Asked by: Greg Smith (Conservative - Mid Buckinghamshire)
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 potential implications for his policies of the ecological vulnerability of chalk stream habitats; and whether his Department plans to develop a national strategy for their (a) protection and (b) restoration.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Cleaning up our waters, including iconic sites such as chalk streams is a top government priority. That is why on 23 October 2024, the Secretary of State announced the launch of an independent commission to fundamentally transform how our water system works.
Fixing the systemic issues in the water system is essential to address the multiple pressures facing chalk streams, namely over abstraction, phosphorous pollution and physical modifications of habitats. Restoring our chalk streams to better ecological health is part of our overall programme of reforms for the water sector.
Alongside this, we are continuing to direct investment to projects that will improve chalk streams. Through the Water Industry National Environment Programme (WINEP), over 1000 improvement projects are planned within chalk stream catchments between 2024-2029.
Asked by: Greg Smith (Conservative - Mid Buckinghamshire)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference pages 19-20 of StandWithUs' report entitled StandWithUs UK Report: Voice of Students 2024/25 Report, published in May 2025, if she will have discussions with the Vice Chancellor of Brunel University of London on (a) reported comments made to a Jewish student at that University and (b) that University's subsequent actions in response.
Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
This government condemns antisemitism in the strongest possible terms and we are actively taking steps to prevent and tackle it on campus, as in all parts of society. The antisemitic incidents detailed in StandWithUs UK’s report are wholly unacceptable and the wellbeing and safety of our Jewish students remains a priority.
Universities have a duty to protect freedom of speech and academic freedom within the law, but the department has been clear that this does not extend to unlawful hate speech or incitement of hatred against any individual or group.
It is important to recognise the efforts that university Vice Chancellors and their staff are making to foster cohesion on campuses across the country. However, as the StandWithUs UK report highlights, there is still more for us to do. That is why my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education is hosting a roundtable on antisemitism to which she has invited several leading Vice Chancellors, many whose students and universities are featured in StandWithUs UK’s testimonials, including Professor Andrew Jones, Vice Chancellor of Brunel, University of London. This will be an opportunity to discuss what more can be done collectively, and at all levels, to make our universities a safe and inclusive environment for all.
Asked by: Greg Smith (Conservative - Mid Buckinghamshire)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she plans to hold discussions with university vice-chancellors in relation to the report by StandWithUs UK entitled Voice of Students 2024-25, published on 7 May 2025.
Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
This government condemns antisemitism in the strongest possible terms and we are actively taking steps to prevent and tackle it on campus, as in all parts of society. The antisemitic incidents detailed in StandWithUs UK’s report are wholly unacceptable and the wellbeing and safety of our Jewish students remains a priority.
Universities have a duty to protect freedom of speech and academic freedom within the law, but the department has been clear that this does not extend to unlawful hate speech or incitement of hatred against any individual or group.
It is important to recognise the efforts that university Vice Chancellors and their staff are making to foster cohesion on campuses across the country. However, as the StandWithUs UK report highlights, there is still more for us to do. That is why my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education is hosting a roundtable on antisemitism to which she has invited several leading Vice Chancellors, many whose students and universities are featured in StandWithUs UK’s testimonials, including Professor Andrew Jones, Vice Chancellor of Brunel, University of London. This will be an opportunity to discuss what more can be done collectively, and at all levels, to make our universities a safe and inclusive environment for all.
Asked by: Greg Smith (Conservative - Mid Buckinghamshire)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of the governance arrangements of the National Foundation for Educational Research.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)
The National Foundation for Educational Research is a leading provider of research and assessments in the UK. The department has no formal oversight or management relationship with them, and as such, has not made an assessment of the adequacy of their governance arrangements.
Asked by: Greg Smith (Conservative - Mid Buckinghamshire)
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 plans to take to ensure that local authorities use funds from the Extended Producer Responsibility scheme solely for waste management and environmental purposes.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
pEPR regulations include a range of measures to drive improved performance and ensure local authorities make the investments needed to support an efficient and effective waste management service for household packaging. These include:
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Asked by: Greg Smith (Conservative - Mid Buckinghamshire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the Extended Producer Responsibility scheme on (a) local economic growth and (b) the financial resilience of local authorities.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Extended producer responsibility for packaging (pEPR) and the packaging reforms more broadly, will deliver both positive environmental and economic benefits, supporting 21,000 jobs in our nations and regions, and stimulating more than 10 billion pounds investment in recycling capability over the next decade. The impact of pEPR on local economic growth has not been assessed.
Local government in England is expected to receive over £1 billion of new funding in 2025-26 through the implementation of the Extended Producer Responsibility for packaging scheme.
The government will guarantee that if local authorities in England do not receive Extended Producer Responsibility income in line with their November 2024 payment estimates in the first year of the scheme (2025-26), they will provide an in-year top up.
This funding will cover the existing costs local authorities incur for managing household packaging waste, provide additional funding for new legal duties, and support much needed investment in the waste and recycling industry.
Asked by: Greg Smith (Conservative - Mid Buckinghamshire)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on the impact of the Extended Producer Responsibility scheme on small and medium-sized enterprises.
Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Government has listened to feedback from small businesses and introduced support measures to help compliance with EPR, including: exemptions from fee obligations for producers with annual turnover below £2 million and packaging tonnage below 50 tonnes; exemptions from reporting for businesses with turnover below £1 million and packaging tonnage below 25 tonnes; and flexibility for those with obligations to pay in quarterly instalments.
Both Secretaries of State will shortly be meeting representatives from across the impacted sectors, from Small and Medium Enterprises to larger companies alike, to discuss the economic impact of EPR in more detail.
Asked by: Greg Smith (Conservative - Mid Buckinghamshire)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she is taking to improve energy efficiency across her Department's estate.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
We have interpreted this to refer to measures undertaken across the Department’s estate in support of broader sustainability and decarbonisation objectives.
DWP is forecast to achieve the challenging energy efficiency related targets set out in the Greening Government Commitments (GGC), which finished in April 2025. While we await final clearance on the latest iteration GGC framework, we continue to prioritise energy efficiency across our operational estate.
The DWPs strategy for improving energy efficiency includes:
Looking ahead to this financial year, we intend to expand and accelerate these activities, subject to available resources, building on successful projects and continuing to embed energy efficiency as a core principle of our estate strategy
Asked by: Greg Smith (Conservative - Mid Buckinghamshire)
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 that (a) pubs and (b) other businesses are not charged twice for glass recycling under the Extended Producer Responsibility scheme.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Since Autumn 2024, the Government has been working with stakeholders, including representatives of the hospitality sector, to consider potential amendments to the definition of household packaging. Despite considering multiple approaches, a consensus on a single approach that works for all sectors and within the bounds of legal and regulatory requirements, was not reached. We are continuing to engage with sectors on a way forward and on assessing the tonnages of packaging any amendment might affect in the hospitality sector and in other sectors. We are planning next steps as a priority.
Asked by: Greg Smith (Conservative - Mid Buckinghamshire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether pubs that have already paid for glass recycling will be reimbursed for Extended Producer Responsibility charges.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Since Autumn 2024, the Government has been working with stakeholders, including representatives of the hospitality sector, to consider potential amendments to the definition of household packaging. Despite considering multiple approaches, a consensus on a single approach that works for all sectors and within the bounds of legal and regulatory requirements, was not reached. We are continuing to engage with sectors on a way forward and on assessing the tonnages of packaging any amendment might affect in the hospitality sector and in other sectors. We are planning next steps as a priority.