Asked by: Mark Hendrick (Labour (Co-op) - Preston)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has plans to (a) ban the sale of unrecyclable wrapping paper or (b) introduce a tax on such products.
Answered by Thérèse Coffey
We have no plans to ban “non-recyclable” wrapping paper. Retailers are encouraged to provide information on whether their wrapping paper can be recycled or whether it should be disposed of in residual waste.
Packaging materials, including wrapping paper sold with the product, are covered by the Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging Waste) Regulations which place a legal obligation on businesses that make or use packaging to ensure that a proportion of the packaging they sell is recovered and recycled.
This creates an incentive for companies to use less packaging and to ensure that their packaging can be recycled at end of life as it will reduce their costs in complying with the Regulations.
We have committed to exploring changes to the packaging producer responsibility scheme. This will look at all aspects of the regime, including mechanisms to encourage increased recyclability. More detail will be announced in the Resources and Waste Strategy, which will be published shortly.
Asked by: Mark Hendrick (Labour (Co-op) - Preston)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many hedgehogs have been poisoned by slug pellets in (a) Lancashire and (b) Cumbria in each of the last five years.
Answered by Thérèse Coffey
No cases involving hedgehogs and slug pellets have been reported in Cumbria and Lancashire over the last five years.
Asked by: Mark Hendrick (Labour (Co-op) - Preston)
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 help preserve juvenile cod fishing stocks after the UK leaves the EU.
Answered by George Eustice
The UK has been working with the EU to agree Multi-Annual Plans (MAPs) for the North Sea and Western Waters which will deliver sustainable management of mixed fisheries including the provision of better protection for juvenile stocks such as cod. For example, MAPs will provide the framework for optimum recovery measures including limitations in certain areas to protect spawning and juvenile fish. MAPs will be an important tool for our future bilateral co-operation with the EU.
Asked by: Mark Hendrick (Labour (Co-op) - Preston)
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 has been taking to reduce water consumption since May 2018.
Answered by Thérèse Coffey
The Government is working with the water industry to agree an ambitious average target for per capita consumption and to identify and implement the most cost-effective and impactful measures needed to meet it, as set out in the 25 year environment plan.
The Government expects water companies to enhance their activities promoting water efficiency in areas affected by the dry weather, in line with their statutory drought plans. For example, through increasing capacity to fix leaks more quickly and through sharing water saving messages.
Asked by: Mark Hendrick (Labour (Co-op) - Preston)
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 prevent the growth of bacteria in water as a result of dog fouling.
Answered by Thérèse Coffey
For drinking water, sources are generally protected from any animal access, and where this is not possible, water companies use a multi-barrier approach, including treatment and disinfection to make sure the water is safe.
For bathing water, the 25 Year Environment Plan sets out our commitment to minimise by 2030 the harmful bacteria in our designated bathing waters and to continue to improve the cleanliness of our waters. The Environment Agency (EA) investigates if a bathing water is classified as poor or is deteriorating and works with local authority and other stakeholders to take appropriate measures to reduce pollution.
In addition, local councils have a duty to ensure that public areas are kept clear of litter and refuse. This includes removing dog faeces from certain types of land, including parks, picnic and recreation areas, car parks, pedestrianised shopping streets, and certain leisure beaches and promenades.
Asked by: Mark Hendrick (Labour (Co-op) - Preston)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate he has made of the number of foxes that have been killed as part of the hunt season in the UK in the last five years (a) nationally, (b) in Lancashire, (c) in Cumbria and (d) in Cheshire.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
No estimate has been made of the number of foxes that have been killed, as part of the hunt season in the UK, since the Hunting Act 2004 came into effect.
Asked by: Mark Hendrick (Labour (Co-op) - Preston)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans his Department has to ban or limit the use of non-biodegradable plastic in the packaging of bread and other bakery products; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Thérèse Coffey
The Government has made no plans to ban or limit the use of non-biodegradable plastic in the packaging of bread and other bakery products, though we have asked WRAP to consider this as part of the work for the UK plastic Pact.
Packaging extends the shelf-life of bread, enables easy freezing and therefore supports action to reduce levels of bread waste in the home. Currently the shelf-life of loose store baked bread is 1-2 days whilst pre-packed bread has a shelf-life of 6-7 days.
The Government remains committed to preventing waste where possible and we will be consulting widely on our plans for resources, waste and recycling in developing our Resources and Waste Strategy.
Asked by: Mark Hendrick (Labour (Co-op) - Preston)
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 reduce the incidence of chlamydial abortion in sheep.
Answered by George Eustice
Chlamydial abortion is endemic in the UK. We have made a commitment in the 25 Year Environment Plan to support industry to reduce the impact of endemic livestock diseases. Decisions on which diseases to prioritise will be taken forward in consultation with industry. Farmers can already control chlamydial abortion through good biosecurity and vaccination.
Asked by: Mark Hendrick (Labour (Co-op) - Preston)
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 bring forward legislative proposals on statutory equine identification for a central equine database.
Answered by George Eustice
The Central Equine Database (CED) was launched on 8 March 2018. Legislation to implement current EU law on equine identification, including the CED, is being prepared and will be laid before Parliament as soon as practicable.
Asked by: Mark Hendrick (Labour (Co-op) - Preston)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of reintroducing wolves into the UK; whether his Department has any plans to support the reintroduction of such animals; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Thérèse Coffey
The reintroduction of species is a devolved issue. The government has not made an assessment of the potential merits of reintroducing wolves in England and is not aware of any proposals to re-introduce them.
Natural England considers any application for reintroductions in accordance with international guidelines including taking account of socio-economic and environmental impacts as well as the impacts on the animals themselves.