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 assessment his Department has made of whether local planning authorities have sufficient resources to implement the proposed requirements of the Environment Bill.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government wants to see better planning for nature, in a way that’s more efficient as well as effective. The Environment Bill will provide greater certainty through the planning system on how to plan effectively for the local environment.
We consulted local authorities during the policy making stage, and continue to be committed to working in partnership with local government on the implementation of these measures.
The Government will cover any additional costs these measures place on local authorities.
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 assessment his Department has made of the potential effect of the proposed 10 per cent biodiversity net gain in new developments on the effectiveness of the nature recovery network.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
We published an impact assessment which quantifies the potential benefits of a mandatory biodiversity net gain requirement. This analysis estimates that net gain is likely to deliver several thousands of hectares of habitat creation and enhancement per year, and we anticipate this will make an important contribution to the Nature Recovery Network (NRN).
Beyond the contribution of biodiversity net gain, the NRN requires clear spatial strategies to direct investment, strong partnerships to support its delivery, and a clear set of incentives and land management actions to drive improvements.
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 assessment her Department has made of the findings in the IPCC’s Special Report entitled the Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate.
Answered by Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
We welcome the IPCC Special Report, which provides the best available science on the wide range of impacts of climate change on the ocean and the cryosphere and potential measures for building resilience to those impacts. Climate change has already caused significant impacts on the ocean and cryosphere, including warming, acidification and deoxygenation of the ocean, melting of glaciers, ice sheets and permafrost, and sea level rise, with detrimental consequences for ecosystems and people.
As this report and the IPCC Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5◦C find, the severity of future impacts depends heavily on the levels of future greenhouse gas emissions. Higher emissions will result in more severe impacts, which is why the UK government set a legally binding target to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions from across the UK economy by 2050.
To limit global warming to 1.5 degrees we should explore every available avenue. In the marine environment, Nature Based Solutions such as the conservation and restoration of coastal habitats, protection of coral reefs and designation of Marine Protected Areas can provide climate mitigation as well as climate adaptation and resilience benefits for biodiversity, fish nursery habitats, storm protection and contributions to coastal communities. To that end, the UK is encouraging countries to join the Global Ocean Alliance - our call to protect at least 30% of the global ocean within Marine Protected Areas by 2030.
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 plans her Department has to improve flood defences in (a) rural, (b) coastal and (c) urban areas in response to rising sea levels.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Government is investing £2.6 billion from 2015-2021 to better protect the country from flooding and this will attract more than £600 million of additional investment. This is funding over 1,000 flood defence schemes, which will better protect 300,000 homes by 2021. The Environment Agency regularly reviews the programme: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/programme-of-flood-and-coastal-erosion-risk-management-schemes
On September 10, the Government announced a £62 million boost for thirteen flooding defence schemes across the country, and we are also making up to £2 million available to support farmers North Yorkshire and Wainfleet, with uninsurable damages resulting from the summer flooding. The Farm Recovery Fund was opened on Friday 20 September and farmers can apply for grants between £500 and £25,000 to cover a number of repair costs.
By the end of 2019 the Government will set out its policies to better prepare the country for flooding and coastal erosion in a Government policy statement on flooding and coastal erosion. The Government will also set out plans for broader infrastructure investment through the publication of a National Infrastructure Strategy later in the autumn. Informed by this Government policy, the Environment Agency will update its national strategy for flood and coastal erosion risk management. These documents will ensure the country is on the right footing to better manage and adapt to the risks of flooding and coastal erosion. Improving our resilience to these risks will have benefits for our economy, environment, communities and our wellbeing.
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 his timescale is for responding to his Department's consultation on Single use plastic: banning the distribution and/or sale of plastic straws, stirrers and plastic-stemmed cotton buds in England.
Answered by Thérèse Coffey
Policy officials are currently developing proposals regarding the ban on the sale and/or distribution of plastic straws, stirrers and plastic stemmed-cotton buds. The analysis, responses and Government response will be published shortly.
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 plans his Department has to reduce plastic pollution in rivers and streams.
Answered by Thérèse Coffey
The Government published the Resources and Waste strategy in December last year, setting out our plans to reduce plastic pollution with a target to eliminate all avoidable waste throughout the life of the 25 Year Environment Plan. Estimates show that the majority of aquatic litter originates from land based sources therefore our main approach to stemming the flow is by taking action on land.
We have already consulted on banning plastic straws, stirrers, cotton buds and extending the carrier bag charge. Since the introduction of the charge in 2015, 15.6 billion fewer bags have been handed out to shoppers by the seven main retailers. We are currently consulting on a number of key policy measures to significantly change the way that we manage our waste. These include: reforming existing packaging waste regulations; exploring the introduction of a deposit return scheme for drinks containers; and increasing consistency in the recycling system; with a parallel consultation on the ‘Plastic Packaging Tax’ that the Chancellor announced in the Budget last year. Legislative proposals will be developed taking account of the consultation responses.
The UK is already making great strides to tackle the plastic that blights our streets, rivers and oceans. Our world-leading ban on microbeads in rinse-off cosmetics and personal care products will help stop potentially billions of tiny pieces of plastic from entering the aquatic environment every year. We have also announced a £200,000 research project which will focus on microplastics derived from tyres and clothing. This will report shortly, and the evidence will help us develop policies to tackle the problem effectively.
