Asked by: Al Pinkerton (Liberal Democrat - Surrey Heath)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to make recycling (a) easier and (b) more consistent for households in (i) Surrey and (ii) Surrey Heath constituency.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Simpler Recycling reforms will ensure that across England, people will be able to recycle the same materials, whether at home, work or school.
Every household and workplace (businesses and relevant non-domestic premises like schools and hospitals) across England will be able to recycle the same materials in the following core waste streams: metal, glass, plastic (including cartons), paper and card, food waste, and garden waste (for households only).
These reforms will make recycling easier and ensure there is a comprehensive, consistent service across England. This will reduce confusion with recycling to improve recycling rates, and with the other collection and packaging reforms will support the use of more recycled material in the products we buy, and the growth of the UK recycling industry.
Defra has created a Change Network, to support local authorities and others to prepare for the upcoming household collection requirements, which take effect from 31 March 2026.
Defra is also working with WRAP (Waste and Resources Action Programme) to provide guidance on best practice to help local authorities deliver services to all households.
The Government remains committed to supporting councils in delivering the collection and packaging reforms. Between Extended Producer Responsibility for packaging (pEPR) and Simpler Recycling, we have already invested over £1.4 billion in English local authorities to improve recycling collections, benefitting every household. We have guaranteed councils £1.1 billion income from pEPR this financial year, alongside having already invested over £340 million to support councils on weekly food collections.
Asked by: Al Pinkerton (Liberal Democrat - Surrey Heath)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to help protect hare populations in (a) Surrey and (b) Surrey Heath constituency.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The department has supported Surrey County Council to prepare their Local Nature Recovery Strategy, with publication expected shortly. It will set nature recovery priorities and map specific proposals for habitat creation and improvement that will support many species such as hares.
Nationally, protection of the brown hare population is provided through hare coursing legislation which was brought in under the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022. Together with improved police tactics, intelligence and information sharing, they are reducing levels of hare coursing which will play a part in the recovery of the species.
In addition, the Government’s recently published Animal Welfare Strategy contains a commitment to consider the introduction of a close season on shooting brown hares.
Asked by: Al Pinkerton (Liberal Democrat - Surrey Heath)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to support local authorities to (a) improve recycling rates and (b) reduce waste sent to (i) landfill and (ii) incineration in Surrey Heath constituency.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Simpler Recycling reforms will ensure that across England, people will be able to recycle the same materials, whether at home, work or school.
Every household and workplace (businesses and relevant non-domestic premises like schools and hospitals) across England will be able to recycle the same materials in the following core waste streams: metal, glass, plastic (including cartons), paper and card, food waste, and garden waste (for households only).
These reforms will make recycling easier and ensure there is a comprehensive, consistent service across England. This will reduce confusion with recycling to improve recycling rates, and with the other collection and packaging reforms will support the use of more recycled material in the products we buy, and the growth of the UK recycling industry.
The Environmental (England and Wales) Permitting Regulations 2016 include a permit condition for landfill and incineration operators, meaning they cannot accept separately collected paper, metal, glass or plastic for landfill or incineration unless it has gone through some form of treatment process first and is the best environmental outcome. This is in addition to existing permit measures that already prevent acceptance of recyclable material.
Asked by: Al Pinkerton (Liberal Democrat - Surrey Heath)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to ensure water resilience during (a) storms and (b) periods of severe weather in Surrey Heath constituency.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 10 December to Question 96864.
Asked by: Al Pinkerton (Liberal Democrat - Surrey Heath)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to clear waterways in Surrey Heath constituency.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Environment Agency (EA) undertakes regular monitoring of the water quality in the River Thames catchment, including in Surrey Heath constituency. The assessment and proposed actions are set out in the Thames River Basin Management Plan.
The EA continues to respond to and investigate any significant pollution incidents, prioritising those with the greatest environmental risk. It has invested in a larger specialised workforce to improve regulation of Thames Water including increased inspections of their permitted sites. The EA is also strengthening regulation of the farming sector to address agricultural impacts on water quality.
