Asked by: Alison Griffiths (Conservative - Bognor Regis and Littlehampton)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what standards or frameworks are used to assess when ongoing environmental monitoring is required following the release of plastics, foam, or other persistent materials into the marine environment.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The National Contingency Plan (NCP) has been developed to ensure there is a timely, measured and effective response to incidents of, and impact from, marine pollution, arising from both marine and terrestrial sources. The NCP sets out the role of the Environment Group, who provide public health and environmental advice to all response units with a role in responding to a significant maritime pollution incident. The Pollution Response in Emergencies: Marine Impact Assessment and Monitoring group (PREMIAM) is a UK-wide collaborative initiative, coordinated by the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas), focused on improving post-spill monitoring and response for oil and chemical incidents in the marine environment by developing guidelines, integrating Government agencies, and building a network of experts and service providers. In the event of a significant pollution incident the PREMIAM Monitoring Coordination Cell (PMCC) is stood up. The PMCC is the group responsible for the overall conduct and integrated coordination of monitoring and impact assessment activities following a significant marine incident, ensuring these activities are in line with the PREMIAM post-spill monitoring guidelines. In England the PMCC is chaired by Cefas.
Asked by: Alison Griffiths (Conservative - Bognor Regis and Littlehampton)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when he plans to provide an Answer to Question 25490 tabled by the hon. Member for Bognor Regis and Littlehampton on 21 January 2025.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner
An answer to Question 25490 was published on 24 February 2025. I apologise for the delay in responding to the hon. Member.
Asked by: Alison Griffiths (Conservative - Bognor Regis and Littlehampton)
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 offers protection to staff from unfair dismissal from their first working day.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner
All dismissals are handled in line with current legislation and appropriate Codes of Practice. Where an employee feels they may have been unfairly dismissed, appropriate internal appeal routes may be instigated. Where an employee is unable to solve a problem internally, they may be able to go to an employment tribunal to claim unfair dismissal, as set out in legislation.
This position will be reviewed when unfair dismissal rights are updated in line with proposals in the Employment Rights Bill.