Asked by: Nick Timothy (Conservative - West Suffolk)
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 the report packaging data system for extended producer responsibility, what assessment his Department has made of the reasons for which there has been a decline in glass volumes in the first six months of 2024.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The 2024 pEPR impact assessment assessed the impact of introducing the pEPR scheme on packaging producers as a whole. 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. We continue to monitor all data submitted by producers on the RPD portal and will publish an update to the illustrative base fees if the estimates significantly change. We do not have enough of a time series to identify reasons for, or impact on the policy on Placed On Market tonnages. We aim to calculate final fees in June, following regulator checks of the data.
Asked by: Nick Timothy (Conservative - West Suffolk)
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 designate thoroughbred horses as high health animals, in the context of the Border Target Operating Model.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner
A commitment to designating thoroughbred horses as high-health animals was made as part of the Border Target Operating model, and we have continued to develop that as part of our preparation to implement that border model.
Asked by: Nick Timothy (Conservative - West Suffolk)
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 introduce new fisheries management measures in England’s Marine Protected Areas on (a) bottom trawling and (b) dredging.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
It is essential to manage all forms of damaging fishing activity, including bottom trawling and dredging, in our Marine Protected Areas appropriately due to the significant damage it can have on protected seabed habitats. The department is considering next steps in the context of our domestic and international nature conservation obligations and how we support the fishing sector.
Asked by: Nick Timothy (Conservative - West Suffolk)
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 decolonise the (a) artwork and (b) heritage assets in (i) his Department and (ii) each of its arm’s length bodies.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner
The department borrows art from the Government Art Collection and does not own artwork.
As separate legal entities, the responsibility for creating policy and guidance for artwork sits with each individual arm’s length body, rather than with the department.
Asked by: Nick Timothy (Conservative - West Suffolk)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what industrial disputes are ongoing within (a) their Department and (b) each of the arm’s length bodies connected to their Department; how many (i) staff and (ii) contractors are involved in each dispute; what the form of industrial action is in each dispute; which recognised trade union is involved in each dispute; what the substantive matter is that is being disputed in each case; and what steps he plans to take to end each dispute.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner
There are no current industrial disputes ongoing within Defra or it’s arm’s length bodies.
Asked by: Nick Timothy (Conservative - West Suffolk)
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 reform the current right to roam regime.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Our countryside and green spaces are a source of great national pride, but too many across the country are left without access to the great outdoors. That is why the last Labour Government expanded public access by introducing the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000, which provided the public a right of access to large areas of mountain, moor, heath, down, registered common land and coastal margin in England. 2024 marked 75 years since the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act, which secured public access and preserved natural beauty.
This Government will continue to increase access to nature for families to enjoy, boosting people’s mental and physical health and leaving a legacy for generations to come. We will create nine new National River Walks, plant three new National Forests and empower communities to create new parks and green spaces in their communities with a new Community Right to Buy. We will announce further details on our plans for improving access to nature in due course.
Asked by: Nick Timothy (Conservative - West Suffolk)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate his Department has made of UK carbon emissions from imports from (a) China and (b) the rest of the world in each year since 2010.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Information about the Carbon footprint for the UK is published here : Carbon footprint for the UK and England to 2021 - GOV.UK
Data is available up to 2021.
The total carbon footprint now includes the seven main Greenhouse Gases comprising: CO2, Methane (CH4), Nitrous oxide (N2O), Hydro-flourocarbons (HFC), Perflurocarbons (PFC), Nitrogen trifluoride (NF3) and Sulphur hexafluoride (SF6).
We do not hold information on total UK emissions but can provide those associated with consumption. UK consumption emission figures are provided in the table below.
Table 1: Breakdown of UK consumption emissions by region of import 2010 to 2021, million tonnes CO2 equivalent, UK
Year | Imports from Europe | Imports from China | Imports from USA | Imports from RoW |
2010 | 87 | 54 | 25 | 170 |
2011 | 87 | 56 | 26 | 177 |
2012 | 91 | 54 | 26 | 190 |
2013 | 93 | 54 | 24 | 188 |
2014 | 96 | 63 | 26 | 181 |
2015 | 103 | 59 | 24 | 176 |
2016 | 102 | 49 | 21 | 148 |
2017 | 112 | 41 | 16 | 153 |
2018 | 119 | 41 | 18 | 163 |
2019 | 118 | 41 | 19 | 158 |
2020 | 104 | 41 | 17 | 149 |
2021 | 128 | 50 | 21 | 182 |
Asked by: Nick Timothy (Conservative - West Suffolk)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate his Department has made of UK carbon emissions by consumption in each year since 2010.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Information about the Carbon footprint for the UK is published here : Carbon footprint for the UK and England to 2021 - GOV.UK
Data are available up to 2021.
The total carbon footprint now includes the seven main Greenhouse Gases comprising: CO2, Methane (CH4), Nitrous oxide (N2O), Hydro-flourocarbons (HFC), Perflurocarbons (PFC), Nitrogen trifluoride (NF3) and Sulphur hexafluoride (SF6).
Figures up to 2021 for the UK can be found in the table below.
Table 1: Greenhouse gas emissions associated with UK consumption, million tonnes CO2 equivalent, UK, 2010-2021
Year | GHG from UK produced goods and services consumed by UK residents | GHG embedded in imported goods and services to UK | UK Households heating emissions arising from the use of fossil fuels | UK Transport emissions generated directly by UK households |
2010 | 310 | 336 | 91 | 66 |
2011 | 292 | 347 | 74 | 66 |
2012 | 305 | 360 | 80 | 66 |
2013 | 295 | 358 | 82 | 67 |
2014 | 283 | 366 | 69 | 67 |
2015 | 275 | 362 | 72 | 68 |
2016 | 236 | 320 | 73 | 69 |
2017 | 211 | 321 | 71 | 70 |
2018 | 213 | 342 | 74 | 70 |
2019 | 208 | 336 | 71 | 70 |
2020 | 176 | 311 | 71 | 54 |
2021 | 189 | 381 | 76 | 59 |
Asked by: Nick Timothy (Conservative - West Suffolk)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he is taking steps to consult (a) angling clubs and (b) fishery owners on reforms to the Bathing Water Regulations 2013.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra and the Welsh Government are currently running a six-week consultation on proposed reforms to the Bathing Water Regulations 2013, which closes on 23 December. We encourage all interested parties to respond to the consultation. Both Defra Minsters and officials have engaged with stakeholders before and following the launch of the public consultation. We have engaged with fishery stakeholders including the angling community and fishery conservation organisations in public forums and correspondence. We will continue to work closely with stakeholders as we progress with any proposed changes.
Asked by: Nick Timothy (Conservative - West Suffolk)
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 is taking to consult on the proposal in Wider Reform 1 to redefine multiple watercrafts and others as ‘bathers’.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra and the Welsh Government are currently running a six-week consultation on proposed reforms to the Bathing Water Regulations 2013, which closes on 23 December. In this consultation, we are calling for evidence on a wider reform for potential future development, regarding the clarification and expansion of the definition of ‘bathers’. We are seeking views on whether a wider range of water users should be considered, and if so, what other types of users should be included and how their needs can be balanced against current users. We encourage all parties to respond to the consultation.