in UK waters. Any action needs to be evidence-based and in line with the UK/EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement.
Asked by: Alan Whitehead (Labour - Southampton, Test)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if his Department will make an assessment of the effect on people on lower incomes of his proposed deposit return scheme compared to using existing kerbside collections.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government is committed to introducing a deposit return scheme which is based on the principles of accessibility and convenience for all members of society. While all deposits placed on in-scope drinks containers will be redeemable, we do recognise the potential for an increased burden this could place on some consumers, particularly in lower income groups, to collect and return their containers to redeem their deposits. To ensure this activity and behaviour change is accurately accounted for in our analysis, the Government intends to carry out further research this year on the effect a deposit return scheme might have on specific groups in society, including those on lower incomes.
Asked by: Alan Whitehead (Labour - Southampton, Test)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if his Department will make an assessment of the potential effect on consumer vehicular emissions of his proposals on a deposit return scheme in comparison to existing kerbside collections.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government’s proposals to introduce a deposit return scheme for drinks containers recognise the need to ensure convenience and wide availability of return points for consumers, ensuring they can easily fit the scheme into their everyday lives. With this in mind, our current analysis has been designed with sufficient return points in place to reflect the policy proposal that deposits can be redeemed in settings that fit different consumer daily routines, thus avoiding the need for consumers to make additional journeys purely for the sake of returning their drinks containers. On this basis, there is no intention to carry out further assessment of consumer vehicular emissions at this time.
Asked by: Alan Whitehead (Labour - Southampton, Test)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to (a) reduce the amount of flat glass going to landfill and (b) increase the quantity being recycled in the UK.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra has funded Environment Agency/WRAP guidance on the proper collection and reprocessing of flat glass with the aim of increasing recycling rates. The Environment Agency is set to review this in May 2021.
The Environmental (England and Wales) Permitting Regulation 2016 includes a statutory permit condition for landfill and incineration permit holders, placing a restriction on plastic, metal, paper or glass separately collected for reuse or recycling from being accepted for landfill or incineration unless it is the result of treatment operations and delivers the best environmental outcome in accordance with the waste hierarchy.
Flat glass is a common waste product from construction and demolition. In the Resources & Waste Strategy 2018, we committed to increasing resource efficiency and minimising waste in the construction sector, through working with the Green Construction Board.
Asked by: Alan Whitehead (Labour - Southampton, Test)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department has modelled the financial effect on local authority budgets of including (a) glass and (b) aluminium drinks containers in a proposed Deposit Return Scheme.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government's commitment to introducing a DRS is part of our commitment to reform producer responsibility systems to incentivise producers to take greater responsibility for the environmental impacts of their products.
The Government is keen to avoid any unintended consequences of introducing a DRS. We have consulted widely with industry stakeholders on the design and delivery of our proposed DRS and intend to continue engagement this year. An Impact Assessment will be published alongside the second consultation in 2021 which assesses the costs and benefits of a DRS, including the costs to business and the expected impact a DRS will have on kerbside recycling rates. No specific assessment has been made of the potential effect on food and drink manufacturers choosing to switch to plastic and other cheaper packaging materials as a result of the DRS. We intend to carry out a new burdens assessment to reflect the impact on local authority budgets stemming from the waste reforms policies, which will include DRS.
We recognise that the introduction of a DRS will remove in-scope materials from existing local authority waste streams as they become part of the DRS. However, we propose local authorities will be reimbursed for the costs incurred in managing any DRS materials that do still end up in these waste streams where consumers choose to forego the deposit on containers. Funding options for local authorities in this scenario are explored further in our forthcoming consultation.
Asked by: Alan Whitehead (Labour - Southampton, Test)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential effect on food and drink manufacturers choosing to switch to using (a) plastic and (b) other cheaper packaging materials in the event that a proposed Deposit Return Scheme includes provision for glass drinks containers.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government's commitment to introducing a DRS is part of our commitment to reform producer responsibility systems to incentivise producers to take greater responsibility for the environmental impacts of their products.
The Government is keen to avoid any unintended consequences of introducing a DRS. We have consulted widely with industry stakeholders on the design and delivery of our proposed DRS and intend to continue engagement this year. An Impact Assessment will be published alongside the second consultation in 2021 which assesses the costs and benefits of a DRS, including the costs to business and the expected impact a DRS will have on kerbside recycling rates. No specific assessment has been made of the potential effect on food and drink manufacturers choosing to switch to plastic and other cheaper packaging materials as a result of the DRS. We intend to carry out a new burdens assessment to reflect the impact on local authority budgets stemming from the waste reforms policies, which will include DRS.
We recognise that the introduction of a DRS will remove in-scope materials from existing local authority waste streams as they become part of the DRS. However, we propose local authorities will be reimbursed for the costs incurred in managing any DRS materials that do still end up in these waste streams where consumers choose to forego the deposit on containers. Funding options for local authorities in this scenario are explored further in our forthcoming consultation.
Asked by: Alan Whitehead (Labour - Southampton, Test)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department has modelled the potential effect on levels of kerbside recycling rates in the event that a proposed Deposit Return Scheme includes provision for glass drinks containers.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government's commitment to introducing a DRS is part of our commitment to reform producer responsibility systems to incentivise producers to take greater responsibility for the environmental impacts of their products.
The Government is keen to avoid any unintended consequences of introducing a DRS. We have consulted widely with industry stakeholders on the design and delivery of our proposed DRS and intend to continue engagement this year. An Impact Assessment will be published alongside the second consultation in 2021 which assesses the costs and benefits of a DRS, including the costs to business and the expected impact a DRS will have on kerbside recycling rates. No specific assessment has been made of the potential effect on food and drink manufacturers choosing to switch to plastic and other cheaper packaging materials as a result of the DRS. We intend to carry out a new burdens assessment to reflect the impact on local authority budgets stemming from the waste reforms policies, which will include DRS.
We recognise that the introduction of a DRS will remove in-scope materials from existing local authority waste streams as they become part of the DRS. However, we propose local authorities will be reimbursed for the costs incurred in managing any DRS materials that do still end up in these waste streams where consumers choose to forego the deposit on containers. Funding options for local authorities in this scenario are explored further in our forthcoming consultation.