Asked by: Munira Wilson (Liberal Democrat - Twickenham)
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 her Department's Environment Improvement Plan 2023, published on 31 January 2023, what assessment she has made of the impact of water recycling schemes on the (a) target of reducing phosphate levels by 80 per cent by 2038 and (b) control the release of antimicrobials into aquatic environments.
Answered by Rebecca Pow
Any water recycling option being considered by water companies in their draft statutory water resources management plans, must meet the environmental requirements for wastewater treatment discharges into the environment, including for phosphates or antimicrobial release. Water regulators, including the Environment Agency, will be responding to the consultations on the draft plans before the plans are referred to the Secretary of State later this year.
Asked by: Munira Wilson (Liberal Democrat - Twickenham)
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 her Department's publication Our Action Plan for Animal Welfare, published on 12 May 2021, whether it is still her Department's policy to review restrictions on the import of (a) fur, (b) foie gras and (c) hunting trophies from endangered animals.
Answered by Mark Spencer
The Action Plan for Animal Welfare outlined our intention to explore potential action on the import of animal fur. We have since conducted a Call for Evidence on the fur sector along with other forms of engagement with interested parties. We are continuing to build our evidence base on the fur sector.
We are committed to building a clear evidence base to inform any potential future decisions relating to foie gras imports.
The Government has pledged to ban the import of hunting trophies from thousands of species. We are committed to a ban that is among the strongest in the world and leads the way in protecting endangered animals. We are supporting the Private Member’s Bill led by the Honourable Member for Crawley that will deliver this.
Asked by: Munira Wilson (Liberal Democrat - Twickenham)
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 implication for his polices of Thames Water’s proposal to convey millions of litres of treated wastewater into the River Thames at Teddington Weir, including (a) potential health implications, (b) impact on biodiversity and (c) safeguards to protect water quality.
Answered by Rebecca Pow
The Environment Agency (EA) has reviewed work undertaken by Thames Water to understand the risks and mitigation required for a Teddington Direct River Abstraction (DRA) scheme through the Regulators’ Alliance for Progressing Infrastructure Development (RAPID) gated process to ensure it meets stringent environmental standards. The EA is currently reviewing any proposals for new water resources options through the statutory Water Resources Management Plan consultation and more detailed assessment of Teddington DRA through the RAPID gated process.
Asked by: Munira Wilson (Liberal Democrat - Twickenham)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to help reduce deforestation (a) in the UK and (b) overseas.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
In England, when a felling licence is issued, there is a presumption to replant after tree felling. The Forestry Commission also has an enforcement capability under the Forestry Act 1967 (as amended) to combat unlicensed and illegal felling, with additional measures in the Environment Act 2021 that will commence on 1 January 2023 that will enhance these enforcement tools.
Where trees are felled without restocking conditions attached, Open Habitats Policy provides definition if compensatory woodland planting is required. Similarly, the introduction of Biodiversity Net Gain will also define compensatory planting required as a result of woodland habitat loss due to planned development if permitted.
The UK Government has introduced world-leading due diligence legislation through the Environment Act to help tackle illegal deforestation in UK supply chains. We recently ran a consultation to seek views on how we should implement Environment Act provisions, including which commodities we should regulate through the first round of secondary legislation, and have since published a summary of responses, available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/tackling-illegal-deforestation-in-uk-supply-chains.
Deforestation is a global issue that requires global collaboration, and this world-leading due diligence legislation will help tackle as part of a wider package of measures, designed to improve the sustainability of our supply chains contribute to global efforts to protect forests and other ecosystems.
Asked by: Munira Wilson (Liberal Democrat - Twickenham)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department is taking steps to improve animal welfare protections for fish at the time of slaughter.
Answered by Scott Mann
I refer the hon. Member to the reply previously given to the hon. Member for Lancaster and Fleetwood, Cat Smith, on 5 September 2022, PQ UIN 40832.
Asked by: Munira Wilson (Liberal Democrat - Twickenham)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what his Department's timescale is for launching a consultation on the use of cages for laying hens.
Answered by Steve Double
I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 12 July 2022 to the hon. Member for Slough, PQ UIN 31904.
Asked by: Munira Wilson (Liberal Democrat - Twickenham)
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 take steps to ban the import of puppies under 24 weeks of age.
Answered by Baroness Prentis of Banbury
The Animal Welfare (Kept Animals) Bill was reintroduced following the Queen's speech and will progress to Report stage in the commons as soon as parliamentary time allows. The Bill allows us to protect the welfare of pets by introducing restrictions to crack down on the low welfare movements of pets into Great Britain and includes powers to introduce new restrictions on pet travel and the commercial import of pets on welfare grounds, via secondary legislation.
In August 2021, the Government launched an 8-week consultation on our proposed restrictions to the commercial and non-commercial movement of pets into Great Britain. This included proposals to ban the import of puppies under the age of six months. We are currently analysing the responses to the consultation and will publish a summary in due course. This will allow us to take on board the views of the public and interested groups in order to shape our future policy.