Asked by: Afzal Khan (Labour - Manchester, Gorton)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with stakeholders on the Air Quality Grant Scheme.
Answered by Robbie Moore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Officials have had recent discussions with Local Government Association about the decision on the Air Quality Grant Scheme.
Asked by: Afzal Khan (Labour - Manchester, Gorton)
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 help reduce air pollution.
Answered by Robbie Moore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
This Government has delivered significant reductions in emissions since 2010 – with emissions of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) falling by 24%, and nitrogen oxides down by 48%. We met our targets to reduce emissions for all five key pollutants in the latest reporting year.
Our Environmental Improvement Plan sets out how we will continue to drive down emissions from domestic burning, agriculture, transport, and industry – delivering cleaner air for all.
PM2.5 is the most harmful pollutant to human health, which is why we have set two new targets to drive down PM2.5 concentrations under the Environment Act 2021:
These targets mean that on average, people’s exposure to particulate matter will be cut by over a third by 2040, compared with 2018 levels.
Asked by: Afzal Khan (Labour - Manchester, Gorton)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what funding is available to local authorities for clean air programmes.
Answered by Robbie Moore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
We have allocated over £883 million to help local authorities develop and implement local NO2 reduction plans and to support those impacted by these plans. In addition, the Local Air Quality Grant scheme has supported over 500 projects with a total of over £53 million since 2010. We are currently considering whether the Local Air Quality Grant scheme might be redesigned to better deliver positive outcomes for local air quality.
Asked by: Afzal Khan (Labour - Manchester, Gorton)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if the Government will take steps to support the establishment of (a) global and (b) national targets to reduce plastic production under the potential international plastics treaty under negotiation.
Answered by Robbie Moore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
At the forthcoming round of negotiations in Canada, we will be continuing to support a treaty that will address the full lifecycle of plastic, including restraining and reducing the production and consumption of plastic to sustainable levels, addressing plastic design, and encouraging more reuse and recycling of plastic.
As negotiations are ongoing and this is the first round of negotiations where treaty text will be negotiated, we cannot prejudge what will be agreed. The UK would support an overarching global target where the particular measures to reach the target are nationally determined.
As a founding member of the High Ambition Coalition to End Plastic Pollution, a group of over 60 countries calling for an ambitious and effective treaty, we will continue to participate actively in these negotiations.
Asked by: Afzal Khan (Labour - Manchester, Gorton)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether her Department has made an assessment of adequacy of local content levels in supply chains for the (a) oil and gas and (b) renewable energy sector.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The North Sea Transition Authority (NSTA) monitors UK content in upstream oil and gas through Supply Chain Action Plans. NSTA reports that, over the last three years, oil and gas related Operating Expenditure consistently delivered UK content above 85%, with Capital Expenditure and Abandonment Expenditure consistently delivering above 75% UK content.
For renewables, the Department requires all large Contracts for Difference applicants to submit Supply Chain Plans, asking for the percentage of UK content of a project. These figures are commercially sensitive and only shared when Supply Chain Plans are published.
Asked by: Afzal Khan (Labour - Manchester, Gorton)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what consultation his Department undertook with (a) faith groups (b) civil society and (c) local councils on the new definition of extremism; and whether the findings will be published.
Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)
Further to the Secretary of State’s oral statement on Extremism Definition and Community Engagement of 14 March 2024 (Official Report HC, Volume 747, Column 452), details of ministerial meetings and engagement are published on gov.uk. Further details relating to the Government’s work in this area, including in relation to naming individuals and organisations, will be set out in due course.
Asked by: Afzal Khan (Labour - Manchester, Gorton)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, with reference to his oral statement on Extremism Definition and Community Engagement of 14 March 2024, Official Report, column 452, whether his Department informed the organisations referred to in that statement that they would be referred to in advance of making that statement.
Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)
Further to the Secretary of State’s oral statement on Extremism Definition and Community Engagement of 14 March 2024 (Official Report HC, Volume 747, Column 452), details of ministerial meetings and engagement are published on gov.uk. Further details relating to the Government’s work in this area, including in relation to naming individuals and organisations, will be set out in due course.
Asked by: Afzal Khan (Labour - Manchester, Gorton)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what steps his Department is taking to ensure organisations listed under the new definition of extremism are (a) subject to an impartial review process and (b) able to appeal being listed under the new definition.
Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)
Further to the Secretary of State’s oral statement on Extremism Definition and Community Engagement of 14 March 2024 (Official Report HC, Volume 747, Column 452), details of ministerial meetings and engagement are published on gov.uk. Further details relating to the Government’s work in this area, including in relation to naming individuals and organisations, will be set out in due course.
Asked by: Afzal Khan (Labour - Manchester, Gorton)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what steps the counter-extremism centre of excellence will take to assess organisations under the new definition of extremism.
Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)
Further to the Secretary of State’s oral statement on Extremism Definition and Community Engagement of 14 March 2024 (Official Report HC, Volume 747, Column 452), details of ministerial meetings and engagement are published on gov.uk. Further details relating to the Government’s work in this area, including in relation to naming individuals and organisations, will be set out in due course.
Asked by: Afzal Khan (Labour - Manchester, Gorton)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what assessment he has made of the impact of the new definition of extremism on public bodies.
Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)
Further to the Secretary of State’s oral statement on Extremism Definition and Community Engagement of 14 March 2024 (Official Report HC, Volume 747, Column 452), details of ministerial meetings and engagement are published on gov.uk. Further details relating to the Government’s work in this area, including in relation to naming individuals and organisations, will be set out in due course.