Through its seven-point plan on plastics, the Environment Agency (EA) is exploring additional ways in which regulatory and voluntary initiatives could reduce plastics entering both the marine, and freshwater environments. The EA are working closely with the water industry and leading academics to investigate the types and quantities of microplastics entering the environment to identify where best to focus our efforts.
Wastewater treatment works are important pathways for contaminants, including microplastics, to enter the wider aquatic environment. Over £9 billion has been invested in England and Wales between 1990 and 2010 to improve sewage treatment works and collecting systems to limit polluting events, and £2 billion more is planned by 2020.
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 plans his Department has to reduce the use of disposable plastic bottles.
Answered by Thérèse Coffey
Our Resources and Waste Strategy, published 18 December 2018, sets out how we will eliminate all avoidable plastic waste.
The Government is currently consulting on proposals to introduce a Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) for drinks containers in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The aims of a DRS are to reduce the amount of littering in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, boost recycling levels for relevant material, and promote recycling through clear labelling and consumer messaging. HDPE and PTE plastic bottles are included in the proposals.
National Refill Day was launched in September 2018 to raise awareness for reusable plastic bottles and encourage the public to reduce plastic waste. We will continue to support initiatives from business and civil society where doing so drives further improvement and explore other avenues for progress in consultation with stakeholders.
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 assessment his Department has made of the effect on food supplies of the UK leaving the EU without a deal; and what plans his Department has to (a) maintain food supply and (b) protect against increases in food prices.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK has a high degree of food security, built on access to a range of sources including strong domestic production and imports from other countries. We have a highly resilient food supply chain and consumers in the UK have access to a range of sources of food. This will continue to be the case when we leave the EU, with or without a deal.
The food industry is experienced in dealing with scenarios that can affect food supply, from adverse weather damaging crops in other countries to transport issues abroad. We are meeting weekly with industry and retailers to make sure we are prepared for all scenarios as we leave the EU.
On food prices, we have observed that the most important drivers of change in the cost of food are global food commodity prices, exchange rates and oil prices. This will continue to be the case once the UK has left the EU; the UK Government has no direct control of these factors. The UK Government does not have any role in setting food prices nor does it comment on the pricing policies of the food industry. We are working closely with industry to promote transparency for consumers and internationally to promote open global markets.
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 plans his Department has to ensure that the Government’s fracking proposals do not disrupt local wildlife and biodiversity.
Answered by Thérèse Coffey
Statutory consultees including Natural England (NE) and the Environment Agency (EA) are consulted by the relevant Mineral Planning Authority (MPA) when a planning application for hydraulic fracturing development is received. NE is consulted if the proposed development is likely to affect a protected site (Site of Special Scientific Interest, Special Area of Conservation (SAC), Special Protection Area (SPA), Ramsar Wetland, or a potential SPA, possible SAC or a proposed Ramsar Wetland). NE has published ‘Impact Risk Zones’ which can be used to check if the planning proposal relates to land on or near a protected site. In addition MPAs will assess impacts on locally protected sites.
MPAs use NE’s standing advice for protected species when reviewing planning applications and will contact NE if the matter is not covered by the advice. NE may need to issue European Protected Species Licences in certain circumstances. Developers are also encouraged to contact NE at pre-application stages to help ensure that their applications fully take account of potential impacts and that measures are put in place to avoid or mitigate those impacts as well as maximising opportunities for biodiversity.
In applying to the EA for environmental permits, operators are also required to consider the effect that their activity may have on protected sites, habitats and species. Where any sites of heritage and nature conservation, or protected species and habitats are identified, they may need to consult other bodies such as NE and can enforce permit conditions to protect habitats.
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 plans his Department has to ensure the UK meets its targets under the Global Convention on Biological Diversity; and what assessment his has Department has made of the UK's progress towards meeting those targets.
Answered by Thérèse Coffey
The Government’s report to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) on progress with current targets and commitments was published in March. It can be viewed at: http://jncc.defra.gov.uk/page-7731
Of the 19 targets assessed, 5 were on track and 14 showed progress though at an insufficient rate. The targets are multi-faceted and global in scope. As such not all targets can be achieved by individual countries alone; they require collective action. Target 10, for example, requires countries to minimize anthropogenic pressures on coral reefs and other vulnerable ecosystems. The UK is making progress with protecting coral reefs and restoring other vulnerable ecosystems such as peatland, but they remain vulnerable to climate change. The real value of the targets is in driving positive change across the world and the report sets out clear areas of progress in the UK on which we are determined to build.
Domestic biodiversity policy is a devolved matter and the information provided relates to England only, except in relation to our plans internationally.
On land, over 93% of our protected sites, covering over 1 million hectares, are now in good condition or have management in place to restore their condition. Over the last 2 years, we have already introduced funding for peatland ecosystem restoration and woodland expansion as a contribution to climate change mitigation. At sea, we are putting management measures in place to protect existing MPAs and expanding our network of sites. We have consulted on a third tranche of 41 Marine Conservation Zones. Sites to be designated will be in place by 7 June. Our agencies and non-Departmental bodies are working on species recovery projects with landowning and conservation partners, for example on freshwater pearl mussel, short-haired bumblebee and stone curlew.
The ongoing declines in nature are a global problem that need a global solution. That is why the UK is committed to playing a leading role in developing a global post-2020 framework under the CBD that is ambitious and transformational. Our Darwin Initiative supports global action by providing grants to protect biodiversity and the natural environment, with £10.6 million awarded in 2018. The UK Government has committed to protecting the ocean, and has called for at least 30 per cent of the ocean to be in MPAs by 2030.