Asked by: Justin Madders (Labour - Ellesmere Port and Bromborough)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department plans to establish transitional arrangements to allow businesses to sell through existing stock in the event that requirements pursuant to EU Regulation 2023/1542 on batteries are introduced; and what assessment she has made of a reasonable minimum sell-through period for manufacturers and retailers holding non-compliant inventory.
Answered by Mary Creagh
Defra is working with the Devolved Governments to review the UK’s producer responsibility legislation for batteries. As part of this review, my officials held a series of workshops with industry earlier this year to explore the impacts of regulatory consistency with the requirements of the EU Batteries Regulation in Great Britain. We intend to consult on proposals in the autumn and will use this consultation to assess transitional needs, including a reasonable minimum sell-through period for manufacturers and retailers.
Asked by: Justin Madders (Labour - Ellesmere Port and Bromborough)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she plans to a) introduce requirements in Great Britain equivalent to EU Regulation 2023/1542 on batteries; b) what the indicative timeline is for any such introduction; c) and what consultation process she plans to undertake with industry before any proposed implementation date is confirmed.
Answered by Mary Creagh
Defra is working with the Devolved Governments to review the UK’s producer responsibility legislation for batteries. As part of this review, my officials held a series of workshops with industry earlier this year to explore the impacts of regulatory consistency with the requirements of the EU Batteries Regulation in Great Britain. We intend to consult on proposals in the autumn and will use this consultation to assess transitional needs, including a reasonable minimum sell-through period for manufacturers and retailers.
Asked by: Justin Madders (Labour - Ellesmere Port and Bromborough)
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 potential risk of Great Britain becoming a market for lower-specification or less sustainable batteries if regulatory alignment with EU Regulation 2023/1542 is delayed; and what steps she is taking to ensure domestic environmental and supply chain standards are maintained in the interim.
Answered by Mary Creagh
No assessment has been made of the potential risk of Great Britain becoming a market for lower-specification or less sustainable batteries as a result of divergence with EU Regulation 2023/1542. While some obligations have already come into force in EU Regulation 2023/1542 (which also applies in Northern Ireland), others phase in over a period of time with some provisions, for example, set to apply in 2028.
Defra is working with the Devolved Governments to review the UK’s producer responsibility legislation for batteries. As part of this review, my officials held a series of workshops with industry earlier this year to explore the impacts of regulatory consistency with the requirements of the EU Batteries Regulation in Great Britain. We intend to consult on proposals in the autumn.
In the meantime, the existing producer responsibility regime will continue to operate which places obligations on producers to collect waste batteries, promoting reuse, recycling and recovery as well as environmentally sound disposal. The current regime also restricts hazardous substances used in batteries.
Asked by: Justin Madders (Labour - Ellesmere Port and Bromborough)
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 potential requirement for businesses that manufacture electrical products to produce separate Northern Ireland-compliant variants if EU Regulation 2023/1542 takes effect in Northern Ireland ahead of Great Britain; and what guidance her Department is providing to such businesses regarding compliance during this period.
Answered by Mary Creagh
The EU Batteries Regulation applies directly in Northern Ireland under the Windsor Framework. We will shortly publish guidance for businesses in Northern Ireland to help them comply with these new requirements.
Through stakeholder engagement, we understand that batteries placed on the UK market, whether sold separately or incorporated into appliances, are generally manufactured to meet EU requirements.
Defra is working with the Devolved Governments to review the UK’s producer responsibility legislation for batteries. As part of this review, my officials held a series of workshops with industry earlier this year to explore the impacts of regulatory consistency with the requirements of the EU Batteries Regulation in Great Britain. We intend to consult on proposals in the autumn.
Asked by: Justin Madders (Labour - Ellesmere Port and Bromborough)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what evidence and compliance assessments the Environment Agency relied upon when permitting the continued operation of the Stanlow refinery, including in relation to BAT 52 obligations.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Environment Agency (EA) assessed the Stanlow refinery BAT 52 derogation against known pollutants such as non-methane volatile organic compounds (NMVOC) benzene. The EA confirmed there would be no increase in emission concentrations from the White Oil Docks vent or other site activities as a result of the derogation. [assets.pub...ice.gov.uk]
The operator’s impact assessment followed the EA’s established methodology in ‘Air emissions risk assessment for your environmental permit’, which evaluates potential effects on sensitive human health receptors. The operator submitted dispersion modelling in accordance with this guidance, and the modelling and assessment report is available on the EA Public Register. [consult.en...ncy.gov.uk] The EA concluded that long‑ and short‑term impacts from these known pollutants under BAT 52 are not significant.
Asked by: Justin Madders (Labour - Ellesmere Port and Bromborough)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment the Environment Agency has made of the adequacy of permits supplied to manufacturers in Stanlow.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
There are two permits issued to manufacturers on the Stanlow Manufacturing Complex by the Environment Agency (EA): Argent Biodiesel LP3233DK and Essar Oil UK (Stanlow Manufacturing Complex) (FP3139FN). Both have permits under Environmental Permitting Regulations, determined and issued following due process.
For Argent, the most recent variation and consolidated permit was issued on 18 November 2024. For Essar, the most recent variation and consolidated permit was issued on 24 June 2025. In addition, there is a local authority regulated part B permit for Stanlow Terminals Limited for storage, unloading and loading petrol at road terminal.
A programme of inspection and audit by the EA’s local team checks compliance with permit conditions, including monitoring emissions to air, water and land, operating procedures reviewing reports, and verifying self-monitoring. If significant non-compliance is detected, then this is, and has been, addressed by follow-up inspection and appropriate enforcement response.
Asked by: Justin Madders (Labour - Ellesmere Port and Bromborough)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to help reduce the odours emanating from Stanlow.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Environment Agency (EA) has initiated an investigation into the source and cause of odours in the area, visiting Stanlow refinery and other regulated businesses. EA officers have undertaken odour checking in the community, through scheduled visits and in response to complaints. The refinery environmental permit sets out emission limits as well as requiring the operator to take action to minimise odours by using appropriate measures.
The EA identified one potential source of odour, and the operator is installing equipment to reduce odorous emissions from this source. The EA further directed the company to review their plant operations, to identify any other potential causes of the odour and to update their management systems including a comprehensive revision of their Odour Management Plan. The EA is assessing available air quality, emissions, and meteorological data and has engaged with the UKHSA and Local Authority Cheshire West and Chester on this.
Asked by: Justin Madders (Labour - Ellesmere Port and Bromborough)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether any ministerial redundancy payments have been repaid to his Department since 2019.
Answered by Mark Spencer
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
Asked by: Justin Madders (Labour - Ellesmere Port and Bromborough)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when he plans to respond to the correspondence of 19 February 2024 from the hon. Member for Ellesmere Port and Neston on the legal restrictions on XL Bully dogs.
Answered by Mark Spencer
A reply will be sent to the hon. Member soon. I apologise for the delay in responding to the hon. Member.
Asked by: Justin Madders (Labour - Ellesmere Port and Bromborough)
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 take steps to introduce further funding rounds under the natural flood management programme.
Answered by Robbie Moore - Shadow Minister (Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
We want to mainstream the use of Natural Flood Management (NFM) and expect the £25 million NFM programme will help inform how we do that. While we do not currently have plans for further rounds, we would encourage applicants to apply for NFM funding as part of our wider £5.6 billion investment in flood and coastal defences.