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 the Extended Producer Responsibility Scheme does not discourage investment in manufacturing.

Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The scheme treats domestic manufacturing and import equally, with all packaging and packaged products, whether manufactured and supplied domestically or imported into UK, subject to the obligations in the Extended Producer Responsibility Regulations.

Similarly, any packaging or packaged goods manufactured in the UK and exported will not be in scope of the UK Regulations but may be in scope of the Extended Producer Responsibility regime in the country the packaging or packaged goods are being exported to.

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 (a) the brewing industry and (b) other sectors on the Extended Producer Responsibility scheme.

Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Government has worked closely with industry, including the brewing sector, throughout development of Extended Producer Responsibility for Packaging. Feedback from stakeholders has been factored into finalising the regulations, including consulting stakeholders on a draft of the pEPR regulation in 2023. Defra regularly holds stakeholders’ forums which are well attended by stakeholders across the drinks' value chain, and these are used to provide updates and capture feedback from impacted stakeholders. Since August 2024 we have worked closely with packaging producers to refine the approach to modelling fees and ensure they more accurately reflect the price drivers for local authority collection costs. My officials recently attended events organised by industry, and on 18 March attended a conference held by the National Association of Cider Maker’s to discuss the Extended Producer Responsibility for Packaging and respond to concerns raised by their members.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how his Department determined the fee rates for Extended Producer Responsibility; and whether he consulted industry on those rates.

Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Illustrative base fees are calculated by dividing packaging waste management costs (for household packaging waste) and other relevant costs by the total amount of household packaging placed on the market and this principle was consulted on in 2019 and again in 2021. Since August 2024 Defra have worked closely with packaging producers to refine the approach to modelling fees and ensure they more accurately reflect the price drivers for local authority collection costs. On 20 December Defra published the third iteration of illustrative fees, based on the agreed final proposed modelling scenario for the total disposal costs that should be recovered through EPR in 2025. The illustrative base fees use packaging tonnage data submitted to date by producers on the Report Packaging Data (RPD) online portal for the first six months of 2024, with adjustments applied (see below for further details). These fees represent the best possible point estimate of base fees given currently available information. Final fees, used to invoice producers from October 2025, are expected to be calculated in June 2025 using tonnage data reported by producers for the full year of 2024.

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 potential impact of (a) the cumulative cost burden of the Extended Producer Responsibility Scheme and (b) other business costs on the food and drink sector.

Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Government wants to see all businesses take steps to reduce packaging use, ensure packaging is easy to recycle, and where appropriate move to re-use systems. We have made a full assessment of the impacts that implementing packaging extended producer responsibility will have, which can be found in Section 8 of the impact assessment: The Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging and Packaging Waste) Regulations 2024.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether local authorities will be required to spend the full funds generated through the extended producer responsibility scheme on waste (a) management and (b) processing.

Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Local authority grant funding for waste management through MHCLG block grants has not typically been ringfenced, to protect the sustainability and liquidity of local authority finances and protect principles of devolution. The additional income local authorities receive through pEPR is calculated to cover the modelled costs they incur in fulfilling their statutory waste management duties in regard to household packaging waste and should therefore be spent on waste management. We are encouraging local authorities to invest this income into their recycling services in the 2025 financial year. We recognise that packaging producers have a strong interest in ensuring pEPR fees are used to support transition to a circular economy and we are currently exploring options to support this ambition.

For year 1 of pEPR, we have agreed with HM Treasury and MHCLG that pEPR funding will be an additional revenue stream for local authorities. In England, Simpler Recycling introduces new standard for the management of dry recycling. We will focus on engagement with local authorities and encourage the use of this additional funding to help drive investment in additional infrastructure that may be needed to meet these standards.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to ensure transparency in the (a) calculation and (b) use of extended producer responsibility fees.

Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Local Authority Packaging Cost and Performance Model (LAPCAP), alongside the Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging Waste) Regulations 2024 will provide transparency on fee calculations and how the fees are used by Local Authorities. PackUK, the scheme administrator for pEPR, is required to publish information explaining how it has assessed Local Authority payments for the Operational Year.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether the EU Green Taxonomy regulations apply to Northern Ireland.

