Asked by: Caroline Lucas (Green Party - Brighton, Pavilion)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make it his policy to coordinate a public engagement programme on adaptation including (a) the risks posed by climate change and (b) actions that individuals can take.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government is committed to hearing and learning from the views of different groups on how climate change impacts them, and how it can improve policies and programmes accordingly. The third National Adaptation Programme (NAP3) sets out the actions we will take across Government to manage the risks of climate change in the period to 2028. We are taking a dynamic approach to managing the delivery of NAP3, to learn from what works and to continue to develop our response based on the science and developing climate projections. This will be informed by engagement with stakeholders.
A public dialogue, overseen by Defra and in partnership with UK Research and Innovation’s (UKRI’s) Sciencewise Programme, Ipsos and the University of Leeds, explored the public’s perspectives on climate adaptation and how they think the government, businesses and civil society should address it. 120 members of the public took part in four locations across England. The report of this project was published in July 2023 on the Sciencewise website. It can be accessed at: https://sciencewise.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Climate-Adaptation-Dialogue-Report.pdf.
Asked by: Caroline Lucas (Green Party - Brighton, Pavilion)
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 tackle methane emissions from organic waste through (a) the UNFCCC and (b) other international fora.
Answered by Robbie Moore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Tackling methane emissions is one of the quickest and most cost-effective tools to limit global temperate rising to 1.5 degrees. The Government welcomes that this was a priority at COP28 and was pleased to see more countries joining the Global Methane Pledge, to collectively reduce global methane emissions by 30% by 2030 compared to 2020 levels, including across the waste, energy, and agriculture sectors.
We also recognise there is a need to support Governments and industry internationally to take tangible steps to identify and reduce methane emissions. This is why the UK made a £2 million contribution to the Methane Finance Sprint at COP, to help developing countries tackle methane emissions from their energy sectors.
The Government welcomes opportunities to engage internationally on methane emissions, including on measuring, reporting, and verifying emissions, as well as sharing lessons learnt on cost-effective measures to tackle methane emissions across sectors.
In the UK, overall greenhouse gas emissions from the waste sector have decreased by 74% since 1990. This is mostly due to the implementation of methane recovery systems at UK landfill sites, increasing landfill methane capture rates, and reductions in the amount of biodegradable waste disposed of at landfill sites. In 2022, the waste sector accounted for 4.6% of total UK territorial greenhouse gas emissions, with landfill methane emissions responsible for 80% of the sector’s emissions.
We are committed to tackling these remaining emissions and are exploring options for the near elimination of municipal biodegradable waste being sent to landfill in England from 2028, in line with the commitment in the Net Zero Strategy. We issued a call for evidence on 26 May 2023 to support detailed policy development. A Government Response to this call for evidence and further information will be published in due course.
We are undertaking research to quantify site-specific methane emissions from landfill and update our understanding of residual (non-recyclable) waste composition. Both of these projects will support efforts to further reduce methane emissions from landfill sites and report our emissions in line with UNFCCC guidelines.
We are also exploring ways to ease the environmental impact of legacy landfills, in line with a commitment in our Resources and Waste Strategy, through new approaches to landfill aftercare.
Asked by: Caroline Lucas (Green Party - Brighton, Pavilion)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what his timeframe is for publishing the terms of reference for the cross-government delivery board on the (a) 25-year environment plan and (b) environmental improvement plan.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The cross-Government 25 Year Environment Plan (25YEP) Board was established in December 2020. It is responsible for overseeing, coordinating and driving forward action to implement the 25YEP, and associated requirements under the Environment Act 2021. It is the central authority for cross-Government oversight, coordination and action towards the targets, outcomes and commitments of the plan across Government.
The 25 YEP Board is part of wider governance and assurance that includes Defra and cross-Government management of outcomes.
There are no current plans to publish the Terms of Reference.
Asked by: Caroline Lucas (Green Party - Brighton, Pavilion)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 12 February 2024 to Question 12797 on Marine Protected Areas, when his Department expects to publish (a) the outcomes of the Marine Management Organisation’s calls for evidence on the development of byelaws to manage fishing activity impacts in marine protected areas and (b) its public consultation on those outcomes.
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Marine Management Organisation (MMO) issued a call for evidence for stage 3 of its offshore Marine Protected Area byelaw programme last year and is now preparing draft byelaws for consultation. A further call for evidence on stage 4 of the programme, covering highly mobile species, closed on 13 February 2024. The MMO is analysing the responses received to this latest call for evidence before deciding what byelaws might need to be consulted on. The outcomes of both processes will be published in due course.
