Asked by: Kerry McCarthy (Labour - Bristol East)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to his Department's policy paper entitled The waste prevention programme for England: Maximising Resources, Minimising Waste, updated on 10 August 2023, when he plans to consult on revisions to the batteries regulations; and what his timetable is for (a) legislation on and (b) implementation of those revisions.
Answered by Robbie Moore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
We plan to consult on reforms to the batteries regulations in 2024. Dependent on the outcomes of that consultation, implementation of our proposals, including changes to legislation, would then follow from 2025.
Asked by: Kerry McCarthy (Labour - Bristol East)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to his Department's policy paper entitled The waste prevention programme for England: Maximising Resources, Minimising Waste, updated on 10 August 2023, when he plans to publish a revised Code of Practice for the Sustainable Use of Soil on Construction Sites.
Answered by Robbie Moore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
We have drafted revised guidance for the sustainable use of soil on construction sites. We are working with a range of industry experts and professionals to ensure the final document meets the requirements of end users, ahead of publication this summer.
Asked by: Kerry McCarthy (Labour - Bristol East)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many animal testing licences for chemical substances used as cosmetic ingredients were for substances used exclusively in cosmetics between 2019 and 2022.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
Between 2019 and 2022, the Government granted one licence authorising animal testing for chemicals used exclusively as ingredients in cosmetic products, for the purposes of worker or environmental safety under chemicals (REACH) regulations.
I can confirm that, following the Government’s ban of 17 May 2023, no animal testing is being conducted, nor will any testing be authorised, of chemicals that are exclusively intended to be used as ingredients in cosmetics products.
Asked by: Kerry McCarthy (Labour - Bristol East)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make an assessment with Cabinet colleagues of the potential impact of the level of VAT applied to (a) building refurbishment and renovations and (b) new build projects on resource efficiency in the construction sector.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
The construction of certain new-build properties, including residential buildings, is subject to a VAT zero rate to encourage the construction of new homes. A reduced rate of VAT at five per cent is also maintained, subject to certain conditions, for residential renovations. This includes conversions of buildings from one residential use to another, conversions from commercial to residential use, and the renovation of properties that have been empty for two years or more.
Asked by: Kerry McCarthy (Labour - Bristol East)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to his Department’s publication entitled Our Waste, Our Resources: A Strategy for England, published on 18 December 2018, what his policy is on (a) extended producer responsibility and (b) product standards for (i) textiles, (ii) bulky waste items, (iii) construction and demolition materials, (iv) vehicle tyres and (v) fishing gear.
Answered by Robbie Moore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
We are not exploring Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for textiles, furniture, construction and fishing gear while we focus our efforts on delivering EPR for packaging. The Government remains committed to introducing EPR for packaging in 2025.
We are working on product standards for textiles, bulky waste items, construction and demolition material and fishing gear through:
We do not have current plans to consult on EPR or product standards for vehicle tyres, but we will keep this option under review.
Asked by: Kerry McCarthy (Labour - Bristol East)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, with reference to page 69 of her Department's Carbon Budget Delivery Plan, published on 30 March 2023, what steps she is taking to deliver carbon savings associated with Industrial Resource Efficiency for (a) carbon budget 4, (b) carbon budget 5 and (c) carbon budget 6.
Answered by Graham Stuart
Government is committed to delivering carbon savings through increased resource efficiency in industry, in line with the 2023 Carbon Budget Delivery Plan. Through UKRI, the Government has provided innovation support, including £30m for the National Interdisciplinary Circular Economy Research programme and £66m for the Transforming Foundation Industries programme.
DESNZ has undertaken extensive research to support evidence-based resource efficiency policies. The first reports were published in November 2023. This will complement policies aimed at encouraging consumers to make green choices, such as eco-labelling and product standards. We are also processing the results of a call for evidence on scope 3 emissions reporting.
Asked by: Kerry McCarthy (Labour - Bristol East)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, with reference to the Net Zero Strategy, last updated on 5 October 2022, what recent progress he has made on his assessment of a maximum level for embodied carbon in new buildings; and when he plans to consult on proposals to reduce those levels.
Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)
The 2021 Net Zero Strategy set out Government’s ambition to help the construction sector improve reporting on embodied carbon in buildings and confirmed we are exploring maximum embodied carbon levels in new buildings in the future.
Government intends to seek views on possible approaches to the measurement and reduction of embodied carbon in due course.
Asked by: Kerry McCarthy (Labour - Bristol East)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, with reference to the commitment to match or exceed EU Ecodesign standards in the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs publication entitled Our waste, our resources: a strategy for England, published on 18 December 2018, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her Department's policies of the Commission Regulation (EU) 2023/1670.
Answered by Amanda Solloway - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
Regulation 2023/1670 applies Ecodesign requirement to smartphones and tablets. These are not priority products under the Framework but the Government is currently considering the implications of the EU’s Ecodesign programme and what the UK’s approach should be across a wide range of products.
Asked by: Kerry McCarthy (Labour - Bristol East)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that the UK meets its commitments under the Industrial Deep Decarbonisation Initiative's Green Public Procurement Pledge.
Answered by Graham Stuart
The Government committed to the Green Public Procurement pledge in its announcement at COP28 last year. As part of the pledge communiqué, the Government listed the actions it is taking to meet commitments under the pledge. The Government will provide the first annual update on the pledge later this year, which will include information on progress to date.
The pledge communiqué is available here: https://www.cleanenergyministerial.org/content/uploads/2023/12/iddi-gpp-pledge-announcement_5-december-2023.pdf
Asked by: Kerry McCarthy (Labour - Bristol East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, whether his Department has made representations to international partners on a moratorium on deep-sea mining.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
On 30 October 2023 the UK Government announced its support for a moratorium on the granting of exploitation licences for deep sea mining projects by the International Seabed Authority (ISA). The UK set out this position to international partners at the 28th Session of the Council at the International Seabed Authority in November 2023. The UK's announcement makes clear that the UK recognises the impacts of deep sea mining are not fully understood and our position is to support research proactively, using UK scientific expertise, to improve international understanding and develop strong and enforceable ISA environmental regulations, standards and guidelines on deep sea mining before any such projects commence.