Answered by Emma Reynolds - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

The EU Taxonomy Regulation, which is part of the EU's sustainable finance framework, does not directly apply in Northern Ireland.

There are some circumstances where a UK company may be subject to the EU Taxonomy reporting requirements because of its operations in the EU. This could apply to relevant companies in Northern Ireland, just as elsewhere in the UK.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment his Department has made of the potential implications for its policies of divestment in the UK defence industry as a consequence of (a) the Paris Climate Agreement and (b) UK Climate Transition Benchmarks.

Answered by Maria Eagle - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

We have not carried out an assessment into the impacts of divestment in the UK’s Defence Industry due to (a) the Paris Climate Agreement and (b) UK Climate Transition Benchmarks. This is because we see no conflict between investment in Defence and sustainable investment. The Defence Industrial Strategy - Statement of Intent, published in December 2024, identified the mobilisation of additional private sector investment as essential to the Government’s agenda to strengthen our nation’s defences and grow our economy.

Reducing the carbon footprint of Defence is not differentiated from this investment. Accelerating the development and adoption of dual use energy and circular economy technologies can deliver operational advantage and resilience while reducing emissions. For example, trials integrating alternative fuel sources and renewable energy technology can further unlock an ability to operate for longer periods without resupply and at greater reach across a dispersed battlefield.

Our ambition is for a better, more integrated, more innovative and more resilient defence industry and we will be publishing a Defence Industrial Strategy aligned to this ambition.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to Annex 2 of the Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/1816, whether Trident renewal is classified as a controversial weapon for the purposes of (a) environmental, social, and governance and (b) ethical investments.

Answered by Emma Reynolds - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

The UK Benchmarks Regulation sets out the requirements for UK Climate Transition Benchmarks and UK Paris-aligned Benchmarks. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) monitor and supervise benchmark administrators according to the Benchmarks Regulation to ensure that benchmarks are produced robustly and with due transparency. The FCA published a statement regarding their position on sustainability regulations and UK defence investment on 11 March 2025.

It is for benchmark administrators to decide if they wish to provide UK Climate Transition Benchmarks and UK Paris-aligned benchmarks under the Benchmarks Regulation, including by paying due regard to the relevant FCA guidance, and which companies to include in their benchmarks. It is then up to firms and investors to choose whether to use these benchmarks.

This Government does not see a conflict between sustainable investment and investment in our world-leading defence sector.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 4 March 202, to Question 33375 on Environment Protection: Finance, whether (a) UK Paris-aligned Benchmarks and (b) UK Climate Transition Benchmarks require investment in firms which support the renewal of Trident nuclear deterrent to be excluded.

Answered by Emma Reynolds - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

The UK Benchmarks Regulation sets out the requirements for UK Climate Transition Benchmarks and UK Paris-aligned Benchmarks. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) monitor and supervise benchmark administrators according to the Benchmarks Regulation to ensure that benchmarks are produced robustly and with due transparency. The FCA published a statement regarding their position on sustainability regulations and UK defence investment on 11 March 2025.

It is for benchmark administrators to decide if they wish to provide UK Climate Transition Benchmarks and UK Paris-aligned benchmarks under the Benchmarks Regulation, including by paying due regard to the relevant FCA guidance, and which companies to include in their benchmarks. It is then up to firms and investors to choose whether to use these benchmarks.

This Government does not see a conflict between sustainable investment and investment in our world-leading defence sector.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of reductions in funding for level seven apprenticeships on the availability of Chartered Town Planners in local government.

Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

I refer the hon. Member for Salisbury to the answer of 20 January 2025 to Question 23140.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he plans to publish guidance on how businesses should report extended producer responsibility-related costs in their financial accounts.

Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

It is not for the Government to provide guidance on how, or when to account for pEPR fees and we would encourage producers to engage with their respective audit firms where required. Further context on intended application of Regulation 60 Liability of producers to pay annual disposal and administration fees was issued in January, which is sufficient for respective audit firms to advise where required.

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