Asked by: Jim Cunningham (Labour - Coventry South)
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 effectiveness of the current plastic recycling system.
Answered by Baroness Coffey
In England plastic is widely collected for recycling across local authorities. 45% of plastic packaging waste was recycled in 2017, exceeding the EU target of 22.5%.
As part of our Resources and Waste Strategy, the Government analysed the challenges currently facing the recycling industry in this country. Through the Strategy, the Government set out how it would tackle these challenges, including making producers more responsible for the packaging they put on the market and making recycling simpler for households. We want all local waste authorities to collect the same core set of materials for recycling. We also want to introduce a deposit return system. This will increase the quantity and quality of recyclable material collected. Our approach, from production through consumption to end of life, is focused on increasing supply and demand for secondary materials to be recycled in the UK.
Our ambition is to eliminate all avoidable plastic waste over the lifetime of the 25 Year Environmental Plan. For the most problematic plastics we are going faster, which is why we have committed to working towards all plastic packaging placed on the UK market being recyclable, reusable or compostable by 2025.
Asked by: Jim Cunningham (Labour - Coventry South)
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 extend Government guidance on the tethering of owls and vultures in zoos to all birds of prey.
Answered by David Rutley
The Secretary of State's Standards of Modern Zoo Practice already set clear requirements for the tethering of all birds of prey used for demonstrations in zoos. The zoo standards require that tethered birds of prey should be flown at least four times a week unless tethered for medical treatment; that no bird of prey should be tethered permanently, and that all birds of prey should be given the opportunity to fly or move around freely during part of the year. Resting birds of prey should also be provided with sufficient aviary space. Defra’s Zoos Expert Committee is currently considering revisions to the zoo standards as a whole.
Asked by: Jim Cunningham (Labour - Coventry South)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Health on the effect of poor air quality on the level of demand on the NHS.
Answered by Baroness Coffey
The Secretary of State has regular meetings with his counterpart at the Department for Health and Social Care and they discuss air pollution and public health most weeks.
Asked by: Jim Cunningham (Labour - Coventry South)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on the effect on the NHS of rising temperatures as a result of climate change.
Answered by Baroness Coffey
Tackling climate change is a cross-Government priority and is one of a range of issues the Secretary of State discusses with Cabinet colleagues. Defra works closely with the Department for Health and Social Care and other Government Departments and partner organisations to address domestic climate risks, including risks of overheating from high temperatures (one of the six priority risk areas identified in the Government’s second Climate Change Risk Assessment, published in 2017).
Asked by: Jim Cunningham (Labour - Coventry South)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate his Department has made of the level of micro-plastic contamination in UK tap water.
Answered by Baroness Coffey
The Drinking Water Inspectorate (DWI) has commissioned research to investigate the efficiency of microplastic removal by drinking water treatment processes. In addition, the DWI is supporting research by the water industry as a whole to measure levels in treated water in the UK.
Asked by: Jim Cunningham (Labour - Coventry South)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the Government plans to maintain the ban on hormone disrupting chemical pesticides after the UK leaves the EU.
Answered by Robert Goodwill
The Government has made a clear commitment that the UK’s high level of environmental protection will be maintained outside the EU. We will ensure that the regulation of pesticides continues to be robust and fit for purpose, so as to protect people and the environment. This includes maintaining controls on endocrine disrupting chemicals.
We are promptly addressing a drafting error in an EU Exit Statutory Instrument to make it clear that these controls are maintained. We will submit a draft instrument to Parliament for sifting imminently.
Asked by: Jim Cunningham (Labour - Coventry South)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the merits of maintaining the protections provided by EU chemicals and pesticides legislation and Articles 191-193 of the TFEU, after the UK leaves the EU.
Answered by Baroness Coffey
The Government is committed to maintaining standards of environmental protection after we leave the EU.
The Political Declaration refers to the possibility of cooperation between the UK and the European Chemicals Agency on chemicals. Any arrangements will be a matter for future trade negotiations.
Current EU regulations for chemicals and pesticides have already been legislated for in domestic law, where necessary to be automatically triggered in the event of the UK leaving the EU without a deal.
More broadly, the environmental protections afforded by EU Treaties, including the TFEU, will not be weakened when we leave the EU, though we will no longer be part of EU institutions like the Economic and Social Committee. Environmental principles and a provision to publish a policy statement have been included in clauses in the draft Environment Bill.
Asked by: Jim Cunningham (Labour - Coventry South)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate his Department has made of the cost to public purse of sending waste to landfill sites in each of the last three years.
Answered by Baroness Coffey
The Government has not made an estimate of the total cost to the public purse of sending waste to landfill sites in the last three years. The available data shows that the total cost to local authorities of managing waste was £3.4 billion in 2017/18; in the same year local authorities sent 3.2 million tonnes (12.5% of their waste) to landfill, down from 22 million tonnes (78.5%) in 2000/01.