The Water Industry National Environment Programme is part of the five-yearly water company Price Review process where water companies fund actions to improve the water environment by reducing pollution and boosting resilience. The current planning cycle (2025-2030) includes significant improvements that Thames Water must implement, including a reduction in storm overflows and of phosphorus levels in treated sewage effluent.
Asked by: Al Pinkerton (Liberal Democrat - Surrey Heath)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to ensure that the Environment Agency is held accountable for levels of water pollution in Surrey Heath constituency.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Environment Agency (EA) is accountable to parliament via the Secretary of State. Defra constructively challenges and supports the EA to deliver for the public and the environment. Our landmark Water (Special Measures) Act empowers the EA with new powers to take tougher and faster action on water companies not delivering for customers and the environment.
Asked by: Al Pinkerton (Liberal Democrat - Surrey Heath)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to improve air quality in Surrey Heath constituency.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra requires all local authorities to review and assess air quality in their areas and submit annual status reports detailing the actions they are taking. Surrey Heath’s 2025 report confirms that monitoring at 53 sites shows nitrogen dioxide and particulate matter levels remain below statutory limits. The council continues to develop its Local Air Quality Strategy to maintain compliance and further improve air quality.
Asked by: Al Pinkerton (Liberal Democrat - Surrey Heath)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of increases in the frequency of severe weather events on flood management infrastructure in Surrey Heath constituency.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Across all catchments in the Thames area, including those in Surrey and Surrey Heath, the Environment Agency (EA) continues to monitor potential flood risk, and its field staff have undertaken flood runs clearing debris.
The Surrey Local Resilience Forum (LRF) brings together all agencies, including local authorities, with a significant role to play in responding to and recovering from the effects of emergencies, such as flooding. LRFs aim to plan and prepare for localised incidents and catastrophic emergencies. The EA works closely with Surrey Prepared, a subgroup of Surrey LRF that looks at flood resilience across the wider county.
The EA has recently produced new flood risk modelling of the Addlestone Bourne catchment. This was published as part of wider improvements earlier this year, providing greater understanding of the flood risk posed to our communities.
Asked by: Al Pinkerton (Liberal Democrat - Surrey Heath)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of levels of local authority preparedness to respond to flood alerts in (a) Surrey and (b) Surrey Heath constituency.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Across all catchments in the Thames area, including those in Surrey and Surrey Heath, the Environment Agency (EA) continues to monitor potential flood risk, and its field staff have undertaken flood runs clearing debris.
The Surrey Local Resilience Forum (LRF) brings together all agencies, including local authorities, with a significant role to play in responding to and recovering from the effects of emergencies, such as flooding. LRFs aim to plan and prepare for localised incidents and catastrophic emergencies. The EA works closely with Surrey Prepared, a subgroup of Surrey LRF that looks at flood resilience across the wider county.
The EA has recently produced new flood risk modelling of the Addlestone Bourne catchment. This was published as part of wider improvements earlier this year, providing greater understanding of the flood risk posed to our communities.
Asked by: Al Pinkerton (Liberal Democrat - Surrey Heath)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment she has made of potential flood risk arising from heavy rainfall in (a) Surrey and (b) Surrey Heath constituency.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Across all catchments in the Thames area, including those in Surrey and Surrey Heath, the Environment Agency (EA) continues to monitor potential flood risk, and its field staff have undertaken flood runs clearing debris.
The Surrey Local Resilience Forum (LRF) brings together all agencies, including local authorities, with a significant role to play in responding to and recovering from the effects of emergencies, such as flooding. LRFs aim to plan and prepare for localised incidents and catastrophic emergencies. The EA works closely with Surrey Prepared, a subgroup of Surrey LRF that looks at flood resilience across the wider county.
The EA has recently produced new flood risk modelling of the Addlestone Bourne catchment. This was published as part of wider improvements earlier this year, providing greater understanding of the flood risk posed to our communities.