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 the average length of time taken to issue Musical Instrument Certificates to touring musicians was in each calendar year since 2021.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
This data has been held since July 2023 when CITES licencing moved to a new licencing system (“Pegasus”). An annual breakdown is provided below:
Year | Number of MICs issued | Mean working days to issue | Median working days to issue |
2023 | 13 | 19.4 | 20 |
2024 | 27 | 37.2 | 21 |
2025 | 20 | 20.6 | 19 |
2026 | 4 | 25.5 | 20.5 |
The data above was extracted on 5 February 2026.
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, how many applications for Musical Instrument Certificates from touring musicians were outstanding at the end of each calendar year since 2021.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
This data has been held since July 2023 when CITES licencing moved to a new licencing system (“Pegasus”). A breakdown of the Musical Instrument Certificate applications being processed as of 31 December each year is provided below:
Year | Musical Instrument Certificate applications being processed as of 31 December |
2023 | 5 |
2024 | 1 |
2025 | 2 |
2026 | N/A |
The data above was extracted on 5 February 2026.
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 the inspection of water infrastructure in Surrey Heath constituency.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Under this Government’s watch, the Environment Agency has sharply stepped up its physical inspections – carrying out more than 8,000 inspections so far in 2025/26. That is a 76% increase on last year. It is on track to complete approximately 800 inspections of Thames Water wastewater assets in the period 1 April 2025 to 31 March 2026, including those in the Surrey Heath constituency such as the wastewater treatment works at Chobham, Camberley, Lightwater and Pirbright.
The Drinking Water Inspectorate undertakes a range of activities to assess the security of drinking water infrastructure. Building on this, the Government’s water White Paper announced the Government will introduce powers to allow ‘No notice’ inspections on drinking water company assets to improve security and resilience.
The new single regulator will include a Chief Engineer who will be part of shifting the culture of the regulator especially as part of infrastructure supervision.
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 reduce reliance on physical paperwork in sanitary and phytosanitary processes for trade with the European Union.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government is currently negotiating a Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) Agreement to make agrifood trade with our biggest market cheaper and easier, cutting costs and red tape for British producers and retailers.
Routine SPS border checks will be eliminated, so fresh produce can hit supermarket shelves more quickly, with less paperwork and fewer costs. GB goods such as dairy, fish, eggs and red meat are currently subject to 100% documentary checks and up to 30% physical checks. An SPS deal will see these removed entirely.
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, whether her Department has plans to improve public awareness and participation in recycling schemes.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Over the Christmas period, and continuing over the run up to April, Defra have been utilising a range of social media channels to promote new food waste recycling services. This has included location targeted campaigns alongside the use of influencers popular with our targeted audiences. Examples can be found at:
(1835) Food Waste Recycling: Big Wins From Little Bins - YouTube
Vox Pop on food waste recycling
Minister Creagh Food waste Instagram
Discover the Magic of Food Waste Recycling Techniques | TikTok
Shef Phoenix (@shef_phoenix) | TikTok
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. WRAP recently published communications guidance for local authority household food waste collections: https://www.wrap.ngo/taking-action/citizen-behaviour-change/recycle-now/campaign-assets/household-food-waste-collections-communications
To support local authorities, we have provided transitional resource funding for food waste communications to support citizens in understanding how to make full use of the new services.
In addition, PackUK will issue communications and explore behaviour change initiatives to promote the correct recycling and disposal of packaging waste. pEPR fees that producers pay will include a contribution to the costs of this work.
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.