Asked by: Ben Lake (Plaid Cymru - Ceredigion Preseli)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero on the potential merits of using water efficiency technologies to help reduce household carbon emissions.
Answered by Rebecca Pow
We are working with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero to maximise the synergies between the Government goals to reduce water demand and achieve net zero. We consulted on introducing a mandatory water efficiency label for water using products across all UK nations and assessed that such a label could save £125 million on water bills and £147 million on energy bills over 10 years. Hot water use is the second largest use of energy in a home after space heating. For example, installing a water-efficient showerhead could save a family of four about £30 on their combined energy and water bill each year.
Asked by: Ben Lake (Plaid Cymru - Ceredigion Preseli)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of using water-saving technologies to help reduce the number of households in fuel poverty.
Answered by Rebecca Pow
We are working with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero to maximise the synergies between the Government goals to reduce water demand and achieve net zero. We consulted on introducing a mandatory water efficiency label for water using products across all UK nations and assessed that such a label could save £125 million on water bills and £147 million on energy bills over 10 years. Hot water use is the second largest use of energy in a home after space heating. For example, installing a water-efficient showerhead could save a family of four about £30 on their combined energy and water bill each year.
Asked by: Ben Lake (Plaid Cymru - Ceredigion Preseli)
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 made an assessment of the potential role of water efficiency measures in helping achieve the Government's net zero aims.
Answered by Rebecca Pow
We are working with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero to maximise the synergies between the Government goals to reduce water demand and achieve net zero. We consulted on introducing a mandatory water efficiency label for water using products across all UK nations and assessed that such a label could save £125 million on water bills and £147 million on energy bills over 10 years. Hot water use is the second largest use of energy in a home after space heating. For example, installing a water-efficient showerhead could save a family of four about £30 on their combined energy and water bill each year.
Asked by: Ben Lake (Plaid Cymru - Ceredigion Preseli)
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 monitor and assess the impact of plastic waste in the ocean on marine life.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
The UK monitors levels of marine litter on its beaches, sea surface and seafloor as part of the UK Marine Strategy. The UK Marine Strategy provides a legal framework for assessing and monitoring the status of our seas and to put in place the measures needed to achieve Good Environmental Status (GES). The UK had not reached Good Environmental Status (GES) for levels of marine litter under its most recent assessment in 2019. To help address this, we are introducing additional single-use plastic item bans, extended producer responsibility and deposit return schemes for plastic packaging, whilst also improving consistency in recycling and advocating for high ambition outcomes under a new global treaty on plastic pollution.
The UK also contributes to regional monitoring of the North-East Atlantic as a contracting party to The Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the North-East Atlantic (OSPAR) Convention. The latest OSPAR assessments which will contribute to OSPARs Quality Status Report of the North East Atlantic, to be published summer 2023, show there has been a significant decrease in beach litter over the last 6 years in the North-East Atlantic. In the Greater North Sea, the probability of seafloor litter collected has increased. There has been a significant decrease in marine litter on the sea surface between 2009 – 2018, so progress has been made towards the threshold level for impact on marine life.
Asked by: Ben Lake (Plaid Cymru - Ceredigion Preseli)
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 the amount of plastic entering (a) water courses and (b) the sea.
Answered by Rebecca Pow
The UK is proud to have supported the proposal by Rwanda and Peru that led to the ambitious resolution to start negotiating a legally binding treaty to end plastic pollution being agreed at the United Nations Environment Assembly in March 2022. The UK is a founding member of the High Ambition Coalition to End Plastic Pollution, a coalition of like-minded Governments that are committed to a common ambition to end plastic pollution by 2040, underpinned by strategic goals and deliverables.
To do this, we will introduce additional single-use plastic item bans, extended producer responsibility, and deposit return schemes for plastic packaging and improve consistency in recycling. Through the UK’s Blue Planet Fund, we are also working bilaterally with partner countries to strengthen policies and regulations needed to eradicate plastic pollution and mismanaged waste.
