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Speech in Commons Chamber - Thu 28 Oct 2021
Oral Answers to Questions

"In Harlow we have a serious problem with horses being tethered on the roadside and cruelly treated. Will my hon. Friend introduce restrictions or ban this barbaric practice once and for all?..."
Robert Halfon - View Speech

View all Robert Halfon (Con - Harlow) contributions to the debate on: Oral Answers to Questions

Speech in Commons Chamber - Thu 28 Oct 2021
Oral Answers to Questions

"5. What steps the Commission is taking to improve the apprenticeship programme in the House of Commons. ..."
Robert Halfon - View Speech

View all Robert Halfon (Con - Harlow) contributions to the debate on: Oral Answers to Questions

Speech in Commons Chamber - Thu 28 Oct 2021
Oral Answers to Questions

"It is very welcome news that 100 apprentices are being employed across the House of Commons. What is my hon. Friend doing to ensure that we employ apprentices from disadvantaged backgrounds, so that they have a chance to climb the House of Commons ladder of opportunity?..."
Robert Halfon - View Speech

View all Robert Halfon (Con - Harlow) contributions to the debate on: Oral Answers to Questions

Written Question
Oak Processionary Moth
Monday 25th October 2021

Asked by: Robert Halfon (Conservative - Harlow)

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many reports of oak processionary moth there have been in each of the last five years, broken down by local authority area.

Answered by Rebecca Pow

The table below shows the number of sites reported as infested with oak processionary moth and which were served a statutory plant health notice between 2017 and 2021, using data provided up until 5 October 2021.

Number of sites infested with oak processionary moth, 2017-2021:

Local authority

2017

2018

2019

2020

2021

Barking and Dagenham

3

5

1

Barnet

27

61

13

31

23

Basildon

4

6

Basingstoke and Deane

1

Bexley

9

18

19

45

34

Bracknell Forest

2

3

4

13

21

Brent

34

30

16

9

3

Brentwood

1

7

13

Bromley

25

36

6

31

13

Broxbourne

3

12

19

Buckinghamshire

6

6

7

28

27

Camden

14

23

3

3

2

Castle Point

3

Central Bedfordshire

1

Chelmsford

1

2

Cheshire West and Chester

1

City of London

1

City of Westminster

1

4

6

2

1

Crawley

1

1

Croydon

4

11

4

11

6

Dacorum

3

2

4

Dartford

7

6

7

6

Ealing

43

32

51

7

13

East Hertfordshire

3

10

15

16

Elmbridge

37

118

102

219

133

Enfield

2

6

11

12

13

Epping Forest

1

6

12

40

48

Epsom and Ewell

17

51

21

59

25

Gravesham

1

Greenwich

7

25

31

42

19

Guildford

34

87

62

80

111

Hackney

1

3

1

2

4

Hammersmith and Fulham

16

3

6

2

1

Haringey

5

19

9

21

6

Harlow

3

Harrow

3

15

4

14

15

Hart

1

Havering

1

3

11

21

34

Hertsmere

1

4

36

39

Hillingdon

9

29

19

60

35

Horsham

1

Hounslow

28

26

14

4

10

Islington

2

2

1

2

Kensington and Chelsea

4

1

3

1

Kingston upon Thames

68

27

59

7

20

Lambeth

7

9

3

7

3

Lewisham

4

9

4

8

1

Luton

1

Medway

1

1

1

Merton

47

14

28

12

12

Mid Sussex

1

Mole Valley

18

53

80

106

45

Newham

3

4

2

8

2

Reading

1

Redbridge

1

5

8

25

15

Reigate and Banstead

1

4

3

21

21

Richmond upon Thames

69

15

41

6

24

Runnymede

9

26

25

94

80

Rushmoor

4

12

12

Sevenoaks

5

4

12

12

Slough

4

10

2

12

2

Southend-on-Sea

1

1

Southwark

30

7

4

14

6

Spelthorne

10

21

17

48

12

St. Albans

6

13

22

Surrey Heath

5

17

22

Sutton

23

28

9

65

2

Tandridge

1

1

2

1

Three Rivers

3

18

10

Thurrock

3

3

5

17

20

Tower Hamlets

4

4

1

6

1

Waltham Forest

3

8

5

13

9

Wandsworth

38

9

23

12

10

Watford

1

2

2

Waverley

1

7

9

6

Welwyn Hatfield

2

5

12

West Oxfordshire

3

Windsor and Maidenhead

1

5

12

40

53

Woking

10

11

109

90

Wokingham

2

8

11

Total

676

908

845

1587

1252


Written Question
Oak Processionary Moth
Monday 25th October 2021

Asked by: Robert Halfon (Conservative - Harlow)

