Asked by: Norman Lamb (Liberal Democrat - North Norfolk)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, who is responsible for digitisation in her Department; and what mechanisms the person with responsibility for digitisation uses to champion digitisation.
Answered by George Eustice
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Dissolution.
Asked by: Norman Lamb (Liberal Democrat - North Norfolk)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many meetings she had with her Department’s Chief Scientific Adviser from 1 June to 31 August 2019.
Answered by George Eustice
Defra’s former Chief Scientific Adviser Ian Boyd left Defra at the end of August and on 1 October 2019 Gideon Henderson was appointed. The Secretary of State was appointed on the 24 July 2019 and has not yet held any bilateral meetings with the Chief Scientific Adviser since this date and 31 August 2019. The Chief Scientific Adviser regularly attends other Secretary of State meetings on wider issues.
Asked by: Norman Lamb (Liberal Democrat - North Norfolk)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many meetings she had with her Department’s Chief Scientific Adviser from 1 June to 31 August 2019.
Answered by George Eustice
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
Asked by: Norman Lamb (Liberal Democrat - North Norfolk)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many meetings he held with his Department’s Chief Scientific Adviser between 1 March 2019 and 31 May 2019.
Answered by Robert Goodwill
The Secretary of State has had one bilateral meeting with Defra’s Chief Scientific Adviser between 1 March 2019 and 31 May 2019. The Chief Scientific Adviser also regularly attends other Secretary of State meetings on wider issues.
Asked by: Norman Lamb (Liberal Democrat - North Norfolk)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many meetings he held with his Department’s Chief Scientific Adviser between 1 December 2018 and 28 February 2019.
Answered by Robert Goodwill
The Secretary of State had two bilateral meetings with Defra’s Chief Scientific Adviser between 1 December 2018 and 28 February 2019. The Chief Scientific Adviser also regularly attends other Secretary of State meetings on wider issues.
Asked by: Norman Lamb (Liberal Democrat - North Norfolk)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many meetings he had with his Department’s Chief Scientific Adviser between 1 September and 30 November 2018.
Answered by George Eustice
The Secretary of State has had two bilateral meetings with Defra’s Chief Scientific Adviser between 1 September and 30 November 2018. The Chief Scientific Adviser also regularly attends other Secretary of State meetings on wider issues.
Asked by: Norman Lamb (Liberal Democrat - North Norfolk)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many meetings he had with his Department’s Chief Scientific Adviser between 1 January and 31 March 2018.
Answered by George Eustice
The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has held three meetings with, or involving, his Department’s Chief Scientific Adviser between 1 January and 31 March 2018.
Asked by: Norman Lamb (Liberal Democrat - North Norfolk)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what his policy is on the practice of local authorities charging residents to dispose of DIY household waste.
Answered by Thérèse Coffey
We have not carried out an assessment of these proposals. There is a long established precedent of free access for local residents to deposit household waste at household waste recycling centres. In 2015, the Government made an order prohibiting local authorities from charging householders to deposit household waste at civic amenity sites or household waste recycling centres.
Where local authorities charge for the deposit of non-household items at Household Waste Recycling Centres, this should be done in line with the Controlled Waste (England and Wales) Regulations 2012. Where charges are proposed, they should be proportionate and transparent and made in consultation with local residents so that local services meet local needs.
Asked by: Norman Lamb (Liberal Democrat - North Norfolk)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of whether proposals by Norfolk County Council to introduce charges for DIY waste are compliant with his Department's policies on household waste; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Thérèse Coffey
We have not carried out an assessment of these proposals. There is a long established precedent of free access for local residents to deposit household waste at household waste recycling centres. In 2015, the Government made an order prohibiting local authorities from charging householders to deposit household waste at civic amenity sites or household waste recycling centres.
Where local authorities charge for the deposit of non-household items at Household Waste Recycling Centres, this should be done in line with the Controlled Waste (England and Wales) Regulations 2012. Where charges are proposed, they should be proportionate and transparent and made in consultation with local residents so that local services meet local needs.
Asked by: Norman Lamb (Liberal Democrat - North Norfolk)
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 page 20 of the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government's Litter Strategy for England, published in April 2017, what definition his Department uses for household waste; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Thérèse Coffey
The definition of household waste is set out in section 75(5) of the Environmental Protection Act 1990. In that Act, household waste means waste from domestic properties, caravans, residential homes and premises forming part of a university, school, other educational establishment, hospital or nursing home.
Schedule 1 to the Controlled Waste (England and Wales) Regulations 2012 further prescribes what types of waste should be treated as household waste, subject to the place where it is produced or the nature of the activity producing the waste.