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 estimate she has made of the annual mean concentration of fine particulate matter PM2.5 (a) from (i) non-anthropogenic sources and (ii) transboundary sources and (b) in total in (A) the East Midlands, (B) the East of England, (C) Greater London, (D) the North East, (E) the North West, (F) the South East, (G) the South West, (H) the West Midlands, (I) Yorkshire and the Humber and (J) England in 2021.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Impacts of transboundary pollution were considered as part of the assessment that informed the setting of our new PM2.5 targets. The evidence report published alongside the target consultation (https://consult.defra.gov.uk/natural-environment-policy/consultation-on-environmental-targets/supporting_documents/Air%20quality%20targets%20%20Detailed%20Evidence%20report.pdfEvidence report) described the PM2.5 concentrations expected under different scenarios across the UK in future years and the different sources that contribute to this. Information on historic PM2.5 concentrations in different locations across the country can be found in the Technical report on UK supplementary modelling assessment under the Air Quality Standards Regulations 2010 for 2021 (defra.gov.uk).
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, with reference to modelling by the Norwegian Meteorological Institute as part of the review of the Gothenburg Protocol, what estimate she has made of accumulated population exposure in the UK from fine particulate matter at (a) five, (b) six, (c) seven, (d) eight, (e) nine and (f) 10 micrograms per cubic metre in (i) 2015 and (ii) 2030.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
UK representatives attended the Eighth Joint Session of the EMEP Steering Body and Working Group on Effects meeting in September, where a summary of the EMEP status report was presented and the Review report of the Gothenburg Protocol. All of the outputs from Norwegian Meteorological Institute carried out as part of MSC-West under the Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution can be found at https://www.emep.int/mscw/. We will consider the results from the reports.
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 she has made an assessment of the implications for her policies of the findings set out in the report entitled EMEP Status Report 1/2022 Transboundary particulate matter, photo-oxidants, acidifying and eutrophying components, published on 29 September 2022.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
UK representatives attended the Eighth Joint Session of the EMEP Steering Body and Working Group on Effects meeting in September, where a summary of the EMEP status report was presented and the Review report of the Gothenburg Protocol. All of the outputs from Norwegian Meteorological Institute carried out as part of MSC-West under the Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution can be found at https://www.emep.int/mscw/. We will consider the results from the reports.
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 estimated annual mean concentrations of fine particulate matter, PM2.5, in (a) 2015, (b) 2030 and (c) other years has the Norwegian Meteorological Institute shared with his Department as part of the review of the Gothenburg Protocol.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
UK representatives attended the Eighth Joint Session of the EMEP Steering Body and Working Group on Effects meeting in September, where a summary of the EMEP status report was presented and the Review report of the Gothenburg Protocol. All of the outputs from Norwegian Meteorological Institute carried out as part of MSC-West under the Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution can be found at https://www.emep.int/mscw/. We will consider the results from the reports.
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 role the Norwegian Meteorological Institute undertakes as part of the review of the Gothenburg Protocol.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
UK representatives attended the Eighth Joint Session of the EMEP Steering Body and Working Group on Effects meeting in September, where a summary of the EMEP status report was presented and the Review report of the Gothenburg Protocol. All of the outputs from Norwegian Meteorological Institute carried out as part of MSC-West under the Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution can be found at https://www.emep.int/mscw/. We will consider the results from the reports.
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 she is taking steps to prevent the (a) import and (b) sale of fur.
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
We have committed to explore potential action in relation to animal fur, as set out in the Action Plan for Animal Welfare and have since conducted a Call for Evidence on the fur sector along with other forms of engagement with interested parties.
We are continuing to build our evidence base on the fur sector, which will be used to inform any future action on the fur trade.
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 assessment she has made of the implications for her policies of the Chief Medical Officer’s annual report 2022 on air pollution.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Chief Medical Officer’s report brought together assessments by multiple scientists. Much of the analysis had already been set out in the 2019 Clean Air Strategy, as was action to keep improving air quality, further updated in our recent Environmental Improvement Plan.
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 discussions she had has with Cabinet colleagues on the potential merits of including natural gas, petrol or oil used in domestic cooking and heating appliances in UK REACH legislation.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
UK REACH aims to ensure companies who put chemicals on the market understand and manage the risks they might pose. Under UK REACH, manufacturers and importers have a duty to register chemicals to access the GB market. We have the freedom to make our own regulatory decisions where we see there is a strong case of a risk to human health and/or the environment that needs addressing, and we have already started using UK REACH to address risks from chemicals, based on the assessment of risk in GB.
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 she has had discussions with Cabinet colleagues on creating financial incentives for making food available to a food banks, with a similar incentive structure to those for sending food waste to anaerobic digestors.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Secretary of State has regular discussions with Cabinet colleagues on a range of matters, and Cabinet discussions are considered confidential.
There are tax incentives for companies to redistribute food. If a company donates its trading stock to a charity then the company in question would not have to include anything in its sales income for the value of the gift. This means, the company receives tax relief on the cost of the stock given away. Further information can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/tax-limited-company-gives-to-charity/equipment-and-trading-stock.
There is also encouragement to redistribute or use for animal feed, as the anaerobic digestion plant gate fees act as a disincentive for the food and drink sector to dispose of unwanted food. A gate fee is typically charged for the disposal of unwanted food at anaerobic digestion plants, whereas this is not required for food redistribution. The latest Waste and Resources Action Programme gate fee survey from 2021 indicates that the median gate fee to process food waste by anaerobic digestion in the UK is £30-33 per tonne.
The Green Gas Support Scheme provides tariff support for biomethane produced from anaerobic digestion. The scheme has an eligibility requirement for at least 50% of all biomethane (by energy content) to be produced using waste or residue feedstocks, including food waste.
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 assessment she has made of the potential effect of the Retained EU Law Bill will on UK pesticide standards; and whether all existing bans on active substances will be maintained as part of that legislation.
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra is in the process of analysing and assessing its retained EU law (REUL) stock to determine what should be preserved as part of domestic law, and what should be repealed or amended. This work will determine how we use the powers in the Bill, including in relation to the regulation of plant protection products.
In reviewing REUL, Defra’s aim is to ensure that environmental law is fit for purpose and able to drive improved environmental outcomes, while also ensuring regulators can deliver efficiently. This will ensure the UK regulatory framework is appropriate and tailored to the UK. The Government has clear environmental and climate goals, set out in the 25 Year Environment Plan, and any changes to environmental regulation will need to support those goals.