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Written Question
Companies: Pollution Control
Friday 1st March 2024

Asked by: Geraint Davies (Independent - Swansea West)

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 require companies to tackle material air pollution issues.

Answered by Robbie Moore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

In the Environmental Improvement Plan the Government set out measures to tackle air pollution from a range of sources.

With regards to industrial pollution, installations are required by the Environmental Permitting Regulations (England and Wales) 2016 to have an environmental permit and meet limits on emissions. The Environmental Improvement Plan included a commitment to consult on improvements to the mechanisms for developing standards for industrial processes to better reflect our priorities for the environment and to support businesses in innovating and delivering net zero.

Through the new UK Best Available Techniques system Defra is working with industry, regulators and the devolved administrations to update standards for industry through an evidence-led, collaborative approach, which will reduce emissions from the largest industries.


Written Question
Industry: Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Friday 1st March 2024

Asked by: Geraint Davies (Independent - Swansea West)

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 plans to take steps to improve the Industrial Emissions Directive to further reduce emissions.

Answered by Robbie Moore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Environmental Permitting Regulations (England and Wales) 2016 implement the Industrial Emissions Directive. In the Environmental Improvement Plan, the Government committed to consult on improvements to the mechanisms for developing standards for industrial processes to better reflect our priorities for the environment and to support businesses in innovating and delivering net zero.

Through the new UK Best Available Techniques system Defra is working with industry, regulators and the devolved administrations to update standards for industry through an evidence-led, collaborative approach, which will reduce emissions from the largest industries.


Written Question
Air Pollution
Friday 1st March 2024

Asked by: Geraint Davies (Independent - Swansea West)

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps the Government (a) is taking and (b) plans to take to ensure parity in air pollution reporting requirements between the UK and EU.

Answered by Robbie Moore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

This Government is committed to leaving the environment in a better state than we found it and we have been clear that we will uphold our high standards on environmental protections and meet our international commitments. Having left the EU we want to ensure that our regulatory framework is appropriate, tailored to the UK and able to drive improved environmental outcomes.

The UK reports against requirements for both emissions and concentrations of air pollutants, as set out in domestic and international legislation. Concentrations are assessed under the Air Quality Standards Regulations 2010 and Environment Act 2021, both of which have annual reporting publications. Achievement of existing emission targets and projected achievement of future targets are reported as part of our domestic obligations under the National Emission Ceilings Regulations 2018 ensuring transparency and scrutiny of the UK’s progress. Emissions are also reported to the UNECE Secretariat to fulfil our international reporting obligations under the UNECE Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution. In addition to reporting to meet legislative requirements, the UK reports the data in two annual Accredited Official Statistics releases and makes more granular data available through the UK-Air and National Atmospheric Emissions Inventory websites.

The UK also continues to report on industrial emissions through the UK Pollutant Release and Transfer Protocol (PRTR), which is retained EU law and implements the UNECE Kyiv Protocol on PRTRs.


Written Question
Air Pollution
Wednesday 24th January 2024

Asked by: Geraint Davies (Independent - Swansea West)

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if the Government will adopt the World Health Organisation's guidelines on the maximum permissible levels of pollutants, published in September 2021, in the context of research published by the University of Dundee on the impact of air pollution on hospital admissions for respiratory disease among children.

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 recently set two new stretching and achievable targets for fine particulate matter (PM2.5) under the Environment Act 2021, following an evidence-based process informed by the WHO Guidelines.

We are working towards delivering these targets as set out in the Environmental Improvement Plan 2023 and Air Quality Strategy, which will have significant public health benefits, including for children.


Written Question
Air Pollution
Monday 22nd January 2024

Asked by: Geraint Davies (Independent - Swansea West)

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether protocols exist to warn the (a) general public and (b) susceptible individuals during periods of high levels of air pollution.

Answered by Robbie Moore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Government makes a wide range of information available to the public through the UK-Air website and X feed. This includes a five-day forecast, the latest local measurements from our nationwide monitoring networks, and health advice informed by the work of the Committee on the Medical Effects of Air Pollutants.

Air quality forecasts are communicated using the Daily Air Quality Index (DAQI). The DAQI informs the public about levels of air pollution in their area and provides health advice in the form of recommended actions that could be taken according to the level of air pollution for both the general public and susceptible individuals.

As part of the Air Quality Information System review, we are conducting an evaluation assessing the appropriateness and effectiveness of the current DAQI.


Written Question
Clean Air Act 1993
Monday 22nd January 2024

Asked by: Geraint Davies (Independent - Swansea West)

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what reviews he has undertaken on the adequacy of the Clean Air Act 1993 since the Review of the Clean Air Act Call for Evidence Summary of Responses, published in July 2014.

Answered by Robbie Moore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Since the Review of the Clean Air Act Call for Evidence Summary of Responses was published, we have passed the Environment Act 2021.

This legislation updated our comprehensive legal framework, including by amending the Clean Air Act 1993. The Environmental Improvement Plan published in January 2023 sets out the further actions we will take to reduce emissions, including from domestic sources and industry.