Asked by: Caroline Lucas (Green Party - Brighton, Pavilion)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the Office for Environmental Protection’s annual progress report published 18th January 2024, if he will bring the ambient air quality standards in the Air Quality Standards Regulations 2010 in line with World Health Organisation guidelines.
Answered by Robbie Moore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The World Health Organisation Air Quality Guidelines are intended to inform the setting of air quality standards and are not ready-made targets for adoption. We will continue to keep our targets under review and consider in line with the best available evidence, specific to our national circumstances.
Asked by: Caroline Lucas (Green Party - Brighton, Pavilion)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the Office for Environmental Protection’s annual progress report published on 18 January 2024, what steps his Department is taking to (a) safeguard vulnerable groups from the impact of air pollution and (b) encourage long-term behaviour change to reduce polluting activity.
Answered by Robbie Moore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Through the Environment Act 2021 we introduced two new targets for fine particulate matter, the pollutant most damaging to human health, setting a maximum annual mean concentration target and a population exposure reduction target. This dual-target approach will improve public health for all by tackling the highest concentrations and ensuring all areas benefit from continuous improvement. Government recognises there is more to do to protect all people in our society and the environment from the effects of air pollution. This is why we are taking the significant and wide-ranging action to drive improvements to air quality as set out in our Environmental Improvement Plan 2023.
Government is undertaking a comprehensive review of how we communicate air quality information to ensure members of the public, and vulnerable groups in particular, have what they need protect themselves and understand how their behaviour impacts on air quality. This review is being undertaken by the Air Quality Information Systems steering group with the aim of publishing the recommendations this summer.
Asked by: Caroline Lucas (Green Party - Brighton, Pavilion)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has had discussions with the Leader of the House on the timetable for laying the necessary motion to bring into force the draft Animal Welfare (Electronic Collars) (England) Regulations 2023.
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government remains committed to introducing a ban on the use of e-collars. We will pursue new regulations to deliver this commitment on a revised timeline. Decisions will take place in the usual manner.
Asked by: Caroline Lucas (Green Party - Brighton, Pavilion)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, which policies under each arms length body reporting to their Department fall within the scope of the Environmental principles policy statement, published on 31 January 2023.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The duty does not require us to maintain a comprehensive list of policies within scope of the duty. The duty applies to all policies made from 1 November 2023, whether developed by a central department or an arm’s length body, which are:
The environmental principles policy statement provides further information on what is considered policy in scope of the duty. Examples include strategies and frameworks.
Asked by: Caroline Lucas (Green Party - Brighton, Pavilion)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the press release entitled Nature recovery to be accelerated as the government delivers on measures to protect land and sea, published 31 January 2024, if he will publish a consultation on restrictions on bottom-towed fishing gear in the remainder of England’s offshore Marine Protected Areas.
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
We have completed the first two stages of our programme to manage damaging fishing activity in England’s offshore Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). For the remaining MPAs, the Marine Management Organisation has issued calls for evidence to seek stakeholder views and build the evidence base to inform the development of any byelaws needed to allow MPA conservation objectives to be achieved. As before, any necessary byelaws will be subject to public consultation.
Asked by: Caroline Lucas (Green Party - Brighton, Pavilion)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many compliance inspections his Department made to ensure that the conditions of the emergency authorisation of Thiamethoxam were met in (a) 2021, (b) 2022 and (c) 2023; and what proportion of inspections found non-compliance with those conditions.
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
There is no specific programme of enforcement/compliance visits exclusively focused on Cruiser SB use, or for any other Emergency Authorisation. All pesticide use in the UK is regulated through HSE’s overarching programme of enforcement and compliance. This includes intelligence-led monitoring and enforcement activities to ensure that the supply and use of pesticides complies with legal requirements.
In line with the terms of the Emergency Authorisation granted for this year, if Cruiser SB is used on sugar beet seeds, growers are required to participate in a stewardship scheme, which includes requirements for the correct use of treated seed. All sugar beet growers are supported through the season by weekly monitoring and advice provided by the British Beet Research Organisation (BBRO). This provides a robust support mechanism to drive effective stewardship. As part of the stewardship scheme, the applicant must monitor soils and plants following use of the treated seed at key indicator sites and report back to the Health and Safety Executive at the end of the season of use.