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 support the proactive reporting of oak processionary moth infestations to neighbouring local authorities.

Answered by Rebecca Pow

The annual OPM management programme involves a comprehensive package of surveillance activities, including pheromone trapping and visual ground surveying. At present the data from the surveys is shared on an annual basis. To further support the work of landowners and Local Authorities on OPM, we will shortly be publishing a new OPM hub to help with raising awareness and preparedness, the OPM hub will include an interactive map to help landowners and local authorities track OPM infestations.


Written Question
Oak Processionary Moth
Monday 25th October 2021

Asked by: Robert Halfon (Conservative - Harlow)

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 encourage cooperation between local authorities and the Forestry Commission to help prevent the spread of oak processionary moth.

Answered by Rebecca Pow

The annual OPM management programme is delivered in partnership between the Forestry Commission, landowners and Local Authorities, and is designed to slow the rate of spread, reduce pest prevalence and protect uninfected areas. To further support the work of Local Authorities on OPM, we will shortly be launching a toolkit for Local Authorities which has been co-designed with Local Authorities, and led by the Tree Council in collaboration with Forestry Commission.


Written Question
Glass: Recycling
Tuesday 21st September 2021

Asked by: Robert Halfon (Conservative - Harlow)

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 has made an assessment of the amount of glass that would exit closed loop recycling in the event that a proposed Deposit Return Scheme does not include a re-melt target.

Answered by Rebecca Pow

Our recent consultation on introducing a deposit return scheme (DRS) did not propose a re-melt target for DRS, but the Deposit Management Organisation (DMO), which would be established for the purpose of running a DRS, would have an obligation to pass on any materials collected through the scheme to reprocessors for recycling.

We are continuing to finalise the policy of the DRS and these details will be provided in a Government response which will be published in due course. This will also be accompanied by an Impact Assessment on the final scope and policy agreed for the scheme.

Re-melt targets were first introduced under the current packaging producer responsibility regime in 2013 and have contributed to more beneficial glass recycling. An annual re-melt target of 72% has been set for 2021 and 2022. With regards to glass packaging in scope of the Extended Producer Responsibility scheme, it therefore is Government’s intention to retain a re-melt target. In its recent consultation, government stated this intention and invited respondents to offer their views on a future re-melt target rate. The Government is considering the responses to the consultation and will publish a government response in due course.

We also want to make recycling easier at kerbside and ensure that there is a comprehensive, consistent service across England. The Environment Bill stipulates that all local authorities in England must make arrangements for a core set of materials to be collected for recycling from households. This core set includes: paper and card; plastic; glass; metal; food waste and garden waste. We recently published our second consultation on recycling consistency which sought views on including on the materials in scope of collection, transitional arrangements, and statutory guidance. We are currently analysing responses to the consultation and intend to publish our Government response in due course.


Written Question
Glass: Recycling
Tuesday 21st September 2021

Asked by: Robert Halfon (Conservative - Harlow)

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 future opportunities for kerbside recycling of glass packaging containers that are not included in the proposed Deposit Return Scheme.

Answered by Rebecca Pow

Our recent consultation on introducing a deposit return scheme (DRS) did not propose a re-melt target for DRS, but the Deposit Management Organisation (DMO), which would be established for the purpose of running a DRS, would have an obligation to pass on any materials collected through the scheme to reprocessors for recycling.

We are continuing to finalise the policy of the DRS and these details will be provided in a Government response which will be published in due course. This will also be accompanied by an Impact Assessment on the final scope and policy agreed for the scheme.

