Asked by: Jess Asato (Labour - Lowestoft)
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 reduce the amount of post-consumer textiles discarded annually.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Secretary of State has asked his department to convene a taskforce of experts from across Government, industry, academia and relevant non-governmental organisations. The Taskforce will help to develop a Circular Economy Strategy for England and a series of roadmaps detailing the interventions that the Government will make on a sector-by-sector basis. The Taskforce will consider the evidence for action right across the economy, and as such the Taskforce will evaluate what interventions may need to be made in the textiles sector as it helps to develop the Circular Economy Strategy.
In the meantime, we continue to fund action in this area through the Textiles 2030 voluntary initiative which supports businesses and organisations within the fashion and textiles industry to transition to more sustainable and circular practices.
Asked by: Jess Asato (Labour - Lowestoft)
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 plans to spend on flood defences in each of the next three financial years.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
This Government is committed to protecting communities across the country from the dangers of flooding. We will launch a Flood Resilience Taskforce to turbocharge the delivery of flood defences, drainage systems and natural flood management schemes.
We have inherited a floods investment programme which is behind schedule. Since 2021, around 300 flood defence schemes have been completed, investing £2.3bn to protect more than 88,000 properties. In addition, an aging asset base, inflation and last winter’s storms have affected the condition of our existing flood defences. Where a flood defence is below the required condition, the Environment Agency take measures to ensure that communities are not put at risk of flooding.
Moving forwards, we will be reviewing the programme with a view to ensuring flood risk management is fit for the challenges we face now and in the future within the constraints of an economically tight outlook.
Asked by: Jess Asato (Labour - Lowestoft)
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 a cost estimate of the potential economic damage of a future flooding event in Lowestoft.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Coastal Partnership East is partnership of three local authorities responsible for part of the Norfolk and Suffolk coastline (East Suffolk Council, North Norfolk District Council and Great Yarmouth Borough Council), including Lowestoft. Coastal Partnership East made an estimate of the potential economic damages from future flooding events in Lowestoft. This was completed as part of a business case for a new barrier at Lowestoft submitted in April 2023, prepared by Coastal Partnership East using standard Environment Agency guidance and methodologies.
This estimated the future economic damages from tidal flooding, without the investment proposed in the business case, to be approximately £150m over the next 100 years. The economic damages from river and surface water flood risk was approximately £50m over 100 years.
Asked by: Jess Asato (Labour - Lowestoft)
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 hold discussions with the (a) hon. Member for Lowestoft and (b) Coastal Partnership East on flood protection at (i) Pakefield Cliffs and (ii) Lowestoft town.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
I am replying as the Minister responsible for this policy area. I would be happy to meet and discuss these matters further. My office will be in touch to make suitable arrangements.