Asked by: Catherine McKinnell (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne North)
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 he has made of the contribution that banning the production, sale and use of single-use plastic carrier bags could make towards achieving his Department's target of eliminating all avoidable plastic waste.
Answered by Baroness Coffey
The Government’s priority is preventing plastic from entering the environment in the first place, be it the marine or terrestrial environment. The Resources and Waste Strategy, published in December last year, sets out our plans to eliminate all avoidable plastic waste. This encompasses all types of plastic and we are already taking action. The 5p charge on single use carrier bags has been highly effective in reducing the amount of plastic we use in our everyday lives, whilst also raising money for local, national and environmental charities.
Defra commissioned an independent study in 2018 to explore the possible impacts of a ban on the supply of single use plastic bags in England. The Government is not currently considering an outright ban. We recognise the role that a single use carrier bag can play in spontaneous unplanned purchasing, and that alternative bag types can potentially have a significantly higher carbon impact than single use carrier bags.
Defra published a consultation in December 2018 on plans to extend the existing carrier bag charge to small and medium sized enterprises and to increase the charge to 10p. The Government response will be published in due course.
Asked by: Catherine McKinnell (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne North)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for the Environment plans to respond to the letter of 29 January 2018 from the hon. Member for Newcastle upon Tyne North on the Food Insecurity Bill.
Answered by George Eustice
We received the mentioned letter on 7 February 2018 and a reply was sent on the 17 April 2018. We have forwarded an additional copy to your office for your records.
Asked by: Catherine McKinnell (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne North)
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 has made an assessment of the effect on the environment of the UK leaving the EU.
Answered by Baroness Coffey
As the Prime Minister has said, “Brexit will not mean a lowering of environmental standards”. We constantly assess our policies against this objective. The EU (Withdrawal) Bill will ensure that the whole body of existing EU environmental law continues to have effect in UK law.
Asked by: Catherine McKinnell (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne North)
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 29 June 2017 to Question 1033 on Nitrous Oxide: EU Law, how much the Government has spent on legal fees to defend litigation brought by ClientEarth in respect of air quality compliance.
Answered by Baroness Coffey
Defra released details of our legal costs since 2015 on 20 October in response to a Freedom of Information request, which can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/653544/RFI_9313__AQ_legalcosts_20102017.pdf.
Costs prior to 2015 were around £74,000.
A further challenge is ongoing and so further costs are likely to be incurred.
Asked by: Catherine McKinnell (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne North)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many farmers are in (a) Entry Level and (b) Higher Level Stewardship agreements in the Countryside Stewardship scheme.
Answered by George Eustice
a) There are 40,589 live Environmental Stewardship scheme agreements of which 26,399 are Entry Level Stewardship agreements (including organic and uplands variants).
b) There are 12,572 combined Entry Level Stewardship/Higher Level Stewardship agreements and 1,618 Higher Level Stewardship-only agreements (which do not have an underpinning Entry Level Stewardship agreement).
Countryside Stewardship agreements do not start until 1 January 2016.
Asked by: Catherine McKinnell (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne North)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many (a) Entry Level and (b) Higher Level Stewardship agreements in the Countryside Stewardship scheme (i) have expired and (ii) will expire in 2015.
Answered by George Eustice
Countryside Stewardship agreements do not start until 1 January 2016.
a) As at 30 September, 7,824 Entry Level Stewardship agreements in the Environmental Stewardship scheme had expired in 2015, with a further 4,060 Entry Level Stewardship agreements due to expire by 31 December 2015.
b) No Higher Level Stewardship agreements in the Environmental Stewardship scheme have expired or are due to expire in 2015.
Asked by: Catherine McKinnell (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne North)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many expressions of interest have been received for the (a) Mid Tier and (b) Higher Tier of the new Countryside Stewardship scheme.
Answered by George Eustice
Expressions of interest were not invited for the Mid-Tier of the new Countryside Stewardship scheme, however:
a) 5,640 requests for Mid-Tier application packs were received, resulting in 2,314 agreement applications; and
b) 1,025 expressions of interest were received for the Higher Tier of the new Countryside Stewardship scheme, together with 257 applications for forestry agreements.