Re-melt targets were first introduced under the current packaging producer responsibility regime in 2013 and have contributed to more beneficial glass recycling. An annual re-melt target of 72% has been set for 2021 and 2022. With regards to glass packaging in scope of the Extended Producer Responsibility scheme, it therefore is Government’s intention to retain a re-melt target. In its recent consultation, government stated this intention and invited respondents to offer their views on a future re-melt target rate. The Government is considering the responses to the consultation and will publish a government response in due course.

We also want to make recycling easier at kerbside and ensure that there is a comprehensive, consistent service across England. The Environment Bill stipulates that all local authorities in England must make arrangements for a core set of materials to be collected for recycling from households. This core set includes: paper and card; plastic; glass; metal; food waste and garden waste. We recently published our second consultation on recycling consistency which sought views on including on the materials in scope of collection, transitional arrangements, and statutory guidance. We are currently analysing responses to the consultation and intend to publish our Government response in due course.


Written Question
Glass: Recycling
Tuesday 21st September 2021

Asked by: Robert Halfon (Conservative - Harlow)

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 has made an assessment of the potential merits of having a re-melt target for glass collected by the proposed scheme of Extended Producer Responsibility.

Answered by Rebecca Pow

Our recent consultation on introducing a deposit return scheme (DRS) did not propose a re-melt target for DRS, but the Deposit Management Organisation (DMO), which would be established for the purpose of running a DRS, would have an obligation to pass on any materials collected through the scheme to reprocessors for recycling.

We are continuing to finalise the policy of the DRS and these details will be provided in a Government response which will be published in due course. This will also be accompanied by an Impact Assessment on the final scope and policy agreed for the scheme.

Re-melt targets were first introduced under the current packaging producer responsibility regime in 2013 and have contributed to more beneficial glass recycling. An annual re-melt target of 72% has been set for 2021 and 2022. With regards to glass packaging in scope of the Extended Producer Responsibility scheme, it therefore is Government’s intention to retain a re-melt target. In its recent consultation, government stated this intention and invited respondents to offer their views on a future re-melt target rate. The Government is considering the responses to the consultation and will publish a government response in due course.

We also want to make recycling easier at kerbside and ensure that there is a comprehensive, consistent service across England. The Environment Bill stipulates that all local authorities in England must make arrangements for a core set of materials to be collected for recycling from households. This core set includes: paper and card; plastic; glass; metal; food waste and garden waste. We recently published our second consultation on recycling consistency which sought views on including on the materials in scope of collection, transitional arrangements, and statutory guidance. We are currently analysing responses to the consultation and intend to publish our Government response in due course.


Written Question
Glass: Recycling
Tuesday 21st September 2021

Asked by: Robert Halfon (Conservative - Harlow)

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 has made an assessment of the potential merits of a remelt target for glass collected under the proposed deposit return scheme.

Answered by Rebecca Pow

Our recent consultation on introducing a deposit return scheme (DRS) did not propose a re-melt target for DRS, but the Deposit Management Organisation (DMO), which would be established for the purpose of running a DRS, would have an obligation to pass on any materials collected through the scheme to reprocessors for recycling.

We are continuing to finalise the policy of the DRS and these details will be provided in a Government response which will be published in due course. This will also be accompanied by an Impact Assessment on the final scope and policy agreed for the scheme.

Re-melt targets were first introduced under the current packaging producer responsibility regime in 2013 and have contributed to more beneficial glass recycling. An annual re-melt target of 72% has been set for 2021 and 2022. With regards to glass packaging in scope of the Extended Producer Responsibility scheme, it therefore is Government’s intention to retain a re-melt target. In its recent consultation, government stated this intention and invited respondents to offer their views on a future re-melt target rate. The Government is considering the responses to the consultation and will publish a government response in due course.

We also want to make recycling easier at kerbside and ensure that there is a comprehensive, consistent service across England. The Environment Bill stipulates that all local authorities in England must make arrangements for a core set of materials to be collected for recycling from households. This core set includes: paper and card; plastic; glass; metal; food waste and garden waste. We recently published our second consultation on recycling consistency which sought views on including on the materials in scope of collection, transitional arrangements, and statutory guidance. We are currently analysing responses to the consultation and intend to publish our Government response in due course.