Written Question
Air Pollution
Monday 22nd January 2024

Asked by: Geraint Davies (Independent - Swansea West)

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 ensure compliance with (a) legal limits and (b) targets for (i) benzo[a]pyrene, (ii) nickel, (iii) nitrogen dioxide, (iv) ozone and (v) particulate matter.

Answered by Robbie Moore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

We are delivering a wide range of actions to drive improvements to air quality:

  • We introduced two new interim targets for fine particulate matter, which are set out in our Environmental Improvement Plan 2023.
  • Delivering the NO2 programme, which has ring-fenced £883m to work with local authorities to develop and implement measures to address NO2 exceedances in the shortest possible time.
  • Published an update report that sets out the measures taken by operators and regulators to achieve target values for benzo[a]pyrene and nickel in December 2023 at 2021 Reports on Measures - Defra, UK.
  • Reducing the UK’s emissions of ozone precursor chemicals through the EIP and International engagement through the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe Convention on Long Range Transboundary Air Pollution (CLRTAP).

We continually measure ambient concentrations of a wide range of air pollutants, including ozone, nitrogen oxides, sulphur dioxide, carbon monoxide, particles, hydrocarbons, and metallic pollutants at over 500 urban, suburban, roadside, industrial and rural locations throughout the UK. In September 2023 we published the Air Pollution in the UK 2022 report providing the most comprehensive and complete analytical picture of the UK’s air pollution during 2022, at Air Pollution in the UK report - Defra, UK.


Written Question
Clean Air Act 1993
Monday 22nd January 2024

Asked by: Geraint Davies (Independent - Swansea West)

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 take steps to ensure that the report entitled Assessment of the effectiveness of measures under the Clean Air Act 1993, published on 20 July 2012, is updated to include (a) modern fuels and (b) technologies.

Answered by Robbie Moore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

We have no current plans to update the named report.

Through the Environment Act 2021, we updated our comprehensive legal framework, including by amending the Clean Air Act 1993. The Environmental Improvement Plan published in January 2023 sets out the further actions we will take to reduce emissions, including from domestic sources and industry.


Written Question
Agriculture: Biodiversity
Tuesday 16th January 2024

Asked by: Geraint Davies (Independent - Swansea West)

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 conserve UK agrobiodiversity to prevent (a) genetic erosion and (b) species extinction.

Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

We are already implementing a set of targeted schemes to improve the environment and productivity. Investing in the natural environment will help us reduce future risks related to the loss of biodiversity. In 2024 in our combined Sustainable Farming Incentive and Countryside Stewardship Scheme offer we are introducing new and updated actions to further support species recovery and management.

We are addressing conserving agrobiodiversity through our commitments to conserve genetic resources on under the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture and the Convention on Biological Diversity.

Activities to protect and conserve livestock genetic resources also include encouraging sustainable breeding programmes through Zootechnical legislation, monitoring populations of pedigree livestock including native breeds which are published in an annual UK National Breed inventory and protecting eligible native breeds at risk from culling during notifiable disease outbreaks.

The Government recognises the important role local abattoirs play in supporting native breed farmers and the wider rural economy. In December 2023 Defra launched the £4 million Smaller Abattoir Fund to boost the sustainability and efficiency of red meat and poultry smaller abattoirs across England.

To conserve plant genetic resources for food and agriculture Defra funds three plant gene banks, the national collections for fruit, vegetables and peas, which conserve and provide access to plant genetic material.

In situ conservation of forest genetic resources has started to be delivered by voluntary designation of 17 gene conservation units by the Woodland Trust. Ex situ conservation of forest genetic resources has been achieved through both seed banking and by clone banks. The UK National Tree Seed Project, led by Royal Botanic Gardens Kew has conserved seed collections of the UK native trees from populations across the UK. Forest Research and the Future Trees Trust have set up and mange clone banks for improved forestry material.


Written Question
Food Supply: Research
Tuesday 16th January 2024

Asked by: Geraint Davies (Independent - Swansea West)

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 work with higher education institutions to support (a) research and (b) development of new (i) technologies and (ii) practices to promote sustainable food systems.

Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Defra works extensively with UK higher education institutions in partnership with UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) to support research and development. This includes collaborating on the development and adoption of technologies and practices through the £270M Farming Innovation Programme. Universities and research organisations are involved in most projects within this Programme, which develops real-world solutions to the challenges being faced, improving productivity and sustainability of farm businesses. Other examples include supporting the £47.5M UKRI-led Strategic Priorities Fund on Transforming Food Systems, which seeks to develop food systems that enhance both human and planetary health.

Defra’s Agri-Food Science Programme develops R&D to stimulate innovation to enable sustainable food systems. This includes through our crop Genetic Improvement Networks, which bring together key research institutes in crop genetics, including from higher education institutes, to identify genetic traits to improve the productivity, sustainability and resilience of crops.