Asked by: Helen Hayes (Labour - Dulwich and West Norwood)
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 (a) recover retention payments issued by Thames Water and (b) ensure this money is reinvested in customer services.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Under the Water (Special Measures) Act, the Government has given Ofwat new powers to block unjustified payments.
The Government will not tolerate any company attempting to circumvent the ban on executive bonuses for poorly performing companies by introducing mechanisms such as salary increases or payments through parent companies. Ofwat’s definition of performance-related pay is clear; any payment, consideration or other benefit provided as a result of meeting targets and performance standards. Government is clear that it is important for water companies to be guided by the letter and spirit of this definition.
Ofwat has been asked to assess the legality of these arrangements: should Ofwat find any rule breaches, companies will face enforcement action which can include financial penalties.
Whilst Ofwat is closely monitoring the effectiveness of its rules on executive remuneration, the onus remains on companies to fully comply with both the rules and the intent behind them; namely, that executive pay should reflect company performance. The Secretary of State has written to all water companies reiterating the firm expectation companies are fully transparent over the entire remuneration package for executives.
The Secretary of State has been clear that customer money must be ringfenced and used solely to improve services and protect the environment. Ofwat has confirmed that infrastructure investment funds cannot be diverted to bonuses, dividends, or salary uplifts. These safeguards are part of a wider reform agenda to restore public confidence in the sector.
Asked by: Helen Hayes (Labour - Dulwich and West Norwood)
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 review (a) retention payments and (b) similar schemes used by water companies subject to a ban on bonuses.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Under the Water (Special Measures) Act, the Government has given Ofwat new powers to block unjustified payments.
The Government will not tolerate any company attempting to circumvent the ban on executive bonuses for poorly performing companies by introducing mechanisms such as salary increases or payments through parent companies. Ofwat’s definition of performance-related pay is clear; any payment, consideration or other benefit provided as a result of meeting targets and performance standards. Government is clear that it is important for water companies to be guided by the letter and spirit of this definition.
Ofwat has been asked to assess the legality of these arrangements: should Ofwat find any rule breaches, companies will face enforcement action which can include financial penalties.
Whilst Ofwat is closely monitoring the effectiveness of its rules on executive remuneration, the onus remains on companies to fully comply with both the rules and the intent behind them; namely, that executive pay should reflect company performance. The Secretary of State has written to all water companies reiterating the firm expectation companies are fully transparent over the entire remuneration package for executives.
The Secretary of State has been clear that customer money must be ringfenced and used solely to improve services and protect the environment. Ofwat has confirmed that infrastructure investment funds cannot be diverted to bonuses, dividends, or salary uplifts. These safeguards are part of a wider reform agenda to restore public confidence in the sector.
Asked by: Helen Hayes (Labour - Dulwich and West Norwood)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate he has made of the number of retention payments issued by Thames Water in each of the last three years.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Under the Water (Special Measures) Act, the Government has given Ofwat new powers to block unjustified payments.
The Government will not tolerate any company attempting to circumvent the ban on executive bonuses for poorly performing companies by introducing mechanisms such as salary increases or payments through parent companies. Ofwat’s definition of performance-related pay is clear; any payment, consideration or other benefit provided as a result of meeting targets and performance standards. Government is clear that it is important for water companies to be guided by the letter and spirit of this definition.
Ofwat has been asked to assess the legality of these arrangements: should Ofwat find any rule breaches, companies will face enforcement action which can include financial penalties.
Whilst Ofwat is closely monitoring the effectiveness of its rules on executive remuneration, the onus remains on companies to fully comply with both the rules and the intent behind them; namely, that executive pay should reflect company performance. The Secretary of State has written to all water companies reiterating the firm expectation companies are fully transparent over the entire remuneration package for executives.
The Secretary of State has been clear that customer money must be ringfenced and used solely to improve services and protect the environment. Ofwat has confirmed that infrastructure investment funds cannot be diverted to bonuses, dividends, or salary uplifts. These safeguards are part of a wider reform agenda to restore public confidence in the sector.
Asked by: Helen Hayes (Labour - Dulwich and West Norwood)
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 set targets for the reuse of digital devices in the extended producer responsibility regime.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
We do not currently set targets for the reuse of digital devices in the waste electricals producer responsibility regime. The Circular Economy Taskforce will consider evidence for action right across the economy and evaluate which interventions are required as we develop the Circular Economy Strategy for England.
Asked by: Helen Hayes (Labour - Dulwich and West Norwood)
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 18 September 2024 to Question 5227 on Wood-burning Stoves, what recent estimate he has made of when his Department will complete its assessment of options to (a) reduce the impact of wood burning stoves on people’s health and (b) meet statutory targets for this pollutant.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Officials are currently evaluating a number of options to reduce emissions of air pollutants, in particular fine particulate matter, from domestic burning, which I anticipate will be completed in spring this year. The Government launched a rapid review of the Environmental Improvement Plan (EIP) to revise our plan for significantly improving the environment and deliver legally binding targets including for Air Quality and PM2.5. The Government concluded the review of the EIP at the end of last year and will publish a summary of findings in early 2025. This will be followed by publication of a revised EIP.
Asked by: Helen Hayes (Labour - Dulwich and West Norwood)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent discussion she has had with the Office of Environmental Protection on (a) air quality and (b) its health impacts.
Answered by Rebecca Pow
The Department has regular discussions with the Office for Environmental Protection, on a range of issues. We are taking wide-ranging actions on improving air quality as set out in the Environmental Improvement Plan 2023 to drive down air pollution and its health impacts.
Asked by: Helen Hayes (Labour - Dulwich and West Norwood)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what guidance his Department has issued to (a) local authorities and (b) manufacturers on the 3mg limit on new stoves in Smoke Control Areas.
Answered by Robbie Moore - Shadow Minister (Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
In our Environmental Improvement Plan, published in January 2023, we committed to lowering the emission limits for solid fuel stoves in Smoke Control Areas from 5 grams of smoke per hour of operation to at least as low as 3 grams of smoke per hour of operation.
As the Department is currently developing this policy, no guidance has yet been issued.
Asked by: Helen Hayes (Labour - Dulwich and West Norwood)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate he has made of the (a) number of complaints to English local authorities regarding domestic smoke between January 2022 and September 2023 and (b) proportion of such complaints which resulted in enforcement action.
Answered by Robbie Moore - Shadow Minister (Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra does not hold a central database recording complaints to local authorities or enforcement action taken.
Asked by: Helen Hayes (Labour - Dulwich and West Norwood)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much his Department has spent on the Burn Better, Breathe Better campaign.
Answered by Robbie Moore - Shadow Minister (Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Department will spend at least £328,000 on the 2023-4 Burn Better, Breathe Better Campaign. This is delivering targeted communications which promote best practice in the use of open fires and stoves to reduce emissions of air pollutants.
Asked by: Helen Hayes (Labour - Dulwich and West Norwood)
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 potential merits of phasing out wood burning stoves.
Answered by Robbie Moore - Shadow Minister (Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Our Environmental Improvement Plan published in January 2023 sets out our polices to reduce emissions from wood burning. We recognise that some households are reliant on solid fuels as a primary heat source. Our policies are focused on encouraging those who must burn to do so in the cleanest way possible.