Asked by: Ben Lake (Plaid Cymru - Ceredigion Preseli)
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 financial impact on pet owners and assistance dog users transporting their pets to the EU of the cost of Animal Health Certificates; what progress has been made on reaching an agreement with the European Commission on granting Great Britain Part 1 listed status for the purposes of travelling with pets; and whether she has discussed this matter with the Welsh Government.
Answered by Rebecca Pow
The pet health and documentary requirements for pet travel to the EU are set out under the EU Pet Travel Regulations. The UK is listed as a ‘Part 2’ third country under those regulations.
We recognise the undue financial and administrative impact that these EU requirements are having on pet owners and assistance dog users. We are continuing to seek agreement from the European Commission on awarding GB ‘Part 1’ listed status and recognition of the UK’s tapeworm-free status and continue to engage on these matters.
The costs of completing and issuing an Animal Health Certificate are commercial decisions, set by individual veterinary practices.
Defra continues to work with the Devolved Administrations including the Welsh Government on pet travel matters including pet travel documentation.
Asked by: Ben Lake (Plaid Cymru - Ceredigion Preseli)
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 increasing the area of UK seas covered by a permanent ban on bottom towed fishing gears on her Department's support of the Global Ocean Alliance target to protect at least 30 per cent of the global ocean by 2030.
Answered by Mark Spencer
Domestically, since 2010 we have created over 100 Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) which now protect over 38% of UK waters. In English waters we have built a comprehensive network of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) and are now focused on making sure they are properly protected. Nearly 60% of our 178 English MPAs are already protected from damaging fishing activity and all MPAs in English waters will be protected from such activity by 2024.
Internationally, the UK continues to champion the 30by30 ocean target, now supported by over 120 countries, including through its leadership of the Global Ocean Alliance and as ocean co-chair of the High Ambition Coalition for Nature and People. It is important that areas contributing to the 30by30 target are effectively managed, and that each site is afforded a level of protection appropriate to its conservation objectives. The UK remains committed to making a significant contribution to this global target in our own waters, and we are encouraging other countries to do the same.
Asked by: Ben Lake (Plaid Cymru - Ceredigion Preseli)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, in the context of the Environment Plan’s target to eliminate all avoidable plastic waste by 2042, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of that proposed plastic reduction target on reducing the level of plastic pollution.
Answered by Rebecca Pow
The ambition in the 25 Year Environment Plan to eliminate all avoidable plastic waste by 2042 is for England only as this is a devolved matter.
No overall assessment has been made; however, if we can achieve the ambition, including through policies set out in the Resources and Waste Strategy for England, it will significantly reduce the amount of plastic pollution.
My department is carrying out an evaluation of the policies in the Resources and Waste Strategy to establish their effectiveness and identify where we might need to go further to achieve our ambitions.
Asked by: Ben Lake (Plaid Cymru - Ceredigion Preseli)
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 is taking steps with Cabinet colleagues to ensure the maintenance of (a) species protection, (b) conservation orders, (c) nature restoration and (d) other key nature protections within new investment zones.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
We have been clear about the importance of environmental protection across the United Kingdom, not least through our world leading Environment Act, which includes a legally binding target to halt the decline of nature by 2030. We are committed to meeting this target and will not undermine our obligations to the environment in pursuit of growth.
Defra and DLUHC are working closely together on Investment Zone policy to support our growth objectives and maintain HM Government’s strong position on the environment.
Asked by: Ben Lake (Plaid Cymru - Ceredigion Preseli)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to help ensure that the UK protects nature in accordance with its commitments at the Convention of COP-15.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
In the United Kingdom domestic biodiversity policy is devolved. The four nations work together to develop a collective response to United Kingdom wide goals and targets, such as the post-2020 global framework, expected to be agreed at the Convention on Biological Diversity's (CBD) Fifteenth Conference of the Parties, COP15 in Montreal in December.
We have taken unprecedented steps to protect and restore biodiversity in England, not least through our world leading Environment Act, which requires a new, legally binding target to be set in England to halt the decline in species abundance by 2030, and introduces Biodiversity Net Gain, Local Nature Recovery Strategies and a strengthened biodiversity duty on public authorities to work together to protect our native species.
We have also committed to protecting 30% of our land and sea by 2030 to better support and recover biodiversity, announcing a landmark designation programme to help realise this.